New-York tribune., 1886-02-21
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPING.
AND THE LIFE OF AN OLD KEEPER.

vlod that the keepers. abOu. thousand in number
who attend to lighthouses shall have an average
yearly salary of 5000 each The highest pay received b
any ono is 81 OOO and the lowest Is about 500 per year
But In addition to the money the ght-koeper as rue
has rent and lights flee. and where the charge FOR
carriage Is more than its na cost lie has free fuel,
ftoo food and frse also. This may seem curious
but the fact is that many of our lighthouses are Oh
islands and on small barren rocks whch are
out OF the line OF travel and are without wharNeS so
that few vessels to them. and frsi9ht can only Do
landed on them by small boats. Coal, for instance
costing 50 per in Boston could not be delivered ID
tho coal bins at the Cape Ann lighthouse for less than
several times that per tom for II would nave TO Oe
Jagged, then bOated neat to the shore as te bodts
could go and then carried the backs of tho men from
tho boats through the sLOa water, to the coal mousse
which Of course must be somewhat above high water
mark Therefore, whero thu carriage OF fuel or pro-
visions is more expensive than its cost the Government
supplies the light keeper with fuo rations ana water ID
addition his salary. Yes, water for on those parfei
rocks there is fresh water except that winch comes
m above and though all that falls tho roofs OF ali
tho structures IN csterns in somo cases that IS
far from sufficient and additional water has TO he sup
piled The lighthouse ou MiIOts Ledge. OF Boston
harbor Is supplied from the shore with all the water
used by It's Keepers and this is tho case at some Otcr
lighthouses.
The lght-keeper is frequently man who has served
in the Army or Navy. and Otener Is a retired ship
that question: and to understand that the gem
era rules are made the whole service rather Than Tor
his particular and he knows that failure In oDodl
ence calses loss of place Then too. the light keeper
that his first duty is to keep his ght burn
ing His wife may DO i'll. his child may be dJ ing. the
very lighthouse Itself may be toteriUe but whatever
happens so long as the stands he must keep his
light brightly burning for t5 failure during eyon few
may a wr5ok whore thousands oil dollars
Ii ay be sunk and many lives may DO lost Tho Light
house Board has habit OF Instantly dlsnsslng keel or
on leaning that his light not burning when II should
be- ap 16al from politicians Is apt to reply That
only sorry dismissal is the sovoEest penalty 1t
eau infIot ior such crime
The Lighthouse Board selects FOR It's keepers tho Lest
mon It get, and as the inefficient seeperT are IN
exorably and ALMOST automatically wooded out under
the peculiar shape Ciyl Service reform las here tahch
tue best men and stay longest ana Is with
the greatest reluctance that they permitted to resign
Falkncrs Island Is the largest o. group oi tnht name
1t is on the north Connecticut sds, Oi Long Island
Sound, and is five mlies from Guliforl hHrb0T THO
white ocasoua tower Is attached to The Keepers dwo
ing aud the lis which Is shown from Is nincysN
eet above the level o; the II Is white light and Is
varied ty flash every ninety seconds, prodn cod by
fash 1a1cl something like bullscyc in shape. which
completes It's revolution aiound the Hight every minute
and half Thus from vii atever quarter u Is Watched
this flash Is every ninety seconds ana thus hs
Int can be identified by the sailor. whose business 1t Is
distipguiShed from all Other Nights III siSht ihe
machinery which keepb this revolving paoI IN motion is
aetuated by cOckwOr, the motive power or WhIe Ish
weight running down nearly the whOl0 helEht ol tle
tower aud which Las to Ge wound up once o"ch iodf
hOuIs .. 80, ..,
THIS light station has been In operation since l9ol ana
Oliver Y. Brooks had charge Of 1t Tor more tAhh thli
one yesrs During all tine lie than satisfied
the lighthouse authorities, and when Lc I"i tho is-t
in November. So to 1cn1 the res, OF NJ. i,e on sfS
had long passed. tho ago at which men arc admtteu
into the service. ii would be hard 10 Toll precisely 10"
lar do Ia so sS
threw bis whole soul Into bis work ana dtNCttu hWatI
~ donc evory mart of II AS well "A, IL cOul ue done. Be-
Ing Connecticut born ho naturally mad mach ingonuy
having been captain, II goes without dyug thal
he was man OF nelli soncc and when Te add that he
Us nor" than usually well educated and good
band aud father something OF his success can DC uh'
stood Que OF the tAing5 noticeable on entering the
narlor of the ight keepers house tall bookcase,
behind tue glass doors OF which were number OF pieces
OF silver plate OF fine workmanship ana lase value,
each OF which bore an inscription These had been
presented Captain Brooks by spwIeck ked mariner as
testimonials for saving their prOle.y anu ticif i
The Fulkner Islands lie Ia tue track Ot SHIPS DOunu
both in and out OF the SOU nd ana hey hage en- tne
aud the cause OF numerous uishs'oISoa Nian5
man and many woman too has Deoh taken on Wfech
by Captain HOCas saved m sny DTI1 Ses b ons their
own. The only history they have OF c ne saNiig uey
Perhaps the nageOlet and other musical Instruments
clustered round the piano would next attract attention.
Int tho visitor curiosity Is hardly satisfied ny smpy
learning that each member OF TINS family cnn hke part
in q concert OF instrumental music those WtO nave
heard OF Itself made tho visit charming Much Of the
wall space occupied by birds stunned so hs To look
TO realize the manner OF tho living bird. The largest
bald eagle and the smallest wren. Eaei i,ni i!
been shot this adjoining Island ana onch hah
been stuffed and mounted hy member Oh tno lamlly,
The COLLECTION was an ornitnooSea H5vry 81 % hcr
Qunnty mounted specimen OF each sprcios Oi the marine
3ntanv OF that grOup OF islands. One daughter Of the
house had devoted self to It's study not only here but
at Yale under the private tull0n OF Professor Mhlby
re~arI Al one Ii ae sho orders from several we'll
known wealthy SewN0rs ladies, Tor albums O hlEt NJ
$50 each Fsw, II any, such albums have been pro
pared elsewhere. The books themselves cost ~ cacn
though made by tue quantity ny NeW- ORE @ DooN,
binder noted for his exquisite taste Each page was
rafd OF cabinet photograph size and on 1t was mounted
Griod sea flower, below which was water color repre-
sccntlc nature aud wore written on the back OF
the card, which cOult be seen by turning tho page;
each side OF tho card surrounded by an original
water color border suggestive Of the sea- thus mating
scel tifc value. The workshop OF Captain frooks
showed something OF MS Studies mo inc h% o. m sn yn
tesor Henry the late Secretary OF the Smithsonian IN
;ra reports as TO his indebtednes to CAPTAIN BROOKS
for carefully conducted experiments ana precise scleh-
hat subject here Most OF his apparatus Captain BROOKS
had himself mnde and he Ind devised to meet tho
was engaged Indeed, most OF his experiments were
made TO determine questions as 20 the power od iao
OF his light. and as 10 tue aDoriauoh III INC
audy Of his t3S 6 OF t6s no dns @
with dihoront parts of his little island wien IL WAS
almost impossible TO waik, or even stan, aganst the
Terrible blasts that swept II during winter storms
Here this family led their pleasant thilty ne tDry
bocguse their abOs and studies tended 10 useful pr9c
tca ends Some OF these empoyments were Dcahtllul
but not all unless fishing and sailing down nsh, facing
aud pOtng lobsers and the Ike can so be considered
Thus the 81 900 year that paid TO the captain ana
his wife for their services principal and istant
keeper was by all their Income Here most oi
their children were here, with intervals OF special
schOoling elsewhere, they were educaed; IRON nero
| several OF them married happily ana aHvan-
tngeously and to this island they came Win teir mates
and children whenever possible. for they al looked
to IL as their home An adjoining muoh smaller nil-
Inhabited island became great resort Tor Dids anu ~
time attracted srortsTen, ana finally the pcthuhters
came there IN such numbers 10 threaten tue ekcim
nation OF the birds Cay aiu Brooks prevented TINS
purchasing the island, and banshng tile hunters ihls
again a OF profit 20 him as the mere tun-
Mug out OF tho birds enabled bim to pocket pretty
| penny. -, =.
There are many other keoReTs Who have made f9I