Garland Globe | 1907-10-12 | Page 5 | Woes of Telephone Lineman

WOES. pE. TELEPHONE LINEMAN. He Was Ambitious, but Grew Dizzy and Fell Into the .River. "Nearly anyono can beobmo a good telephone lineman nfler tl)r.co or four years," said n Kansas City electrician. "A few men, though, never can learn tho trade becauso they grow dizzy when they get to tho top of n polo. "Safety bolts havo been worn only nbout ton yenrs. .lust a llttlo whllo before they camo Into uso I hnd a man working with mo who couldn't lenrn to control hlniBclf when on n polo. Ho could climb nil right, but after ho got thero ho couldn't do anything any-thing except to hang on bo tight thnt he left his nail marks In tho wood. "Ono day wo wero working on n telephone lino closo to town, and hnd n good-Blzcd audience watching us. This would-be lineman thought ho'd try to nail solno brackets up nbout 20 feot from tho ground. lip put his ax In his mouth and shinned up tho polo. Then ho stopped. Tho natives came nround to watch him nnd ho did his best, but It was no use. Thero ho stayed for n full mlniito and couldn't put his hnnds up to got tho nx. So ho camo down again. Ho tried ono dny to cross on n high truss wo woro wiring over tho Missouri Missou-ri river. Wo told him ho couldn't do It, but ho went nhend, and, ns usual Inst control of hlmsolf nnd folh Whon wo pulled him out ha hnd changed his mind about becoming a lineman. Later Lat-er ho went Into tho grocery business.'' Kansas City Star.