River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-11-15

OK MEN in this country make a
business-a profession" they call
it-of cleaning and painting stand
pipes, the tall, columnlike reservoirs
that hold the water supplies of many
towns and small cities and furnish the
pressure for the mains of the streets,
lawns and residences. The vocation
is not crowded. partly because the
standpipes are not numerous or often
cleaned, but especially because of the
peril attending the task.
OF the half dozen, James Vert has
probably come nearest death and sur
vived. l crawled through a water
main hole at the base of a standpipe
on which this work was being done
the other day. Once inside, it seemed
like the bottom of a hundred-foot
iron-wal-ed well. Far above CLEANED
a circle of blue sky, with now and
then bit of cloud crossing it. Swing
ing at the end of a rope 90 feet above
the iron floor of the standpipe was
the painter. He welded his brush
carelessly, filing it from a bucket of
waterproof black paint that dangled
beside him. He whstled as he
worked, and the sound came roaring
down the huge tunnel like the scream
of locomotive.
He drew himself higher and high
err until he reached the dizzy rim
and looked out over the tallest build
ings and spires of the town. Then he
loosened the rope, and it whirred
IL, a., he cxxrif
~ down.
Scare you?' he remarked, as he
alighted safely and retilled his bucket.
No danger in this. Eve been doing it
for four years and never got hurt.
Jim did though-he's my partner"
Then he told me about it.
Jim always liked children; he had
none of his own, and was forever taxi
ing up with them in towns where he
worked For my part l don't think
this is the place for EN-. You see,
we stay a week or two in place, ac-
cording TO how long the standpipes
have gone without cleaning-and
some towns are mighty careless about
fixing such things. We usually go
together, but one day the company
we were working for got orders to
repair two pipes the same week and
we separated.
Jim went out 10 a prairie town
in eastern Kansas. The standpipe was
the highest in the state and had not
been cleaned and painted inside for
six years, so the job was a long one.
"Jim settled down at a good board
ing house and put his money and
package Of gold leaf in the village
bank. We always carry along some
gold leaf to gid a church cross if we
get chance. There is from $50 to
5000 in a job of that kind, for there
amt many that wants il. Then he
went to work on the standpipe. The
water was drained out, and he be-
gan to scrape the rusty iron work
inside. putting it in shape for the
two coats of paint he was to give it
later on. Every day there were a
lot of boys gathered around to see
him work. They stopped as they
came home from school and crawled
through the main at the bottom in
side the pipe just as you have this
morning Jim always let 'em do it.
] don't like it. but maybe he was
right in it that time.
"Of course there were a lot of men
that came, too, but they only came
from curiosity. and one trip was
enough They didn't come back. But
the boys were there every day. espe-
ciallv one of them-Frank Smith his
name was. He used to sit for an hour
at a time watching the sky at the top
and hollering questions up at Jim as
he was painting.
The first coat was put on easily,
and then the second was begun. This
is n kind of rubber paint that the
water will not hurt, and it is slow
work, as we have to paint it rather
thick. Jim wanted TO quit Saturday
night and Join me on church-steeple
Job that we had found down in St.
Louis. and he was putting in every
minute of his time to finish the sec
ond coat.
1T is one of our rules not 10 work
when there is storm. but out on the
plains so many clouds are floating
AROUND lnat Il Is AdIQ ~ ltlA when
there is danger. One afternoon in
April the sky was filled with scatter
ing shower clouds, and there was a
brisk breeze blowing that might mean
ANYTHING from a drought TO tor
nado. Jim paid little attention to it.
and painted away. with no sight OF
the sky except what was visible
through the round top of the stand
pipe. You see for yourself that il is
only a speck out of the big blue OF
the prairie sky.
"The manager of the waterwork'
pIant was busy that afternoon ana
did not 60 out 10 look at the work
the town loafers, who had had theil
curiosity satisfied, cared nothing FOL
II. and Jim was all alone. 1t mus
have been about three o'clock thai
the storm gathered in the northwest
IT came up with a clean edge, as the
western people say-that Il, tler'
were no clouds ahead of it, only clear
sky and sunshine. But the storm il
self was an ugly one. 1t had hail ane
thunder in it, and the people were
anxious lest there might be too muet