Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-02-27
ON TOP OF A CHIMNEY.

WIDOWED lOtO the oIlCe bJ l1C lOTeud0.
What's your present job, Lindsay?"
he asked, and told him.
Humphl that can stand over for day
or two, cant it? Stubs has fallen i'll
again, and you must take his place"
didn't care to be shifted before I'd
finished what was about, but Journey
man bricklayer, with a wife and children
looking to him for bread, cannot afford
to be to0particular, and SO | held my
tongue.
ssYou must go to Coot's brewery to-
morrow morning and finish that chin
ney," the foreman told me. He gave me
3 few more directions besides, and then
went his way, while | went mine, not
very well pleased at the prospect before
me.
suppose never ought to have follow
ed the trade, for though I'd gained myself
q good character as steady workman, |
had never been able to overcome horror
at being perChed at any great height. In
the country, where the buildings were
low, Emanaged well enough, but in this
great city there were roofs on
which could not stand without this
dread expressing me, nor look down
without feeling as though something be-
bM WIS tempting me to fling myself over
md eItd at once the miserable sensation
which no effort Of mine could shake off.
This huge chimney the foreman had or
dered me to finish was reckOned one of
the highest and best-built shafts in Lon
don. We were all proud of the job,
which had been carried on so far without
single mishap; but I had earnestly been
hoping that might not be sent to it, and
+ wasn't till the workmen had got almost
tothe top that I began to breathe a bit
1doro freely, and trust that it would be
Anleh0d without any help of mine.
Once at home, with the younsters'
merry prattle in my ears, forgot my un-
easy feeling about the morroW's Job; but
the moment | dozed off to sleep it came
h1ck upon me in hideous dream. I
thoughtI was falling down, down. and
Just as the crash of my body striking the
earth seemed inevitable, | woke up with
. start to find myself bathed in a cold
BeEapiration, and trembling in every
No more settled sleep visited my pillow
that night, and it was relief when the
booming of the clocks dispelled my fright
ful yiaions, and warned me that it was
tinP A face a reality.
The morning was bitterly cold and
In the deserted streets at that early hour,
and thedull thud, thud of my footsteps
oOun6od mournfuily in the stiffness reign
-inG I'D. At last the great chimney
l0o1no "a sight, and, gazing up at it's i'm
mehDe light, | shivered at the thought
OF bo1n3 on top of it, and forced to look
dOWn0n the siCkening depth below
H 8had not been for the ZANE Of the
thing should have gone back; but the
eh0u8 OF Bessie and the children spur
rcd ne On; so, buttoning my jacket
tightly arCund me, | began to ascend the
staging. la my journey upward passed
many costly -c'lrtained windows, and re-
member thinking, rather enviously, how
nice fUsmust be to be rich, and sheltered,
on such morning, from the biting cold,
In warmly furnished bedroom.
Some fellows wouldn't mind the least
bit if they were perched on the top of St
PauPs on the coolest of mornings, pro-
vided you supplied them we'll with beer;
but / wasn't overstrong- limbed, any more
than could pretend to be strong mind
ed; so what to them was nothing, to me
WGe almOet death itself
The higher | went the more intense the
cold appeared to be, and my fingers be-
came quite numbed by the boar frost that
Was clinging to the sides and spokes of
the ladders. After while | stood on the
lev boards forming the stage on the sum-
init Qff4e shaft, and, giving one glance
0oWnN1ed, my blood turned colder than it
Was andy, as [ realized the immense
depth the yard beneath.
Gty1 myself shake to get rid of the
81 ksatlon that came over me, and
Is from the pulley the tub of
-. - lhlch my mate, waiting below,
l. - eemknp, [ at once began my solitary
- zen hard at it for more than an
was getting bit more recon
cl.eQ 10y position, cheering myself as l
~ naslls and worked, with the thought
49, e2 brick laid was bringing me
49,. 49, 70 finish, when all at once a fiercer
81 II blast than before came shrek
caring around the chimney. |
Fly overthrown, and, in the en-
s N2o recover myself, | tilted the
~ mortar from off the edge of the
30 my frail standing place.
, ~ acond, to my intense horror, felt
S1 . and all that were on them Gid
WITH from the chimney, and in a
IeW moMents should have been living
A.e.e9 corpse below, if had not sue
$50! e ninslnS nay arm over and into
10 eflow OF the shaft, where, as the scat
30M Ia Its load of bricks crushed down
w1rds was left hanging, with certain
death waiting NE the moment loosened
my hold. ''''oAle0
first impulse was to throw nv other
hand over and draw my body up. so that
lce0ld lie partially across the ton of the
Mt In this was successful. and con.
d Mo- 10 balance myself, half in the
enlmnoy and half out
TIE for some time could only cling
49, kenzied desperation, praying earn.
be saved from the horrible death
hing me; but at last | summoned
. & TO peer cautiously over the out.
khe shaft.
- DIT of scatfolding remained with
u 49, yards of me-and that but the
- ath few boards dangling to them
80 nere was nothing to break my fall
4 4 eqaa quit my hold.
III Qeringly drew nv head over the
a~.as.Is Nor there the darkness hid nv
49, while to gaze on the scene with
erought the old feeling of being drag
owl back to me in full force.
8. "a L began to think of the wife and
ones whom l had left snug in bed,
- INTER tears came into nv ewes as |