The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-01-03
Atlantic coast are lined with the homes of these thrifty Workmen.

of these thrifty workmen.
 There are two classes of operators the pumpmen and the linemen; the first squad looks after the pumps and see that nothing checks the flow of oil; the
 other force lays new pipe. These men
 ave really charged with the responsl-
 biltty of bringing to Philadelphia New
 York and other cities the oil which is
 so necessary as fuel and illuminant.
 When the oil gushes from the wells
 of McKean and other northern coun-
 ties it flows into pipes and is pumped into central station. Thence over
 mountain, under river, through village
 and across farm, it is carried direct to
 the great cities without once being re-
 moved from the pipes. To what de-
 gree this method of carrying oil has
 cheapened the cost of transportation
 cannot be exactly computed. The fig
 ures are locked, with other secrets, in
 the inaccessible archives of the Stand
 ard Oil company. It is known, hoWev-
 CT, that when oil was carried overland, ! on railway trains and barges, it cost 1 S360 to bring a barrel from McKean
 county to Point Breeze. Now the ! same quantity of oil can be pumped here for ten cents As this is a saving
 of three dollars and a half per barrel,
 and eighty million barrels are sent east
 every year, it will be seen that the pump line has been a good investment for the oil baron. It is but fair to add that the consumer has shared this ben
 eft, for coal oil can be bought for one | fifth the price 1t once brought
 Pipe lines now run from McKean and
 other northwestern counties, through
 Lycoming, Sullivan, Bradford, Wyo- ming, Columbia LacgaWanna, Luzerne
 Carbon. Lehigh, Northampton, Bucks
 and Montgomery counties to Philadel-
 phia and Marcus Hook, The United
 States Pipe Line carries both refined
 and crude oil, and is the only company | that carries the latter product.
 Remarkable feats of engineering are
 performed by linemen in laying pipes across rivers and creeks by means of pontoons, and up and down the steep est mountain sides. Recently a line
 was carried to Rock Ledge station, twenty eight hundred feet above sea level, over a crcuitous route of eight miles around the mountain; the dis
 pItAN latter is eight hundred feet. Another line was laid to Bear creek, one of the highest points in the Blue Mountains.
 Pumpmen are not only obliged to be skilled engineers, but must be prof. cient telegraph operators as well. The pipeline companies have telegraph system of their own. It connects the oil wells with the stations at tide-Water and is as perfect in it's operation as tal- ent and capital can make it. Its mes- sages are as sacredly safeguarded by the operators as messages sent out in time of war. By this service the oil barons can learn quickly the number of millions of gallons of oil that can be promptly placed on the market to bring about either a decline or rise in prices. Thus it will be seen that not only are courage. and hardihood needed in this calling, but intelligence and a large measure of discretion as well. In ! fact, these men need all the qualities | that are required of soldiers in warfare, and many of those which are expected of the officers who lead the battalions. It is notable tribute to the high state . of excellence in our general population that manual workers can be so readily found among us to engage successfully in toll so arduous and so exaeting.
 Pumpmen must know the exact quan- tity of oil that is passing between two stations. From north to south he tele- graphs the amount of oil his register shows. If the registers do not tally it is proof that the oil is not finding its way through the pipes as it should. The shortage is caused either by a leak or by an obstruction in the interior of the pipe. Here the mechanical gen lus of the linemen asserts itself A novel device, known as the Ego devil" Is inserted into the pipe. It moves through the pipe at the same speed as the oil both being propelled by the pressure transmitted from the pumps As the "go devl' can only be located by it's clicking noise while in motion, it must be followed up and down hills by ; 'elays of men. If it's clicking ceases t is proof that some obstacle has been In this way the linemen ,an determine the exact spot at which 'epairs must be made to enable the oil o resume it's normal flow. $
 They go about their daily business, ( leedless of the perils and glad of the ( nance to earn the money that supports ! vife and children. Like firemen. police ' nen and locomotive. engineers, they are C 10 constantly in the path of danger that ! 'eath loses many of it's terrors for ( hem Familiarity breeds certain ! But it needs hardy, level \ leaded man in the first place to under ake this sort of work. Otherwise his N ye would not remain steady in the Ierve-r -racking situation he might be alled upon to face, and his hand would :, lot cope readily with the peril-Phil-