Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-03-28
STEEPLE-CLIMBER'S ADVEN-
TURE.

| oSS~ 1890
It goes up ever SO straight and ends with
a kind of swell, like an onion or turnip
and I had to work on the under side. The
party as was repairing the church wasn't
paid what the job was worth, by the congre-
cation. and things was being pared down
finer. wanted scaffold but they wouldn''
stand the two or three extra days work il
would have cost to rig it, so l thought I'd
do it with only rope. 1t was the stating
as had been badly done, and the wind was a
ripping them off, SO that the work had to be
patched up at once. 1t was mighty high
up and as tough job as I most ever work
ed on. studied it up, as [ mostly does all
the jobs I have, and I 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
my feet against the lower part Of the round,
pushed off little, lowering myself some six
feet SO that when swung IN [ should get
to the under part, when I would get clutch
and hold on to couple of big iron bands
and get secure footing. Though tick
lish job, I had done the same before, and
SO | got all right after the first trial. Well,
I worked away steady, taking out the old
slate and putting in new, and mailing down
those that were loose, must have been two
hours at work, when wanted to 60 up for
more nails, SO I commenced to haul away
kicking myself from time to time clear Of the
swell Of the dome. So far so good. When
l was almost half way up [ thought Id stop
| just minute to take breath, as it was hot
| sultry day, and warm up even as high as l
| was. My toe was on level with one layer
Of slate, when l thought that noticed l
was lowering an inch or so, when it stop
ped !; then it began again, and I went down
most eight inches then stopped again for
minute, and lower I went by half course
Of slate. I was thoroughly alarmed. Of
course, reasoned, it could only arise from
one of four things-either the rope was
stretching, and that wasn't possible, Or the
double hitch had given to the rope round
| the head of staircase was slipping, which
again, too, wasn't possible, it being contra
ry 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 set
tied on that. I watched to notice if there
was any inclination to twist the rope, but
couldn't see it, Now, [ knew that if made
any violent motion, I might increase the
damage. I clutched all could to sides of
the slate, trying to take advantage Of even
nail that might be sticking up. but l
couldn't get more hold that again glass.
I was now under the larger part Of the
swell Of the dome, with a hundred feet clean
under me. To get below to where had
been workieg was impossible. was afraid
to swing out on the rope now, which would
have caused jerk. It was no use to hol-
Ter, 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 no
body could see me. Up must 60, and
may be, thought, if the rope will hold, |
may get up yet Slowly I went up, with a
quiet, steady pull. It was about shutdown,
and as l got up inch by inch, [ saw the sun
shine on bit of jagged tin, about twenty
feet above me, and [ saw it was that which
had been cutting slowly but surely into the
rops. With the strain I had given it, three or
four of the strands looked as if they had
been cut through with sharp knife, and
was hanging now by maybe strand All
along had held fast to my tools; now | let
20 nv hammer first, and then some twenty
States and l heard them smash with clat-
ter below on the tombstones. Slowly kept
ND. nearing the point little where the rope
was cutting.
Just then I got my head over the top of
the round. I had pretty strong knife in
nv pocket, so I jabbed it in between tie
edges of the slate, until it took hold in the
woodwork, and braced my heel againgtit
II [ had had two knives, could have man
aged frstrate. using one for one foot and
the other for the other, so as to take tbs
strain off the rope, l tried all could to
throw the rope off the tin, but seeing it was
still under strain, with my hett to it,
couldn't bulge it. Well, [ never shoulc
have known to this day how | would have
pulled through if it hadn't been for wo
man who just then stuck her blessed ole
head out of little window in the church
below me. "Mister," says she, ''don't yor
know your trade better than to be throw
ing down slate and things that way? Ane
my child came as near as could be having
his head split open with slate, and I'm thu
sections wife, and just see if I don't repol
all about it to the vestry as meets tonight.
Says I, 'For Gods sake don't scold, TO
am here in scrape. My rope is cut, ant
= getting cut all the time I'm talkin' to you
and you are just as likely as not to be th'
= last person as will hear my final will ane
testament"
g "Lord mercy" says she, Il shal
scream"
Don't" says I. lis there any mai
about here"
.Not soul but me- What shell do !
e SCOT any rope-no rope in the church
eve don't run this church with bells
and there amt no bell ropes, and there ain
no shops as keeps any around here"
= "Well, see here" says !; sits matte
of five minutes, or ten at most, with me.
~ give got clothes line. | dries til
clothes sometimes in the loft up there, 81
it amt no new line, nor it amt very long.
"That will do" says I. Now come IL
and be quick about it, with the clothes line
: She was gone minute, and presently
L could hear something moving inside I'll
or little dome, and soon she was at the VII
IS dow.
~ "Now," says I, "stretoh out your cor