The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-05
WOMEN AS PLUMBERS.
Unexplored Field Lies Open to
Ambitious Girls.
ATRADE THAT is NOT CROWDED.
Every Housewife Ought to Know How
90 Use the Soldering Iron for Burst
Pipes Without Burning Fingers.
New York Evening Post.

- w Woiutu KNOW Ol piumpiug
foitics, the professions, trades innum-
cradle, questions of finance and of political
economy-all are grappled by the feminine
mlnd. Women's clubs abound, the
asowed object of which is the all-around
advancement of the members in questions
pertaining first to the home and then to
tne weii-oeing of society at large. 1t is a
question, however-if one may dare to say
so-whether the many and often vexing
problems relative to home economics are
attacked with anything like the enthus-
iasm bestowed on woman's equality with
man, woman's suffrage, the higher educa-
tion OF woman, and like questions. That
astonishing progress has been made by
women during the past half century is an
incontrovertible fact. Nevertheless the
advance has been greater along almost
any other avenue than that appertaining
10 the intelligent comprehension of the
improved appliances placed at their dis
posal IN the modern dwelling, even IL in
the ordinary departments of housekeeping
retrograde, rather than a progressive
movement has not taken place. Il NAV
De doubted whether the old-feshioned
housekeeper, to whom women's clubs were
unknown, was not the superior of her
more advanced" sister as q practical and
palnstaking manager.
In considering the requirements of mod
ern housekeeping take for instance, one
ieature-that of plumbing. Scarcely q
householder but has experienced the ills
resulting from bursting or leaking pipes
ills which entail greater inconvenience to
the feminine than to the masculine
members of the family; therefore it should
naturally follow that the mistress would
be specially interested in preventing or
ameliorating such disaster, and that the
subject would receive at least portion of
the intelligent thought she is SO willing to
bestow in other directions. 1t is lament
able fact, however, that in an emergency
not one woman in fifty knows how to
turn of the water supply. not speak of
arresting leak, of no matter how infin-
itesimal proportions.
In conversation with several leading
plumbers, each gave as the result of his
experience the opinion that women are
wofully ignorant where plumbing is con-
cerned. One declared; "I have on several
occasions given plain directions how to
act in case of leak or other casualty until
the plumber arrived, but as often have
found when the time for action came they
had been entirely forgotten. Even the
simple expedient of turning on the water
in the kitchen or laundry, which of course
would prevent its running to tine upper
floors, is usually quite overlooked" An
other said: ~ never have any success in
explaining the intricacies of plumbing
to woman, whereas to the mascu-
line contingent I have no difficulty"
From this 1t would seem that the intellig-
ence of woman Is unable to cope with
what is 80 easily understood by man. A
third plumber remarked: "Women are
always in fear that the hot-water boiler
will collapse if the water Is cut off, and for
this reason as much as any they hesitate
about tampering with the faucets; whereas
very slight knowledge of the subject
would convince them that if in coniunc-
ton with turning off the water the sink
faucets are opened, SO that air can reach
the boiler, no damage can result" While
each plumber admitted that knowledge
of the fundamental principles of plumbing
on the part of the women would often save
considerable expense and damage, none
was enthusiastic, evidently preferring
Ignorance to an enlightenment which
would perhaps curtail his opportunities
A woman, bright and intelligent to an
unusual degree, was asked regarding her
knowledge of plumbing. Said she: "I
am sorry to confess | know nothing what
ever about the plumbing of this house.
do know, however, that the pipes very
frequently need attention, and that what
appears to be very tiny leak often neces-
states tearing up the aoors,a great amount
of labor. and a correspondingly large bill.
have often thought / would like to I'M
derstand little about the matter, but as
often have dismissed the thought, plead
ing with myself lack of time and oppor-
tunity." Il am confident" declared the
known how to use soldering iron I
might have been saved much incon-
venience and money last week. For
some time the hot-water pipe in my
wssh-closet leaked slightly at turn in
the pipe near the floor. The leak was so
small that by making plaster of soap
and applying it prevented any damage
was necessary to send for plumber to do
work in the lower part of the house, I
asked him to take look at the pipe in
question. As result the different Sec
tons. were taken apart and put together
again, and the floor was taken up, the
whole making a job of some hours dura-
ton. The next day l discovered that the
pipe leaAeu cAdCtiy III the SAINT spot dS
before" Still another asserted: ~ am
confident plumbers do not always make q
correct diagnosis. On more than one oc-
casion my husband has failed to agree to
their propositions, substituting modfhca-
tons which have been acted upon with as
good result and less expense. Now, if left
to me, should through sheer ignorance
be obliged to accede to any proposition,
even though it involved pulling up every
plank in the house."
It seems no general rule beyond allowing
the water to escape in the lower part of
the house can be laid down for emergen-
cies, the plumbing in various houses diff
fering 80 greatly; consequently for practi-
cal purposes each householder should be-
come familiar with the distinguishing
features of her own system.
At the trade schools, First avenue and
Sixty-seventh street, the number of young
men attending the plumbing class is
almost double that in any other, thereby
indicating the great demand for such
workmen. In conversation with the head
of the schools and with the manager of
the plumbing class, both expressed them
selves in favor of women acquiring some
knowledge of the science of plumbing.
SAID the latter. 81 should consider the
practice of plumbing in all its branches
heavy and disagreeable work FOR a
woman, but knowledge of the theoreti-
cal part would be invaluable from a san
itary point of view, if from no other,
causing her to detect imperfections which,
when neglected, are often prolinc source
of so-called maIarial maladies." In re-
Spouse to a question he replied: I'm
doubtedly women can De taught TO stop a
leak, provided they don't mind burning
their fingers in the process. As rule,