Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-20
THIS WOMAN GUARDS
The Entrance to the Busiest
Port in the World.
AN ISOLATED HOME
LoNELIEST DWELLER AMONG SIX
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.
Although She is Within Two Miles Of
Land She Leaves the Light Only
Once or Twice a Year.
Written for The Evening Star.

written Tor Inc Evening star.
The only woman in the world in charge
of lighthouse entirely surrounded by the
waves lives in New York bay. She is In
the very center OF a population of 6,O00, 900
people. yet she is not part of 1t and has
not its ways, for when she leaves her sea-
swept home once or twice a year TO shop
In New York the rush and confusion of the
great crowds all about so fill her with
loneliness that, before she has scarcely be-
gun her purchases, she turns her back on
the things dear to the feminine heart and
fees precipitously to Robbins Reef light
house. There, she says. she has not known
lonely minute in the seventeen years that
she has watched the endless procession of
countless craft up and down the bay on
their way to and from the docks of the new
world metropolis.
This woman is Mrs. Katy Walker. and
the sailors beacon which she has in charge
rises sheer Out Of the water five miles south
of the Battery. 1t stands on the eastern
end or the reef where, in the days of the
Dutch governors the boys of New Amster-
dam went out in rowboats to shoot with
their blunderbusses the seals that summed
themselv Ives on the rOck-strewn sandy stretch
thai reaches back 10 the Jersey fats to the
westward and is exposed in a long. thin
line when the tide is out. And just half
mile TO the east runs the channel that the
follow on their way to the Atlantic.
A Marvellous Panorama.
From the lighthouse Mrs. Walker has a
marvellous panorama of natures works and
mans most ambitious efforts. The only
thing that she has to do in order to drink
in a view that tens of thousands of people
have Travelled across continents and oceans
to behold is to walk around the little stone
hal 4 ipEr ha lttyht he
the NarrOws and the frowning fort on
either side Brooklyn. with It's two or three
tall buildings and It's wooded suburbs to
the southeast: and Governors Island and
queer Old rounded Fort Castle William.
She can see the East river, with the Brook
Ign bridge hanging above il; New York 5
skyscrapers, hiding the rest of Manhattan
Island and looking like mammoth sticks,
pierced with many holes, rising sheer out
of the water; and the North river. with its
myriad of ferry boats and ragged line of
docks and railroad terminals on either
shore. She can see Bedloes and Ellis
Islands. supporting the Statue of Liberty
and the mOsque-like buildings of the new
Castle Garden. She can see the score or
more OF smoky, busting, manufacturing
towns along the Jersey promontories. She
can see the hills and beach towns of Staten
Island with picturesque ST. George two
miles away. and the low, long. rakish build
ings OF Sailors Snug Harbor just visible
up the Kill Van Kul And in a sweep of
the harbor itself she can see chugging tugs,
churnng ferry boats. every manner of sail
ing craft. tankers and tramp steamers. eX
cursion boats, long strings OF barges, puff
fng launches, gilded yachts of mlionaires
warships, ocean liners and rowboats of the
bay fishermen. dotting the water on all
sides and displaying the flags of many ma
lions
Content in Her Isolated Home.
Mrs. Walker is content to see all this and
20 live isolated from 1t all. The very noises
OF the great marts about her that some
tremble. for these almost silent echoes of
trade recall the lonely moments of her city
trips. And just as she thinks the metropo-
lis is the most God-forsaker spot on earth,
so she believes that Robbins Reef light
house is the most blessed. 1t is her home
and there her son Jake, who Is the assist
ant keeper; his wife and three little daugh-
tiers and her own daughter live with her.
Mrs Walker cares for the companionShiD
OF no other human beings. To her the MIL
Hons of people within rowboat reach are as
nothing except when they can be kept from
shipwreck by her light. or saved from
drowning or crushing ice foes by Jake in
his small boat. or when she can warm with
coffee the half-frozen "clammers" who in
winter work within calling distance of the
reef.
1t Is her ever-constant vigil to warn and
20 succor the men who go down to the deep
that has led them to speak of Robbins Reef
lighthouse for years as 'Katys light"
So conscientious Is Mrs. Walker in taking
care of the lighthouse that every night
since her husband died fourteen years ago
she has not failed once to look after the
lamps. Sometimes, when he can persuade
her to let him. her son relieves her part
OF the night. but for the most part she has
Kept the light bright with no outside help.