44 true that after the lapse of five years much of this spirit of revenge has cooled in its ardor, but should the employes of any railway system again strike, the Railway Age knows that under the deception of the "clearance card" an effort would be made by the General Managers' Association to blacklist" every striker. Subsequent to a strike of importance every subterfuge is resorted to by railway companies to prevent the employment of such strikers by any other company. This fact is known by everyone, although many are not sufficiently honest to acknowledge it. When the statement is made in a "clearance card" that the the 46 only disqualification of an ex-employe is that he, as a member of a labor organization, engaged in engaged in a strike, clearance card" becomes in fact ablacklist," The fear of such a " clearance-card-blacklist" prevents many railway employes now demanding a division of the benefits of the present prosperity of which railway companies brag. Freight Experience Before Promotion. The following article, with the above caption, is reproduced from Locomotive Engineering for September, and no doubt will attract considerable interest among locomotive firemen. The fact that the usual "seniority" rules prevent firemen on the eve of promotion firing freight engines for any considerable period, makes the matter complicated, but the fact remains that much of the "bad luck" experienced by newly promoted men may be attributed, in a degree, to a lack of familiarity with freight service. That is a point connected with the success of every promoted fireman, when he begins work as an engineer, which does not always get the attention which it deserves from the officers and firemen. The case often comes up of a man who has fired on a passenger train for a number of years previous to his promotion. and who considers that he needs no more freight experience as a preparation for service as a freight engineer. If the line of promotion was from fireman to passenger engineer direct, it would not make so much difference, but it is never that way. The promoted man generally has a long and arduous service on freight ahead of him, and his education and experience should be such as to fit him for success as a freight man, right from the first with every grade and curve, both on the trip as an engineer. He should be familiar main line and on the sidings or in yards, and thus know how to work the engine and handle the train so it will always be under his control, both in starting and stopping. edge in a practical way, it is necessary to For the promoted man to gain this knowlsee how freight trains are handled under all conditions of weather and rail with the varying grades, together with the location of the fixed signals which govern the movements of his train, as seen from the freight tracks in yards. The passenger work is of such an entirely different character that in a good many cases it crowds the ideas he gained of the freight work at the beginning of his service as a fireman to one side, and when he goes on freight it is like a new trade altogether. On a passenger train the engineer is usually a man who handles the train himself at all times, and depends on the other while on freight there is more latitude man to attend to the fireman's duties strictly; allowed, so that the fireman gets a better chance to accustom himself to the work. Passenger trains usually get the good engines, which are not expected to break down, and what is left on freight service will give a fireman a better idea of how and when he may expect to find the troubles incident to disabled engines and cars. Then the freight engines usually are harder to manage, in operation, in oiling around, in inspection and keeping in order. His observation and familiarity with the detail of their construction are absolutely necessary when one of them is disabled, in order to get under way as soon as possible, and not block the main tracks. The young engineer on a freight engine does not always get the regular man on the engine to help him out. More often he has a spare fireman, with little or no experience, so that it is not only necessary to attend to all the engineer's work, but also supervise that of the fireman. This is a full-sized job for an experienced man, let alone the beginner. For these reasons-and still others may be stated-we think it very essential that men about to be promoted should "learn the road on freight," and unless they have recently been changed from main-line freight work to passenger service, at least six months on freight engines on the different divisions should be required before promotion. Of course, the old passenger firemen will not all agree with this opinion, as some of them look at it as a step backwards to leave a passenger run and fire an old freight engine; but they can better learn how to get along by seeing how some one else does it. Investigation on your own road of promoted men who have had repeated failures as freight engineers will usually show that they have little service as freight firemen. Think of this point, boys. Small Engines and Boilers. "Small Engines and Boilers" is a book of 108 pages on the construction, operation and proper care of machines for light usage, from five-horse power down to mere working models, for amateurs and others interested in such work. This book is written by Egbert P. Watson, an eminent mechanical authority, and is published by D. Van Nostrand & Co., 23 Murray St., New York, N. Y. The book is fully illustrated, printed on a good grade of paper, bound in cloth, and sells at $1.25 per copy. Making Records. The Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., whose attractive advertisement appears on Page V. of this issue of the MAGAZINE, has lately issued a booklet entitled "Making Records," and how Dixon's Flake Graphite helps. The contents of the little book is made up of matter pertaining to the proper use of graphite as a lubricant, and the testimonials of those who have found it a success. Anyone can secure a copy of this booklet free by sending their name and address to the Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, N. J. VAUCLAIN COMPOUND LOCOMOTIVE.* [CONTINUED FROM SEPTEMBER NUmber.] On account of their great any coppersmith; in fact, an ordinary Repairs. similarity to single-expansion locomotives, mechanics familiar with the latter have no difficulty in understanding these compound locomotives. There is no new element of repairs introduced, no complicated starting or reducing valves, such as are common to other systems of compound locomotives. The cross-heads, when badly worn, may, in a short time, be re-tinned by laborer can be taught this in a few days. The cross-head is heated warm enough to melt solder, and is then cleaned and wiped with solder, using dilute muriatic acid, such as tinsmiths use in soldering. Block tin is then poured against the surfaces so prepared, to which it adheres. A piece of iron placed alongside the cross-head can be used to regulate the thickness. The cross-head is then put on a |