The sun., 1897-01-31

re Was . vetersn .. ths Cs,iin~ s.a .
WrII.Ksow. Chrrncler.


Jane. Ca,Ishan. the Oldest lamplIghter in
| this city. died at his home. 40 Peck slip. on
Friday evening. For moro than half q cen
tury no attended to tho lamps IN tho down
town section OF the city. lighting them in the
evening. putting them out in the morning, and
cleaning them In the afternoon. He was q
familiar hgrrc downtown. and nobody ran re-
member when hs missed . day or night In 70
ing his rounds.
Callahan came to this country from Clon-
mel. County Tipperary. Ireland. early In tho
'30's Ho learned his trade here as q shoe
maker. New York was then lighted with oil
lamps. and an opportunity presented itself for
him to ret outside work as lamplighter for the
Manhattan Gas Company. He continued In
its service until 1850. when his eldest con.
John. who was also n lamplighter employed
by the New York Gas Company, gave mp his
Job. and. enlistinR IN the Thirty-seventh Irish
Rifles. he went TO tho war. Callahan took his
sons place. as IL was more lucrative than his
own and kept him nearer home.
At that time there WAS competition between
the gas companies and reliable lamplighters
were in demand. Callahan married In Iro-
laud when II years old and had large family
Of sons. for whom he secured employment as
iamp!ighterr. six Of tho family b,ing so en-
gagged at one time.
Tor more than thirty years. and was one OF the
Oldest residents OF the Second ward lie took
great pride in his work and encouraged his
sons TO do the same. He tras ersed their routes
hin self after having attended In his own. and
lectured them II the windows OF their lamps
such good condition that he was held up as
model to all the other lamplighters in the city.
and 1t Is told Of him that an oficisl Of the com.
pany who n )ticed q big cluster lamp. formerly
In front OF the Sixth avenue car depot In Nesey
street. on one occasion; Thought there woro no
tlon.. the Official discovered that the glass was
polished 40 highly as To give tho impression
.t hes wsre 10 an tas ns
the corps OF Iamplighters and formally com.
plimonted by the COMPANY:
One OF his sons. Joseph Callahan. who was
also lamplighter. was killed in tho City
Hall Park seven wears ago while ply ing his
amp. II. %"f ,nf m ,Ss Ss' uoo Fl tss
Mounted on a ladder, he was trying e.. I'M
rewa cap with his pliers when nh, he slipped ~ op,.
han began to light lamps the system was not
as perfect ia as I, !, today % ana he hnd had to use
the matches on the lamp post. In stormy
weather. however. he was obliged to carry
glowing piece of punk to light tho matches;
ing when asked about tt that II was no one.
business. Ho wa. tall. and ALWAYS walked
until pntii few YEAR. @ ago So t was diiicult to guess
his .ge. His son. James. who survives him.
and has spent eighteen years of his life as a
mother, died fifteen years ago a, the, age OF
90 and her ulster a short time later at
the age of 0s. Callahan enjoyed perfect
health, and continued at his calling until y
year aro. whom he met with accident which
forced him TO retire. On the way to church
one morning he fell and broke his -izht ;aGul-
der. eventually losing tho use Of his hands
a. result of the mishap. Last Now Years
morning he got out Of bed at dawn and was
making hi. war to the window to see II the
lamps in the street were stli alght whom he
han another fall and broke his thigh.
Callahan was married twice. and was the
father 81 twenty children. Three sons. three
daughters. eleven grandchildren. and six great
grandchildren survive hi m.