Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-03
PETHERICK'S PERIL

z. W. Thompson, in tie YOUTHS C01qDaatol
zach story of the Shelton cotton fac
tory 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 parapet rising ABOVE
the roof. One of the time-keepers in the
factory, Jack Hardy, a young man about
my own age, often runs along the brick
work, the practice giving HIM singular
delight that has seemed to increase with
his proficiency in it. Having been a cltrk
in the works from the beginning, | have
frequently used the parapet for a foot.
pam, and although there was a sheer
Gall of one hundred feet to the ground.
have done it with ease and without dz-
illness. Occasionally Hardy and have
run races on the opposite walls, an
exercise in which was Invariably beaten
because l became timid with increase of
pace.
Hopelessly dlstanced last Wednesday,
while the men were Oh at noon, | gave
up midway, and LOOKING down, observed
the upturued face OF an Old man, gazing
at me with parted lips, wild eyes, and an
expression of horror 50 startling that |
inVOluntanly stepped down to the brick
layers platform inside. l then saw that
the apparently frightened spectator
was Mr.. Petherck, who has been for some
weeks paymaster and factotum for the
contractors.
Whats the matter, Petherick?" l
called down. He made no answer, but
walking off rapidly disappeared round
The mill. Curious about his demeanor, l
descended, and alter some little seeking,
found him smoking alone.
"YOu quite frightened me just now,
Petherich,' said l. did you think L was
a ghost?'
Mot just that" he replied, senten-
tiOusly.
Ibid you expect me to fall, then?' 1
inquired.
"Not just that, either" said he. The
old man was clearly disInclned to talk,
and apparently much agitated. | began
to joke him about his ugubrious ex-
preston, when the l O'clock bell rang,
and he shufled of hastily to another
quarter.
Though l puzzled awhile over the
incident it soon passed so entirely from
my mind that | was surprised when.
passing Petherick in the afternoon
intending to go aloft, he said, as l went
by:
''M batY' / stopped.
NThat," he retortsd.
"Ohl You mean running on the WALL"
said /.
81 mean going on it at ALL" he ex-
claimed. His eaTnestness was so marked
that l conceived strong interest in its
caus.
"Pll make bargain with you, Mr..
Petherick. If you tell me why you advise
me, Pll give the thing upw
"D3np,7 SAID lie. "Jome TO my cot
taee 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 fool
ing up there"
Petherick was ready to talk when Jack
and | sat down on his doorstep that even
ing, and Immediately launched into the
following narrative:
Il was born and grew TO manhood near
the high cliffs OF the coast of Cornwall.
Millions of seatOwis make their nests
along the face of those waye-worn
precipices. My companions and l used
TO get much excitement, and sometimes a
good deal of pOcket-money, by taking
their eggs. One of us, placing his feet in
a loop at the end Of rope and taking
good grip with his hands, would be low
cred by the others to the nest.
''When he had his basket full, they'd
have him up, and another would 90 down.
Well one afternoon, l thus went dang
hing of. They paid out about hundred
feet of rope before 1 touched the ledge and
let co."
''Wuat ledger" asked Jack.
''Onw said PetherIck, after a pause.
IL see it will be troublesome to make you
understand the situation" Then, after
rejecting for some moments
''YOu must know that most Of the cliffs
along thai coast OYCThang the sea. AT
many points one could drop SIX hundred
lee into the sea, and then be forty or fifty
feet from the base of the rOcA be left The
coast is scOOped under by the waves.
But in some places the clH wall is as
though it had been eaten away by seas
once running in on higher levels. There
will be an eyerhanging coping tnen, some
hundred feet down, a ledge sticking out
further than that OF the top; under That
ledge all Will be scOOped away. In places
there are three or four such lodges, each
projecting further than those above.
These lodges used TO fall away Occa-
siOually, as they do yet. am told, for the
ocean is gradually deyOuiing that coast
Where they did not project further than
the upper coping, one would swing like
pendulum on tue rope, and get on the
rock, n not too far In, then put rock on
the loop to hold 10 till his return. When
ledge did project SD that one could drop
straight on Il, he hau Ell down some slack
and let the rope hanging"
Did the wind ever blow 1t olY asked
Jack.
seldom, and never out OF reach" said
the old man. "Well, the ledge ! reached
was like this" Illustrating with his hands.
ut was some ten feet wide; II stuck out
maybe six feet further than the cha top;
The rock wall went up pretty near
perpendicular, till near the coping az the
ground, but below the ledge the cliffs face
Was SO scOOped away that the sea, five
hum red ieet below, ran in under II nigh
INV feet.
LAS vent down, thousands ofbirds rose
nom tue Jagged places Of the precipice
elrcling around me with harsh screams.
soon touching tnr ledge, / stepped from
the loop, and drawing down q little slack
walked on brsaly. For fully quarter ola
mile the ledge run along the cllhs face
almost as level and even in width as that
sidewalk. / remember iancying that IL
sloped outward more than usual but
instantly dismissed the notion, though
Ganer Pentreath, the oldest man IN that
countryside. used 10 tell Us that We should
not ct the use of that ledge always. IL
had been az steady ia our time az IN his
Rrandiathers, and we only laughed at bis
prophecies, Yet the place OF an old hlled
assure Was marked by a line Of grass, by
tuits Of weeds and email bushes,
stretching almost as far as the ledge
itself, and within foot or 30 Of the CLIFFS
face
II