New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-12-20
A FOE TO BURGLARS.
THE PRIVATE WATCHMAN'S WORK.
WHERE HE PATROLS THERE Is LITTLE CHANCE

WHERE HE PATROLS THERE Is LITTLE CHANCE
| FOR HousEBREAKING
| NO suppose he never does catch n thie,."
| said an uptown resident the other evening. just
| after the private Waterman had passed the house.
but it's worth s2e or 50 a year TO have that man
| around looking after your house during IN" niSht
| Us Just like any kind OF Insurance. Il you keep
| payng that man year after year and have never
had a robbery or even attempt ~ Il during
all that time YOU might naturally fee' that you
had had the o. Il. but II YOU DO without th"
wat chman and get up some fine morning To hni
that your silverware and jewelry have taken
flight in the night. then It's time TO KICK yourself
FOR not having employed him.
Probably every one who has walked through the
fine residence section after 10 p. IN. has seen these
watchmen. They walk along loisurcy, rs though
going nowhere in particular II you take notice
OF one OF them long enough. you VIII see him stop
at certain house. try the doors. see that the
windows are all closed and then pass on 10 an
other house. whore he will repeat the operation
This he keeps up al night: that H.. from about To-
D. m. until daylight. and burglar must operate
yrotty quickly IL he expects TO get away WITH any
thing from a house that this man is watching
III, first round is made late in the evening. after
most families have gone TO bed. yet before any Of
the Jimmy -dnd-dark- lantcrn fraternity are up ani
doing He makes careful Inspection OF every
hous. under his care and sees that everything b.
all secure for the night. Frequently on this trp
he finds window open or grating unfasicn"I or
a back gate unlocked. probably piece OF uoeii-
gence on The part Of some servant or member Of
the. family In these cases lac fastcns the open
window or grating and bis work for the night
has really begun.
Each Waterman tries to have between thirty
and forty houses on his beat which does not in
clude over three or four blocks Ia this way II Is
never more thnn half an hour from 'he Time that
ne lca,es particular house until ne Is back to
II again. He knows just how every house ought
look TO many minor details that the aver
age passerby would not notice. and If there are
any signs OF anything wrong NJ soon finds out the
Gauge.
carefully, said Waterman on Murray I'm few
evenings ago. because they know mat there's
rafting good chance OF being cOlldred II they try
10 do ANYTHING around here Ia the first place.
there's the regular policeman. VINO. OF course. cam
look carefully at every house but whose beat J.
not 20 long but that ne can keep pretty good
general lookout There's myself with only ihese
three blocks 10 watch, ana th'n, TOO. hri" the
officer from the burelar-alarm agency. iic isn't
mucn better than the regular polic' man. because
he wears uniform ana mas u sood d"ai oil terri
tory TO cover, but among IN" three OF as the
thief wouldn't have much time to spend i'll think
I'VE haven't had any trouble mp here in long
might happen If hadn't been around here every
night shutting open windows and looking ont for
things generally You'd b" surprised to find out
how careless people are about closing windows.
It's not so much in the summer ciihcr Tor then
people are used 10 opening the windows and gen
orally remember 20 close them
from that which every citizen has of holding a
thief other wrOngdO'r and turning MN over 10
an officer Tnoy all carry nghtsticks and rcNolV"rS.
however and could probably give q burglar good
tussc until a policeman could respond 10 whistle
or rappin: the sidewalk for assistance. The
average price paid to thcs. guardians Of lIlNai"
residences Is 81 ~ TO g. "A month"; but il may rs
nigh AS s. depending largely upon the generosity
Of I he house owner. Hut the Waterman with thirty
five houses on his list makes good living and Is
contcnted with his lot II is not an agreeable JOB
yciug he rounds stormy winter night. bui
these m, prepare themselves for IL and have grown
ia through service. Most of
them have I'm the business all their lives. and
some have taken UP their nightly round where their
fathers left II.
INV uncle was around here at night thirty years
aeo - said the Waterman on Murray iill, although
there were fewer houses in those days and "A good
siz.d orchard al Foricth-st. and Madison-avc.