Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-09-14
THE MAN ON THE STEEPLE.

The hundreds of people who have
watched the operations of the man upon
the towering steeple of the Third Steeet
Baptist Church painting the wooden
spires and rearranging the weather vane
have expressed wonder as 70 the means
used to reach this lofty position. A re-
porter yesterday went up into the belfry
and interviewed the most experienced
steeple-clim Der in the world, James Fer
guson. ''Why my dear boy" said he,
with an honest expression that struck
home at once, GIVE spent the greater
part of my life up among those rolling
clouds For eighteen years [ sailed the
sea between the East Indies and China
before the mast, and afterward occupied
every station excepting that of captain.
When | was Is years of age [ climbed a
steeple in Glasgow 800 feet high in half
an hour. The same feat it took the not
ed Scotchman, Steeple Jack, three days
to perform. I've been mounting steepIes
for the past seven years as business
The last one [ went up previous to this
was the Chapel Street Presbyterian in
Albany which is 300 feet in height.
took down the weathervane which IS the
shape of a fish, which weighed 327
pounds, being of copper and loaded with
lead. It was the first time any one had
been up the steeple in thirty years. The
highest steeple / ever climbed went up
$40 feet. This was in Ayrshire, Scotland.
The general impression is that when on a
steeple it is easier to look up than down.
This is all a mistake. When looking up
an almost irresistible feeling comes over
you to Jump from your seat. / had ex-
perience of this kind while on the steeple
of DR.. Darling's churh in Albany. |
gazed steadily up for a moment into space
when, without any feeling Of dizziness or
anything of that sort, became almost be-
side myself, and a kind Of delirium came
over me- had to quit right there and
then and there, for a moment later l
would have sprung from my seat. can
look steadily down and it does not affect
me. I seldom climb steeples in cold
weather. It's too confounded dangerous,
the sides being icy and slippery. | was
up on a Hudson steeple last January,
and then vowed I'd swear ofclimbing IN
winter, as l nearly fell.
"They tell me this here steeple shakes
when the wind blows. Do you know it's
all the better for that. 1t gives the iron
rods on the inside play. Look out fol-
those taut and apparently solid steeples
They 60 sometimes with sudden crash
And, besides, | enjoy ride on swaying
! steeple. 1t reminds me of the days when
T 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. I never re
member Of having felt dizzy when on {
steeple | feel just as much at home uE
there where Gods handiwork can bt
viewed in all the beauty as on the ground
I've got to, ID fact, for ifI didn't you c
never catch me hundreds of feet from
good walking. That arrow on the spire
of the church I took down gilded it, and
replaced it. 1t is ten feet in length, and
weighs all of 200 pounds. When put
ting it back [ held it in position 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 day As to the manner in which
[ ascend that must remain a secret.
never allow an outsider to handle or ex-
anime my ropes. [ attend strictly to
business when up on high, and if even
saw my wife On the sidewalk would re-
fuse to recognize her. just glory in be-
ing as high as ever [ can get It's my
home up there, and | think if go below
when | die it will be terrible piece of
bad judgment on somebody's part
probably my OH own. Troy (N. ~
Times.