The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-07-07
TRIALS OF A MiLkMAN.
Some Of the Hardships He Has to Endure
In His Nightly Rounds.

cord1ngly with those OF the family,
sleeping In the daytime is not SO
restful as sleep during the hours of
darkness Although the Inilkmen of
the city are, as rule, as healthy a
set of men as q like number in any
other trade or occupation, yet until
they become settled in the trade
they feel severely the effects of turn
ing night into day.
A milkman's work begins at the
time when the rest of the world is
going to bed, or in the neighborhood
of midnight The greater quantity
of the milk used in this city comes
from the outlying districts of Long
Island and is brought here in the
familiar milk train, This arrives
at 2 o'clock, when it is met by the
milkmen, who have spent the pre-
vious hours in preparing the horses
and wagons for the day work and
washing out the empty cans prepar-
atory 70 having them sent back to
the dairies for fresh supply In
order to do this the milkmen gener-
ally do their sleeping just before go
ing to work, although some of the
men get their rest after they finish
their routes in the morning.
Every milkman has several hun
dred households to serve ON his
route, and, now that the bottle sys-
tenn has been almost universally
adopted, the work is much easier
than formerly. In previous years
the milk was served to the waiting
vessels with dippers, but at the pres
ent time there is hardly milkman
who has route who does not use
the quart and pint bottles. All the
wagons are supplied, however, with
milk in bulk for the few transient
customers that are met with.
Under the old system a dishonest
milkman had many opportunities to
gather in small harvest for his
personal use by the sale of milk,
but with the bottle system, and
every bottle having 20 be accounted
for either in cash or by ticket, he
has very little chance to add to his
salary. Milk as a daily article
of consumption is used in nearly
every household in the city, and
with the exception Of the poorer dis
tricts, where all purchases are made
directly from the shops, the family
is supplied by the milkman in his
nightly rounds.
The general custom is to put the
empty bottles outside and have the
milkman take them away and leave /
full bottles behind. Although the /
value of the milk is small, it is this
habit that causes the greatest trou-
BILE to the milkman. The bottles are
usually left entirely unguarded, and |
the milk is continually being stolen.
Tramps in search of morning meals
are generally the milk stealers, and
there is hardly household which
has not experienced the loss of the
days supply. Some of the tramps
do not bother to take away the bot
ties, but satisfy themselves with
drinking the milk. When there are
a number of bottles, the thief gen.
orally quenches his thirst by drink
ing the cream from the top of each
bottle and leaves the skimmilk
for the family use. Hardly day
passes but some poor unfortunate is
not hauled up in the police court for
this offense, as the police are on the
lookout.
Milkmen, as rule, are a philo-
sophical lot of men. Their travels
by night, although comparatively
lonely, frequently bring them in
contact with both the dark and
bright side of human nature, thus
developing their natural powers of
observation. How many romantic
couples have been interrupted in
their fond farewells in the vestibule
BY the visit of the milkmani To the
nvalids confined to their beds and
the night in tossing restless
y to and fro as well as to the anx-
Gus watcher at some loved ones
bedside comes the CHEEKY rattle of {
he milkman's wagon with the jan
ling of the cans, taking the thoughts