Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1914-03-19
HAS NOT MISSED
DAY At WORK FOR
QUARTER CENTURY
TELEPHONE CONDUIT INSPECTOR
HAS PERFECT RECORD
OF ALL DAYS.
DUTIES REQUIRE HIM TO
WALK TEN MILES DAILY
Hale and Hearty at Fifty-seven, r. j.
Barrett Sage He Never Wanted
Vacation.

On Jne JOD every NdN LOT IL iuiI JGE
of century.
Such is the perfect record Of Rob
ert j. Barrett of Chicago County
Cork never sent forth Il son who was
more hale and hearty at the age OF
ffty-seven.
every day" doesn't mean every
day but Sunday" 1t means seven
days a week-Sundays and holidays
feast days and fast days. rain or
shine There is seldom day in
which he walks less than ten miles
in the performance Of his duties. A
perfect record for twenty-five years
and no one is more proud of it than
Mr.. Barrett
Mr.. Barrett is the pioneer-the
original pioneer-in his calling. He
is an "inspector of underground con-
QUITS" The first telephone conduits
underground in the west were laid III
Chicago in 1880 and he helped install
them.
Guards Telephone Wires.
A CONDUIT inspector" is the guar
dian Of underground telephone wires.
In cities whore there are complicated
systems Of underground wires it is
not surprising that WorlNncn are con
fused occasionally. In Chicago there
are more than 500 miles of subway
for telephone wires alone. The in
spcctor prevents confusion by permit
ting none except those with written
authority to touch the telephone
wires Occasionally men have been
caught in the manholes where access
to the underground ducts is gained,
who for lack of a better name are
called "wire thieves" For the benefit
of all such strange visitors the in
speCtOr wears star.
Mr.. Barrett was ChicagOs first con
duit inspector" No man knows Chi
Cages down town subways like he
does. For a quarter of century they
have been his daily companions. lie
now makes the rounds every day, 81
ing part way on the street car and
Observing the manholes from the pat.
form of the car Although "his terri
tory" IS not much greater than three
square miles, the wire mileage within
that area Is not exceeded within q
similar area anywhere in the world.
lie has friends by the hundreds, out
there are few If any who know that
the genial, big hearted son of Erin
holds Il record of faithfulness in ser
vice that is seldom equaled.
Have you never been sick?" he
was asked.
sick. is it? And sure | can't re-
member the last time | was sick, was
his good natured reply.
Attacked by Thieves.
But he confessed he mas had two
"accidents." Once he dropped the
heavy iron cover of a manhole on his
toes. He had to "be azy on EN- fur II
couple of days" but that was twenty
years ago Another time when he had
captured n couple of wire thieves in a
manhole and was excepting EN- there
till the patrol wagon arrived, lady
friend" of the Captives stabbed Mi.
Barrett in the back with hatpin in
her attempt to help the men escape
However. the men didn't escape.
The hatpin incident made him a lit
tie reminiscent He recalled the Tune
when he caught three men stealing tel
ephone cable from n manhole down
town in Chicago. They were fined $40
and costs each after an encounter IN
which he arrested all three. Two
other thieves gave him close call.
He found them in n manhole. They
insisted they wore working for the
CITY and added emphasis to their re-
MARKS with n piece of gas pipe, which
MIR Barrett said he could still hear
"singin'" past his ears.
Never Wanted Vacation.
Mr., Barrett says he has never taken
, vacation because he never wanted
ono Tho out-o door life has kept him
strong and vigorous, and ut the ago
of 0fty-sevcn he feels just rs active
MS ever. He is the father of eleven
children. OF whom oight are liyln&.
Like all pioneers, Mr.. Barrett has
y fondncss for telling of the days that
| were.
~ can we'll remember" he said,
how | dug post holes ON Stat" street
over thirty years ago for the W'#a"A
Union. And" with native Wit Pc
,aaod 81 worked for the Chicago Fel
ophonc Company before il was tue
| chicago Telephone Company
LOYALTY never found n moro wet
come spot than in the heart OF KIDD
I,tit lnGnnpIOr.