The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1874-12-10
A Daring Theft.

new addition to the Boston Public Ii.
| brary; but the men were working so far
above where the noisy fellow was calling
| from that they did not hear him for some
time. Finally one of the mechanics
nearest to the gutter looked over the cor
nice into the street below, and caught
the eye of the fellow who was calling SO
loud.
l say, you roofer."
Halloo."
Throw your hammer and chiscl down
here for few minutes, will ye?"
"What for?"
Got to fix this plaguey lightning. rod y
"Use your own tools, then"
Left 'em at the shop"
II can't help that"
"Sayw
"Well."
"Just help me with your hammer for a
few minutes"
Cant spare it,
Here another roofcr crept to the cor
nice and looked over to see who was
making such noise. He was instantly
hailed by the man below.
Say, can't you lend us hammer and
chisel for few minutes:"
"What for?"
Got to fix this lightning rod"
We'll, bring 'em back safe
"All right
Twill you come up and get emf
NO. Drop them down
There was plat of ground partly COW
cred with grass under the windows, and
so the accommodating roofcr dropped
over the spare hammer and chisel, which
were duly picked up by the man below.
Finally, after much hallOoing, having
thus got the tools, he stripped off Ii $
coat and went to work on the copper
lightning rods which ran down both sides
of the building.
He seemed to be a very good-natured
fellow, and whistled about his work IN
careless and pleasant way. Indeed, the
lightning rod man must have been quite
musician, for he whistled very loud,
and he whistled very well, varying his
notes by introducing snatches from all of
the popular operas, marches and waltZes
of the day while he worked his way up
ward from window to window.
AT last, after more than an hours
labor, he had got one of the long rods
nearly OFT, all but couple OF fastenings,
when, seeing a policeman standing below,
he called out:
"Say, policeman:'
"What do you want:"
"Just stop the people from coming too
near the building for few minutes
until l let this rod down. It's nearly
ready to fall and might hurt somebody"
Every well,' said the policeman, tax
ing his stand and ordering the passers-by
to 60 on the other side of the street.
Finally the lightning rod man got
rope, borrowed from some quarter of the
building, and making it fast to the cop
per rod lowered it away to the ground
well satisfied at the compile
ton of the job.
"All right, policeman. If you are
this way by and by shall soon
have the other ready to lower
"Very WELL" said the officer, going
off on his heat
The lightning-rod man stopped to dis.
Joint the long rod, and piled it together
nicely before he commenced work upon
the other. This was much more diff
cult one to handle than the first, owing
to the portion of the building upon
which it was secured, but patience and
accomplish all things, and
in less than two hours the musical fellow
had got the second one ready to lower
Before he cut away the last fastenings
he looked round for the policeman to
keep people from getting hurt if the rod
should fall or go down by the run, but as
no officer was in sight he hallooed vigor-
Ously to a mason at work on a portion of
the building, and engaged him to keep
all clear below.
Cant stop long"
"Only for minute shouted the
lightning-rod man.
"Why don't you let it down."
"Going to. Look out"
And sure enough the second rod came
Town without the rope attachment and |
came within an ace of smashing in the
skull of the accommodating bricklayer,
who barely jumped one side in time to |
save his life
"a miss is as good as mile" said the |
mason, half joking and half seriously, |
$ but that is as near to being killed as
wish to be-"
Il told you to look out" said the light
ling-rod man, who had now descended
TO the ground.
Yes, l heard YOU" said the other
lryly, as he marched off to his work
again.
The links in the long rod were care
fully disjointed like the first and piled
together close to the building; then the
man remembered that he had borrowed
the roofers' tools and so went away up
to the top of the building to return
them.
THANK ye, old fellow, for your ham,
mer and chisel," he said, as he returned
them.
ooh, you're welcome" was the answer.
The lightning rod man disappeared for
a little while but soon returned, driving
up to the Library with wagon. He
quietly proceeded to load his copper
rods, and as they were heavy he took off
his coat and was occupied some time in !
getting them all carefully into the We
licle.
In his work altogether he was en-
oloyed for some hours upon the building.
No one for moment suspected but that !
ne was acting under orders of the proper
but the truth was he was
hief! After coolly loading his wagon
he resumed his coat, cracked joke or |
wo with the mason who had SO nearly |
ost his life, and quietly drove away.
The upshot of the whole matter is that |
he city of Boston will have to pay for |
new lightning rods for the Public Libra
'y!-N. Y. Weekly.