Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1924-08-16
The Signs OF The Times
Dangerous And Unsighdy
lacking Signs On Telephone Poles
Is Unlawful And Many Times
Results In Injury.

The signs OF the lime" are Gan
gerous as we'll as unsightly on Tele-
phone poles.
Paper and tin signs on poles have
been the direct cause of many good
mans downfall according to H. W..
Carly, manager of the Chesapeake &
Potomac Telephone Company. "Peo-
Pile don't realize the danger that
small tack can cause lineman when
working on pole," Mr.. Carly said.
A telephone pole that had been rid
died with tacks was recently con-
demned by plant engineer. When
it was taken to the salvage depart
ment Of the company six thousand
three hundred and sixty tacks We're
extracted from this long suffering
pole. 1t had two loads to- carry-the
telephone cable and the wagon load of
tacks. The tacks won the fight in
the end, and another pole had to be
erected in its place to carry the cable.
This is the task with the sharpened
point that held the sign that adorned
the pole that the lineman climbed,
that b-ing. Down came the lineman,
eight feet to the ground, where he
lay groaning with broken leg. The
line went unrepaired for hours, the
telephone company's benefit fund was
drawn on for several hundred dollars
and the lineman lay for weeks on a
bed of pain. All because of a little
tack.
The above is far-fetched and vision
airy, you say. Not at all. Listen-a
man comes along and tacks an enamel
sign on a telephone pole, up as high
as he can reach from the top of a lit
tie folding ladder, three steps high.
A few days later lineman gets a
rush order to repair telephone line.
The trouble is located on the wire at
point when it is supported by this par
ticular pole upon which was tackled
the enamel sign. The lineman is in
hurry. He sticks his spurs in the soft
wood and starts up rapidly hand over
hand. One hand is outstretched to
clasp the pole above him, the other
hand is just releasing its hold below;
he draws his spur from the wood and
raises it to stab a fresh hold above;
in the same motion, almost involun-
tary from long practice, automatic it
might be said he withdraws the other
spur as he plunges the first spur into
the pole. All, the spur comes in con-
tact with the hard metal surface of
the little enamel sign, strikes the head
OF a steel tack, it may be, and glances
downward. without getting hold. The
lineman's upward motion is destroy
ed, cog is gone, and the teamwork
Of his mind and muscles, acting in
Quick and perfect unison, is broken.
The slip catches him when hands and
spurs are in the middle Of lightning
shift to maintain constant upward
motion. And no matter how skillful
or quick he may be, he falls to
ground. Eight ten, or twelve fee
from as high point on the pole Us
tho sign-tacker could reach.
There are many kinds of signs
placed on telephone polesT all bad, and
each one worse than the other. 1t is
believed that the worst of all is thu
metal sign that is bent around the
pole and tackled in place. Next comes
the sign pointing the way to some
chicken farm or gasoline station or
about washing compound. This sign
projects from the pole and thus it is
necessary that the lineman in climb
ing up or down the pole must go a.
round it. It is bad enough on the way
Up, but coming down it is worse. A
nan does not look below, he feels his
way. He may strike the sign with
one foot just at the instant he has
withdrawn the other spur from the
pole. The unexpected contact may
cause him to lose his balance and fall.
The tack in telephone pole pre-
sents another danger after the sign
has been torn away leaving the tack
to hold fragment o cardboard or
tin. The man climbing the pole tears
his hand on the head of the tack,
which may cause blood poisoning.
Signs pasted on poles are not so
bad as those when tacks are used, but
they are bad enough. In wet weather
the paste that has been lavished on
them becomes damp and sticky, and
the lineman's hand comes in contact
with this treacherous surface; it
slips and there is another acciden. on
the list.
Many cities have passed ordinances
against lacking signs on poles, and
there is a twofold object behind this
section-"Safety First" and "The