Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1869-05-29
Independent in all things.
ASHTABULA, OHIO, SATURDAY, MAY 20, 1869.
FACING DEATH.

n man wiz 20 Dilnu, anu mau, 100,
from fear have seen it happen and,
if you don't mind listening, / will tell
you the story. was apprenticed to
builder when left school, and soon got
TO like the trade very much, especially
when the work was perilous, and gave
mo chance to out-do the older hands IN
daring. "Spider" was my nickname in
those days, given partly on account Of
my long legs--for had outgrown my
proportions--and partly because they
said could crawl along the roof like
my namesake. When was about three.
and-twenty, I was working with the f.
nous Mr.. NJ, and went DOWN with
his picked hands to carry out contract
he had taken in Canada. While there I
fell in love with the prettiest girl had
seen in Canada; that is saying a good
dea'. For time l fancied She liked me.
and that was getting on very well with
my lovc-making; but | soon found nv
mistake, for an old lover Of hers ioined
our men, and Mary gave me the cold
shoulder directly. You may believe the
sweetheart of hers-who was called
Ben Lloyd-aud / were not the best of
friends in the world; but am not the
sort Of fellow to harbor malice. and
when the bidding 10 the wedding went
around, and knew that my chance was
gone, made the best of it; kent nv
sore heart TO myself, and determined to
beat down my jealousy by being great
chums with Ben.
/ went to the wedding, and there were
not many days when did not steal half
an hour to sit by the firesidc, which was
rs. bright, cosy and homelike as von'd
wish to sce--Mary being the soul of
order and industry. 1t is not, perhaps,
the usual way of driving out envy, to 90
and look at the happiness another man
has done you out OF, but you know the
proverb says, "What is one mans meat
is another mans poison" and SO it was
got to look on Mary as a sort of sister.
and Ben had no cause for jealousy. al
though there were plenty of evil tongues
to put him up to it.
The contract was nearly up, when n
lightning conductor on one of the high
est chimncys sprung, and the owner Of
the works offered our master Job.
"It's just the sort OF thing Tor vou,
Harry" said Mr. M. when he told
us Of it.
l accepted it off.hand, and then Ben
stepped up and said he'd volunteer to be
the second nan, two being required.
"All right" said the master, ''you two
are the steadiest-hcaded fellows | have.
The price is good one, and every penny
of it shall be divided between you.
Wen not fix the day for the work, but
take the first calm morning and get it
done quietly"
So 1t was that some four or five morn
inys after we found ourselves ready for
the start. The kite by which the line
attached to the block was to he sent
over the chimney was flown, and it did
its work well; the rope which was to
haul up the cradle was ready, and step
ping in, Ben and began the ascent.
There had been very few people about
when we went into the yard, but as we
got higher, saw the news had spread,
and that the streets were filled with
sight-seers.
"There's plenty of star-gazers, Ben," l
said, waving my cap to them," Il dare
say they'd like to see us come down with
run"
"Can not you keep quiet?' answered
Ben, speaking in strong tone, and
turning to look, saw he was deadly
pale, and sat in the bottom of the cradle
huddled up together with his eyes fast
shut.
"You're not frightened, old chap" l
asked.
| "What's that to Won 2"
"Oh, nothing; only we are getting up
pretty quickly, and you have better
head for work, if you'd get gradually
used to the height"
He said nothing and never moved.
Then looking up, saw We were close to
the top-a few yards more and we should
be there; yet those who were turning
the windlass were winding with una
batting speed. A sudden chill ran
through my blood, and set my flesh
creeping. They had miscalcuated the
distance, and with tile force they were
winding at, the rope must inevitably
break when the cradle came in contact
with the block. There was no time to
attempt signal, only an instant to point
out the danger 10 Ben, and then to get
holu Vi the rope, aHu Dy SoiuS hanu
over hand. This was done quicker than
| can tell you the following.
The cradle came on. Then, as l an
ticipated, the rope gave shrill, ringing
sound like rifle ball passing through
the air, and then snapped. Down went
the cradle, and there we were left, nearly
three hundred feet in the air, with moth
ing to rest upon but coping, barely
eighteen inches wide.
Ben shrieked out that he was dead
man, and cried
"Tell me where / can kneel, Harry !;
show me where | can pray to Almighty
God, for can not die in this way %
"Hush! lsd," l said, don't loose heart.
God can hear you as well sitting rs
kneeling; aud if you try to get up you'll
tumble TO moral certainty. Think OF
Mary, man, and try TO keep up"
But he only shook aud swayed more
and more, groaning and crying out that
he was lost; and l could see that if he
did not mind he would overbalance.
"Get hold of the rod" said, thinking
that snrunO ne H. WAS the tOuch of IL