The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-11-19

Two men were sitting face to face
between the car tracks on Park Row
the other day. 1t seemed to be dam
gerous position, for they could not
follow their work aud at the same
time keep their eyes on the rafting
teams on either hand. They had to
keep their elbows in. too or the car
would bump them. They were seated
at manhole. testing cables of wires
which were in the subway beneath.
Each had the end of cable in hand.
and portable galvanometer-a square
box about the size of cigar box-in
front of him.
But lew years ago, says the N. Y
Advertiser. the man engaged in con-
Meeting wires in this way touched the
tip of each wire in turn to the tip of
the tongue. If there was a current
running through the wire he felt a
little pricking and sour taste. He
did this the whole day through, and
was none the worse for receiving so
many slight electric shocks and tasting
so much copper. l. was a very primi-
tive test. but very good one, and old
wlre-testers still use it when in
hurry. But soon galvanometer
vas made. which not only finds the
current, but gives some idea of it's
strength. The rapid way in which in
vention has been piled upon invention
in the electrical world is marvellous.
and it seems surprising that Il suf1i-
cient number of workmen of sufficient
intelligence should be found in such a
hurry to practically put these inven-
tions into use. A question upon this
very point was put to a well-known
electrician mho happened to sauntcr
by the two men at work.
1t is only surprising in a measure"
he SAID. AS matter of fact, the
business has grown much faster than
the intelligence necessary TO handle
1t, and many accidents are due TO that
fact. The electric light people at first
had to rely very largely on the work
men engaged by the telegraph COM
panies. and both had to draft in a
large number of new men and train
them to the work. Any man with IA
little knowledge of mechanics and the
handling of tools soon makes Il good
lineman. There is no great skill re-
d"iaSus SASSpt III Stit luul Tue wire
does not become abradcd in handling.
while the good wages paid for the
work-$75 II month-are great in
ducement. But the business has uu-
doubtedly suffered in its rapid progress
for the want of skilled men. and the
market is by no means overstocked
yet. Only the other day one of the
New York companies had to send TO
the New England Gable Company TO
borrow men to make joints in city
lines.
Some of the underground work.
too. has been badly done. but much of
this has been quite rs much due TO
Keen competition and the proverbial
economy of the unScientitic stockhoid-
ers. When it comes to buying wire,
costing from ST. 400 to 81, 500 per mile
the stakeholder has lot to say about
it. and cheap wire is too often Il result.
One of the electric light companies
runs an alternating current. and it
now begins 10 lind. all over the coun-
try. that its wires are already becom-
ing faulty. They can not stand the
strain. One of the things absorbing
the attention of electric men to-day is
to tind an insulatnr which will stand
heavy alternating currents. SO the
trouble has been rs much matter of
cheap material as unSkilled labor.
Have the workmen Il union yet?r
No. not vet. There is an associa-
tion called The Society of Electric
Engineers.
And where do the engineers and
executive men come from?"
"A good many of the heads of de-
partments have their training at the
various schools of technology. such as
the Stevens Institute. Hoboken; Cor
nell University. the Massachusetts
School of Technology at Worcester.
Indeed. nearly all the universities have
classes ia electricity now, aud thew
supply good deal of the taleut for
the business
These young fellows from the
scAoois OF Technology have started in
the blacksmith's shops and worked
right Up and the only thing about
electrical matters they have no knowl-
edge OF y the business end of it. They
easily ind positions at from $50 to 800
a moHth at the start. and readily get
more according to the ability they dis
play.