The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1897-10-02
A Nervy Pressman.

Evidently it Is a serious matter to give
the dare" to New York press feeder
| Some reckless individual was so reckless
as to dare William II. CAN'T, who lives
| fortunately this hasn't got to be written,
| llved-at No. Oh Fulton street, Brook
| Ign, to jump from the Brooklyn Bridge
| Gantz won't take dare" and so on
| Tuesday, work being somewhat slack at
the printing office of the Manufacturers
and publishers Printing Company on
| William street, and having nothing else
or better to do, he concluded to dem
onstrate that little thing like that
wouldn't pEaze him. There was no bet
on the event, and CAN'T did what he
! did for the love of the thing and out of
! pure and unauthorized devil-may- care
ness. lie gathered up a little cotton to
pad his pants with, just as a truant
schoolbov would DO preparatory to a
woodshed interview with an angry par
ent armed with a slipper or single,
and told Foreman Harry Riley that he
guessed he would so and jump over the
Brooklyn Bridge.
| Riley, who never imagined that CAN'T
was serious, advised him to hurry up,
as it would soon be low tide, and he
might get stuck in the mud.
| CAN'T went to Cashier Whitaker, drew
the money due him, and took the cash
Ter into his confidence, receiving in re-
turn the very excellent advice not to
stay too long under the water, as it was
possible that Riley might need him next
! day.
This was in the forenoon. About noon
| CAN'T returned to the office and ex-
| planned that the event had not yet come
Oft, but only because Of the unusual Wig
| he explained that the performance was
only postponed, not abandoned. He
| told the boys that If they would keep
| their eyes open and pointed in the
right direction they would surely see
something drop. The Bridge is in plain
! view Of the back windows of the print
! ing office, and Foreman Riley, though
| never dreaming that CAN'T meant to
| jump, took an occasional glance bridge
| ward. At l:35 Riley saw what he did
! not expect, and announced to the aston
| ished and incredulous pressroom force
that CAN'T had actually jumped, as he
| had said he would.
! Soon a policeman arrived to inquire
| whether it was true that man named
| CAN'T worked there, and explained
| that a man who gave that name and
said he was employed there had been
arrested for jumping from the Brooklyn
! Bridge, contrary to the provisions of an
| ordinance of the city of New DIRK, ETC.
Sure enough CAN'T had jumped and
| went down, straight as plummet line,
| feet first, disappearing under the other
wise than limpid waters of the East
! River, only TO come up again few sec
| onds later right IN the course of Uncle
! Sans marine cutter Manhattan. Cap
! tain Mcconnell, of the cutter, saw the
| plunge, and 10y careful manUuvring
managed to avoid running Gantz down.
He WAS taken aboard, laughing and
none the worse for his perlous adven-
ture, stripped, rubbed down, wrapped
! in blanket, examined by a doctor and
! pronounced all night.
OF course, it is against the city ordin-
auce To 90 in swimming in such theat-
riCal way, ana at that particular place,
4 and Can't had to tel! Magistrate all
about it, but, having told all about il
and explained that he did it for pure
fun and without any suicidal intent, the
Magistrate let HIM 20 with an admoni-
ton not - DO 1t again.
Not counting the score or so who have
lied about 1t, CAN'T Is the tenth man
who has made that jump and lived to
tell about 1.-THE American Craftsman.