The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1886-08-20
FASCINATING STEEPLE CLIMBING.

HoklNH lNu , EEF LE ULimDlNAs
How One May Get Accustomed 20 the
DangUr--NiCws OF u workman.
With bated breath and upturned
faces, o large crowd stood the other day
watching O man who was slowly ascend
ing the steeple Of an uptown church.
He seemed TO 90 over the delicate scat
folding ike n snail The crowd below
expected every moment to see him
fan.
When he reached the end Of the scat
folding and stood upon piece Of frame
work that looked in the distance a. If It
was about foot square, he leaned lar
over and shouted something to another
workman about halfway down. The
spectators shuddered but could not take
their ewes from the little climber who
had left the scaffolding and was still 60
ing up the steeple.
When he reached the top he remained
for few minutes, examined the steeple
on every side, and then retraced hls
steps. When he got safely back TO the
scaffOld he waved his hand to the
people and smiled De went TO the top
of the steeple several times IN the course
Of an hour, and every time crowd
gathered.
g You think II hazardous ?" said the
tesple-climber 10 a reporter when he
came down to the ground. Though he
looked so small when II the air, he was
considerably over the average height,
slim and wiry, all bone and muscle,
with n clear, steady eve and hand, and
perfect confidence In himself
His eyes sparkled as If he was IN love
with the work, as he continued
People who are not used 10 being at
great heights. and VINO feel dizzy when
a few feet from the ground, naturally
look with wonder upon q man working
high up Ia the air and think that he
must feel as they would I probably
go upon more steeples and other ele-
waited places TO adjust ornamental
designs than any other man IN the
business, and I feel just as much at
home standing on narrow board 200
feet from the ClCuud as / would on
rock. I feel perfect sense Of safety
and never think OF fnlllng.
But was not always without fear.
When I first began the business l
always started up the scaffolding with
trembling legs and quakIng heart,
and many times have not gone to the
top but returned with some excuse for
not going mp Just then
An old man who had been q climber
IN his DAY saw me on one Of these oc-
casiOns when my heart was weak, and
gave me q bit Of advice that cured my
faintheartedness IL time. BE said. when
starting up always TO fix your mind
luteutly On the work You ore going to
do. and keep everv thought of fear, or
that something Is going to happen, out
of your mind
This was Just the thing, and I
found nom experience that II is think
ing about fear that makes a man afraid,
and UvcrCauti0n has given many q poor
fellow q tumble. where boldness and
seeming recklessness would have car
ried him through all right.
There are only a few expert
climbers Hundreds quit the business
In a short time because they cannot
overcome their nervous dread 1 have
seen stCut-hearted fellows who would
march Up to a c1uuou'5 mouth without
o culver, when they Eut to the place
wLarl the HelE-ldlug ends and from
which point they would have to shin
10 the top. t-v 70 step uD, but q ton Of
lead had been hooked to their foot
and il would not 60 up an inch.
'' 1 have known men who, when they
got into a ticklish spot would have
black specks come before their eyes
when would move up and down and II
q circle. and they would fall down and
hug 6 plank Like lOng-lo5t brother
Their heads would seem 10 be IN G
whirl This Is where q man getl
ratified and 1t requires the greatesi
exercise Of the viii to overcome this
feeling
have felt this way many times
and even now I sometimes have g sud
den desire when on the pinnacle Of {
steeple t. jump off. but / always laugh
at the idea and ii goes avny as quick!
as Il comes.
4 man who drinks stImulants Is on
Of place on a steeple where false steI
VIII send him headlung a hundred fee
OF more below. 50 also Is fat man
for climber must be light, agile ant
muscular Dark-haired men viii
swErthy faces usually make the bes
climbers"
Does It prevent dizziness when 90
ing to q great height % keep the eye
turned upward
This is a popular notion, but ther
IS nothing IN II except that the atrentlo,
Is turned from the idea of falling. AMI
this VIII keep a man from tumhline
But the place for the ewes Is upon TIA
road % be travelled 20 see that every
thing Is En- position. a high wind some
times renders scaffolding unsafe and
amau has his eve On tie sky he woul
never see it."
Did you ever fall %
I've had many narrow escapes bu
only one good fall This was abou
seventy feet I had sick child at HON
and was thinking about her and va
absent-mlnded.
80 / started of sideways between th
sCaifOld aud steeple and in two or thre
seconds I was at the bottom 7 IthouCl
would be killed. and in a second Ia
whole hfe flashed through my min
and also the future of my family an
how thgv would all look after the chi
dren were al full-grown.
"I knew that I was dumping ngain
the timbers of the scaiold. but thel
was no pain and was overcome appa
r entity bv a soothing influence and nev,
had more pleasant journey IN my lf
1T seemed as if ] was falling f
hours. I knew when I struck the bO
tom and felt a shock at the sudden sto-
but IL was not disagreeable- ] hs
enough pain afterward, though, and
p took about SIX months to patch up n
p body. Both arms and one leg We
broken
"I made up my mind to give mp Il
business when 1 got well. but In
4 little while the Oil fascination can
y back and 1 went 10 climbing again
-ssa-
e CoIored Women in Journalism.
The only newspaper in the Unit
States conducted bv a colored wom
n Is the Virginia Lancet, published
e Petersburg, uf which Miss Carrie Bra
% Is the editor