Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1881-03-16

! people Of my State as TO this bill. |
shall not detain the Senate longer. |
cannot vote for the bill | believe it
involves q departure from the doctrines
T of the Constitution and the teachings
Of the fathers of the organization to
which | belong.
TELEGRAPH REP4TRERS.
Every one has seen "lino man"
walk up a telegraph pole as readily as
il he were going up a flight Of stairs
With a quick, nervous jerk Of the foot
he drives the spurs into the wood and
takes firm hold every time. This
deXterity comes from practice. II looks
dangerous when a man is near the top
of the pole, but that there is really lit
tie danger is proved by the fact that
accidents very rarely occur The men
become accustomed to working at a
great height, and mind it no more than
sailors on ship. An experienced man
looks out for rotten poles and rotten
cross-beams, and once confident OF
these, lie feels no further alarm. He
hangs on by his legs as cleverly as a
monkey by its tail, and thus has the
free use Of his arms and hands.
The spurs are of steel and consist Of
a fiat bar with bend, which passes
under the instep. A sharp point pro.
ects dlagonally downward so as to
bear Il heavy weight from above The
greater the weight the deeper the point
sinks, and the wood would have to be
very rotten for it to slip. Itleaves be.
hind on the pole those queer little holes,
which SO much resemble the work OF a
woodpecker on tree.
The line men are divided into two
classes, climbers and ground men. The
latter rank little higher than ordinary
laborers, but IN time, if they are anX-
ious to learn, they graduate into climb.
ers. Climbers are paid from $40 to
s75 month, and at present are in
great demand owing to the large amount
Of telegraph construction going on
throughout the country. Groundmen
dig holes, plant poles, carry wire, and
do whatever other labor is necessary.
The climber is provided with pair
of pliers, a hand.vise and strap. He
catches up the broken ends OF wire,
draws them together with the wise and
strap, and spices them with the pliers
! Care is taken TO leave certain slack,
so as to allow for contraction by cold
in Winter. In large cities number
Of climbers are kept constantly on duty
at the central office, so as to be sent
out at moments notice TO repair
break. If pole falls, prompt action
is taken. The fallen portion is chop.
ped into sections and dragged out of
the way of traffic. The stump is dug
out II hole is to be dug, it is bored
with a great earth auger, which does
its work more neatly and quickly than
spades.
II Is easy to locate break in the
city, where line men are constantly on
the lookout, but in the country it is q
different thing Line men, who are
necessarily climbers, are engaged by
the month, and have each a certain
tract of line assigned to their care. If
the lines run along a railroad q man
has control of an average Of fifty miles.
In case of break he travels on bag.
gage or hand car to the place oftrouble.
These line men are under tho control
OF certain head offices, and can be con.
oentrated at any serious point Of dam
age In many instances the operators
at unimportant stations also act as line
men, and this is a part of their regular
duty. Where the operator works on
commission, he is paid extra for HIS
line work. II the line runs on turn
pike away from a railroad the line man
has only fifteen miles under his care.
He is obliged to live within call Of the
nearest station, and to be ready to go
out at any time, Night or day, hot or
cold, he must be prepared to start for
the scene of trouble. The lines often
run through desolato places, on the
sides ofmountalns, and in wide prairles-
The line man on horseback dashes
from pole to pole following the wires
with his practiced eye. He often camps
out all night, for he must not stop un'
ill the work is completed, In the
Winter some of these men travel on
snow shoes, and out West they have
had the strange experience OF digging
down to the wires, where the snow was
so deep as to cover the poles 1t IS u
rule that the line man must go over
the line once week, 10 sec that the
poles are in order and to replace bro
ken insulators. His hours OF toll are
often repaid by days Of ease. He IS
alert for duty, but may have nothing
TO do for long time. His pay con-
tinues just the same, and as long as he
keeps within call, he can do what he
pleases.
The telegraph companies would like
to run their wires underground, but
they find it won't work. They have
been unable to insulate tho wires so
that they will work properly for any
length Of time. This compels the use
of poles, which are generally of two
kinds, cedar or chestnut Cedar is the
lightest, trimmest and best looking,
but chestnut lasts longer Wires last
frcm six to eight years. Rust is their
great enemy, and smoke is another foe.
Neither wires nor poles arc expensive.
Labor is the great item in making re-
pairs, and in times when thoro is uni.
versal disaster to lines the companies
have to pay high wages.-N. Y. Sun.
A BABY BoRN WITH TEETH-The
rare distinction of having a baby born
with teeth attached to Mrs. Eleanor
McManus, of No sos Mexican street,
Philadelphia, This remarkable child
saw the light for the first time on last
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