Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-04-27
THE STEEPLE-JACK'S DAUGH.
TER,

To every one who knew her, she
was Little Brownie" think her
parents had quite forgotten the
name given at her baptism. At
any rate, they seemed satisfied
with the other, and it certainly
was very appropriate, as her natu-
rally dark skin was tanned and sun
burned until it had assumed a dusky
hue.
Her father, Karl Burns, was
steeble-iack. His father had fol-
lowed the same vocation before
him, so he had become imbued with
the spirit of its perils and excite
ment il. childhood, and the expert
ence of later years made him noted
as the most fearless and ingenious
steeple-jack ever known to the
easy-going inhabitants of Cavendish.
If there was any difficult feat to per-
form, or undertaking requiring
great nerve and skill, Karl Burns
was called upon to do it.
Little Brownie had liberal por-
ton of her fathers adventurous
nature, and there was no dizzy
height for him to scale which she
feared to ascend. Standing on the
edge of the loftiest scaffold she SEEM
ed as free and fearless as a bird,
laughing at the terror of those be-
low, while she made believe she was
going to fly from her airy perch.
Of course this was wrong on her
part, and gave her father no little
uneasiness, lest she should lose her
footing, or suddenly become dizzy
and fall to the earth so far below.
But in spite of shortcomings, which
he was free to confess she had in
herited from him, Karl was very
fond of his daughter, and humored
her waywardness by far too much.
If the truth be told he was more
to blame than she. And there was
story current that when the spire
on the cathedral at Oxford had been
finished, Karl, who was master of
the job, declared as one of his men
dared not ascend the last ladder,
that his little daughter should stand
where no one in town would ever
dare to step.
1t was IL foolish boast, but a
large crowd gathered around the
church at the appointed time, to
witness the daring performance
Karl Burns kept his word, and
Little Brownies tiny feet stood that
day on the lofty cross of Oxford S
cathedral, while women tainted and
brave men stood spellbound with
awe.
Karl was pale and his limbs
would scarcely support him when
he had reached the ground, and from
that day he was less reckless, hav-
ing realized the folly of his course.
Among the various callings by
which man earns his living, there
are not many stranger or more
dangerous than that of the steeple.
jack.
Their most usual job is the repair,
ing of chimney shafts, hence they
might be more appropriately called
chimney jacks But as steeples
came before large chimneys, and as
the occupation started with repairs
upon the first, the name steeple-iacb
has chung to them.
I'm the course of time the Caven.
dish spire needed repairs. During
"a fierce gale the cross had been blown
down and the copper globe upon
which it had stood had become tar.
nished and weatherbeaten.
Karl was given charge of the job
and began operations at once, as
sisted by all the help he needed.
The ascent of the tower as far az
the bell-chamber was easily made
after which ladders were placed on,
above another in the hollow of thu
of the spire until the topmost loop
holes were reached. Through these
ioists were run crosswise, and ;
scaffolding of boards laid upon them
From this staging a ladder easily
reached the ball, and Karl began
his work ut once.
Every day at noon Little Brownie
carried him his dinner in a basket
ascending the tower and even the
scaffofd without hesitation. Sh,
liked to stay with him while he at,
it, and once, while he was occupied
with eating his plain repast, sh'
stole up the ladder and stood neal