| Show American Heroines By Ely LOUISE M. M COMSTOCK Kate Walker i II T T EI the light burning Kate Ir l These were her husbands husband's dying dIDI words And ADd for 33 years tiny Kate Walker who stood but 4 feet teet 10 Inches with her ber shoes on remained faithful to her trust tending the giant beacon on Robbins Robbing Reef fleet In New York Tork tiny bay During these years ears veteran boatmen estimate that Kate Walker Volker saved as ns many as ns 7 71 lives The young oung Kate had come to this country from Crom Germany and opened a boarding house at nt Sandy Hook look Hero Here hen hei excellent t conking made a very favorable fa fa- Im Impression on Capt Jacob Walker Walkr keeper of the Sandy Hook honk I lighthouse Ih th Sl They were married In 1 ISSi Shortly afterwards I Captain Wn Walker wa was Iru transferred to the lighthouse light lighthouse house on Robbins Reef Four our y years ars later be Ie because became ill of pneumonia Kate not nol only nursed her husband hut hit tended for him the huge bue Unlit light that was his trust Upon hI his death she slie was appointed keeper k at nt Reef by Iy resident President Harrison There were wert two small all children at atthe atthe the lighthouse In those flays days Ivery Iry morning the young nung mother rowed them orn across s the hl hay bay to school on Staten Is Is- land is 1 K ery cry ry evening 1 she called for them She Slie became an on excellent oarswoman oarswoman oars oars- woman and amid distinguished 1 herself time tune and again by the courage with which she braved eel high seas sens to launch her small boat bent and row out omit to the rescue of ot people who were ere In grave gra danger daner Not ot once during her thirty odd years of guardianship did the light on Robbins Robbins Rob Rob- bins bin Reef fall fail Robbins Reef lighthouse Is one orthe ot or the most Important In to this country guarding a B busy marine thoroughfare nv By y day and night the ships from the seaports of nf the world pass It by moving moving ing In and out of New v York bay Kate became able to recognize every enry ship by bV the sound of Its whistle Once when In New ew York Vork city the sudden blare of a n factory whistle caused her herto herto herto to stop short If It I didn't know that the lie Richard 1 R. R Morse had bad been scrapped years earll ago ngo she exclaimed I would have ha said that was washer her whistle So 0 sure was she of her Identification that Inquiry was made It developed dl that the whistle was Indeed that of nt the discarded ship purchased by the factory falory for Its own use With the passing of years Kates Kate's son on Jacob grew old enough to be he her able assistant In WI she retired from the service and went to live lI In n 11 little lit tie tle white cottage on Staten Island where the beams of the light on nn itol Robbins Rob Rob- bins Reef could coul steal Into her bedroom window at night assuring her that all was well on nn the high sn seas S Tom Hunley 1 there was enlisted In the I IN I. Union forces engaged In the Civil ivil war n II drummer boy named Tom lion Hun ley Ir He lit was a R frail little fellow whom the soldiers often orten teased with looking more morl like a n girl than a R hay boy Put Hut his father Jeremiah enlisted In Inthe tie the same regiment kept Tom close athis nt at his side and protected him not only from the taunts hut but even p from the friendship of their comrades In arms And for three years little Tom drummed the Northern troops along alone their weary wenry marches and Into desperate desper desper- ate nIt and only two taro pe people ipe his own fa father n and nl 1 1 ra nt ever r knew that he hI was no drummer boy hoV but hut n a little girl Irl Toms Tom's fattier father carried fl the Ihl secret to his grave tra n a few fw years after the close of the war And Ane Grant told fold none So o that It II was 11 not until HO roO irs p after lifter her heroic berm deeds tint Hint the drummer hay boy herself then a n white white- haired old InI lady Mrs Ir Anna libel lI of Oakland Calif tol told the Iran p story Jeremiah Hunley and hl his five ninth moth prices erless children lived Ihl I In a n harder border state When the Civil war opened two sons song nn Joined op with lIh the Union side sIll two with the Confederates Then the father father fa fa- ther wn was called Afraid to 10 leave Ila his hll only rC remaining child Anna then ten years 01 old 1 alone friendless In n II contested eon con tested territory he hI cut emit off her hair ed her In ho boys boy's s clothes told toll her herto herto to nn answer to tn the Tom rout and andset andset set off to In Join the Union army For two t years Tom accompanied nied her father some Rome of the bloodiest battles bottles of the war her hr secret se Sl cret eret unsuspected Then one day buy General firant Inspected In his hll troops He was Val portico portico- larl with till the diminutive drum drummer drummer mer inv bov decided t he hI n wn II ne too ton small for action nail and ordered her mustered mastered oU ot II and nIl sent home to her mother There was WIIl only one nilI thin for her tuber fa tu- ther ber to tin do As s soon as nil he hI Ion rould gain gaina a R private hearing with the general he hI explained that the drummer boy bov I was no boy hoy hut hot his own o daughter mind and laid before forI him the which had hUll prompted the till deception He UI egged begged that Ihal he hI be hI allowed 11 ei to kelp keep her with him bin And rant straightway shook the little O hops boys R hand swore worp el elto to In keep her secret and ordered hc her r r retained In till the service II Thus It II was 11 not until the end of the war that little Anna lunley l tn to the flip dress sod and life that burned d n a l arl e CI I IUt SJ r |
