The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-17
IDEAS or 4 STEEPLE CLIMBER.
He Gives His Theory rs To Overcoming
Fear When Up Aloft.

From n, Boston Erenino Transcript.
Some $50 feet above the sidewalks Of Washing
ton street, on a little rope hung staging at the top
Of a steel pole, sits T. f. ONcil Of Charlrstown
ONcn is n painter AT work on the staff which
holds the gigantic weather vanc on top Of the Amcs
building. He was working in the building with
other painters when Supt Mackay said that
the weather vane stall on the roof would have
to be painted and repaired. lean do it for you"
said ONcil when he began to examine the vanc
he found three or four bullet holes in its steel sup
port The bullets had gone through one side
Of the support and fattcncd against the other
They were evidently fired from the harbor by
some marRsmen who wished n small target at
long range.
And a very dangerous proceeding, too" sold
mN" when he was ,Ss on tn ROOT "g"ii,n; "f2I
n height az when shot from gun
remember once a girl, standing in her own yard.
was severely Wounded by n mysterious bullet
No one ever discovered where IL came from, but
four months later | was working on church
sccpc not 200 yards from her house, and around
f"und the wood rddlcd with bullet holes" anu '''
lie has been climbing .stecplcs and chimncys
1--WE years liz b,'san life as a sailor going out
from Merchandising on ship as boy, drifting
to THIS country IN tune TO cnSi Tor the Civil War,
tion, in which h. combines the trade Of mason
for he has built the tops Of many chmncys
in metal
The most natural question TO ask ONci was
about fear: did he ever feel fear in high places?
"Of course feel fear al times he answered Fear
is common to all mankind Not 10 feel frnr is
not courage: TO overcome fear is the true quality
OF courage, Not long ago Prof Taussig
Of Harvard who is interested in the tier from
psychological standpoint wrote 10 me similar
question, What told him will tell you,
u divide the nerve force Of a man into two parts
the impeding force and the restraining force
the same impcllng force that CAUSES a body
Of recruits at first To run under fire, and the re
strailing force that causes them to overcome
for various reasons the first natural fear. So
in climbing, on" unused u II Is by the natural i'm
polling 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 this feel
ing Of fear in high places, when in King Lear
he pictured Edward AT the Cliffs Of Dover.
THE one way to get over the natural fear is
by some restraining force from either within or
without ! remember once when new boy at
Sea was ordered lluit by the mate he trembled
with fear and begged TO be let out fiji, Upon my
soul Sir, cant go up there This was his first
impcing impulse. But when the mate touched
him up with ropes end hc was at the top OF the
mast so quick that the mate could not follow him.
The pain on his outer nerves brought him 10 his
senses and made him exert his restraining force
So If you happen 20 BE- with any one who shows
signs Of tear In high place, few smart slnps'on
the face will bring him to himself. The right
medicine for uncomfortable fear In high place
Is immediate poin on III outside neryes"