The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-25
SHE WORKS THE sEMAPHoRE.
Novel Occupation of Woman switch.
tender,

/
holds the rather unusual position ot
woman switch-tender, an occupa ton
that is rather unique in the history of
feminine bread winners. She throws the
switches that let all the passenger
| trains In and out of the union depot
| to and from the East. Her switch
house is just west Of the Hannibal
bridge and close to the river bank and
| Is known as the incline switch" ow-
ing to its proximity to the wagon in
cline that runs down to ST. Louis ave-
/ nue..
Anyone coming along the tracks to-
/ ward Kate Deloughertys switchhouse
would know that a woman was there
ana cared for it. 1t is tidy bit Of a
house, nesting close to the bluff. 1t
has small garden neatly fenced in
and close beside it are two trees that
nave been cultivated with difficulty.
growing out of the scantily covered
| rocks. A large, well-kept cat. wo-
mans cat, loafs about the PLACE and
| there are clean muslin curtains at the
windows. 1t is no wonder that Kate
| De1ougherty escaped publicity for MANY
years, for she has always dreaded news
paper reporters and kept out of their
way when they were about, and every
/ one VINO knew her occupation was
| sworn to secrecy. The switchnen in
the yards, the brakemen and the mes
| sengers on the passing trains all know
!
| highest respect for l.,.r
But, although she has cared for the
| switches at this point for many years,
| 1t Is only recently that she became the
| official switchtender, with her name on
| the depot company's pay roll. The year
| after the war her father went to work
| for the Missouri Pacific and Kate De-
| lougherty is proud of her fathers long
| and faithful service and cares for him
| as tenderly as mother in his old go,
| for he is past 80 years old. The old
| man threw the first switch that let the
first train into the depot and has been
| at the post ever since, save for a time
when he walked the track in the old
days and pulled drunken men off the
| rails in time to save their lives.
| When Kate Delougherty was a little
| girl she lived in the small house and
her father took care of her, for her
| mother was dead, and tended the
switches, too. When she got older she
took care of the switches while he went
| to church or to vote or uptown on bust
| ness And SO she, gradually got to
| know the work as well as her father.
| Of recent years the old man has been
| getting feeble, but he stuck to his post
as long as he could his daughter do
! ing most of the work. A year and a
| half ago his name was dropped from
| the company's pay roll and Kate De
| lougherty,' switchman," took its place.
| Austin Delougherty, the old switch
| man, is known to every official who
| goes over the line as most careful and
reliable man and they have quite as
much confidence in his daughter, who
| has never yet had a disaster at her
| post.
II am proud to take my fathers
| place." said Kate Delougherty. He
| took care of me when l was child
| and now l take care of him. He is SO
| old that he seldom gets out of doors.
l deny myself everything in living here
| to care for him. but l am glad to do it.
| This work pays me better than any
thing I could get to do uptown and I
know it better than anything and / can
| have my father with me always"
Kate is the lucky girl" says the
! switchmen around the yards 'She
has never had an accident" But it is
not SO much luck as it is strict atten-
| ton to the business she knows all
about. She works all night from 5
| o'clock in the evening until $50 o'clock
| in the morning and in that time she
throws the three switches in her divis-
| ion for Is trains.
1t is not an easy thing to throw big
semaphore switch, even for strong
man. How this fragile little woman
does it is mystery. She is slender
and dark, with a pompadour of black
| hair rolling away from her forehead, a
slim figure and slender, nervous hands.
She threw a switch with ease that a
man was unable to throw without con-
siderable exertion. ut is all in know
| ing how" says Kate Delougherty.
But in winter, when the switch lever
gets frozen, it is very hard work, but
| must be done
Kate Delougherty earns $45 a month,
has her rent free and the company al
| lows her coal and ice, and so she does
very well and is content.
| To be a success a switchouse like
| that of Kate Delougherty one mus
! know every train tina; goes in and out
over the tracks and their time to
minute. For every passenger train
| coming from the East she must throw
! three switches. These are operated
from her front porch. She has a little
| office, separated from the living rooms.
| is this is a telephone, by which she is
warned Of the approach Of trains by
| telephone from the union depot and
| from the tower at Grand avenue.
| Are you not afraid to be here? she
| was asked.
| No" she repliel. No ore has eve.
| caused me TO he afraid, lramps stop
here occasionally, Sut / cannot afford
| to give them anything bus the dead
| face. They go away and never come
| back again. I have n big bull dog
| in the back yard that is Very fond f
| tramps and other suspicious characters,
who contributes dignity and force 10
| my refusal
| Miss Delougherty sleeps nearly all
| day with the trains backing up and
| down the ira clSs in front of the house
| and close by tue dor, with never g
| heed.
| The house is a tidy little home of Z,
| tidy little woman with only two rooms,
a parlor and bedroom combined that is
as neat as wax, and an equally neat
kitchen.
well, it's as good a place as many a
woman has GOT she said. land a good
deal better one than working in a store.
l have my freedom here and l read al
night when no trains are due. A,A1 here
I shall remain as long as my father
lives and perhaps longer