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23 It almost seems to me that he took Dyke and me out to lunch at some fancy club one day (maybe the DAC) to discuss the job. He couldn't have been any more charming and when I began gradually to hear the truth about him, I could scarcely believe it. At any rate, things later got to such a sorry pass that Cameron was threatened with actual employee rebellion and had to be removed. Detroit came under Chicago at that time and they brought Cameron back to Chicago where he was put on the shelf with a fancy title like "Assistant to the District Industrial Manager" or maybe it was "Assistant to the District Manager." I guess he was retired as soon as it could be worked out gracefully. Apparently he was a super-salesman but a worthless manager without the slightest idea of how to handle people. I felt kind of sorry for him because I'd always found him among the friendliest of all the new district people whom I met during that period. I enjoyed the travel and living arrangements in connection with this job. During the winter months, I'd take the train to Cleveland where I'd board the Detroit sleeper which left very late, giving one time to go into the Hotel Cleveland for a beer before retiring. But the real treat was after the spring weather came along and the "Detroit night boat" began to run. Then I'd take it instead of the sleeper, have the nightcap beer on the water and get up in time to have breakfast on the boat before docking at Detroit. The return trip was much the same thing in reverse. In Detroit, I stayed at no Hotel Essex, but the swank Book Cadillac downtown on the Square, taxiing to and from the office from there. The Ford offices were clean, bright, comfortable and very cheerful. However, there was one feature out there that I didn't like: no smoking was allowed anywhere in the plant. At that time, I had acquired the cigarette habit pretty bad and this prohibition on smoking did trouble me a bit. I had no buddies in Detroit at that time and I don't recall any night life. I was pretty much on my own evenings and besides I don't remember staying in town more than two days at a time anyhow. Little did I realize all my connections-to-be in Detroit and vicinity. I was in Detroit on May 26, 1937 to settle a few final details as the locomotives would shortly be in assembly. We were now dealing with the plant operating people in the Transportation Department who had jurisdiction over the plant railroad service. I remember vaguely sitting in an anteroom waiting to see someone. It was a cool but pleasant day as I recall. I looked out the window and reflected on what a remarkable place this Rouge Plant was. And right then, an incident was transpiring perhaps not over 100-yards away that has grown famous. It was the "Battle of the Overpass" between Ford guards and Walter Reuther and Dick Frankensteen of the UAW in which the two labor representatives, who were trying to pass out leaflets, took a bad beating, becoming martyrs in the process.
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