The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1886-04-10
AIGHTROySE-kEEPIXG.
Tne ghthouse Keeper and His Lonely
Home-Hts Labors and His SaIary-The
FAikner's Island Veteran.

Tne clubhouse Keeper and His Lonely
Home-His Labors and His SaIary-Ths
Faikner's Island Veteran.
A Washington correspondent OF the
New York Tribune writes: Congress
has provided that the keepers, about
one Thousand in number, who attend
to our lighthouses shall have an aver
age yearly salary OF 5000 each. The
highest pay received by any one is
81, 900, and the lowest is about 800
per year. But III addition to the
money the 2ht-keeper as q rule has
rent and lights free, and where the
charge for carriage is more than it's
original cost he has free fuel, free food,
| and free water also. This may seem
curious, but the fact is that many of
our lighthouses are on islands, and
some are on small barren rocks which
are out OF the line OF travel and are
without wharves, 80 that few vessels
go to them, and freight can only be
landed on them by small boats. Coal,
Tor instance, costing 50 per ton in Bos-
ton, could not be dellverel in thecoal-
bins at the Cape Ana lighthouse for
| less than several times that sum per
ton, for it would have to be bagged,
then boated as near to the shore as
the boats could go, and then carried
on the backs OF the men from the
| boats through the shoai water
to the coal-house, which OF
| course must be somewhat above
high-water mark. Therefore, where
the carriage OF fuel or provisions is
more expensive than it's cost, the gov
ernment supplies the iight-keeper with
fuel, ratlons, and water in addition to
his salary. Yes, water, for on those
| barren rocks there is no fresh water
except that which comes from above,
and though all that falls on the roofs
OF all the structures Is stored in cis
| terms, IN some cases that is far from
sufficient, and additional water has
to be supplied. The lighthouse on
Minot's ledge, off Boston harbor, is
supplied from the shore with all the
water used by its keepers, and this is
| the case at some other lighthouses
The lght-keeper is frequently a man
who has served in the army and navy,
| and oftener is retired shipmaster or
| mate. Usually he has learned to obey,
and that without question, and to un-
| derstand that the general rules are
| i1ictNAC iOI lliC WDOlC Eel WIG,
| than for his particular case, and he
knows that failure in obedience causes
loss of place. Then, too, the light
keeper understands that his first duty
is to keep his light burning. His wife
may be i'll, his child may be dying, the
very lighthouse itself may be tottering,
but whatever happens, so long as the
| tower stands, he must keep his light
brightly burning, for its failure during
| even q few moments may cause
a wreck where thousands of dollars
may be sunk and many lives may be
lost. The lighthouse board has a
habit OF instantly dismissing keeper
on learning that his light was not
burning when it should be, and on ap-
peal from politicians it is apt to reply
| that it is only sorry that dismissal is
| the severest penalty it can inhict for
| such a crime.
The lightboard selects for its keepers
| the best men it can get, and as the in
| efficient keepers are inexorably and
| almost automatically weeded out,
under the peculiar shape civil service
reform has here taken, the best men rise
fastest and stay longest, and it is with
the greatest reluctance that they are
| permitted to resign.
| Falkner's Island Is the largest OF a
| group of that name. 1t is on the north,
or Connecticut side, of Long Island
| Sound and is five miles from Guilfor6
| harbor. The white, OctagOnal tower
| Is attached to the keepers dwelling,
and the light which is shown from it is
ninety-six feet above the level of the
| sea. 1t is white light and is varied
by flash every ninety seconds, pro-
duced by flash panel something like
a bulls eye in shape, which completes
its revolution around the light every
minute and a half. Thus, from what
ever quarter it is watched, this flash
Is seen every ninety seconds, and thus
| this light can be identified by the
| sailor, whose business it is to know
the characteristics OF each light, and
thus it is distinguished from all other
lights in sight. The machinery which
keeps this revolving panelin motion is
actuated by clock-work, the motive
power OF which is weight running
down nearlY the whole height OF the
tower, and which has to be wound up
once each four hours.
This light station has been in opera
| ton since 1901, and Oliver n. Brooks
had charge of it for more than thirty
one years. During all that time he
more than satisfied the lighthouse au-
| thorities, and when he left the light in
| November, 1882, to spend the rest OF
his life on shore, his resignation was
very reluctantly accepted, although he
| had long passed the age at which men
are admitted into the service. 1t
would be hard to tell precisely how he
made himself so acceptable. unless by
saying that he threw his wholesou i'll.
| to his work, and devoted himself to
doing every part of it as well as it
could be done. Being Connecticut
born he naturally had much ingenuity;
having been sea captain it goes with
| out saying that he was a man of intel
| ligence, and when we add that he was
more than usually well educated, and
a good husband and father, something
OF his success can be understood. One
OF the first things noticeable on enter
ing the parlor of the light-keeper's
house was a tall bookcase, behind the
| glass doors of which were q number of
pieces OF silver plate OF fine workman
ship of large value, each OF which bore
/ esli IpllOLi 1hSSt littU DSEn pre-
sented to Capt. Brooks by ship
wrecked mariners as testimonials for
saving their property and lives. The
Falkner Islands lie in the track OF
ships bound both in and out OF the
sound, and they have been the scene
| and the cause of numerous disasters.
Many a man and many q woman,
too, has been taken off wreck by
Capt. Brooks, in boat manned by
his girls or boys, and they have saved
many lives by exposing their own.
The only history they have of the lie
saving they have done is written in
these votive silver offerings Perhaps
the flageolet and other musical instru-
ments clustered around the piano
would next attract attention; but the
visitors curiosity is hardly satisfied