The Newtown bee., 1900-01-26
LOCAL AFFAIRS.
Steep1e Jack is Here.
BEGAN WORK Is YEARS AGO.


 "Steeple Jack" c. T. Berry, Jr., of Millerton, N. Y., the famous painter oI lofty. church spires and roofs, is in town, this week, treating shingle roofs to as- phalt coating. He is stopping at the Grand Central hotel and has already GOV" cred the roofs of the Grand Central ho- tel, the buildings of John H. Blackman and Selectman Glover Many people have read of Steeple Jacks exploits, but few about here have seen him or his men work. MT Berry has been in the ousl" ness for IS years. At the age of l2 years, Berry ran away from home and became apprenticed at the slating trade. One day, he climbed an iron smoke stack and the feature attracted the attention of geo. pie who wiEhed work uone at high points on stacks, etc. This caused him to go quite extensively into the dangerous work, and after time he took contracts requiring the services of several men.
 When & young man, Mir Berry had con- siderable money and property left him, and he made trip to Europe. Instead of travelling for pleasure as most people do, Mir Berry went to doing work on England they call him Chimney Jack"
 He did work in England, Ireland, Scot land, Germany, Italy, France and Spa'n. When he returned to Anne rica he began to take big contracts on which he was obliged to work several men. The busi- ness proved quite prosperous and Steeple Jack, as American people call Mr Berry, began to have ambitions to go higher than he could on church spires. He therefore purchased balloon and has made considerable money making balloon ascensions. But this did not satisfy his longing for adventure. He became in- SV oxiV1 aiusno and hoe HiSfin. guished himself in this occupation. He is the man who took the bodies from the "New York Mystery" which sank near New Bedford. In this work he was as- sisted by members of his crew who are also marine workers as we'll as steeple climbers. Steeple climbing has not been followed by MT Berry and his men with out meeting with casualties. Three men lost their lives by falling to the ground and others have received lasting Injuries. Mir Berry once fell from 8 steeple at Bath, 8 distance of 40 feet. George Wilcox, known as Steeple Geoyge, fell in South Radley Falls, distance of 70 feet, and only suffered few weeks from his injuries. The escapes are the l moet wonderful incidents of the business. Two of the crew fell from St Jerome's church in Holyoke. They fell at the same time and from the same height. but one received few scratches while one leg of the other was broken in three places and his thigh dislocated. For the l injured men of his crew MT Berry pro- vides first class medical, treatment and ] otherwise cares for them. If they are disabled for life he will take care of them while he lives. At his farm at Dover, N. H., he has five cripples. Men work ing for .him have contracts which pro- vide this care if they are injured. Steep le Jack has probably increased his busi- ness ss much by being good man to deal with as by the excellence of his work. Mr Berry being married man and having his cripples to care for he is not on the steeples as much now as he once wse, ,or at least he is less ire quently the first man up. Aside from his busi- ness he likes shooting and always keeps good gun which he uses whenever a good opportunity is offered. It was MT Berry and his crew who painted the cap stone of the Washington monument, 555 feet from the ground.