The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-01-16
4 PERIL0US PERCH.


4 PERIL0US PERCH.
How Jack Hinton Succeeded In
Oiling the Weathercock.
When was boy a good many years
ago We lived in small town two hun
a1ld miles northwest of New York, an
t-ee1s411d place before the railroad came.
Af.tte y. aei tie Of the difficult Of comm,l-
nDation with the world, the people of
IA t41rf Mount were by no means sleepy
80 There was vast amount of public
sdf{ and every body seemed to feel that
tbeie was n future before them and their
te9'n. and they were prepared to use it
10 Ne b6sG advantage.
- New there was one thing Of which
tbe people were proud twas our church,
and II there was one accomplishment of
which Jack Hinton was conceited it was
his skill in climbing Perhaps you would
Ike 70 know what one had to do with the
other You shall hear. ===
Tic church was really noble build
ing. 1t stood on knoll, little back
lla!4 The center street; behind and on
either side the dark, rich verdure Of a
--44.4+.s4,i-ef- pines formed a. proper back
4sEa1glId- for the graceful pile of white
Stone surmounted by It's dark-red thing.
r was th =pride-of the country
asidc. and you could see it ten miles off.
But what is the good of spire with
ont weathercoclx? OF course ours had
onc-a very fine, large bird, with his
wings spread to catch the faintest breath
ut wind, and his whole body aglow with
the rays of the sun. But it was not all
fair sailing with this magnificent bird.
One winter the ground was covered
( for months with snow, which fell heav-
lily and never thawed for six weeks be-
yond its usual time; and there all the
time was that splendid spiire, covered
with its beautiful shroud like great
pillar of truth, pure and sparkling.
Meanwhile the weathercock had
pointed steadily to the north, and peo-
pie began to think that spring had
gone elsewhere for that year. But at
length il came; the snow thawed, the
icicles melted the Easements of the
houses were flooded as usual, and nat
= onpleted her spring cleaning
ct the weathereecll- pointed still TO
the land of eternal snow. The minister
said it was frozen, and that the first
warm southerly gale would thaw it out,
but he was wrong That bird held on
TO his trying position through several
gales, always gazing to the north, as If
he thought the sun would rise out there,
and he must be careful not to miss the
sig ttt.--- -=--
Spring ripened into summer, and at
last the suspicion darkly whispered by
Jew was confirmed beyond dispute
the weathercoex had stuck.
What was to be -doneaa
There was not ladder that would
reach SO high, and to build scaffold
cost seven hundred dollars.
such sum was out of the question,
+ and vet the whole town was disgraced
by that obstinate bird. Grave confer
b onccs were held, public meeting was
d called, presided over by the minister, to
debate the question, but nothing practi-
= rstlae-was- arripedAat.-
trtr ttay,while- matters were at this
desperate stage, Twas. trudging along,
IlLIlt olopti ny viz
ami mixing chiefly of supper, when
drriS=ttt Hinton came by Somehow Jack
Looked more thoughtful than usual, and
walked along without saying a word for
y nearly five minutes. Then at last he
slapped his leg with considerable vio-
. lcnce and began to chuckle.
What's up with you, JACKIE" / asked.
>0h, nothing; I was only thinking of
that weathercock, answered Jack.
But say, Joe, Iguess you won't come
and fly that kite of yours with me to-
morrow morning, will you2"
'YeS, | will, if you like to bring a new
y ball ofsstring,H | replied, remembering
that the next day was holiday, and !
Lad nothing on hand.
...Al right, then-~in the field before
49, church, nine o'clock sharp. I'll bring
tHine, said Jack, and he turned on his
heGf:
! rad an affection flor that kite of
mi1e, and flattered myself that could
make It fly better than any other boy in
TIE village, besides which it was the
FIggest Kite in the county, and I made
II all myself.
SO was very careful to overhaul it
thoroughly before | went to bed" and to
improve the tail to exactly the proper
weight and length.
And yet, when at last / laid the big
kite~carefully down on the floor Of our
best room | never thought how impor-
tant part that feeble combination Of
game and canvas was to play in the trag-
edy Of the morrow
The fact was that Jack Hinton had
lomaed scheme of the most daring and
character, and when T. met
sl'nl rest incoming | found that he had
:. sl4nplled himself. not only with fine
naii Of strong Irvine, but with two or
er@e other implements, the presence'of
F. Nhicli completely puzzled me.
W hats this for?' | asked, picking up
small oil-can with long nose.
What's that for? Why, to oil the
%eiNher-cock; it's stuck. y
. 70 oil the weathercock? But how
9F you going to do it? You can't get
-ss ~ - il :, y. ---4.s-.
l. Joe Mason, . said Jack, Elm going to
z=a - s1= u. II YOU like to help me you can;
II you re chieken=hearted you go home,
and III get some one else. .
"Well' what do you want me to do?
IN not going up that steeple, any
how
Nobody asked you. Look here,
you We got your kite. Now, what /
Want you TO do is to send that kite up
50 That the string falls across the arm
oi me IRON cross just below the weather
sseeck. Il you can do that, all the rest
- ss....srs5