Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1890-08-30
IDA LEWIS AT HOME.
How the Famous Heroine Liv es In Lime
Rock Light

Running from the mainland of the
city of Newport, Rhode Island, into
the west side of the harbor, is n log.
~staunchly built wharf, says Ellen lie
Garde, in Ladies Home journal Were
you to find your way TO its end, YOU
would ere long see from the light.
house beyond, a woman appear and
glance I'm your direction. Presently,
agile step. she runs down the mar
row ladder fastened to the stone wall,
jumps nimbly into a boat. lnfies il
from its mooring, takes the heavy oars,
and, with a beauty of stroke all her
own. pulls with a long and a strong
pull that sends her flying toward the
steps of the pier on which you wait.
Her back is as erect as that Of a young
girl, her powerful strength manifest in
the strides the row-boat makes, and
yet. when she deity turns il around
and you get a good look al her face,
it a be seen that it belongs TO u WON
an in middle life. but upon whom time
has left few tell-tale marks, She puts
out a welcoming hand with a beautiful
white wrist. adding a CHEEKY smile and
word of greeting as she makes ready
TO take YOU over 10 Lime Rock as her
guest. You have cause for self-con-
graduation in being thus favored by
the heroine-Ida Lewis.
Life on a lighthouse, situated as is
Lime Rock light, is not the gruesome
thing generally imagined. With a
six-roomed house there are cares that
fill the day. aud, like any other guide
wife" Miss Lewis has pots, kettles and
pans TO attend to, rooms TO sweep.
beds to make, papers and magazines to
read, letters 20 write, and all the "A
rious etceteras TO manage which fill
the time of a busy woman. A devoted
church woman. she spends Sunday on
shore whenever her brother is at home.
As the only woman light : house
keeper in our country. and the last
one that will be given a light-for such
is the verdict of the powers that be-
Miss Lewis has other duties that are
unique. Exactly at shutdown she must
light her lamp. and precisely at mid
night another must be substituted. All
through the night it must be watched,
and Miss Lewis likens this constant
care to that demanded by an infant.
The wick might flare or burn low, the
chimney smoke or crack. or any of
the hundred-and-one accidents happen
that are taking place with the use of
kerosene oil. She ran but catch cat
maps; hence the nearness of her sleep
ing-room to the light. At sunrise the
law requires her lamp. like the foolish
virgins. TO have gone out. and from
this fac, she is an early riser. The re-
sponsibility is no small one, for the
slightest neglect of duty or accident to
her light or lenses would bring a re-
port from the first seaman who suf-
fered by il. Lives hang on her vigil
ance, but to her credit no light on all
the coast is as regularly or perfectly at
tended to. nor does any other gain
from the Government Inspector so
high a report. Miss Lewis keeps a
daily expense book. noting just the
amount of wick and oil burnt, and the
time to a second Of the lighting aud
| putting out Of the lamp. In addition,
a record of the weather. must he en-
| tered daily. As Lime Rock light is a
iirst-class light. no rations are allowed.
the yearly salary being $3.50, and two
tons OF coal.