New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-07


don't take his precautions.
It's not an unpleasant kind of work to be
up ever so high ola summers day. 1t may be
sweltering hot on the pavement, but up on
the steeple, a working, comes mostly cool
breeze, blowing all the time. Then, in them
undsturbed places, there are little bits OF
grasses and mosses that don't grow down
below. Then it's so quiet; for the noise of
the street-cries, and the rumbling of the vehi-
cles comes up to you in hushed and soft
ened kind of way. It's good pay, sir, for
the risks and there are risks-for there
amt none of the steeple climbers rs hasn't
had their shocks now and then. It's only
summer work, for when tae cold comes the
chill would freeze all the strength out OF you,
and when it blows hard we don't try it on
neither. I've been ketched a half-doZen
times in a regular summer storm, when I've
been hanging from steeplc, without scat
fold, and it amt nice to take. Yes l have
had some narrow shaves. Once 1t was scat
fold. just as | had finished the jjob-it was the
setting up of a cross on Il new church-and l
had screwed the bolts all well in, was get
ting my tools together. It's Il kind of habit
l have, whenever | am working up very high,
to pass a slip-knot of very thin rope around
my waist, which secure to something know
can't give way. 1t being an easy job, this
ere cross, l hadn't used my rope much.
There was wrench l had mislaid, which
left just out at the iurthest end of the seat
fold. l walked out to get it rather careless.
The stuff must have been rotten, for it went
all to splinters under me, and thought was
gone, and the fact is / did say amen. The
first thing knOwed was hitched up under the
arms by my own rope and was hanging quite
comfortable. When had put the rope round
me l never knew; it was force of habit, |
suppose. I got n scare, but it was over again
in moment and / haven't given it thought
since that day. But once, sir, was fright
ened, and l amt afraid to acknowledge it.
of a shape which amt common. What kind of
architecture it is have been told, but forgot
ten. 1t goes up ever so straight, and ends
with 4 kind of swell, like an onion or a turnip,
and had to work on the under side. The
party as was repairing the church wasn't paid
what the job was worth, by the congrega-
ton, and things was being pared down fine.
wanted scatiold, but they wouldn't stand
the two or three extra days. work it would
have cost To rig it, so thought I'd do it with
only a rope. 1t was the stating as had been
badly done, and the wind was ripping them
on, so that the work had to be patched up at
once. 1t was mighty high up, and as tough a
job "a l most ever worked on. l studied it
up. as mostly does all the jobs have, and
was obliged to work from the top down, and
crawl under the lower part. l let myself
down with new inch and a quarter rope,
and getting my feet against the largest part of
the round, pushed Off little, lowering my
self some six feet, so that when swung in
should get to the under part, when l would
get clutch and hold on to couple of big
iron bands and get secure footing. Though
ticklsh job, l had done the same before,
and so | got all right, after the first trial.
Well, L worked away steady, taking out the
old slate and putting in new, andnailing down
those that were loose. must have been two
hours at work when l wanted to go up for
more nails, so 1 commenced to haul away,
kicking myself from time to time clear of the
swell of the dome. So far so good. When
was almost halfway up thought I'd stop
just a minute to take breath, as it was hot,
sultry day, and warm even up as high as
was. My toe was on level with one layer
of slate, when l thought l noticed 1 was
lowering an inch or so, when it stopped; then
it beganlagain, and l went down most eight
inches; then stopped again for a minute, and
lower went by half course of slate.
was thoroughly alarmed. OF course, rea-
soned, it could only arise from one of four
thlnSs--either the rope was stretching, and
that wasn't possible, or the double-hitch
had given to the rope round the head of a
staircase was slipping, which, again, too,
wasn't possible, it being contrary to the rule
OF knots, or the staircase was getting pulled
out, which wasn't likely; or, what was worse,
and which struck me must be the fact, the
rope was cutting, and 1 settled on that. l
watched to notice if there was any inclination
to twist in the rope, but couldn't see it.
Now, knew that if made any violent mo-
ton, might increase the damage. clutched
all could to sides of the states, trying to
take advantage of even nail that might be
sticking up, but couldn't get more hold than
agin glass. was now under the larger part
OF the swell of the dome, with hundred feet
clean under me. To get below to where l
had been working was impossible. l was
afraid to swing out on the rope now, which
would have caused q jerk. 1t was no use to
holler, for no one could have heard me and
there was no use Of making signs, as was
on the side away from the street, and nobody
could see me. Up must 90, and may be, 1
thought, if the rope will hold, may get up
yet. Slowly / went up, with a quiet, steady
pull. 1t was about shutdown, and as l got
up, inch by inch, l saw the sun slime on a
bit OF Jagged tin, about twenty feet above
me, and l saw it was that which had been
cutting slowly but surely into my rope. With
eue StIuu Hdd given III, tnree or Tour OIL the
strands looked as if they had been cut through
with sharp knife, and l was hanging now
by may be strand. All along l had held
fast to my tools now l let 90 my hammer
first, and then some twenty states, and |
heard them smash with clatter below on
the tombstones. Slowly crept up, nearing
the point little where the rope was cutting.
Just then l got my head over the top of the
round. l had pretty strong knife in my
pocket, so l iabbed it in between the edges
Of the slate, until it took a hold in the wood
work. and braced my heel against it. If
had had two knives, | could have managed
lirst-rate, using one for one foot and the other
Tor the other, so as to take the strain off the
rope. ] tried all l could to throw the rope
OIL the tin, but seeing it was still under
strain, with my heft to it, couldn't bulge
it. Well, never should have known to this
day how would have pulled through if it
hadn't been for woman who Just then stuck
her blessed old head out OF q little window
in the church below me. Mister" SAYS
She, "don't you know your trade better than
10 be throwing down slate and things that
way: And my child as came as near as
could be having his head split open with a
slate, and Pm the sections wife, and lust see
if don't report all about it to the vestry as
meets tonight
Says I, For Gods sake don't scold, for 1