The Somerset reporter., 1890-10-02
NOM WOULD rOU LIKE TO "a HWY


A man Who Geas His Food, Pal anA Ltcass
Tor Nothing aad Il PAiA nss Il
Il know at Least ons man In this ooun-
try who Is able 70 live chsaply and ~
paid for doing Il, al boosase be LIVES
where tho cost Of getting his food. fus,
and light 70 him il about five times -
much a. the original cost Of the sup
plies themselves" said tbs captain Of .
schooner In the coastwiss tradA ~
seems queer that , man can ga slonG
more economically on account Of tbs
high cost of getting his supplies 10 bis
home than he could if the cost were less,
don't it? But it's fact. This mans
nearest market is thirty miles from
where he lives, and ton of coal will
~ost him T6 IN that market
"If 1t cost him no more than - to lay
that ton of coal down In this mans bin
he would have to pay for both coal aud
delivery, and tho ton would stand him
In $l2. The same In proportion with
his beef and his pork and his potatoes
and his -four and his oil. But just be-
cause 1t costs In the neighborhood Of
$50 ton to carry his coal from the yard
to his bin. and corresponding prices for
his other supplies, he gets the whole
business for nothing, His -four he gets
free, and his beef and his pork and his
potatoes and his oil. as well as his coal
| The entire outfit don't cost him a cent
| from one years end to the other, and he
gets 81 900 year for staying where he
Ia and receiving the annual donations.
at will be queer now if you are not
| thinking to yourself that this man am
speaking of has a soft snap. Well,
may be ho has He Is lighthouse
keeper He lives ON q big rock at Cape
Ann No SEA going vessel can get within
quarter Of mile OF his homo. No
loaded boat can reach his abiding place
in safety. To get a ton Of coal to his
| bin, which is perched on the rocks above
high water mark, 1t must be shipped
| from Boston to as near the lighthouse as
the vessel dare approach. The coal is in
bags, and these are placed in small boats,
which carry them to the edgs OF the
shoal water, inside OF which tho boats
dare not enter. Tho bags Of coal are then
carried ashore on the backs OF the crow
who wade through tho surf. Chamber up
the rocks with their burdens and empty
the coal In the lighthouse bin. The other
bulky supplies are delivered 10 the Caps
Ann light keeper in the same manner,
and the government pays the expense.
| May be he has n soft snap, but I'd rather
be on my vessel tossing and pitching on
the heaviest sea that his light ever shons
ont upon than to be firmly grounded on
| that Cape Ann rock as he is Wouldn't
your
But this man isn't the only one ths
government supplies with free coal, hShi
and rstions at Its lighthouses Whom
ever the keepers ars located at stations
where the cost Of carriage exceeds tbs
cost Of supplies they are provided free
but where the cost Of delivery doss no,
exceed the price OF the goods tbs keeper
is compelled to pay for both That's .
queer rule, bat government has many =
queer way OF doing thinsa At al the
barren rock lighthouses, like Cape Ann.
Minot's Ledge and othsrs. the ksepers
have even to b. supplied with fresh Wa
ter from points - the mainland They
collect great deal from rains In cisterns
and tanks, but In most cases it is not
sufficient for the needs of the keepers.
and the supply from abroad must be reg.
ularly taken to them, no matter what
the cost or the difficulties are in getting
it there New York Evening Sun.