The St. Louis Republic., 1900-11-18
ST. LOUIS WINDOW
WASHERS WIN BREAD
AND COURT DEATH
AT HIGH ATTITUDES.
The Slip of = Hand
and One More
Burial Permit Is Issued.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC
There S a class Of men IN ST. Louis who
daily take their lives in one hand for the
small compensation Of from 81 TO 50. Where
their employment is permanent the sum is
even smaller. agGregatins only SIS q month.
These men follow neither trade nor pro-
fession- They earn their pittance by pur-
suing q calling that brings them face 70
face with Death. and. strange as 1. may
seem, tho percentage who are killed Is
small when compared with other pursuits
that arc BY no means as dangerous. This
10 due to two facts. First. the calling Is
20 hazardous that the men soon cease to
follow It for the reason that they become
nervous wrecks and are forced 10 seek other
employment: secondly. those who are killed.
n q general rule. are the most experienced.
and a. very few ever remain at the calling
long enough to become experts, thus the
number OF fatalities is greatly ninimized.
The window washers employed IN the tall
ONCE and other buildings of the city repre-
sent the class OF men Of whom con,para-
lively httle ,s known There Is Just a bit
Of food for mental absorption IN tho
thought that these men earn their bread
by working upon the outside OF buildings
Mt various dizzy heights from the ground
Tho distance from the first floors Of any OF
the ONCE buildings Of the city is sufficient
to kill them, in case Of a fall while from
zoo to 800 feet is a distance that seems to de-
ter them no more than thirty. In tho case
of the men who wash the windows Of the
Union Trust and Chemical buildings, there
is an Illustration OF nerve and daring that
is none the less striking. even II It has
never occurred to a careless. thouEhtless
public to admire 1t. The fact that some
body has the work to DO and the fact that
somebody does II seems to rob the calling
OF any unusual interest
James f. Duffy. who Is employed IN the
Union Trust building as window-washer.
modestly told Of his business when asked
a few questions concerning Il. Duffy was
found standing upon the sill OF a window
on the fourteenth floor. He was on tho
outside His body was inclined slightly
back from the building. 30 that. to all
appearances. he waa suspended In midair.
He was holding to the top sill Of the lower
window with one hand. while with the
other he applied bis brush and towel. He
was working as unconcernedly as II he
were standing upon the ground, and yet
he was over 800 feet from mother earth.
When accosted. he smiled. said "howdy''
as good-ra turedly rs You please. and when
asked for little Of his time proceeded
20 stop work with rather reluctant spirit.
Tho manner in which he ceased washing
that window was enough to make the
creeps go over one He was working at
the time upon the top half Of the window.
With one movement Of his arm he pushed
It down. dropped his towel and brush in
side the window and vaulted over after
them.
Duffy's eyes were very clear and steady.
There was nothing about the man that
indicated anything hut regular habits. He
was quick and light of tread and he talked
as he worked-very much to the point. Ex-
ceedingly modest. when appreciation of the
danger Of his calling was ventured. there
was yet no attempt upon his part to be-
little the chances that he daily takes to
make his living. What a win,iow-washer
goes through with is best described by Duff
~ in his own language:
I'VE don't last very long at this sort OF
work. The most OF U.s. like engineers on
fast mail trains, give out after n few years
and have to get into something else Yes. I
guess It is the most dangerous calling that
a man can find. but then we can't all choose
and many take 1t UP because they can't
find any other work. Naturally. the first
requisite Is a steady head. for you must re-
aiize that We work at dizzy heights One
hand Is all that we have between us and
a death that Is not pleasant to contemplate.
Many men. even after they have been wash
ing windows for a little while, suddenly,
without any warning. lose their nerve and
have to quit It comes upon them ali OF a
sudden. and I can't explain It. We all have
to stop sooner or later. but that is q gradual
loss OF nerve. Some day a fellow comes
to work, and when he starts to climb on
the outside nature refuses to assist him and
he has to pass up hts Job to the next man.
do We ever look down when we are at
work?
"oh, yes: but then We don't think about
the distance or the danger. for. II we did.
We could never do anything. You see we
are generally thinking about our work or
something else. and that serves to take our
minds of the danger. There are accidents
In the business that can be attributed to
aems cause. but a. general thing 1t is the