The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-11-24
The Perns OF the Coast.

New York Herald
At 6 o'clock Andrew and Charley wero sent
out on duty, and Sam and strolled with them
. little way along the sands Afterward we
sat down. in hollow combed out by the
waves, and Sam explained to me the nature Of
the work. "You see, we all take two hours
turns of patrolling the beach. Two men go
out at a time One walks about two miles
north toward the ponds, the other goes to that
sand hill there, just at the mouth of the Squan
creek Didn't you see the captain givin' ca b
Of them some brass tickets before they went
out? Well, them is checks Each check has
the mans number on it. Each patrolman has
to walk down and meet the patrolman of the
next hfe-saving station and exchange checks
This makes it certain that he has done his
duty, for, you see, the checks are sent back to
the station they belong to next day, and if
man has not done his work his check won't
be among those returned, and he will
be found out and get into trouble.
There was q good deal of kicking against
this check system when it was introduced two
years ago, but think it's frst-rate scheme
for the men themselves. Them checks won't
lie, can they? Well, if they prove that man
has done his work then no captain who may
have down on him can say that he has been
negleetful and get him turned out Again.
supposing a wreck were to take place. The
captain of the vessel might swear that there
was no patrolman near for three or four hours.
I've known that done more than once, and
-. j.
that now, for the checks show where man
was at certain time Do l like the service
Well, no; 1 don't If could do anything else
would not patrol, for it's weary work. A
man goes out at night along this beach in fair
weather or wet and he doesn't see a soul to
speak to- He hears nothing but the roar of
the waves there, and that is SO monotonous
and awful-like at midnight that it's almost
enough to drive man crazy.
SAT times it's impossible to get along this
beach. Often in the winter time the waves
wash right over these sand hills, and the
patrolman can only get along by watching his
chance and making bolt for it That's noteasy
to do when the night is pitchy dark. I've felt
myself lost more than once, and it's only been
by carefully feeling my way that I've been
able to get out of the scrape. Then, again, the
sea is mighty treacherous. You notice in this
elevated sand ridge that runs along the beach
that there are openings, or, as we call them,
glades.. Well, the sea pours up them glades
just like water up funnel I have known
men to get drowned by getting caught by the
waves in one of them glades There is
Charley, there who has just gone down to the
Squan mouth Last winter he was almost
done form fact, don't know how he man
aged to escape. 1t was black night and was
blowing big guns. Well, he had on all his
heavy rubbers, and he was coming home from
doing his patrol He watched the sea, as he
thought, and made bolt to cross glade; but
the other side was steep, having been torn out
by the water, and the waves came up and
caught him. Re was knocked down like
nine-pin. He wallOwed there in his big rub
Der suit, and held on to the sand with his nails,
can tell you. The undertow swept back
through the glade, and he thought he was
gone; but he managed to pull through. He
came into the house like drowned rat and l
tell you he was badly scared man" After
telling this yarn about the dangers Of the
deep, Sam got ready to take his turn at patrol
duty, and went back to the house.