The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-08-08
IDA LEWIS At HOME.
Tow the Famous Heroine Lives in Lime
Rock Light.

low the Famous Heroine Lives In Lime
Rock Light.
Running from the mainland Of the
city of Newport, r. l., into the west
side of its harbor, is a lag, staunchly
built wharf. Were you to find your
way to its end, you would ere long see
from the lighthouse beyond a woman
appear and glance in your direction
Presently, with agile step, she runs
down the narrow ladder fastened to the
stone wall, jumps nimbly into boat,
unties it from its mooring, takes the
heavy oars, and with beauty of stroke
all her own, pulls with 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 great strides the row-boat makes,
and yet, when she deftly turns it around
and you get good look at her face, it
can be seen that it belongs to a woman
in middle life, but upon whom time has
left few tell-tale marks. She puts out
welcoming hand with beautiful white
wrist adding a CHEEKY smile and word
Of greeting, as she makes ready to take
You have cause for congratulation in
being thus favored by the heroine-Ida
Lewis.
Life on lighthouse, situated as is
Lime Rock light, is not the gruesome
thing generally imagined. With six
roomed house there are cares that fill
the day, and like any other guide wife, :"
Miss Lewis has her pots, kettles and
pans to attend to, rooms to sweep, beds
TO make, papers and magazines to read,
letters to write, and all the various ct
ceteras 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 lighthouse keep
er in our country, and the last one that
will be given light-for such is the
verdict of the powers that be-Miss
Lewis has other duties that are unique
Exactly at sundown she must light her
lamp and precisely at midnight another
must be substituted. All through the
night 1t must be watched, and Miss
Lewis lillens the constant care to that
demanded by an infant. The wick
ullBIlU mare OF DuTH low, bue CillunHey
smoke or crack, or any of the hundred
and one accidents happen that are ever
taking place with the use of kerosene
oil. She can but catch cat-naps; hence
the nearness of her sleeping-room to
the light. At sunrise the law requires
her lamp, like the foolish virgins, to
have gone out and from this fact she is
an early riser. The responsibility is no
small one, for the slightest neglect of
duty or accident to her light or lenses
would bring a report from the first sea
man who suffered by it, Lives hang on
her vigilance, but to her credit no light
on all the coast is as regularly or per
fectly attended to, nor does any other
gain from the government inspector SC
high report. Miss Lewis keeps a daily
expense book, noting just the amount
of wick and oil burnt, and the time to q
second of the lighting and putting out
Of the lamp In addition, a record o
the weather must be entered daily. AS
Lime Rock light is a frst-class light, nc
rations are allowed, the yearly salary
being $3.50 and two tons of coal.-ElleI
lie Garde, in Ladies Home Journal