Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1881-07-27
MALES FITE, LAMPLIGaTER.

uov ,,e New Street Lamp Lighting Works
| Our citizens have now had nearly {:
months experience with the new system
| of lighting the street lamps with gasoline.
There are some five hundred of them in al
and the total cost will be somewhere
about s12, 600 pcr annum, good Gcal less,
# is estimated, than it would have cost
the city to have accepted the bid of ths
gas company, even if it had been a bid iI
conformity with the proposals and the city
ordinances. Enough time has elapsed to
see whether the experiment of gasoline
lighting is a step backward, failure, and
whether 1t justifies the crOakings Of the
wiseacres who declared that unless the
Gas Monopoly had its own way our peo
ple would have to grope in darkness.
The question is !: s: Have tho gasoline
lamps been a failure ?"
We fancy not.
We hear no complaints.
To be sure, it is midsummer. The
nights are short and not very dark. On
the other hand great many people are
out late, driving and walking.
There are no complaints Of lamps not
being lighted, of glasses being dirty,
of irregular hours of lighting and Of lamps
burning long after daylight.
1t is plain therefore that much Of the
success of the new system depends upon
the satisfactory manner in which the lamp
lighters do their duty. This is rs pleas
inc to the citizens as it is profitable to
their employee the contractor.
OF the 500 lamps to be kept clean, trim
med and burning at the right time, Miles
Fite has charge of 100; Henry Leonard,
90; VIM. Lewars, GO Adam DitlOw, 80 ;
Frederick Shroad, 80 Il. f. Breneman,
80 and Henry Rogers 80.
They get 2 cents lamp, per diem, and
they do their duty.
A representative of the INTEILIGENCER,
who yesterday interviewed Fite, the
heaviest of these sub contractors, was
informed by him that his wages amount
to $72 u month--tllat is $50 for each of
the 12O lamps. He has to have an assist.
ant, of course, James Richie, pays
him $50 a month - and he docs
his work. 1t takes them from to in
the evening to light the lamps, and the
calculation is that they shall burn them
selves out. being supplied with about
enough oil to last until 4:30 in the morn.
ing. Epr this it requires for these 12Q
lamps s. gallons of oil-over quart
apiece. In tho winter, when they
will be lighted earlier and burn
later, they will each take about
three pints or 4j gallons a day. The lamps
are cleaned daily. On this mission they
start out very early, and if they get to the
lamps to turn them out, they arc less
trouble to clean than il the wick tlickers
out. BY noon they aro generally through
with tho cleaning. The wicks do not re-
Iuirc very frequent refurnishing, and arc
gradually rcplaccd-eight or ten at 4 time.
Miles tends to all the lights in the square
and is proud of them. lie keeps about Il
dozen barrels of gasoline on hand at a time
and has it well protected in shed built
for the purpose on his premises. When lie
first came to town he had 4 good deal Of 4
wrcstlc of it to get along. But his back
pension bought him homo and his So
a month clear from the lamp lighting, and
S. a moutl, pension, enable him to gei
along.
Industry and fruga!ity are sure to win.