The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-12-18
THURSDAY EVENING, DEC. Is. 1890.
GIRL KEEPERS o. TIE LIGHT.



The fallacy OF the tlme-honore.l theory
that women are contentious rather than
companionable and unable 10 live
together In peace and concord, is
demonstrated conclusively in the story
told of the harmonious rel lions exist
ing between the Michigan City light
house keeper, Harriet Colfax, and her
friend, Ann Hartwell, after comnnn,on-
ship of more than thirty years. In this
extended period Of living isolated from
other friends in continual and familiar
Intercourse, their affection for each
other has not being married by any dis
cord or unkiudncss, Each yies with the
other in manfeiting their devotion in
unscliish acts of love and loyalty, and
fortunately no serpent in Ellen in manly
form has disturbed their mutual regard.
Tae lighthouse at Michigan City was
built in 1858, and three years later
slender little woman, with brown hair
md gray eyes, was put in charge of the
light. The hair is touched with silver
now, the eyes are steady and fearless,
and sailors and inspectors all agree that
never was light better or more faith
fully guarded than this viii n the
woman's hands have tended for more
than quarter OF % century. Few wrecks
have been known at this point, and no
lives lost except those of three fshe
men, who were drowned by the capsiz-
ing of their boat in a gale.
When Miss Colfax received her APP
rointment through her cousin, Schuyler
Colfax, sneering critics limited that II
wax doll had friends at court it might
ss well be chosen lightkeeper as this
pretty girl. There was at that time and
tor - 49,.
light at the extremity of the raised
walk near the breakwater, and every
night at shutdown, too, the fearless lit
tie woman made her way over the Slip
perry walk, with the storm buffeting her
slender figure and the spray dashng in
to her eyes, climbed the ladder and
lighted the beacon lamps. The lamps
We're fed with lard oil at that time, and
on cold nights the oil must be warmed
before the lamp would burn. One stormy
night, after making her way with diff
Guilty along the raised walk, over which
the waves dashed inces5antly, and witt
freezing spray wetting her garments to
the skin, the little keeper found that
the lock had been tamI cred with and re-
fused to yield to her efforts. Nothing
daunted she dashed out a window and
climbed through the aperture, only to
find that the oil had CONCEALED and the
wick would not ignite.
But the beacon must be lighted, and
once more e perilous path was fol-
lowed through the icy shower, and
though she slipped and fell, and rose
only to stumble again, she at length
reached the house in safety; heated her
oil and retraced her steps that the morn
ing signal might not fail the Watching
sailors, who trembled fer the safety
Ct the keeper as the light greeted
them. Strong men said afterward that
o reward would have tempted them to
trim the beacon that night.
Only one instance of cowardly insult
has Miss Col'ax experienced and this,
too, occurred on the way 10 Macon light
one night late in November, when two
men stood in the center Of e deserted
walk and barred her progress. To her
mild but firm request to pass they paid
no attention, and in at; empting to for
chilly pass them she found herself pris-
oner. Still fearless and determined the
little woman gave one OF the ruffians an
unexpected push, darted past him, and
set her lamp in its place, instead of re-
turning to the house, as she might have
been pardoned for doing under the cir
CunSbduCeS. hS bue ItlIdCeu ueE way
she found her passage opposed again,
and thoroughly frightened she was
about to scream for help, when a boat
engineer came to her rescue.
still more thrilling experience she
relates OF encountering an escaped luna
tic on the pier one evening, who insisted
upon accompanying her inside the
structure. Fortunately, she was uncon-
scious OF the mans condition but refused
his request, as it was strictly against
the rules of the department. He fol-
lowed her and attempted to crowd
through the narrow doorway, but, sum-
moning all her fortitude, she looked him
fearlessly in the face and ordered him
decidedly to stay outside. He heed d
the authority in her tone for an instant,
and in the interval she slipped inside and
locked the door Two keepers soon re-
lieved her of her unwelcome guest with
out further trouble; but memories of
these narrow escapes rem er the woman
not at all sorry that the beacon was car
ried away several years ago in a great
storm and has never been replaced.
Her duties now consist in filling two
lamps with purest gasoline, one of which
she places in the reflector at shutdown,
and with the other primed and trimmed
for duty she mounts the narrow stair
way at midnight and rapidly exchanges
it for the one that frightened the early
watches of the night. During all the
thirty years of her service she has never
once retired until the change has been
made, and the fresh light is in place.
Chicago Herald.