Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-10-25
@sAlowIn, THE RoofeR."
Mas Mad q Wonderful Experience In Break.
ing Bones BY Falling.

"What does N. B. R. stand for?" asked
. JOURNAL man of W. s. Baldwin, tn,
roofer, yesterday, as he took hold Of bras
hutton on his coat, with these letters upor
it. mo bad roofs" laughingly replied Mr.
Baldwin.
There is not man in Augusta that hal
had more bones broken than "Ballwiu, thu
Roofer," for he has but few whole
ones in his body. When in his teen!
he began the work of roofing and ha.
.iuce followed it with success, with the ex
ception of meeting with severe injuries. He
has been employed at various places
throughout New England and performed
his duties at an elevation on church spire.
that would reach the height of terror
for an ordinary man. As an illustra-
ton, when young man at this work
be was on church spire 227
feet high and had margin Of but 10 inches
to stand upon, while he worked adjusting a
clock in the old Trinity church at St. John,
NIB. The foreman was afraid to under
take the feat and Baldwin volunteered to
do it.
During his years Of following this bus
ines, he has had seven disastrous falls ag-
gregatiug 2lS IL feet in all, and at each
one bones have been broken. The smallest
fall was 90 feet and the highest 81 1.2,
when he fell from building at Whitman
tic, c., breaking both arms, both legs, right
foot, four ribs, and causing tear in his
body, in which 38 stitches had to be taken.
Since coming to this city he has broken
one of his legs twice. In the right arm
from the wrist to the elbow are seven
breaks. Mr.. Baldwin laughingly said
that he had been broken all up with
the exception his collar bone and appetite.
A strange circumstance has prevailed at
each accident and that is that he has nearly
always fallen on his right side. This &C
counts for his right leg and arm being so
badly broken. His right leg is two inches
less in circumference than the
left, on account of various breaks and
bruises, and causes him continued pain.
His father was doctor and wished his
son to follow this profe ssion. His mother
desired that he become lawyer, but
neither seemed congenial to the young boy.
Finally he decided to try the law
books and entered the office of Judge Will
liam Wedderburn, now one of the shining
lights in the legal profession of the lower
provinces. The dry books soon proved too
monotonous, and young Baldwin, being
filled with liking for more lively line of
work, went to Nova Scotia to seek fortune
in the gold mines. Prospect for any degree
of success soon looked dim here and he
again returned to St. John, where
bis uncle, G. S. Fisher, roofing contractor,
gave him work roofing.
On April 81, 1866, after being with his
uncle Is years building roofs, he left the
New Brunswick metropolis for the Maine
capital. In speaking of this Mr.. Baldwin
smiled and said, "That was before the law
of contract labor" having reference to the
the fzzle over Morton's coachman. He was
here along time before he got anything to
do in the roof building line, and
during the first winter worked on the Ken
nebec ice fields. Since he became per-
mauently located in Augusta he has worked
up a large business. When Mr.. Baldwin
way 81 years of age he weighed 20s pounds.
He now weighs l55, The constant pain
from so many broken limbs keeps him thin.
When he was so seriously hurt at
Willimantic, Ct, he had the celebrated DR..
SWEET attend him. Three doctors worked over
him at this time three and one half hours.
1t cost several hundred dollars, but the
New England Felt Roofing Co. paid the
bills. DR.. G. w. Martin of this city has
attended him at the various times that he
has fallen in this vicinity.
Mr.. Baldwin is now professional roofer
and uses nothing but the celebrated beehive
roofing material. He will before long lay
the roof Of the new Masonic temple, where
ne says that he will do the prime piece OF
work Of his life. He has many good Ma
sonic friends and will lay roof in which
he will donate over $50 to the temple.