Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-26
LIFE OF A TELEGRAPH uvNR.
MAN,
Talk With n Man Whose BuSlucsS
Is 70 Climb Poles.

sob, it's not half as dangerous as it looks
am used to working high up In the air. and
mind It no more than working on the ground
Besides. I've got a clear head and strong
nerves. When the wood Is good and solid
there's mighty little danger, and dig In my
up in the air."
The speaker was a telegraph repairer. or line
msn, VINO had Just descended from telegraph
pole, and the person he addressed was Tri5a55e
reporter, TO whom he talked without reserve
about his peculiar calling The apparatus
Mnicn enables the lneman to ascend tele-
graph pole with the agility of a monkey con.
s1sts OF leather leggings fastened tightly about
the legs with straps and buckles, and steel
spurs on tne teet the spurs are Nat bars made
pointed attachments fastened at right angles
TO them. The latter Is the part that is forced
into Int the wood by the weight OF the body bear.
"There are two kinds OF telegraph repalrers,
fne-men, or Climbers, and ground men con
tinued the speaker. The climbers are the men
that 60 up the pole and do the repairing, ana
get from $40 to SIS month. The ground-men
carry the wire, dig holes. plant poles, au1 DO
other odd Jobs. They get ordinary Ia0orers'
pliers and strap. When 8 wire snaps Ia two
eaten the broken ends with the wise ana
sIrap. and then splice them With The pliers OF
course don't tie the wires u 'lte tight tArath ),
but little slack, for when colder Wsatbe'
comes tEey contract and snap again. In
ciieS us Always easy 10 ind out where there's
=, rs IN " w u Tue tetttSfapu won't W0rE, aud
IAe Damage is soon repaired. There are always
loC or hne-men kept at headJuarferS. aTd
IIae9 are READY 10 be sent out at any TINA IL
Eotlce comes In that there's a break and a n,Ie
nss topped over, the men go TO the pace DING
OF the broken pole, dig Up the STUMP puf IN a
new pole. and then up this the climbers 90 end
splice the wires Sometimes b new hole has
got TO be dug. and we use machine called an
earth augur, which does the WoTk much bet
Ter and quicker than aspade"
Have you ever been line man In the
Eyes, for short time and mighty hard It IS
WDen there Is any work. Each man has q beat
OF from twenty-five TO fifty miles, over which
ne must make an inspection tour at least once
week. IL his route is along a railroad track
ne usually goes On a hand-car IL the poles
uont run alongside track but across open
country, he has beat about twenty miles lone
anu goes out on horseback. He's got TO live
near station so that he can be quickly mott
fled when there's break, and must be ready Ia
go out at any time, day or night, in ram or
snow, cold or hot. had q Cross-country beat
once"
"Have you ever encountered any great diff.
colties Ia the performance OF your duty?"
"Wel should say so. | was called out In
me middle OF the night once In January in a
ollnolDg snow storm and the thermometer about
10 degrees below zero. The snow lay several
feet deep on the rough mountain path had 10
ride over, and kept flying into my eyes. blind
ing me so that | could not see the WIRES ana
hao 10 climb up every other pole for couple
OF miles before could ind the break and re
pair 1t. It's pretty hard life when there's
stormy weather and there are many breaks
month, ana you can just loaf around while
your wages go right on. But you've got to be
always READY for call. Poles are either chest
nut or cedar. Cedar looks nicer, but Chestnut
lasts good deal longer. Wires are USUALLY
destroyed by rust. They last from seven TO
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