Connecticut western news., 1881-09-28
THE TWIN STEEPLE JACKS.
How They Met Their Fate from a
 Great Height.

HOW 1ley McC Inelr FaCo 1FOm ~
 Great Height.
 The earliest Steeple Jacks in England were both killed under rather romantic circumstances. There were two broth CTS, twins, Tom and Harry, who from early boyhood had been in the habit of climbing everything they came across, from the trees in their fathers orchard to the flagstaff on the village green. They were natives of 8 hamlet in the vicinity of Yorkshire, England. and their parents used to take the boys to all the fairs in the neighborhood, until at last they won sufficient articles in the way of shirts and handkerchiefs from the summits of greasy poles to have stocked & hosiery store. Both boys were sent to sea on reaching their four teenth year in the same vessel. How ever, the lads grew tired of the sea; the masts weren't high enough for them, perhaps, so at the end of thelr appren- ticeship they decided to remain at home, and for 8 while they diligently followed the blow on their fathers farm. Their favorite recreation was climbing up the water pipes alongside the house; in fact, that was their usual method of mounting to their bedroom in the attic, for they regarded stairs with contempt. About this time the weather cock on the top of the steeple of certain church in York City fell to the ground. The authorities began to consider how the damage could be repaired, for in those days Steeple Jacks were almost un- known, and steeples were built on the ground, and when fitted with weather vanes and otherwise completed were hoisted by means of pulleys to the square portion of the tower, and there adjusted. We'll, the Town Council were cogitating the expediency of taking down the steeple and repairing the weather cock, when the brothers volun- teered to climb the steeple and do the necessary patching. After some hesi- tation the offer was accepted, and, watched by thousands of the citizens, the twins climbed the steeple. It took them four days to complete their work, each ascending in turn, and very handsome sum of money was the reward i'll addition to the local celebrity.
 After this there were not many church wardens left in York City who did not soon discover that the towers of their churches were out of order, so the brothers soon had plenty of work on their hands. One day, it was the ami versary of their birth, the twins ar ranged to climb the steeples of two churches half mile apart and when there, to exchange greetings by signals. Tom, the elder, did not arrive as quickly as his brother, but to make up for his defeat he attempted to stand bolt up- right on the weather-cock, and to the horror of his brother, who probably was prepared to do the same thing in imita- tion, he suddenly lost his balance and fell headlong to the earth. Harry de- scended as quickly as possible, and had the mournful task of conveying the mangled remains home. The surviving twin could never be induced to climb anything again, and within a year of the fatal occurrence he became a hopeless lunatic, and the sight of scaffolding pole or steepIe would fill him with such a paroxysms of rage that he was confined most of his time in 8 darkened room, or when taken out for an airing g bandage would be placed over his eyes. Ten years afterward he appeared to grow better, and by degrees reason seemed to be returning. He begged to be shown the streets of the town once more, and spoke of the church steeples he had repaired. One day he disap- peared from home, and few hours af- terward was brought home dead on a shutter. He had wandered to fair, that was being held in the neighbor- hood, where he awaited his turn st the greasy pole. He climed it with all his former agility, and on reaching the tor he balanced himself at his full height or the summit, and then, with wild shriek threw himself headlong to the ground Such was the ending of the first Steeple Jacks every known in England.