Milford chronicle., 1885-05-08
PETHERICK'S PERIL.

Each story of the Shelton Cotton
Factory is fifteen feet between floors:
there are seven such over the basement.
and this rises six feet above the ground.
The brick walls narrow to eight inches
as they ascend, and form a parapet
rising above the roof. One of the time
keepers in the factory, Jack Hardy,
young man about my own age, often
runs along the brick work, the practice
giving him a singular delight that has
seemed to increase with his proficiency
in it. Having been a clerk in the works
from the beginning, I have frequently
used the parapet for a foot-path, and
although there was a sheer fall of one
hundred feet to the ground, have done
it with ease and without dizziness. Oc-
casionally Hardy and have run races,
on the opposite walls, an exercise in
which was invariably beaten, because
became timid with increase of pace.
Hopelessly distanced last Wednesday,
while the men were off at noon, gave
up midway, and looking down, observed
the upturned face of an old man, gazing
at me with parted lips, wide eyes, and
an expression of horror so startling that
1 involuntarily stepped down to the
bricklayers' platform inside. I then
saw that the apparently frightened spec
Gator was Mr.. Petherick, who has been
for some weeks paymaster and factotum
for the contractors.
"Whats the matter, Petherick ?" I
called down. He made no answer, but
walking off rapidly disappeared round
the mill. Curious about his demeanor,
I descended, and after some little seek
ing, found him smoking alone.
"You quite frightened me Just now,
Petherick, said L ';Did you think
was a ghost?"
"NOt just that" he replied, senten-
tiously.
"Did you expect me to fall, then ?" I
inquired.
mot just that, either, " said he. The
old man was clearly disinclined to talk,
and apparently much agitated.
1 began to joke him about his lugu-
brious expression, when the 1 o'clock |
bell rang, and he shuffled off hastily to |
another quarter.
Though I puzzled awhile over the in
oident, it soon passed so entirely from |
my mind tJ.st I was surprised when,
passing Petl-- yiet'- tha sfternoon, |
intending to ,5s.EMs. - last Nro1-99S9tt |
"Dont doit y 5 of Wyoming pre-
"WhatP" IGe Eal David Woodell
"That |" hep 4 flag. Elegant
"Ohl You mean running on the
wall, said I.
81 mean going on it at ALL" he ex-
His earnestness was so marked
that conceived a strong interest in its
cause.
"I'll make a bargain with you, Mr..
Petherick. If you tell me why you ad-
wise me, I'll give the thing up p
'Done p said he. "Oome to my cot
tage this evening, and I'll tell you a
strange adventure of my own, though
perhaps you'll only laugh that it's the
reason why it sickens me to see you
ooling up there"
Petherick was ready to talk when Jack
md I sat down on his doorstep that even
ng, and Immediately launched into the
narrative:
81 was born and grew to manhood |
lear the high cliffs of the coast of Corn
vail. Millions of sea-fowls make their 1
tests along the face of those wave-worn ! (
,recipices. My companions and used (
o get much excitement, and sometimes
good deal of pocket-money, by taking /
heir eggs. One Of us, placing his feet
q loop at the end Of a rope and taking
good grip with his hands, would be 6
owered by the others to the nest. {
"When he had his basket full, they'd {
aul him up, and another would go q
own. Well, one afternoon, I thus went |
angling of. They paid out about a
undred feet of rope before I touched the I
edge and let CO." '
'fWhat ledge ?" asked Jack. c
"Oh !" said Petherick, after a pause. i
I see it will be difficult to make you t
nderstand the situation" Then, after
shecting for some moments o
"You must know that most of the a
lifts along that coast overhang the sea. v
t many points one could drop six hun
red feet into the sea, and then be forty d
/ fifty feet from the base of the rock he I
It. The coast is scooped under by the n
aves. But in some places the cliff wall L
as though it had been eaten away by b
ias once running on higher levels. a
here will be an overhanging coping, ic
len, some hundred feet down, a ledge
licking out further than that Of the top;
lder that ledge all will be scooped h
way. In places there are three or four II
lch lodges, each projecting further than o,
lose above. These lodges used to fall n
yay occasionally, as they do yet, am d
Id, for the ocean is gradually devour- b,
g that coast. Where they did not pro- n
ct further than the upper coping, one q
1uld swing Like a pendulum on the a.
pc, and get on the rock, If not too far o.