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(erielack) SCL Superintendent Satterwhite

  Doug,
   Just to let u know I enjoyed ur post on Mr. Satterwhite. I first came in 
contact with this man when I left the Erie-Lackawanna in 1971 & relocated to 
Florida. Having been in engine service for most of my railroad career, I 
went to Miami & interviewed with Mr. Satterwhite. At the time, SCL was very 
short of engineers & Mr. Satterwhite told me he wanted me to go get my 
physical that day since I was a promoted man & he wanted me on the roster 
ahead of those who he'd have to send to engineer school. I passed the 
physical & dropped the papers off at his office & went home and never heard 
another word. I became suspicous and went to his office where he showed me 
the blackballing letter from my old ELRR road foreman Sammy Miller saying I 
was not a 'dependable' employee. I had mentioned that I'd put 4 years in the 
U.S. Air Force completing my military service and not Knowing thet 
Satterwhite had been a pilot in WW2. Perhaps he took this into consideration 
when he said 'You don't seem to be a troublemaker or drinker, but I can't 
hire you with a record like this." He further stated he couldn't give me a 
copy of the letter & really shouldn't have shown it to me.
   I then went to auto-Train and was hired & stayed with them until they 
went bankrupt in 1981. During this time I became acquainted with many of the 
road crews of the SCL since I took over from them when the train entered the 
Auto-Train Sanford,Fl. yard and we'd shoot the breeze until they got off the 
road power at Persimmon Ave. One of these men was a former Atlantic Coast 
Line engineer, Mr. Calhoun. Like his namesake, Calhoun was from the state of 
South Carolina and also like the famous statesman didn't take any s--t.
     This caused a problem when Calhoun objected to the filthy, 
roach-infested motel the SCL used for their crews in Jacksonville layovers. 
When he complained to the manager, he was told to 'get lost, old-timer' (Mr. 
Calhoun was in his 60s). Calhoun then went around getting signatures on a 
petition which he forwarded by registered mail to the Florida Hotel 
Commission in the state capitol.
One thing the state of Florida takes seriously is it's hotels with all the 
tourist business - and taxes - that they bring in. This caused problems for 
the motel & the next time Calhoun's crew laid over, the manager confronted 
Calhoun & using words not ordinarily heard in Sundayschool pushed Calhoun 
against the wall. This and the fact that the manager was a YANKEE with a New 
York accent set off Calhoun's already short fuse & he gave the manager a 
bloody nose. Upon arrival at Sanford the next morning, the operator gave 
Calhoun a note from Supt. Satterwhite telling him he had to apologize to the 
motel manager or face disciplinary action.
       The next day a new engineer brought in Auto-Train and the crew, 
bursting with laughter told me to get over to the SCL office in their 
station as soon as possible & see the letter of resignation Calhoun had sent 
to the SCL superintendent. After spotting the auto-carriers, I got off the 
switchengine and went to the SCL offices. The letter had been posted to the 
bulletin board with about a thousand staples (no doubt to make it difficult 
or impossible to remove). I don't remember all of it, but some phrases stick 
in my mind to this day..........
  "Dear Mr. Satterwhite,
         I have been priveleged to work for the ACL & SCL for (35 or 40 
years). Since you have come here, I get down on my knees every night and 
thank the Lord that I work for a Superintendent that has the COURAGE and the 
BACKBONE to stand up for the men who work for him.
        Take this letter as my resignation.
    J. C. Calhoun "

        The letter lasted for several days but finally some manager ripped 
it down all but for a few scraps that had 20 or so staples driven into the 
wood.

Regards,

Walt Smith

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