Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-09
KEEPER OF MlNOTS LIGHT

General monotony as well as lonesomeness
helps along toward that dreadful result,
and 1t is the part of good sense as wen az
kindness on the part of the goVernment 10
relieve the men in every way possible. only
the other day Assistant Keeper Carter OF
| the Stratford Shoals q. - light lost ms
mind became violent and came near max
ing no end Of trouble before he couio De
| Subdued. ..o.
| Not so very long ago It was noticed that
| the keepers of a certain lighthouse went
| crazy one after another till three had iost
| their reason This seemed so strange that
| the government had the situation inVesu-
gated bv certain accomplished specialists
| They decided that the trouble arose prop
| ahly from the fact that, the lighthouse
| structure being tubular and the rooms all
| ineide the tower they were round. No
where was there any angle for the eye 10
| fasten itself upon, and. as there was ~
other apparent possible reason TOT tiie nel
| tai trouble of the keepers, II was deciueu
| so +o remodel the inside of the walls as TO
furnish angles. 1t was not possible 10 SUD
stitute square rooms for the round ones
without rebuilding the lighthouse out eV
ervthing that could be done was done 1.
| is still too early to know the result, nut
| nobody in authority has much doubt that
the keepers hereafter sent to that partcu-
| lar lighthouse Will be able TO remain SANE
Lighthouse Rules Severe.
| Rut careful of the comfort and well be-
ing of his lighthouse keepers as Uncle sam
| is-as shown in many ways-he Is exceed
| fnglv strict with them in the enforcement
| Of the deDartment's rules, and the rules
| themselves bear down pretty hard.
Thus. when some two three years ago
| a certain lighthouse took fire and burned
| I'D from an explosion of the store OF kero-
| sene oil kept on hand to feed the lamp, an
! Investigation was naturally started. IL
showed that both the lighthouse keeper and
| his assistant were absent at the time. Inc
President was a guest on a lighthouse
tender which was visiting that part of the
coast at the time. The tender could not
| coma within A quarter of a mile of the
| lighthouse so it anchored and sent the sup
| plies in small boat.
| The keeper and assistant. hearing the
| President was aboard, rowed over to the
| tenders anchorage in hope of catching a
| glimpse of the nations chief magistrate.
I Their absence from the lighthouse was not
| of more than twenty minutes duration, put
| it was long enough for the fire to get be
yond control, and Dame Chance mad so
| shuffied the cards that the explosion came
1 at Just time when no one was at hand 10
| try to put out the fire. Friends of the keeper
and his assistant pointed out that there was
no certainty that the two men could have
| eXtinguished 1t even had they been on the
| spot instead of away viewing the President.
| Their representations had no weight. how
| ever. The United States, 1t was explained,
| could not afford to be sentimental, but must
| look upon the incident from the business
| viewpoint solely. Leniency in this
| would encourage other lighthouse keepers
| to be lax; discipline in the service would go
| to the dogs. once and for all. If it were not
enforced now, and the men had to go.
Wife's Death Watch.
IT is the combination of kind treatment
and rigid discipline. perhaps, as indicated
| In what has been written, that has brought
| the service up to Its present efficiency. At
all events, it stands among the most eff
Gent lighthouse services in the world, IT,
indeed. 1t does not lead all others The
| world over lighthouse keepers are famous
| for their fidelity for their lonely trust; the
lighthouse keepers along the American coast
yield the palm in this regard to none on any
coast of any ocean.
Sometimes the fidelity of the lighthouse
| keeper results in truly heroic deeds; some
| times their humdrum lives are suddenly
| broken in upon by an episode that Is ruiz
| of pathos: occasionally there Is tragedy of
/ a quality that is hard to tell in adequate
| phrase.
| stance of this sort came to light of the Mis-
| sissippi coast. The light on Cat Island,
small bit of sand lying off the Mississippi
| coast. In sight of the track Of gulf-going
| vessels is seldom visited by any one from
the mainland The light was kept by Daniel
/ Mccall.
| One evening in August Mccall, who had
| gone out In the boat, failed to return before
time to light the lamp. His wife, divided be-
4 tween a sense Of duty which prompted her
| her husbands safety, started first to find
| him. She ran to the little wharf. and there.
| as IL he had just stepped out of the boat
and upon the wharf. lay her husband-no,