Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-08-11
THE MAN on THE STEEPLE.


PERILs uT HIS business.
FROM tho Troy Times.
The hundreds of people who have
watched the operations Of the man
upon the towering steeple of the Third
street Baptist church painting the
wooden spire and rearranging the
weather vane, have expressed wonder
as to the means used to reach his lofty
position. \ reporter yesterday went
up into the belfry aud interviewed the
most experienced stceple climber in
the world, James Ferguson. "Why,
my dear boy said he, with an hon.
esty of expression that struck home at
once, I've spent the greater part of
my life up among those rolling clouds.
For eighteen years | sailed the sea be.
tween the East Indies and China be-
fore the mast, and aiterward occupied
every station except that OF captain.
WhsQ | was sixteen years of age |
climbek steeplc in Glasgow three
hundreA feet high in half an hour.
The sade at it took the noted Scotch.
mon. fteerN rNJack, three days to per.
form Tyep v mounting stccples for
the past ',skears as business.
TIE las |Chl,eL, pt up previous to
his wa y - treet Presbyterian
n AZ which Is three hundred
1rcet ifFheight took down the
weather vane in the shape of n fish,
which weighs three hundred and TWEEN
ty-seven pounds, being of copper and
loaded with lead. 1t was the first
time any one had been up the stecple
in thirty years. The highest stceple |
ever climbed went up three hundred
and seventy feet. This was in Ayr
shire, Scotland. The general imprcs-
sion is that when on a steeple it is
easier to look up than down. This is
all mistake. When looking up an
almost irresistible feeling comes over
you to jump from your seat. | had
experience of this kind while on the
steeple of DIR. Darling's church in
Albany. | gazed steadily up for
moment into space, when, without any
feeling of dizziness or anything Of
that sort, | became almost beside my.
self and kind of delirium came over
me. ! had to quite right then and
there, for moment later | would
have sprung from my seat. | can
look steadily down and it does not af.
feet me. | seldom climb steeples in
cold weather. It's too confounded
dangerous, the sides being icy and
slippery. | was up on Hudson
steeple last January, and then vowed
I'd swear off climbing in winter, as !
nearly fell.
"They tell me this here steeple
shakes when the wind blows. Do YOU
know it's all the better for thatl 1t
gives the iron rods on the inside play.
Look out for these taut and apparent.
ly solid steeples. They 60 some times
with sudden crash. And, besides, |
enjoy ride on swaying steeple. 1t
reminds me of the days when / was at
sea. Troy looks immense from the
top of that spire. The people appear
like mites, while the sky bears the
same aspect as from the street ]
never remember of having felt dizzy
when on a steeple. | feel just as
much to home away up there where
Gods handiwork can be viewed in all
its beauty as on the ground. I've got
to, in fact, for if didn't you'd never
catch me hundreds of feet from good
walking. That arrow on the spire of
the church ! took down, gilded it and
replaced it. 1t IL ten feet in length
and weighs all of two hundred pounds.
When putting it back held il in po-
sition with one hand and frightened
the bolts with the other--no easy task, ,
/ tell you. A man at this business
can earn from 81 TO $40 a day. As
to the manner in which | ascend that
must remain q secret. l never allow