Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-07-27
Telegraph Hiker's Hard
and Perilous Life

were built with the Idea that they
could be moved from time TO time as
the work progressed and thereby over
/ come the necessity of the long drives
IL was necessary to take each morning
TO reach the work and return at nigh,
and at the same time provide the men
with good clean sleeping quarters ala
good wholesome food.
They were built just the size OF a
! fiat car and made so they could either
be fitted with wheels or else loaded on
fat cars and hauled on the railroad as
circumstances might require. The
sleeping car was fitted with two rows
Of hunks on each side and would ~.
eommodate 20 men, having a small
| room at one end for the foreman and
his assistant, while the dining car had
one large table and at one end a large
cock stove aud the sleeping quarters
for the cook and his assistant, usually
a man and his wife
They We're so succe. sfuI that sew
eFal more sets were built. and the
only drawback was the fact that the
quarters were too small in the even
ings when the entire gang was pres.
| emit, Yet the men We're better satisfied
and the company pleased with the
knowledge that it could provide It's
I employees with good and sufficient food
at thpeeIuartcrs the cost of boarding,
and always have them on hand for a
moments call.
OF course these cars could not be
used in all branches of the service.
When engaged in putting up or str lag
ing wires the l!nemen cover sewTal
miles day. They string anywh ere
from to Is miles day according 10
the number they are stringing and the
nature OF the country they are cover
ing While this does not seem so
great distance, to do this IL is neces.
sary fcr the hiker TO walk this dis-
lance at least three times and climb
his share OF poles twice.
First the ground men, If they are
only stringing one or two wires, walk
along past the poles carrying the coils
OF wire on a reel, paying out as they
go, and the lineman follows and car.
ries it up the poles Then when II Is
pulled tight enough be has 10 go back
and tie or fasten II to the glass in
sulators on the crosaarms. Thus II
can be seen that when they have 10
miles of wire strung in a day the
hiker has walked at least as miles. 20
say nothing of pole climbing. "A bile
the ground man does not have 10
walk so far. yet his task Is not easy.
a. the coils of wire he is carrying all
day weigh anywhere from 200 to $50
pounds each. To be able 10 do this
work day in and day out man must
possess exceptional endurance Some
of the iinemen perform remarkable
feats of strength.
Tn one case a gang was at WORK
raising large pole and one young
fellow who was angry because the
foreman would not give additional
help deliberately broke three OF the
pike poles by pushing 70 hard with
his shoulder that they were splint.
cred 70 do this required an enor.
nous amount OF strength as the pixies
are made of hickory and are M leas,
three inches in diameter ana from 10
TO 20 feet in length.
To this hiker breaking them seemed
child's play, and he laughingiy re.
marked, "If you don't &C. more men
under this yer pole TIL meak an me
pixies we've got and then We won; be
able TO raise It at alt" Evidently toe
foreman in charge must have believed
him, Tor he quickly granted the re.
Guest
There are always chances for 1000
and reliable Iinemen to secure STEADY
employment as trouble hunters These
men are stationed at different points
all over the country. each having a
territory 10 cover in case of t-oubie
on the line. While this work is te1.
dy and much easier, the salary al.
tached 10 II hardly exceeds the pay
Of laborer digging in a ditch. ana
the lineman has 10 he ready to go our
AZ a moments notice. never being ab 8
20 enjoy a holiday unless be ills his
place at his own expense.
He is ordered out In all kinds Of
weather and has territory Of from 50
TO $50 mile to cover The line must |
be kept IN the best Of order ami he is /
seldom allowed more than one man to |
help him and then only tor a fer days
at 2 time.
His great diflcuit is to keep ID
wires clear, as the farmers feel they
should receive some compen alton /
for granting permission to trim limbs
Of their trees, ami while he compa
uies have in most eases an absolute /
right Of way for their lines. this does
rot prevent the farmer from melting
cut his vengeance on the hiker when