Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-25
sTEEPLE CLIMBERS IDEAS
He Tells of His Theory as to the Over
coming of Fear

From the Boston Transcript.
Some go feet above the sidewalk of
Washington street, on little rope-hung
staging at the top Of steel pole, sits p f
ONeii of Chariestown. O'Nen Is a painter
at work on the staff which holds the gigan-
tic weather vane on top of the Ames build
ing. He was working in the building with
other painters when Superintendent Nc
Kay said that the weather yane staff on
the roof would have to be painted and re-
paired. Il can do it for ycu," said O'Neil
When he began to examine the vane he
found three OF four bullet holes in its steel
support. The bullets had gone through one
Slde OF the support and tattened against
the other They We're evidently fired from
the harb0r by some marksman who wished
a small target at long range.
And a very dangerous proceeding too !"
SAID y Nell, when he was on the roof
again. for a bullet has almost the velocity
When falling from a height as when shot
from the gun. L remember once a girl
standing In her own yard, was severely
wounded by & mysterious bullet. No one
ever discovered where it came from but
-FOUR months later l was working on a
church steeple not two hundred yards from
her house, and around the openings where
the pigeons go in and out l found the wood
riddled with bullet holes"
He mas been climbing steeples and chin
twenty-five years. He began life as sail
or, going out from Newfoundland on a shin
as boy, drifting to this country in time
10 enlist for the civil war, and at last TAX
ing up with his present occupation in
which he combines the trade of rnason-for
he has built the tops of many chimneys-
OF painter, of carpenter, of mechanic and
worker in metal
The most natural question to ask O'Neil
was about fear; did he ever feel fear n,
high places? 'Of course | feel fear at
times. ne answered. Fear is common tn
all mankind. Not to feel fear is not cour-
age 10 overcome fear is the true quality of
courage. Not long ago Prof Taussier Of
Harvard, who is interested in the matter
from psychological standpoint wrote to
me similar question. What 1 told him /
will tell you. 5000
Il divide the nerve force of a man into
two parasitic impelling force and the re-
straining force-the same impelliue force
that causes body of recruits at first to
run under fire, and the restraining force
that causes them 10 overcome for various
reasons the first natural fear SO in climb
ing one unused to it is by the natural i'm
peillng force of his nervous system afraid
afraid that his legs, his arms. his support
Will give way and plunge him down
Shakespeare. who touched on all human
emotions, touched on this feeling of fear in
high places, when in King Lear he pic
| tured Edward at the cliffs of Dover
The only way to get over the natural
| fear is by some restraining force from
| either within or without. / remember once
| when a new boy at sea was ordered aIoft
| by the mate he trembled with fear and
/ begged to be let out of it: Upon my soul
! SIR, l cannot go up there This was his
| first impelling impulse. But when the mate
! touched him up with ropes end he was
! at the top Of the mast so quick that the
| mate could not follow him. The pain on
/ his outer nerves brought him to his senses
| and made him exert his restraining force
| SO If you happen TO be with any one who
! shows signs of fear in high place. a few
| smart slaps on the face will bring him To
| himself. The right medicine for unconuuer-
| able fear in a high place is immediate pain
| on the outside nerves
| Fear can be overcome like any natural
| passion. l remember that when began tc
| climb felt sensations of numbness in the
back Of my head. and at such times I used