The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1893-09-08
GIRL KEEPERS OF THE LIGHT.
A Lake Michigan Beacon That Ia Al
ways BurninR-An Odd ssorv

l @".o "AtVhkhu AseuoOu THAT AL
ways Burning-An Odd Story.
The fallacy Of the time honored theory
that women are contentious rather than
oompanionable and unable 10 liye
together In peace and concord. Ia
demonstrated conclusively In the story
.oiu or the harmonious relations exist
ing between the Michigan City Night
house keeper, Harriet Colfax, and her
friend, Ann Hartwell, after companion
SHIP OF more than thirty years. In this
extended period OF living isolated from
other friends In continual and familiar
Intercourse. their affection for each
other has not being married by any dis
| cord or unkindness. Each vles with the
other In manifelting their devotion in
| anseihsh acts of love and loyalty, and
fortunately no serpent In Eden In manly
form has disturbed their mutual regard.
me lighthouse at Michigan City was
ouiit IN 1893, and three years later a
slender little woman, with brown hair
ana gray eyes, was put in charge of the
light, The hair is touched with silver
now, the eyes are steady and fearless.
and sailors and inspectors all agree that
never was light better or more faith
tully guarded than this viii n the
womans hands have tended for moro
ehan quarter of century. Few wrecks
nave been known at this point, and no
lives lost except those of three fisher
men, VINO were drowned by the capslz-
ing OF their boat In gale.
When Miss Colfax received her an. |
nointment through her cousin. SCHUYLER
Coifax, sneering critics limited that if a
wax doll had friends at court it might
as well be chosen lightkeeper as this |
pretty girl. There was at that time and |,
,or number OF yHars after beacon
ight at the extremity of the raised
walk near the breakwater, and every
night at shutdown, too. the fearless lit
tie woman made her way over the slim
perry walk with the storm buffeting her
slender figure and the spray dashing in
to her eyes, climbed the ladder and
lighted the beacon lamps. The lamps
were fed with lard oil at that time, and
on cold nights the oil must be warmed
before the lamp would burn. One stormy
night, after making her way with diff
Guilty along the raised walk, over which
the waves dashed necessarily, and with
freezing spray wetting aer garments To
The skin, the little keeper found that
The lock had been tamr cred with and re- {
.dsed to yield to her efforts. NOTHING (
iaunted she dashed out a window AMI [
climbed through the aperture, only to
ind that the oil had CONCEALED and the n.
wick would not ignite, u
But the beacon must be lighted, and
'nce more o perilous path was fol- d
owed through the icy shower. and
hough she slipped and fell, and rose d
MY to stumble again, she at length a
cached the house in safety: heated her =
Ill and retraced her steps that the morn
ng signal might not fail the watching
allors, who trembled fer the safety I
I the Keeper as the light greeted
aem. Strong men said afterward that
o reward would have tempted them to il;
rim the beacon that night Il
only one instance of cowardly insult "
as Miss Col'ax experienced and this G.
DO, occurred on the way 10 Macon light IL
ne night late in November, when two -
len stood in the center of t @ desertad
ak and barred her progress. To her \
lid but firm request to pass thew Maid
attention, and in at empting to for 4
bly, pass them she found herself pris-
1er. Still fearless and determined the 8
tile woman gave one OF the ruflians an
respected push, darted past him. and
u ner lamp In Its place, instead of re-
rnlng TO the house, as she might have
ZEN pardoned for doing under the cir
INSTANCES. AS she retraced her way
e found her passage opposed again
"a thoroughly frightened she was
out to scream for help, when a boat
gineer came to her rescue.
still more thrilling experience she n
lates OF encountering an ESCAPED luna
on the pier one evening, who insisted
on accompanying her inside he =
Fortunately, she was uncon. III
als OF the man condition but refused
request, as 1t was strictly against -
rules OF the department. He fol-
yea her and attempted to crowd
rough the narrow doorway, but. sum-
ming all her fortitude, she looked him
rlessly in the face and ordered him
;ldedly to stay outside. He heed
authority in her tone for an instant
! In the interval she slipped inside and
Red the door. Two keepers soon re- IT
'ed her of her unwelcome guest with
further trouble; but memories Of III,
se narrow scapes rem er the woman
at all sorry that the beacon was car pa
away several years ago In a great
rm and has never been replaced.
er duties now consist In filling two
Fps with purest gasoline, one of which
places in the reflector at shutdown
with the other primed and trimmed
duty she mounts the narrow stair. La
at midnight and rapidly exchanges =
u the one that frightened the early DO
ches OF the night. During all the
~ years OF her service she has never
e retired until the change has been
lie, and the fresh light is in place.
,ago Herald.