Old Man…

Take a look at me now… In ways I am a lot like you but in a lot of ways everything has changed.

When I started in the trades… oh these many years ago... we did lead and oakum joints, and soldered copper tubing. Now it’s all PEX tubing, Pro-Press and PVC. My old boss would spin in his grave if he saw the way we do things now. Not to say it’s bad, just different.

My company just recently purchased an old building that has been a plumbing company since 1890. Can you believe it? My company will be the third plumbing company to own and run a business from the location. Talk about history of plumbing!

The second family to own the property purchased the business in 1928—good timing huh? How would you like to buy a business right before the great depression? The second family owned the property through three generations and now my business will be there. It got me thinking about how things have changed. My article should have been The Times they are a Changing, but I already used that one.

One of the really cool things was that the sellers gave me a filing book filled with quotes for work and pricing sheets for materials. One of the quotes was for moving a toilet from the basement level to the second floor. It was dated April 21, 1923. The plumber was to install a 4” cast iron soil pipe with lead and oakum joints from the basement to the second floor with a ½” brass water pipe for hot and cold water and install a #535 lavatory complete. I have no idea what the #535 lavatories complete is, but it sounds like a complete sink with faucets. Probably individual basin cocks and chrome legs. The complete sum for all this work with the fixtures? $ 207.00. Can you imagine? Lumping all that cast iron piping and melting lead for the joints, threading all the water piping. The old timers certainly worked hard every day.

The lavatory drain was no doubt installed using lead drain pipe, something I’ve never done. Maybe one of you has poured a lead joint? I’ve been told that you folded up an asbestos cloth in your hand and poured molten lead into your hand as you wiped it around the joint and the lead would cool and make a sealed connection. Molten lead! How’s that for a burn? The old plumbers would use a wooden flaring tool (I think it’s called a cinch) and flare out one end of the pipe and then fit the new pipe into it. Then the lead would be wiped around the joint to seal it. We think we work hard, how you would like to do that all day?

The old plumber ended his quote with, “Thank you for your consideration and awaiting an early reply I remain, Yours Truly…” Don’t you love it? The langue of the day was polite and businesslike. He probably wore a suit to work every day with a soft hat and a tie. It was different times and everyone would dress for work, even tradesmen. That’s why old houses have small closets: one suit for work and one suit for church.

Speaking of plumbers and lead, I’m sure most of you know that the word “Plumber” comes from the Latin word Plumbum—a worker of lead. I’m not sure about this, but I was told that the Latin route was “plum” for lead and “bum” for worker. So when you wanted some workers they would say, “Ask those bums over there.” Sounds about right doesn’t it? 

As I said this building has been a plumbing shop for over a decade now and they have seen some interesting events. My town has a lot of large summer homes and the original plumber would winterize them. It was common practice to pour molasses into the fixture traps as anti-freeze had yet to be developed. During prohibition an agent from the government paid a visit to the shop and wanted to know why they were buying so much molasses. They thought they were making bootleg liquor.

I’m a fan of history as you can tell, and I’m proud to own this building that has been part of the plumbing trade for so long. Old men, dead men and the ghost of those who came before us… don’t forget them.

Scott Milne is the owner of Milne Plumbing and Heating. He and his company have been serving the greater Boston area for nearly 30 years. He specializes in high-efficiency heating systems for custom homes.