New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-11-07
From the New York Tines
THE STEEPLE.CLI d EES.

1t would be rather hard for me to tell you
exactly how learned to do it. / suppose it
came to me natural. You see early in life l
worked in Il quarry, in one of the New Eng
land States, and had the fixing of the tackle
we used to sling round the big stones with.
Rope. would be getting foul in the derricks,
and being a thin and spare boy, used to
have the climbing of them 10 put them to
rights. The place itself, on steep mountain
side, was mighty precipitous, and when there
was blast it used to be my JOY to see how
the stones Law around. That, l suppose,
taught me how 10 climb and Get sure foot
ing. Trees was nothing 10 ne; when was
fourteen / could go up most anything, just
like stairs. After while learnt to be a
rough kind of mason, and as hands was rath-
er obliged in the section ofcountry was born
in, which was Maine. to be Jacks Of all
trades and masters of none, ! got 10 doing
bits of rough carpentcfing. | always was
good on getting up scatiiolding, and generally
wOrkMen used to rely on me for that kind of
work. YOu think, sir, men don't care how
they trust their lives on a lot Of scantling 100
feet up in the air? There may be some fools
among 'em, but they mostly takes a good
look at where they must work before trusting
themselves. Well, l worked at house build
ing until was nineteen, then-why l can't
tell you, unless it was to spite girl that 1
was sweet on, who took up with another
mani went to sea, and what with voyage
to China and back, if I didn't come back a
good sailor, at least l got a good knowledge
of knOtting and splicing, and hanging on by
your eye-lids. When / came back | did a
stroke of work in one of the Government
shops as rigger, and that, suppose, helped
to make me cool-headed and steady in the
nerves. l amt exactly temperate, and dom t
belong to any society. When a jobs all
over, 1 don't mind taking a glass Of ale, but
have passed through all my life, so far,
without ever having been tight. My bnsi-
ness won't allow of it. A man that's the
least bit shaky had better not try my line of
work, which is climbing up steeples and fix
ing things which is out of order, arranging
weather-cOcks and vanes and lightning rods,
and furnishing up such ornaments as they
aecorates the top of high buildings with.
Sometimes the telegraph people calls on me,
and six year ago worked for 'em steady.
1 got into my first job by accident.
how'd man as boarded i'm the same house
as did. He was a painter and drinking
man, and was grumbling one morning over
the job his boss had put him on, which was
to paint a pretty high steeple in Boston.
Says he, If the Wind blows the least bit
to-day I'll see the boss and the whole church
l., II,
actly, what he did say, but it expressed
pretty much the same thing,) aforc VEN
lures my life again on that old rotten stee-
ple." "Bill," says 1, 81 ii amt nice day
for your work, for it's blowing now" Says
he, "That's so, and strikes work for to-
day; and, what's more, there amt man in
the shop that will undertake TO do it," Says
/, Bill, amt no painter much, but 1 sup
pose people isn't very particular how fell,
low daubs on the color up on steeple, is
they?" mot Bit" says he. 81 Just
work as quick as can to get through. It's
piece-work, and when you're mp $50 feet there
amt no specifications as holds good as high
up as that. But what are you asking all
these questions for? Ifyou want the job of
painting that steeple. you're welcome to it,"
THAT'S just it," says L. ''Then you may
take it Off my hands and welcome. can't
do the work without three or four stiff drinks
to start on, and whilst I'm painting l gets
the horrors up there Straight-ways we
went around TO the boss and / got the Job.
All 1 bargained for was s2j, and that was
to select my own rope and spars, which he
was to pay for. For first job of the kind
1t was an ugly one. l dashed to a window
frame, with plenty of good three-eighth rope,
a springy spar as thick round as my LEG, and
TO the end of that 1 reeved a pully, and to
al
on that pole, not more than eight feet, but
that had to be done by taking the spar and
going along it hand over hand, but i didn't
Iaind it much, though to settle myself down
in the sling, and get the paint-pot and the
brushes all right without upsetting them, was
a job. | managed quite well, and did it all
without helper, crawling back to the stee-
pie for more paint when I wanted it. The
wind did squirt some, for when them north
casters blow around Boston it makes things
howl; and the boss comes up, and heard him
sing out 'to give up the job for the day, for if
was killed they would read him out of church
for exposing another mans life for pay He
was religious man, was the boss, but l pre-
tsndednOt to hear him. Anyhow, in three DAYS
Igot through painting the steeple, and the boss
gave me SIS in addition to what he had prom
ised and kept NE on steady work, a picking
out the tough jobs for ME when tlIey-was
offered. Oh, there are plenty Of.men who
do this kind Of thing, who are real bosses in
the line OF working on spots where most
hands is afraid TO venture. There is party
in Philadelphia that's quite as good as any;
sometimes he goes as far as New Orleans for
a particular job. L believe that man has got
suckers to his feet like they say a fly has. l
amt afraid to give him credit, because am
accounted to be no lubber myself in the
business. i amt given much to brag, but
do believe If you was to stretch Il five-nch
plank across Broadway, from the top of one
house to another, so il was hraced and
wouldn't spring. I'd 30 across il without trip,
slip, or stumble. It's all habit, and COM
mand Of ones nerves. OF course there is
things which annoys me, and one is to have
a big gaping crowd of fools a looking up and
staring at you. It's mighty big temptation
no: 10 spill poi of paint accidentally, or to
LET n piece Of slate or so fall among 'cm. /
seed woman with an opery-glass a lookin.
at me once, out Of tOp-story window, and
following every motion of mine. l amt
queer, sir, but that woman's inquistiveness
bothered me. l made up my mind I'd get
shut Of her and her opery-glass, if had to
sicken her. So took good chance, where
there was an ugly place, and did one of them
common circus tricks. l let go my hands
from cross-beam l was holding on by the
hands, let myself fall some five feet, and
caught hold of another one belOw--an ugly
kind of looking drop. IcOuldn't hurt my
self anyhow, as there was a scaffold little
ways underneath. Where she was looking
at me was most half block, but / heard her
scream all that distance. She didn't use her
opery-glass any more. When I was young
that used to be one of my jokes, sir. You
had better believe / am careful. Rope that
l use, sir, l look all over before and after
every lob When there il any hancinC WORK