He was employed by the Geological Survey of Canada for fifteen years, where he came into his own as one of the most significant linguists in North America, the other being Leonard Bloomfield.
Ia kemudian dipekerjakan oleh Survei Geologis Kanada selama lima belas tahun, tempat ia menjadi linguis yang paling signifikan di Amerika Utara, berdampingan dengan Leonard Bloomfield.