The Worthington advance., 1881-08-11
lest % fool me. Don't marry for money.
boys, specially for silver dollars.
TaE MAN on THE STEEPLE..

What Famous Climber Says Of the r e Q
and Pleasures Of Hls Businsss. ss=.i
From tho Troy, N. r, 1imeA
The hundreds Of people who have watch.
ed the operations Of the man upon the tow
church painting the wooden spire and re-
wonder % to the means used to reach his
lofty position. "A reporter yesterday went
mp into the belfry and interviewed the
moet-experienced steeple- climber in the
world, James Ferguson. why, nv dear
boy, said hs, with IN honesty Of express
sion that struck home at once: I've spent
the greater part OF my life up among these
rolling clouds. For eighteen years sailed
the sea between the East Indies and China
before the mast. and afterwards occupied
every station excepting that Of captain
When !! was sixteen years OF age I climbed
: steeple in Glasgow three hundred feet
high In half an hour. The same feat It
took the noted Sootchmen 'Steeple Jack
three days to perform. Ihave been mount
Ing steeples for tho past seven years is
q business. The last one went do pre-
vious to this was the Chapel street Presby-
terrain in Albany, which Ia three hundred
teet In height. took down the weather
tane in the shape Of fish, which weighs
three hundred ana twenty seven pounds.
being Of copper snd loaded with lead. 1t
was the first time any one had been up the
steeple IN thirty years. The highest steeple
ever climbed went up three hundred and
seventy feet. This was in Ayrshire, Scot
land. The general impressions is that when
on steeple it is easier to look up than
down. This is all mistake. When look
ing up an almost irresistible feeling comes
over you to jump from your seat. i ha
experience Of this kind while ON the steep =
of DR.: Darling's church in Albany. Ieazed
steadily up for moment into space, when.
without any feeling of dizziness or anything
OF that sort, I became almost beside myself
and kind Of delirium came over me. I
had to quit right then and there, for a
moment later I would have sprung from nv
seat. I can look steadily dowt and 1t does
not affect me. seldom climb steeples in
cold weather. It's too confounded danger.
Gus. the sides being icy and slippery. l
was upon Hudson steeple last January.
and then vowed I'd swear off climbing in
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 that. It gives the iron rods
on the inside play. Look out for these
taut and apparently solid steeples, They
go sometimes with q sudden crash. And.
besides, 1enjoy ride on swaying steeple.
1t reminds me of the days when I was at
sea: Troy looks immense from the top Of
that spire. Tho people appear like mites,
while the sky bears the same aspect as
from the street. I never remember Of hav-
ing felt dizzy when on steeplo. felt
Just as much to home awny up there where
Gods hanoiwotk can be viewed in all it's
beauty as on The ground. I've got to. in
fact, tor 1t 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 is ten
feet in length and weighs all of two hun
dred pounds. When putting it back held
it in position with one hand and tiphtened
the bolts with the othef-ho easy task, I
tell you. A man at this business con earn
from 81 to SO day. As to the manner
IN which I ascend that muet remain u
secret. never allow an outsider to handle
or examine my ropes. I attend strictly to
business when up on high and if saw
even my wife on the sidewalk would re-
fuse to recognize her. just glory in be-
ing as high as ever can get. It's nv
home mp there, and / think if 70 below
when die it will be terrible piece Ct bad
judgement on somebody's part-probably
my own.