The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-12-15
A Painters Experience
on a PrecipiCe.
HE TOOK A TICKLISH JOB.
The Birds Objected to Me1icine
Advertisements
ON THE FRONT OF THEIR HOME.

Frank L. Van Ness, who is now por-
trait painter In this city, once had an un-
usual experience. Mr.. Van Ness says he
is not likely to forget the first and only
sign he ever painted for il was while
putting patent medicine advertisements
on the face Of a precipice in the Adirondack
mountains that he made too intimate nc
quaintance with colony Of American
eagles.
MY adventure in the Adrondacks oc-
Cured several years ago, said Mr.. Van
Ness, "but remember it just as well as
II IL were only yesterday. had gone to
Keene Center, little town in the noun
tains Of western New York with a friend
to do some sketching from nature. Some
OF tho mountain scenery there is very fine,
and we wanted TO take advantage of IL
during the warm vacation mouths. There
was then no railroad at Keene Center. but
u stagecoach line ran from the town TO
Westport on the banks of Lake Champlain,
about 80 miles away. So we had an ideal
location. One day there came to the little
hotel where we were stopping the agent
OF well known patent medicine COM
pany. He was accompanied by two sign
painters and we were informed that these
two men were going TO paint sign OH the
face of prccipice about 900 feet high,
which was located about half way between
Keene Center and Westport. The preci-
pico was high In the mountains and in
plain view OF the stagecoach line, which
wound around lower down and almost
two miles away.
"The medicine people were sharp enough
20 know that II they could have sign
painted on that stone wall in letters large
'enough TO be read from stagecoaches pass
ing by It would be a great card for them.
So two painters were brought out TO do
the job. The agent took them out TO the
preciplce. They took one glance down the
$40 feet Of perpendicular rock and abso-
lutely refused TO go down tho face Of the
mountain to paint the advertisement.
The medicine man came back to the hotel
bcrating the men and wishing he could
find somebody who would tackle the job.
told him would do il If he could make
sufficient induccment
"The agent offered me $500, and we each
posted forfeit Of $50 Tho two painters
who declined to make tho descent agreed
TO handle the ropes in letting me down,
and as soon as 1 was ready we made our
way to the prccipice. I looked over the
edge, and i ii acknowledge the prospect
looked pretty scary. About 200 or 300 feet
Down there were projecting lodges, and
here and there on the ledgcs bald eagles
had their nests. And they wore good big
eagles too-none Of your owl size.
"Thc men tied strong ropes 10 the spruce
trees growing at the top of tho precipice,
and the other ends of the ropes were tied TO
a big basket into which / climbed with
my bucket of paint. Then they dropped
the basket ever the cliff and let me slowly
down until was about l25 feet from tho
top, which / had calculated was about the
point where l wanted To begin painting.
j hadn't calculated on having much trou-
BILE with the eagles, but 10 be on the safe
side had taken n club and revolver with
me in the basket. Well, the first day tell
you those bald old fellows made IL mighty
hot for mo- My basket hadn't any more
than stopped In its descent when the birds
set up terrible racket far down below
Inc. They scrccchod and screamed as IL
Slcy werS holding a terrible indignation
meeting. i watched them for a minute or
two, but as they didn't appear 20 be flgur-
ing on committing assault and battery l
dipped the big whitewash brush l was
using into the paint ard started to work.
a minute or two later thought heard
swish in tho air, and looking up | saw
big eagle that Looked about the size of
an ostrich swoopng down on me He