Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1901-06-29
rnE 1Urra mEcnA mAx.
Workm IN Whose Hands Must Re whits
Soft and Suuule

Worlm IN Whose Hands Must Re White
Soft and supple.
The stgntta percha man" lives IN
little red brown canvas tent in the
streets of London. Nearly always
brazier CLOVIS before the open door Of
the tiny abode, says the London Nail.
A pan SINNERS continuously on the
fire, but the contents of the vessel are
inedible. They look like silver when
the "gutta pereha man" dips his big
spoon into the couldron.
Many times during the day the "gut-
IA percha man" buries himself in hole
dug in the middle Of the street. He is
protected by barbados, and the TRAFFIC
is diverted or stopped altogether at his
coming. Only royalty and the lord
mayor share this prerogatiYe with the
"gutta percha man."
The ''gutta percha man" is amph1b-
ious. He is to be met within the Pacl-
fic or Atlantic, but not so frequently as
in Fleet street. The marine species Aas
a habit OF penetrating the water to a
great depth and fishing up mysterious
looking objects from the floor OF the
sea.
Although no reference to the "gutta
percha man" can be found in any
dictionary of natural history, he is an
interesting biped and well repays little
study. His greatest popularity is his
hands. a great part of his life II
passed in washing them.
A little dust or CRIME on the "gutta
percha mans fingers might cut on al
communication between England anC
the seat of war, or it might lead to the
tearing up of another London street
The "gutta percha man" has, so tt
speak, thousands of pounds in hi
hands, although he himself is only
workman, with between e2 and So
week.
The other day representative o.
''The Daily Mali took the liberty o
dropping in on a ''gutta percha man
who had erected his temporary home II
the shadow of st. PauIs. The Vlsl
! could not have been timed more oppor
timely, for the ''gutta percha man" wa
performing a sort of massage on hi
hands with an oiled cloth, warranted tt
remove every speck of duct.
'tSorry I can't ask you to sit down.
he said politely, pointing to his two
foot deal seat in his cramped quarters
With the exception of his UNUSUAL!
white and supple hands he was, afte
all, an ordinary looking workman
dressed in honest fustian, and wit
shoulders that suggested they had bee
bent by sitting in his low ceilinged hu
and creeping into narrow holes.
cit is quite true" he added, that
have to keep my hands scrupulousl
| clean and very soft. When a joint Ia
to be made in the underground cable
it is my duty to make it. The wire
are, of course, insulated with quit
percha. If while making a Joint
should soil the gutta percha with 10
hands, a leakage would occur as SOC
as the wires were working again, an
| the streets would have to be pulled I
once more and the work begun all ov'
again. What that would cost in none
and the interruption in traffic you ca
well imagine"
| By this time he had completed b
massage and was gently drawn
through his fingers yards of what 1ool
ed like inch ribbon Of a reddish colo
It was really gutta pereha.
Another reason for keeping o.
hands in the pink of condition."
further explained, SIS that it increas
our deIicacy of touch, which has to
as fine as that Of a professional pial
player"
Important as it is that the 1al
species of ''gutta percha man" shou
keep his hands clean and supple, is
necessary that the marine type shou
be even more careful. A little du
from his fingers settling on the gut
percha while making a joint in a su
marine cable would involve the sen
ing out of another ship to discover a
repair the leakage This work mig
occupy months and involve n expenC
ture of thousands Of pounds.
Time was when the "guttsL percl
man" was more important persona
than he is now. He was trained fro
youth to cultivate hands whose whit
ness and de1icacy would have aTousI
the envy of duchess. He received
handsome salary, and had men to wa
upon him. Now, however, his glory
dimmed and his wage diminf shed.
/ Employers find that there are No
mere workmen with soft and supp
hands than formerly.