Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-10-07
DISCIPLINE MAINTAINED.
The Stern Commodore and the
Lighthouse Keepers.

The Commodore sat at his desk in
his Office. porting intently over his pa
pers. He was not old in years, but he
was veteran if long sea service and
gallant conduct during the war of the
rebellion could make him one. he
had been trained in the severe school
of the naval academy. his sense 81
honor was high, and his idea of the
requirements of duty was rigid. He
had served as lighthouse inspector.
and SO satisfactorily that this, with hia
large scientific requirements, had made
him the executive officer Of the
Lighthouse Board, and thus he was
virtually at the head of the service:
actually, also. so far as maintenance OF
discipline among the lighthouse keep
ers was concerned, for that was one
of the duties with which he was spec
tally charged, and for which he was
personally responsible, and he was do
ing all in his power to bring the ger
sonnet of the service up to his own high
standard.
The door-keeper brought in the card
of DIR. Smythe, who wished for per
sonal interview. He was a rising youn Q
physician, but his ambition was not
confined to his own profession. He
was taking keen interest in politics,
and though not in harmony with the
then Administration, he was making
many friends by active interposition in
behalf of those who sought his aid
He was educated. sympathetic, plausi-
: bic to a degree, and had the tact of
a travelled and cultured man of the
world.
After few words, in which he
showed that he and the Commodore
had mutual friends. and that they were
of equal social standing, he stated that
being at the capital he had been re-
quested to bring the attention of the
department to case of hardship
necessary to make known to the proper
authorities to have redressed.
During the late winter, which had
been exceedingly severe, the ice had ac-
cumulated to an unprecedented extent
in the tributaries leading into the bay.
One of the lighthouses at the mouth
of small river had been seriously
threatened. This house had not been
built to withstand such shocks. On
one occasion when the ice came down
with the tide the house had been much
shaken. and several of its supports were
broken. Thus it had become notori-
ously unsafe. In the preceding month
the ice had been piled up about it. and
it was quite evident that it could not
withstand much pressure. The two
keepers. seeing their danger and know
ing that they could do nothing to pre-
vent the overthrow of the house, had
gone ashore. After the elapse of a day
or two, when the immediate danger had
passed, they bad returned over the
broken and running ice. and had re-
lighted the station. When the same
danger again threatened the house, but
to a greater extent they had again
gone ashore, and when the ice had
passed down the bav they had returned
and resumed their duty. The station
had remained unlighted but three
nights altogether. No damage had
been done, so far. SIS known, TO any
shipping. and while the keepers had,
perhaps, violated technical rule of
the service, they had only obeyed the
dictates of the first law of nature, self
preservation, and while they might