National Republican., 1883-07-26
THE MAN ON THE AVENUE.
Small Talk About Men and Measure.

our eyes open we can see enough to relieve
the monotony of existence We catch fleet
ing glances Of some strange phases of real life
in the pursuit of our business. To many 1t
is simply hard work and lot, but the majority
Of our fellows are on the look out for funny
incidents, and none enjoy such better"
" Your work is not unattended with danger,
is it," inquired a bystander of the loquacious
linesman
No. We run a good many risks but acci-
dents seldom occur excepting through care
lessness or inexporience We get up among
the telegraph wires sometimes when it is un-
safe. The current from q standard battery is
not strong enough to do any damage, although
a perceptible shock is felt when one takes a
wire in his hand across which a message is
being sent. When the air is suroharged with
electricity, however, il is different and lines
men do not like to venture aloft during a
storm or very soon before or after a storm.
They are liable to be knocked from their
perches by current Of unusual strength, or
when lightning strikes the wire. To touch
one of the electric light wires is almost GER
tain death, and you will notice that these
wires are wrapped in many thicknesses of
cloth or other non conductor to guard against
accident as far as possible"
Linesmen in cities have the most fun.
They do not 60 spying around, but they can
not be expected to keep their eyes shut
| when unwonted objects como within their
range of vision. They spend about half of
their time on level with tho third and
fourth floors of tenement houses, dwellings,
| and blocks. They cannot travel with brass
bands to warn people of their approach and
the first notification dwellers of sky parlors
have of the near proximity of lightning
thinkers is the sight of one of them thrusting
his face up through the net work of wires in
front of their windows, or dropping down
from the roofs upon the cornices be-
low. If it should be hot the ladies
are very likely to be dressed in comfort rather
than for the reception of visitors, and under
such circumstances the sudden appearance
of lneman is exceedingly disquieting. Vim
egarish females sometimes give the climbers a
dressing down that makes their blood tin
gle, throwing plates at them, threatening to
scald them or treat them to some such enter
tainment. Occasionally an irate house,
holder will threaten to throw marauding
| linesmen from the roof of their house unless
there is q vacation of the premises imme-
diately.
"People living in the upper stories of high
buildings do not usually expect to see Wis.,
itors from their outer windows. | have seen
hundreds of surprise parties in my career
while clambering about roofs and roosting in
tall poles trying to locate break or hanging
new WIRE l have interrupted lovers stealing
kisses; looked in upon scenes of domestic
comfort and discomfort; upon loving family
groups and snarling collections of men,
women, and children; l have seen
the poor living at home in destitution
and squalor that would start tears in the
eyes of craven image. l have had peeps at
sick beds, and seen invalids dying in rags
and want, and have taken sly glances be-
hind lace curtains upon the rich as they loll
the hours away in idleness and repose.
have seen thousands of pictures of actual life
that would be we'll worth putting on canvas.
An artist could not spend year to
better advantage than i'll swinging in mid
air untangling telegraph lines. He would
see enough in twelve months to keep h n
busy for ten years"
~
If there is anything Mr. Solicitor Raynor
is touchy" about it is charge or an in
timation that he can be influenced" in any
manner by outside pressure. 1t is his pride
, to be considered totally free from that sort OF
thing. An ex-congressman who was ignorant
of Judge Raynor's Weakness" and, withall,
: not possessed of an over nice sense of pro-
: priety paid visit to the solicitor yesterday
in the interest of client. The eX-statesman
was impatient at what he considered an un-
necessary delay in reaching the case, and
asked the solicitor if it could not be "ex-
pedited" in some way.
} ''No, SIR" was the tart reply. ~ am al
work on it, and will give my opinion as soon
as l can"
"If / could bring influence to bear
couldn't you be induced to hurry it up"
The solicitor was on his feet in an instant
fairly foaming with rage. mo, SIR" he
roared, "there isn't influence enough in
Washington to expedite this case. Your re-
0 mark is an insult, sir, and if you do not apol
t ogize l will cut your ears off. will cut then
off close to your head, sir"
The ex-statesman looked at him momen
. and became satisfied that he meant what hi
f said. Having no desire to lose his fine, larg
@ ears and realizing that he had made an i'm
C prudent remark the ex-stateman hastened Il
y apologize and declare that he meant nothing
wrong that it was slip of the tongue, &C.
v &c. The solicitor was modified after while
9 but in extending his forgiv eness he delivere,
0 lecture that his visitor wi II not soon forget
3 The latter may not lose his case, but he cal
n find consolation in the knowledge that he ha
= saved his ears
~
A good Tommy story: Last Tuesday after
noon a small boy about 10 years old called a
II the bureau of engraving and printing ant
't asked watchman for the chief of the bureau
y He was told that he couldn't see the chel
Il as it was past the hour for callers, but
I his business was urgent it might, perhaps, b
r. attended to. The little boy then said h
1t wanted work. He had no hackers and n
o papers of Endorsement. His father an
y mother were both dead, and he was lei
y destitute 1t was necessary for him to g
work OF go hungry. The watchman relate
the circumstances TO the chief, who sent fC
the boy and interrogated him as to his pos
tion. He told his story in a straightforward
!, way, and yesterday he was put to worl
~ This kind action on Capt. BurrilPs part hi
If elected good deal of favorable cOmmen
a among bureau people,