The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-05

rienagerie cage and an iGea can be
gained of the Inonotony endured by the
men employed By the Standard Oil Co.
10 patrol the great pine lire thst leads
from the oil regions down to tidewater
at Bayonne. on the Kills
The routine of this sort of life is never
varied unless through the leakage of
the pipes or the breaking of the tale-
graph wire that parallels the pipe line.
In case OF such mishaps the tramp,
tramp, tramp of the watchman is varied
by the Judicious use OF a portable tele-
graph key and sounder in advising
headquarters that leak or break has
occurred.
N. E. Westinghouse the man who
patrols that portion of the pipe line
between Huguenot, n Y, and New
foundland, n. j. His beat is over
twenty miles long and the country
through which it extends is partially
inhabited, but for the most part ex-
tremely wild He mas been watch
man long enough to be able to recount
many adventures that would fittingly
become dime novel hero. and yet he
has come through without apparent
harm.
There are pumping stations along
the pipe line at certain intervals and a
vigilant watch must be kept between
them. Washington's section includes
two mountain ranges. The line runs
across them, as well as across streams.
through swamp and ravines, up and
i III f'h1 of This that
an air line as nearly as possible is
maintained. In some instances the
line runs through cultivated farms and
near dwellings.
The men who perform the duty of
watchmen must be possessed of great
nerve and courage, and they must be
intelligent men, too, with knowledge
of telegraphy sufficient to enable them
to attach their instruments to the wire
and hold communication with the main
stations They travel armed and pre-
pared for business if they meet either
a two or four legged adversary by day
or night in some of the mountain passes
or swamps.
Mr. Washington has not led his pecu-
liar life as a watchman without having
several incidents to recall. But the
most startling among them occurred
when he was confronted by cata-
mount and fought the animal until it
had to succumb to shot from his re-
volver This ''varnint'' measured
more than four feet from head to tail
and was as dangerous as tiger to meet
unarmed.
The most commendablew way for man
to go through life is with his head erect,
but pipeline Waterman must have his
head and eyes directed toward the
ground, except when it is necessary to
do the double duty of scanning the
overhead wire. In this way the watch
man PAGES to and fro over his section
like the aforesaid wild animal in his
cage, and it is to him almost relief to
find an occasional leaky pipe or broken
wire, in order to change the monotony
from watching to investigating.
In case of leak in the pipe he as
cends the nearest pole, attaches the
pocket instrument and in an instant is
talking with the nearest sta tion. If
an obstruction occurs in the pipe a
small metal ball is inserted and forced
by compressed air. When it
reaches the point where the obstruction
is the pressure causes the ball to cease
the clicking noise it has made while
passing through the pipe, and the
who must follow the sound,
no matter how far, then discovers
where the obstruction lies
The salary of one hundred and TWEEN
ty-five dollars month is not high when
the hardships of such life are consid-
ered and when these are coupled with
the miseries attendant upon severe
winters, hot summers and the constant
changes in this climate of ours, it can
be seen that there are many kinds of
preferable to watching
along the big Standard pipe line, even
though the wages are little larger
than most mechanics earn.-N. Y. Her
aid.