Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-07-25
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FASCINATING STEEPLE CLIMBING,

EHS1sUAuuUo SIGETIE VI1WouV0.
How One May Get Accustomed to the
DonEer--vlews OF y Workman.
With bated breath and upturned
faces, o large crowd stood the other day
watching man who was slowly ascend
ing the steeple of an uptown church
He seemed to go over the delicate scat
folding like o snail. The crowd below
expected every moment to see him
When he reached the end of the scat
folding and stood upon piece of frame
work that looked in the distance as If it
was about foot square, he leaned far
over and shouted something to another
workman about halfway down The
spectators shuddered but could not take
their eyes 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 his
steps. When he got safely back to the
scaffold he waved his hand to the
people and smiled. He went to the top
of the steeple several times in the course
of an hour, and every time q crowd
gathered.
Sc You think it hazardous ?" said the
steeple-climber to reporter when he
came down to the ground. Though he
looked SO small when in the air, he was
considerably over the average height,
slim and why, all bone and muscle,
with clear, steady eye and hand, and
perfect confidence in himself.
His eyes sparkled as if he was in love
with the work, as lac continued:
"People who are not used to being at
great heights, and who feel dizzy when
few feet from the ground, naturally
look with wonder upon man working
high up in the air and think that he
must feel as they would. 1 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 a narrow board 200
feet from the ground as / would on a
rock. feel perfect sense of safety
and never think of falling
"But was not always without fear.
When l first began the business I
always started up the scaffolding with
trembling legs and a quaking heart,
and many times have not gone to the
top but returned with some excuse for
not going up just then.
can old man who had been climber
in his day saw me on one of these oc-
casions when my heart was weak, and
gave me bit of advice that cured my
faintheartedness in time He said, when
starting up always to fix your mind
intently on the work you are going to
do, and keep every thought of fear, or
that something is going to happen, out
of your mind.
"This was just the thing, and I
found from experience that it is think
ing about fear that makes man afraid,
and overcaution has given many poor
fellow a tumble, where boldness and
seeming recklessness would have car
ried him through all right.
"There are only q few expert
climbers. Hundreds quit the business
in a short time because they cannot
overcome their nervous dread. I have
seen stout-hearted fellows who would
march up to lannon's mouth without
a culver, when they got to the place
where the scaffolding ends and from
which point they would have to shin
to the top, try to step up, but ton Of
lead had been hooked to their foot
and it would not go up an inch.
Z" have known men who, when they
got into a ticklish spot would have
black specks come before their eyes
which would move up and down and in
a circle, and they would fall down and
hug plank like long-lost brother.
Their heads would seem to be in a
whirl. This is where a man gets
ratified and it requires the greatest
exercise of the will to overcome this
feeling.
q have felt this way many times,
and even now l sometimes have sud-
den desire when on the pinnacle of
steeple TO jump off, but 1 always laugh
at the idea and it goes away as quickly |
as it comes.
"a man who drinks stimulants is out
Of place on steeple, where false step
will send him headlong hundred feet
or more below. So also is fat man,
for a climber must be light, agile and
Dark-haired men with
swarthy faces usually make the best
climbers.
docs itprevent dizziness when 60
ing to a great height to keep the eyes
turned upward ?"
''This is popular notion, but there
S nothing in it except that the attention
$ turned from the idea of falling, and
his will keep man from tumbling.
But the place for the eyes is upon the
Dad to be travelled to see that every
hing is in position. A high wind some
lines renders scaffdding unsafe and if
/ man has his eye on the sky he would
never see it,
"Did you ever fall ?"
"I've had many narrow escapes but
,nly one good fall. This was about
evenly feet. l had sick child at home
nd was thinking about her and was
sent-minded.
Z" started off sideways between the
caffold and steeple and in two or three
econds / was at the bottom. l thought
would be killed, and in a second my
7hole life flashed through my mind
nd also the future of my family and
ow they would all look after the chill
rem were all full-grown.
Il knew that was humping against
be timbers of the scaffold, but there
as no pain and was overcome appar-
ntly by soothing influence and never
ad more pleasant journey in my life.
cit seemed as if I was falling for
ours. / knew when 1 struck the bot
,m and felt shock at the sudden stop,
ut it was not disagreeable. I had
nough pain afterward, though, and it
,ok about six months to patch up my
ody. Both arms and one leg were
roken.
I made up my mind to give up the
usiness when / cot well. hnf in a