And every access cap positioned so future generations could maintain the line without digging it up.
They had not simply built a pipe.
They had built a system intended to be repaired.
That realization changed everything.
Glenn now knew how to clear the mineral deposits without risking further damage.
He removed one cap, inserted a short rod, and worked through a single section of the conduit. Then he withdrew the rod, moved to the next fitting, and repeated the process.
The work was slow.
Some sections were nearly clear.
Others contained heavy deposits that required repeated cleaning.
But the method was controlled.
No excessive pressure was applied across the old joints.
No long rod was forced blindly through the line.
The design worked exactly as intended.
Glenn began marking the sections that required attention.
He identified the damaged joint at eighty feet and the split timber farther down.
He also determined which sections remained sound.
The more he worked, the more impressed he became with the original construction.
Ezra Trivet had anticipated the need for maintenance more than a century before Glenn encountered the problem.
And the solution had been buried beneath the pasture all along.
The following Saturday, Keith drove up from Lenoir with four days available to help.
He had worked fences with his father since he was twelve and understood how to approach a difficult farm repair without wasting time on unnecessary conversation.
Glenn showed him the survey.
Then he took him to the exposed line.
Keith examined the dark chestnut logs and the iron fittings.
"This has been down here since 1887?"
Glenn nodded.
"That's what the records say."
Keith studied the wood again.
"And it still carries water?"
"Some."
"How much?"
"Not enough yet."
Glenn explained the mineral buildup, the damaged sections, and the access caps.
Then the two men began working.
For the first two days, they moved along the buried line one section at a time.
They removed caps, inserted short rods, loosened mineral deposits, and cleared the interior passages.
The work required patience.
Calcium had accumulated for decades, narrowing sections of the bore.
Some deposits broke free relatively easily.
Others resisted.
But the original access system allowed them to work methodically.
They did not need to excavate the entire four-hundred-foot line.
They only needed to open the fittings, clean each section, and move on.
When they reached the damaged portions, they excavated the affected area.
The two split wooden sections and the collapsed iron joint had to be removed.