The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-31
The Iordly Plumbers
Happy Season
An Old-fas hioned
Winter Causes the
Man Who Mends
the Water Pipes TO
be in Much Demand

seem the least concerned. but listened
calmly 10 my story, wrote the order down
in a book. scratched his head for few
minutes, looked at the ceiling and called
Hank.
Hank. it proved. was the man who
was 10 go with me TO thaw out the pipes
When he got on his overcoat and had his
muller wrapped around his neck. we start
ed he had his tool kit thrown over his
shoulder and was carrying the furnace.
The instant l saw Hank. however, knew
that he was thoroughbred. Anyone could
have told IL just by his general appear
ance, and the instant he stalked into the
kitchen and threw his eye around the cor
ners and down the range and the boiler he
instilled confidence into the whole family.
HE DIDN'T LISTEN
My wife and her mother poured a tale
of woe into his ears that would have melted
a heart Of stone. but he didn't reply except
to grunt once in a while. He kept on look
ing at the pipes and spoke not a word.
paying no attention as 10 what was being
said TO him; then right in the middle OF our
story he walked out OF the room, opened
the cellar door and went down. But we
didn't care about that. for we saw that he
was there TO work. He was not gone long,
and when he came up I asked him If he
thought he could thaw out the pipes that
were I'm the cellar.
They are already thawed out he an
swered. thawed them out with a match
and a handful Of this oily cotton waste I
have in my pocket
1--WE caught our breath and had TO sit
down, draw out my handkerchief and wipe
my brow. IL was so sudden. -Fhen 1 said:
Now, would you mind attending to those
frozen pipes over the tubs in the laundry?'
" That will be all right in a minute.
guess was the answer. Il couldn't burn
the waste against the laundry pipes; the
atra~f rINnFfar
So took the waste that was left from the
little bonfire | made and wrapped it around
the frozen laundry pipe, and then wrapped
a paper around that to keep the heat In.
You'll hear the water squirting out of the
open faucet into the tubs in a minute And
it was all just like magic. for that instant
you could hear the water running.
MY wife grew pOetical. and Said that IL
sounded like music but IL didn seem TO
appeal TO the plumber in that way, for he
only screwed his mouth up into sar-
castle grin and wanted TO know what else
there was to do.
1--WE told him about the bathroom, and he
walked upstairs, scattering icy particles
as he went over our fine carpet in our front
hall, and my wife didn't mind il a bit; IN
fact, thought she rather enjoyed IL.
TAPPED ON THE PIPE.
I've all followed after him silently, and
1 think respectfully. In the bathroom he
looked at the pipes and felt OF them; then
took out a wrench and began tapping.
Every time he made tap on the pipe he
would say, No freeze there; no freeze
there And you could tell that he knew
perfectly well by the sounds.
at reminded me very much OF doctor
pounding on your chest when he thinks
you have pneumonia; indeed, 1t
plumber tapping on a sick pipe for much
the same reason
"AIl at once he quit and putting on q
far-away look as If he were about to COM
pose a poem, asked my wife to bring him
lamp.
downstairs TO get him lamp. They were
so excited that they never thought OF
sending one 'e, Of the servants who Were hoy sS
wonderful feats of this man. When the
lamp was brought he took IL, and hello IL
under an mark he had made on the pipe
In about three minutes there a
cracking sound and the third frozen spot
was thawed. We stood happy trio, watch
ing the water gushing into the bathtub.
Eve gave the plumber man a vote &C
thanks, but / don't think that he appre-
ciated it. for he simply packed up his tools
and went back 70 the shop-for the fourth
frozen at all.
The funniest thing have run across in
my experience o with piume ss tne CITIZEN
thing got the matter with the boiler In the
cellar.
Il went TO this same plumbing Snop ac1
the only man they had TO send was young
fellow who is technically known a job
Der. meaning that he does small repair jobs
/ told him TO 60 TO the house and went on
TO my office.
THE young fellow went there by him
self and when he came 10 fixing the boiler
ne needed help, and the assistance re-
quired was that SOME one sit on the boiler
10 hold IL.
THE only person I'm the house was my
wife the servants having gone downtown
So the plumber pressed her into service and
had her down in the cellar sitting on the
boiler while he mended H. She. however.
didn't complain, for she had found out that
when a plumber is in the house he Is lord
OF all he surveys"