The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-01-03
ROOM ENOUGH AT THE TOP.
A Professor Of Steeple Climbing Talks
interestingly About His Profession.
Cleveland Leader.

Cleveland Leader
Climbing tall church steeples is an easy.
healthful and pleasant way of making a
living, according to Joseph B. Perry. the
man who recently repaired and painted
the spire that towers skyward high above
the roof of st. Johns Cathedral, at Erie
and Superior streets. He has been long
at the business and has made enough mon
ey to retire in a year or so and spend the
remainder of his life comfortably on the
ground at his farm near Alpena, Mich
Perry is getting toward forty-nine years
now, and he says that when man is fifty
years old he is cid enough to give up the
steeple jack business. He is one of the
most famous steeple climbers in the coun-
try, and although he has taken all kinds
of chances in his work he has never been
hurt. In repairing the steeple of ST. Johns
Cathedral in this city he took about as
dangerous chance as has fallen to the
lot of any one.
He came here the day after the wind
storm that seemed to be blowing the spire
over almost, and. although the wind was
about as high that day, he assembled the
steeple and tied a rope around il. He went
up inside the steeple to the highest point
where there was a chance TO get out, and
from there threw a small rope around the
base or the cross at the top. With this he
pulled heavier rope into place and was
ready for work. He put a strong rope
around the steeple where 1t was beginning
to crack open, attached block and tackle
to this and frightened the rope until the
steeple was squeezed together again and
the crack closed. This put an end to the
danger of the steeple blowing apart for
the time being, and after the wind mod
Grated he climbed the steeple again and
repaired Ii thoroughly This took a week
For this work, although he could not work
all the time on account of the wind and
rain, Mr. Perry got s225. When he was
through he made a contract to paint the
portions of the spire that need repainting
Next spring he will gid the great twelve
foot cross that surmounts the steeple The
gliding cannot be done in winter because
the gold leaf cannot be made to stick in
cold weather.
Mr.. Perry is we'll known all over tho
United States and Canada, being, perhaps,
the best known steeple climber i'm the colIn-
try. All the summer he has been in New
York repairing one and another of the tall
steeples there. Ii is interesting to hear
the steeple climber talk of the things he
has done high above the heads of the people
in the streets.
Il made $40 before breakfast one morn
Ing" he said to a reporter .'It was at INV
home in Alpena. The wind had blown the
cross from the top of the spire Of one of
the churches. The steeple is 204 feet high
and the new cross that was TO be nut on
was sixteen feet high and ten feet across
There were some little windows I'm the spire
about fifty feet from the top and went in
side the steeple until L reached them. That
much OF IL was easy. They had man
working for week to put up the cross and
he had failed. He built scaffold UP from
tbs roof of the church. thinking that he
would be able to reach the top in that way
He didn't get near the top with the scat.
fold a boy could go in five minutes
by climbing up the inside of the steeple To
the highest windows. When he was through
they sent for me. They thought | oughr
To go up as far as the other mans scaffoks
went. but / didn't want any of that IN
mine. I never used a scaffold in my life
/ wouldn't trust myself ON a scaffold
They were in a hurry to have the cross
placed on top OF the steeple and sent for
me TO do Ii. They offered me $40 for the
job. l got up at O'Clock in the morning
and went up inside OF the steeple TO where
the little windows are. Then / got out and
climbed the lightning rod TO the top of the
sfeepie. fastened a block and tackle and
had the men on the ground below hoist
the cross up to me- / put IL I'm place and
fa stoned IL so that nothing less than hur-
ricane could blow IL away and then came
down and went TO breakfast Ii was less
than a two hours job and il was making
money faster than l ever made Il before
or have since.
going UP In = balloon. ! happened TO b