The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1915-08-20
By Fred l.. Boalt.


conductor on the Northern
Pacific railroad.
Three years ago he was dis
charged,
From that day 10 this he has
been on tho railroad BLACK
list" which means that he. who
knows only the railroad husl
ness, eanno, get work on any
railroad In the United States
Canada. or Mexico.
Two other conductors were
discharged at the same time 40
chabot.
One, c. e. Wright. 10 now
driving a llsney bus IN Seattle.
The other. Flynn. a family
man. despalrlrg. put q bullet
through his brain.
There are many more In the
same fix. as every railroad man
knows" said Chabot TO me. u
know one who has tried nearly
every railroad In the country. Just
now he Is running a stationary en-
CINE ON contracting job and Nv
I ing in dread that at any moment
his employer viii learn that he In
'biacklisted railroad man.
Il know another who IL poddling
flowers In the streets OF Seattle.
Chabot. following his discharge,
was arrested for having railroad
tickets In his possession without
authority. lie claims no was In
noccnt OF any wrong intent New.
crthelesn he served 80 days in jail.
Whether innocent or guilty. thie
much h true: ChRbot n an Elk.
and was tried by the Elks for con
duct unbccoming an En-. and VAS
acquitted by the Elks and returned
20 good standing IN that order
My first sob after getting out
/ Of jail was with the Keystone
Liquor Co" said ChAbot "A man.
whom | recognized az a railroad de.
tectiye. camo into the store and
bought two quarts Of whisky, al,
Isf.2s quart. while was wrap.
ping up the bottles. this man vas
Joined By another They started
away without paying for the whis'
ky. The man vowed he had paid.
and his friend swore no saw him
pay
shortly after that tho proprie-
tor let me 40. lie claimed he Was
taking back a former employe who
II had Quit on account Of poor health
but who was better held that JOB
three weeks
My next job vas with the NH
wAukee at Port Angeles. told the
foreman l had come down from
Alaska. and 20, work brakins on
a logging train. ! lasted q week
The foreman came 10 me and
said: You used to work for the y.
lP.' What use vas there 70 lie
about ~ lie know.
You 20 back TO Seattle and go,
your clearance Strengthened out.
no said.
You don't know what q clear
ance' iag It's like n discharge from
the army. It's q blank form on
which ia written your description.
the Jobs you've had. and 40 on. II
you leave one railroad with an
honorable discharge. you're sup
posea 10 be able 10 land work With
any other railroad needing men
but the railroads have
cad. which all understand.
They DO not come out frankly
and give you a clearance say
inc you're q toaser. or a trouble
maker. or Incompetent Iney
give you what seems TO be
GOOD clearance, but down At
the bottom, OF the sheet. under
the head Of Remarks, they
draw . line In red Ink.
az that line 10 straight
across u means one thing;
IL slsnts one way, u means
something else; " II slants still
another way II means some
thina else. do not know the
code, but II 10 known 10 heads
Of departments.
81 returned 20 Seattle and TO
the head Of a department. who
had recommended my dis
charge. ard all but went on my
knees TO him. ! did not ask for
my old place back. only asked
for a chance 70 get work on
some other railroad. ! reminded
him that for 10 years ! had
worked for the N. p. and that
my record was good.
IA scratch OF your PEN"
told him. and I get work. I'm
broke. have wife to sup