The National tribune., 1884-09-18

INC lOig VI huC
the doors bear signs showing that they open
into Offices connected with the administration
of the Lighthouse service. Into that inscribed,
CHIEF CLERK LIGHTHOUSE BOARD
the Editor entered, and found there, courteous,
patient, and as full of information as an intel
ligent knowledge gathering man. who has
spent his life in one pursuit can be-Mr. A. B.
johnson.
81 called" said the Editor, to learn how
man gets an appointment as keeper of light
house?"
THAT can be told very briefly" replied Col
johnson. (" He applies to the Superintendent
of Lights for his District, and if successful
he is nominated to the Board as Acting As
sistant Lighthouse Keeper, and placed on trial.
If the Lighthouse Inspector finds him satisfac-
tory, he is appointed by the Secretary of the
Treasury Assistant Lighthouse Keeper, and he
becomes member of the regular force"
"And if he is not satisfactory"
He is simply dropt; that ends it,"
If be is appointed, he goes in at the lowest
grade, does her"
9" Yes Nowhere in the Governments serv-
ice are civil-service ideas applied more rigidly
than by the Lighthouse Board
"Who compose the Lighthouse Board 2"
it has to consist-in addition to the Secretary
Of the Treasury, who is ex-oificio President--of
three officers of the Navy, three officers Of the
Engineer Corps and two civilians of scientific
attainments. Secretary Folger was President
at the time of his DEATH and the other mem
bers are: Yice-Admiral Stephen c. Rowan,
Commander Henry +. Picking and Capt. w. 2.
McCann, of the Navy; Gen. John Newton,
Col. T. L. Casey and Mai David Porter
Heap of the Engineer Corps; Prof. julius
@. Hilgard, Superintendent of the Coast Survey,
and Prof. Henry Morton, President of the
Stevens Institute Of Technology.
"Quite an imposing body. But ii has moth
ing to do with appointing, you say 2"
No; the Secretary OF the Treasury fur
nishes us the raw material, and we put it into
shape"
"What is the pay ola lighthouse keeper?o
" 1t varies all the way from $500 to 81 600 a
year. The average is about $500 year"
What does that include?p
Nothing, except at what we call the isolated
stations, where the Government allows pro-
visions, fuel and lights. An isolated station is
where the provisions etc, cost more than their
original price to get them TO the keeper.
Ordinarily, when they can row ashore, or in
a short distance Of settlements, nothing is al
lowed for provisions, etc"
" In those isolated stations do you allow pro-
visions and other necessary supplies for a man S
family, as well2"
:. No; he is not allowed to have his family
with him there. Nobody but the keepers are
allowed in the lighthouses. We are just now
uniforming the keepers in a neat blue un form,
differing in cut and trimming from both the
Army aud Navy uniforms. The coat is double
breasted and has brass-buttons bearing the
lighthouse insignia. The uniform is now be-
ing furnished to all, free of cost, with this
progiso, that if any one leaves the service
within a year, the cost shall be deducted
from his pay. All who come into the sery-
ice after this must pay for their uniforms.
All keepers are furnished a sort of blouse TO
wear when about the lamp. 1t is made of soft
cotton, and the buttons are carefully covered
to prevent their scratching the lens by any
accident"
Is the service considered hard?D
The labor is hardly anything, though in
some OF the large revolving lights the cleaning
of the lenses and machinery, trimming the
lamps and filling up with oil takes up the
whole forenoon. They extinguish the lights
at sunrise, and stand watches of four hours
each during the night. The lenses are enor-
nous afIairs,-as as large as hall bed d-room, m,-and
cost $4,000 in France
Is the discipline seyere2"
Not at all. The crime Of all crimes is that
of letting light go out. II it is suffered to go
/ out for SO much as half minute, no matter for
what cause, the keeper is dismissed instantly,
and can never be restored. Sometimes Con-
] gressmen come up here TO ask for the restora-
I biDll Dl q MuDSC gone OUT HNe
minutes or SO, but they are made to understand
/ that we only dismissed him because we can do
no worse. We would have hung him if we
could These accidents, as they would cali
! them, are the result Of previous negligence,
| and must not be tolerated We instruct our
men that they must keep the light burning, no
matter what happens. Their children, wives,
/ parents may be dying, house a-fire, brother per-
| lshIng III the surf, tower tumbling down about
their ears, but the light must be kept burning
until sunrise, or they will be dismissed in dis
/ grace. II man goes around the light while
under the influence of liquor he is pitched out
/ of the service, neck and heels, without any
ceremony. The lives and property that may
/ be sacrificed are toe immensely valuable to be
! neglected or jeoparded for any earthly consid-
eraton."
DO you have many prove careless, unrelia-
/ bic or cowardly?"
NO; very few. On the other hand, we have
many instances of men standing heroically by
/ their houses amid terrible dangers. In Febru-
ary, 1881, the ice lifted up and carried off the
| lighthouse at Sharp's Island, in Chesapeake
/ Bay. The keeper and his assistant cluug to
the fallen house, though they could have es-
capped to the shore, and were afloat in the surg
! ing mass for 16l hours, all the time in immi-
| nent danger of destruction. At last the house
grounded on an island, and after it was fas-
! tened securely the brave men brought ashore
the lens, its pedestal, the oil and the library.
They were highly eoirplimentcd by the Board
and promoted. The keepers of another light
which were similarly threatened, went on
shore, but though their light could do 10 good
at the time they were dismissed from the serv-
| ice"
"Are men disposed to make it life-profes-
sion?"
Not so many as we would wish. The av.
erage service of keeper is three years He is
likely to drift off into better paying employ.
meuts, and of course some are dismissed. We
have very many who have gone up through al
the grades, and are now in charge Of irst-class
lights, and we only wish that we could do still
better by them. We hope sometime TO have
pension roll for faithful keepers who have
grown old in the service
" What kind Of men usually seek this en-
ploymcnt?"
.'All kinds. The rules allow the men tt
follow pursuits that will not interfere with
their duty at the stations, and so we have quite
a number of tailors, shoemakers, ETC., and ever
some who teach school, and others who fill pull
+ pits"
" Then there is time for reading and study?'
Certainly. You see this case? Now Wher
it is closed it makes an excellent packing case
| with its brass handles and strap hinges Now,
open il, and you see it is a well-flled book
case, with good, substantial books the subject.
including science, travel, fiction, religion, etc
We have $50 of these. One of them is kept al
} a lighthouse from one inspection to the next
abont three months-when ii is taken on tt
another station, and its place supplied by ont
brought from another station. Wespend abou