Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-09-05
STEEPLE- CLIM BING.
An Occupation Which Is FIR, Ssssai
with Hidden Dangers.
Narrow Escapes from Death-V acne
Danger Lurks-Ficnds who g 20
the Liic-Line-Wagcs Re-
ceived.
IIhilndelphia Timcs.l

tIhlladelphla Times
{ al have been in this pcrous business ever
since the war;" said Morris Rogers, at his
boarding house the other evening. II am a
steeple-rlimbcr and, so far as | know, the
only man in the country who relies solely
upon this trade for a living. There was an
other man who did the same work, and the
narrator sighcd-"but, poor fellow, he fell
from the tower of the new structure of
the Old South CHI urch. in Boston, and died
after few gasps On the pavement He was
81 'ver work man, full of original ideas ami
great in n sudden emergency. His name
was Watson--Bll Watson. ! was his helper
for two years. He was u e coolest man [
! ever knew. We were rcgilding a cross on
the epire of n Catholic church in St. Louis
1t was a small job. and he had taken it as a
snap ami intended to finish it, Off hand in
in one afternoon. He was not as careful with
his lines rs he should lave been. We as
cended to the highest window in the spre
and he put pair of climbers on his feet such
as tn telegraph linc-men usc) AMI went up a
narrow rilge of board to which the lightning
| rod was ma lie fast.
HIGH IN THE AIR.
| THE ball was sixty feet above, AMI i'll less
than five minutes he had line around the
cross and was dashed to it, He stood nearly
POO feet from the ground Contrary
to his usual custom he began at the
base of the cross. He worked around rapidly
alling down to me, below, for more foil or
more shcllac as he progressed. Tie sc sent
him in Il small tin bucket. as the case might
he, which he drew up by means of a small
cord fastened to hiS'waist. He had just re
ceived a roll of foil for he had shellac that
dried very qu iy il the sum when he said,
in q per'e .tv natural tone:
"'Catch me, Morry.'
AN instant later had him in my arms.
| lie clut''hed the window sill and sprang into
the landing All he said was, Curse that
rope. have been afraid of il for some time
His line had parted Where it came in contact
with the sharp edge If the cap of tn" ste pie.
He had felt the first strand part, ad real
lied fully what had happened ard had fore
seen what was about to occur-nll i'll five
seconds. My catching him save him from
huhuiei ana eiEh'y i'eC Oh Il IAN puU ait+f
a,,I r,,;,,,,1 a., go i,,. 49, 20 a,Li,,,.T ai
Ibaunenad "
v.,,,,rr n.>.,,r, ,,.,,.s
.,.,
" n"' MINI VI N'Iel,e w you ''s"iu 'ii'
n'o7. u".7 - Jus ~ 'I'i'
o'.H p4-c' WIS o''e P'piip. 10
Ply ''' "iV nan. i'"'',' why !" IL
hserou -, ti'' "ou,' h.ra occur
W you 10 e''u'iieraue couple Inc etse
Vi oiohen si"'e Is OUCH "s suarP d hh''e
anu WI 'u, ''ie o,H' mamma ioi,c hhc SUI
"nen 'he s'i'',h Vi Il man oony Is Oh II. II,
putting on III, states Pecuii'riy liilSiiou
nan WIN beaten mead IS oi'eh used
nere 'iiere Is d p'oAe'i SiaVe ,,ieSe ilaiiS are
iiaple 10 WORK up ana tLey VIII lick rolt
IN such way that you VIII never kno"
/
Oh the slender perch upon when
you SWING mat sensation Is caiculateu
TO cause any mans mar to raise.
do you select your own ropes ana fix all
your own Scailoiulngsf
indeed do' was the reply u carry all
my tach.t WIN NE ana am very particular
VINO hahdleS IT, nave a compartment IN my
trunk III which Always carry about 4oo ieet
Oh Inc Inc .est rope ior thlS purpose Is
mace OF EiSINh heihp'
THE ROPE FIENDS.
"Do Won examine the lines often,,
@AIwavs ofter thev have heen !, sad and ba-
fore 7 90 IN Them Won would hardly credit
if but there are men vile cnoucb ~ cut a
lifeline so that if will bronx and KIN tbe man
who trusts binsalf On il If il tarrihlo
70 mola di.coverv of Tint t;nI
II rnnnrvos n man mora tbo, on
accident I'D in the mir Did I ever have
n bonner to ma, Yes onco in (,bico,o
prt I dnn,t lilo 70 talt ohout IL for ,,.e,,l,
Iotor sa,,, th, ,,o,, v.ha .o,.oI, 49,, ,,, e,Ii
hackwor1s ont Of tbe fourtbl Storv ,,inCnw
I con hear the dulI crash Of his crnsbeJ sku,l
and broken bones vet 1t was terrible
| "You sneak of 'corinp' n line. what do Won
mean"
.nNhy. this. and the sneaker drew a niece
of rope from his pocket. Then he opened a
sharp pocket knife, and partly untwistng the
rore emf the inside of the three strands nearly
through When the rope was retwisted the
cuts were not discarnible to the eve or tn tbe
touch The harmless lookinr bit of line he-
came an informal machine
How do Won detect n snot like tbatr,
asked the ren0,ter. who had already lost the
,,looa ord oo,obt II in vain in n ,iac, of ,ono
N|f