River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-08-15
Stacy's Chimney
q Q Top Party . .
BY Edward William Thomson.

WHlEasN the first great wooden cs11 fac, fac
Ont, by the Scotch-Canadian capital
lists who arc now Lord Mount-Stephen
and Lord Strathcona-and-Mount-Royal,
their contractor for the building was
John Stacy. He was of great physical
strength, notoriously "a tall man of
his hands," and anything in the nature
of a practical joke was dear TO him,
although he must have been IS or 60
years old. So nobody who knew him
was surprised when he proposed
luncheon on top of the factory Chin
ney just after its completion
1t cannot be truthfully said that
men came foeking to his invitations.
The chimney, which stood about 25
or 30 feet clear of the factory build
ing, was plain shaft of brick with an
unrailed iron coping, and to reach this
top we had to go out on a ladder,
about 35 or 40 feet long, which slant
ed from the roof of the ten-story stair
tower to the coping. In high winds
the tall stack of brick swayed distinct
ly, as al high brick chimneys do at
such times.
HSt's wonder entirely what absorb
Ing business the gentlemen of Corn
wall do be having on the day of me
funeheon-partv," old Mr.. Stacy told
me, with apparent solemnity and
few touches of brogue. 81 was ex-
pecting the judge would come and re-
ply to the toast of the learned pro-
fessions, but himself is for holding
court steady all that day. Darby
Bergin darsn't be leaving his patients
for two hours, poor creatures!
when I axed ould Aleck Sandfield
to ate wild us up there, he fed as one
man. Donald Ban McLennan says
twill be the height of impossibility
for him to get away from his Office
that day at one o'clock.
"And even me bowld John Ban could
promise no better than that he'd be
proud to partake of what would be
going if it was the luck of him to be
able to join me chimney-party. Sure.
it's cloudy in his talk John Ban can
be atetimes! And ten or dozen more
with one accord they made excuse
/ dunno what's gone wrong. There's
seldom unwillingness among them to
partake of what's going at me ex-
pense."
They're afraid of the height" I
suggested, being young and innocent
enough to imagine that the contractor
might really be puzzled.
Look at that now!" he exclaimed,
ewing me with mock admiration. "He
seen it at wansti The foolish old
man 1 ami IT'S the fut of the chin
ney / should have invited them tot
And me at the greatest of pains to
instruct them on the picturesque pros
pect from the top, and about the en-
ioyment of sitting foreninst yer pro-
visions wild 100 feet of hole under
your toes and the same of clear air
beneath your backbone!
"And then" Stacy continued, "the
pleasure of climbing out on the ladder
with nothing. bar the rungs, betwixt
your boot-soles and the ground
Faith, I discoorsed of the height as
an attraction! And you think it scared
them! See the penetration of the
young!"
"And so the party won't come off?"
] said, ignoring his irony.
"Troth, it Will There's yourself
and your chief, Mr.. Bell We will rep
resent the noble ART of factory
architecture; and the superintend-
ent, he'd climb anything with good
lunch at the top of it. It's manufac-
turing industries he'll speak for, and
self for young Canada; and there's
meself for old Ireland; and then
there's the reporters, maybe, and Mac
Dew-that is the mayor-and wee
Macklem that wants to be. Sure.
they'll represent the pr-roud munich
pality of CORNWALL"
"Mackleml Surely he won't try til"
"And why not?"
THAT little, nervous, shivering
storekeeper!"
"Arrah, but you forget the ambition
he has to be mayor! 1t initiates him
to that extent he might float up like
balloon. How did get him to ac-
cept? All, that was aisyl ! just took
it for granted he wouldn't want to be
climbing high places, and l went on
telling him how Mayor MacDew had
accepted, and how I'd arrange for the
Montreal Daily Gazette reporter. and
that the Cornwall Sentinel would give
two columns to my chimney party, and
how the owners of the factory wished
me success in it-them that will be
able to influence so many Cornwall
votes hereafther, and what popularity
the present mayor do be always gain
ing by being to the fore on public oc-
occasions.
land finally, says I, I'm sorry you
won't take bite with us on the chin
ney-top, Mr.. Macklem.'
"'But l WILL says he, and thank
you
"'Tis a brave little sowl he has in
his little onaisy body! So you see it's
all settled, and I've bespoke the ma
'terials, and high time we'll have that
day, anyhow"
week later we were on top of the
chimney at about one o'clock, party