The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1872-12-25

the day, for If was killed they would read
him out Of church for exposing another mans
life for pay.'' He was "a religious man, was
the boss, but l pretended not to hear him.
Anyhow, in three days got through painting
the steeple, and the boss gave me S25 in
addition. to what he haetpromiscd and kept me
on steady work, picking out the tough jobs
for me when they was offered Oh, there are
plenty of men who do thiskind of thing, who
are real bosses in the line of working on spots
where most hands is afraid to venture. There
is a party in Philadelphia that's quite as good
as any /; sometimes he goes as far as New
Orleans for a particular job. | believe that
man has got suckers to his feet like they say
q fly has. amt afraid to give him credit,
because am accounted to be no lubber myself
in the business. / amt given much to brag,
but do believe if you was to stretch five-inch
plank across Broadway, from the top of one
house to another, so it was braced and wouldn't
spring, I'd go across it without trip, slip or
stumble. It's all habit, and command of ones
nerves. Of course, there is things which
annoys me, and one is to have big gaping
crowd of fools looking up and staring at YOU
It's mighty big temptation to spill a pot
of paint accidentally, or to let piece of slate
or so fail among 'em. / seed a woman with
an opery-glass looking at me once, out of n
top-story window, and following every motion
of mine. amt queer, sir, but that woman's
inquisitiveness bothered me. | made up my
mind I'd get shut of her and her opery-glass,
if IL had to sicken her. Sol took a good chance
where there was an ugly place. and did one of
them common circus tricks. let go my hands
from cross-beam | 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 myself anyhow,
as there was seaffold a little ways underneath
Where she was a hooking at me was most half
a block, but | heard her scream all that
distance. She didn't use her opery-glass any
more. When was young that used to be
one ofmy jokes, sir You had better believe
am careful. Rope that use, sir, | look all
over before and after every job. When there
is any hanging work to be done, l don't allow
anybody to put hands on the scaffold uses
if it breaks it amt nobodys fault but mine.
EARTH and all he's got to hold him there is an
inch, or inch and a quarter rope, he is fool if
he don't take his precautions. -
It's not an unpleasant kind of work to be
up ever so high of a 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
undisturbed places, there are little bits of
grasses and MOSES that don't grow down
below. Then it's so quiet; for the noise of
the street-cries, and the rumbling of the
vehicles comes up to you in a hushed and
softened kind of way. It's good pay, sir
for the rislSs-and there are risks--for there
amt none of the steeple climbers as hasn't
had their shocks now and then. It's only
summer work, for when the 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 lxetched half-dozen times
in regular summer storm, when I've been
it amt nice to take. Yes, | have had some
narrow shaves. Just as | had finished a job
it was the setting up of a cross on new
church-and had screwed the bolts all we'll
in, | was getting my tools together. It's
kind of habit / have, whenever ! am working
up very high, to pass 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, | hadn't used my
rope much. There was a wrench | had mislaid
which left just out at the furthest end of the
scafold. / walked out to get it rather careless
The stuff must have been rotten for it went
all &c, splinters under me, and thought was
gone, and the fact is | did say amen. The
first thing | knowed l was hitched up under
the arms by my own rope and was hanging
comfortable. When had put the rope round
me | never knew; it was force Of habit, +
suppose. got a scare, but it was over again
in moment and haven't given it thought
since THAT day. But once, sir, was frightened,
and | amt afraid to acknowledge it. | was
working on a church which had spire of
shape which amt common. What kind of
architecture il isl have d,.butforgotten
1t goes up ever straight and ends with
swell, like an onion or 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 congregation, and things
was being pared down fine. l wanted
scaffold, 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 rope.
1t was the stating as had been badly done, and
the wind was ripping them off, so that, the
work had to be patched UP at once. 1t was
mighty high up, and as tough a job as most
ever worked on. / 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. / let myself down with new
inch and quarter rope, and getting my feet
against the largest part of the round, pushed
off little, lowering myself some six feet, so
that when swung in should get to the under
part, when would get clutch and hold on
to couple of big iron bands and get a secure
footing. Though ticklish job, had done
the same before and SO / got all right, after
the first trial.
Well, worked away steady, taking out the