The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-09-06
BILL, THE LINEMAN.
Tho Friend He Found at tho TOP
or Telegraph Pole.

Bill was very well known in a cor
tain quarter--and not the pleasantest
quarter. either-of certain great
city. lie patrolled the wires or the
Eastern Union Telegraph Company
for about half mile along River
street. narrow. dirty thoroughfarc
lined with tall tcnement-houses. whose
veyy windows and stairways told Of
the poyerty-stricken condition of most
Of the families that dwelt therein.
Bill was large. lanky fellow. with
big hands and feet and a face that was
as hard a a rock and as brown as a
berry. through years Of exposure 10
sun. wind and rain. The clothes he
wore were not made to order. and by
the time Bill got to wearing them at
his work they were by no means new.
Upon his head in the summer he gem
orally wore an enormous tcn-cent
straw hat. and in winter he pulled an
old rabbt-skin cap down over his ears.
His feet all the year round he encased
in monster boots. to which he strapped
his climbers. For the rest Of his attire
he usually wore heavy blue flannel
shirt and jean trousers fastened by a
broad belt that held his tools. TO which
In cold weather he added rough pilot
coat.
There really was nothing remark
able about Bill the Lincman's appear
ancc. and yet a keen observer might
have noticed merry twinkle at times
in his gray eye. and kindly lines play
ing about his large mouth-but then.
the denizens OF River street were mot
in the habit OF studying the countc-
nances OF those who worked in their
midst SO. to them. Bill was a COM
mon everyday workman. who minded
his own business up in tho cross-arms
while they attended to theirs in the
stores upon the street below.
Indeed. all the store-keepers and
their customers were so very busy
that not one OF them remarked the
fact that there was a certain pole up
which Bill the Lineman stayed every
day. except Sunday. for several min
utcs--sometimes remaining aloft as
long as a quarter OF an hour al
though the average condition OF the
wires. insulators and cross-arms at
that pole was as good Us the rest of
them.
The why and wherefore OF Bits
strange prediction for polo number
IA was on this wise: The long cross
arms Of the pole in question were very
close to window on the fourth story
OF shabby tenement house. The
frame OF this window was quite
crooked and the squares OF glass were
exceedingly small and full OF cracks.
while two at least Of them had such
large holes that brown paper had been
pasted over them to keep out the wind
and the rain.
For nearly two years tho room which
that window dimly lighted had been
unoccupicd, and Bill had long since
arrived at the conclusion that il would
never again BE- rented. But one day
towards the close Of a dreary winter
he noticed that the unbrokcn squares
of glass had been rubbed bright and
clean. and. looking through the win.
dow. he perceived that the floor OF the
room had been well scrubbed.
.'Ah." thought Bill. .'new neigh.
bors. chi" Bill always considered the
folks who occupied rooms near his
poles a. his own especial ncighbors.
WELL" he muttercd. " pears the,
amt fond Of dirt and I'm glad o.
that
The very next day there was another
surprise in store for Bill the Lincman
On the sill OF the crooked window W.
long. narrow green box. and. al
though IL held nothing but brown
earth III being too cold yet for plants)
Bill judged that tho new tenant WA:
partial TO flowers. And he was GLAD
81 that too. for Bin liked lowers him