Viewing page 91 of 102

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

21

The following Saturday, we spent the whole day in Bldg. 60 working on the locomotive, the first Saturday work we'd done in a long time. And George Bennett stuck with us the whole day which surprised and pleased me. That evening, Willie and I went to the Bennetts to play Monopoly. It was fun but I got so sleepy that it was a battle to keep awake and not disgrace myself. I finally managed to do this anyhow by emitting a long, heartfelt groan on envy when Helen told of a shipment of country sausage they'd just received. My groan was so convincing that she insisted we take some home, much to Willie's embarrassment. By this tie, they'd moved from the Trask Avenue house to the furnished apartment across from the Unitarian Church, which was a cozy little place and much easier for Helen to take care of. For all her family's money, she was extremely genuine and unassuming. And I referred to George as a "card," with his "southern ways," as Ralph Ballard used to say.
But Ralph has his problems. One evening about nine o'clock I was enjoying being at home when I had a phone call from him and Chuck Depew insisting that I come downtown and have some beer with them. Willie was tired and was about to retire anyhow, so I went down. Normally I didn't spend much time with these men but over a drinks, it was often possible to learn things about how the job was going that just didn't some out until perhaps Jack Walker had a complaint to make based on their reports. It was time well spent if done in moderation. We had a few beers in a place called "Vines," a spot I just can't recall at all, either by name or location. Then Ralph wanted to transfer to the Tanner Club, a real dive in a big second floor loft at State and Fourth. However, Chuck got me aside long enough to tell me that Ralph had heart trouble, a new one to me, and that he'd had some sort of attack early in the evening, so please would I do all I could to persuade him to return to the hotel as soon as possible. So we adjourned, much to Ralph's disgust, when I said I just had to get home. After hearing this report on Ralph's health, I was afraid he was headed for real trouble if he didn't ease off his heavy drinking because usually he drank the hard stuff, and kept going often until he was in pretty bad shape. And this had its sordid side. It was one thing to do a little drinking and have a little fun and camaraderie in the process, and it was something else to drink to the point of becoming a problem. But it was only two days after this that I joined Ballard and Depew at the Tanner Club after returning home at 12:30 following the session at the Lawrence with Willie, the Reeds and Jim Hyde. And as I've noted, the place had such a strong negative appeal to me that I appreciated more than ever, my regular walks of life, my family, and my good friends. During my many years of traveling the country and mixing with quite a mixed bag of railroad men as well as others, I've visited many such places and I don't think I've ever failed to have this same reaction although in anticipation, the places may appear quite alluring.