The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1893-11-07
A HOMOGENEOUS OCCUPATION.
That OF the Waterman Who Patrols the
Oil Pipe Lines.

- NUM- OiSOOo oSOoT tIOlN
That OF the Watchman Who Patrols the
Oil Pipe Lines.
Imagine, if you can, the weary pacing
to and fro of a wild animal in its
menagerie cage and an idea can be
gained of the monotony endured by the
men employed by the Standard Oil Co.
to patrol the great pipe line that leads
from the oil regions down to tide water
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 tele-
graph wire that parallels the pipe line.
In case Of such mishaps the tramp,
tramp, tramp of the Waterman is varied
by the judicious use of a portable tele-
graph key and sounder in advising
headquarters that a leak or a break has
occurred.
VI. E. Washington is the man who
patrols that portion of the pipe line
between Huguenot, y. 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 has been a watch
man long enough to be able to recOunt
many adventures hat would tittingly
become a 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
41-1 ~O,,-t,1, TI,o H. 10000
across them, as well as across streams,
through swamp and ravines, up and
down hill. The reason Of this is that
an air line as nearly as possible is
maintained. In some instances the
line runs through cultivated farms and
nea dwellings.
The men who perform the duty of
w~atchmen must be possessed of great
nerve and courage, and they must be
intelligent men, too, with a 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 Waterman without having
several incidents to recall. But the
most startling among them occurred
when he was confronted by a cata-
noun and fought the animal until it
had to succumb to a shot from his re-
volver. This ''varmint'' measured
more than four feet from head to tail,
and was as dangerous as a tiger to meet
unarmed.
The most c~ommendable way for a man
to go through life is with his head erect,
but a 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 a relief to
find an occasional leaky pipe or broken
wire, in order to change the m~onotony
from watching to Investigating.
In case of a leak in the pipe he as
cends the nearest pole, attaches the
pocket instrument and in All instant is
"talking' with the nearest station. If
an obstruction occurs in the pipe a
small metal ball is inserted and forced
through 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
Waterman who must follow the sound,
no matter how far, then discovers
where the obstruction lies.
The salary of one hundred and twen-
ty-five dollars a month is not high when
the hardships Of such a life are consid-
cred, 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
employment preferable to watching
along the big Standard pipe line, even
though the wages are a little larger
than most mechanics earn.