Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-30
THE USE OF WHISTLES.
THE PART THEY PLAY IN TIE LIFE
OF A CITY.

tIe-In Factory Townships.
Few people stop to think of the impor.
tant part played by whistlers and whis-
Ting in the daily life Of great city like
New York. Yet if all the whistlers and
whistles that add to the din OF the city
during a single twenty-four hours could
be gotten together, say in Union square,
and made to blow a simultaneous blast,
the uproar would probably be so great
that it would deafen for life any man who
CHANGED to be within block of the place.
Among some of the lesser wbistlers, in
point Of noise made, are the drivers Of the
street cars and the postmen: yet many
precious moments are saved by the use Of
whistles by these individuals. A heavy
truck gets on the car track, and the pas
sengers grow impatient as the car crawls
along in consequence. Then the whistle
gets in its work, and its shrin peal re-
minds the driver of the heavy wagon that
he is violating e city ordinance, and he
pulls OFF the track, and the car bowls
along once more.
Without whistle" said car driver
to the reporter, eve couldn't get along at
all in the crowded parts of the city, where
the noise is so great that drivers of heavy
wagons can't hear our bell. We buy the
whistle ourselves, and pay about half g
dollar for it. A whistle with good shrill
tone is needed for our business.
LETTER CARRIER AND POLICEMAN.
4
my route" said letter carrier without
my whistle. It blow it ct an interval Of
every few houses and the people hear it
and are ready for me, so l don't have to
wait moment after ringing the bell.
People are always looking for letters and
anxious to get them. If was peddIer
or book agent and known by my whistle,
l would never blow it, for every one would
hide in the cellar"
In some cities the policemen summon
assistance by the aid of whistles, but in
New York they are only used by some
policemen on street crossings for arresting
the progress of reckless drivers. The
bicyclist, too, always has his whistle at
handy place, so he may warn the pedes-
trian of the approach of his silent steed.
Then there are the butcher, the baker,
and the candlestick maker, who, in making
their rounds of apartment houses, always
whistle up, to announce their arrival pre-
paratory to taking orders through tho
tube.
Before the advent of air brakes railroad
engineers used to use their engine whistles
more frequently than they do at present.
and the familiar foot" of the engine
meant put on the brakes" while the
quick double ''toot, toot" of the whistle
was followed by a rafting Of the brakes
as they were let off with q jerk Today
the whistles do service principally at
crossings, where they attract ones atten-
ton to the familiar legend Look out for
the engine while the bell rings" Aside
from its practical use, there are many
stories told of the locomotive whistle
serving as a bearer Of tidings of love and
comfort. Some engineers have a regular
system of signals arranged with their
families, by which they can send mes
sage when their engine passes near the
home OF the loved ones. One engineer in
Connecticut, whose wife lived near the
track on a certain part of his route, which
he reached every night about II o'clock,
was in the habit of whistling good night
message to his loving wife IS he passed
his house. She would be watching for the
familiar greeting, and when its welcome
sound reached her ears she would place a
lighted lamp in her bedroom window, SO
that her lord might know that all was
well with her. The custom became known
to the regular passengers on the train,
and they, too. would watch eagerly for the
light to appear
WAITING IN VAIN
At last there came a night when the
engineers wife waited longingly fer the
familiar sound, but waited in vain. The
fond heart which suggested that odd way
of giving token of his love was stilled for
ever, and the hand that had so often
pulled the cord that opened the steam
valve was clutched in death. The engi-
neer had been killed in the Meadow Brook
disaster. He died, however, as only brave
men die, at his post of duty, having re-
fused to leap from the engine, and when
death overlook him his hand was still On
the throttle.
Few people pursue the art Of whistling
with view of makingi. means of earn
ing living; yet there are quite q number
OF professional whistlers who make good
pay by displaying their proficiency as
whistlers on the variety stage. Some Of
these people show wonderful skill in ini-
tating the notes of different birds.
There are a number of superstitions
connected with whistling. The small boy
whistles at night to keep his courage up;
many men whistle for lack of thought:
sailors whistle for a favoring breeze %
speed them on their way. Whistling girls
always attract attention
That whistGng is useful accomplish
nent every one must admit who has seen
a horse car pass him by because he could
not whistle loud enough to attract the
drivers attention Perhaps the whistle
that attracts the most general attention is
the factory whistle, which calls thousands
of people from their beds to resume their
daily toll. In some factory towns the
working people, who do not carry watches.
depend more upon the whistles for tkeir
knowledge of the time Of day than upon
the public clocks. Al New Workers, too,
ere familiar with the whistle Of the tugs,
ferry boats, and steam craIt that make
their way through the various waters ad-
jacent TO the city. On s foggy day the
noise amounts almost TO pandemonium.
and the mournful sounds are always sug-