The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-01-03
ROOM ENOUGH AT THE TOP.
Professor of steepIe Climbing
Talk. About Hi. Profession.

! the man VINO recently repaired anu FaiLteh
! 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
money to retire in 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 a man is fifty
years old he is old enough to give up the
| stseplejack 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 anyone.
! 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 1t.
| He went up inside the steeple to the high
est point where there was a chance to
| get out, and from there threw a small
rope around the base of the cross at the
| top. With this he pulled a heavier rope
into place and was ready for work He
put strong rope around the steepie
\ where IL was beginning to crack open.
| attached a 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 moderated he
climbed the steeple again and repaired Ii
| thoroughly. This took week. Fer 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 contract to paint the portions
of the spire that needed 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 the
United States and Canada. being, perhaps,
the best known steeple climber in the
country. All the summer he has been in
New York repairing one and another of
the tall steeples there. 1t is interesting
to hear the steeple climber talk of the
things he has done high above the heads
OF the people in the streets.
~ made S110 before breakfast one morn
ing" he said to a reporter. 1T was at
my home in Alpena. The wind had blown
the cross from the top of the spire of one
of the churches. The steepie is 20l feet
high and the new cross that was to be
put on was sixteen feet tall and ten feet
across. There were some little windows
in the spire about fifty feet below the tip
and l went inside the steeple until L
reached them. That much of it was easy.
They had had man working for a week
10 put up the cross and he had failed. He
built a scanold UP from the roof OF the
church, thinking that he would be able
to reach the top in that way. He didn't
get as near the top with the scaffoid AZ
a boy could go in five minutes by climb
ing up the inside of the steeple TO the
highest windows. When ne was through
they sent for me- They thought | ought
to go up as far as the other mans scat
fold went, but l didn't want any of that
in mine. | never used a scanold in my
life. l wouldn't trust myself on scat
fold
They were in hurry to have the cross
placed in position on top of the steeple
and sent for me to do it. They offered
me sl10 for the Job. got up al clock
in the morning ami went up inside of the
steeple TO where the little windows are.
Then l got out and climbed up the light
ming rod to the top of tie steepie, fasten-
ed block and tackle, and had the men on
the ground below he list the cross up to me.
| put il in place and fastened 1t SO that
nothing less than hurricane could blow
it away and then came down and went
to breakfast. | was less than two hours
on the job. and It was making money fast
er than l ever made it before or have
since.
THE easiest money l ever made was by
going up in balloon. ! happened to be in
a town up in Canada where the old Bar.
nun circus was showing. To make il
more interesting the circus people were in
the habit of offering 500 to anyone who
would go up in the balloon with the aero
-I.aF, ho IL T-,A
was to make it look as though it was a
very dangerous thing 20 go up in bal
loon. / had nothing particular to do, and
so / waited until the balloon was about
ready to start, and the offer of 800 10
any man who would go up had been shout
ed over and over. and the haIdbilIs max
ing the same announcement had been
passed around all through the crowd. and
thea | went up TO the ropes around the
balloon and said / would go up in it for
500 Everybody heard me, and l got
cheer. and there was no chance for the
show people 20 back out. So they told
NE to get in and up we went. We came
down sixty miles away, but l got back
and got my s100 the next morning, all
right. 1t was the easiest money ever
made.
Il have been in the steeple- climbing
business for seventeen years. although l
made my first climb when | was only
twelve years old / was working for E.
d. Oliver with the Intention of learning
the carpenter and millwright business.
which -afterward learned and worked at
until I began climbing steepies altogether
fer living. There was a steeple 154 feet
high. and they wanted somebody TO put
cross in place on top Of ii. The spire was
4 slender enc. and il was thought that it
would not he strong enough for man 20
go on top o. II. They advertised for Two
years for some one to put the cross in
place. and no one undertook the job. 1
made up my mind that l could dc ii sll
right. and I did. Mr. Oliver made the
plans for me- and told me just what to do
after I got 10 the top Of the steeple. The
cross was made Of galvanized iron and
only weighed 104 pounds, so that l was
able to handle it all right with the as
sistance Of the men on tie ground, to
haul on ;hs ropes Tor me.
1.-The highest spirs | ever climbed was
315 feet high. 1t was OH the cathedral in
Canada. l gilded the cross on that.
St Johns steeple here the one have
been a. work on is 262 feet high includ-
ing the crcss which is twelve feet high.
l have lett rope around the base OF the
crCss, SO that it VIII be easier work when
it comes to gliding the cross next spring
always take q contract to finish job
for SO much, no matter how long il takes.
II the weather is rad SO thai | cannot
work. it is my loss.
4 have never been nervous or dizzy
when l was or stepIe since / stopped
using tobacco. l used to be a hard smoker.
and when / was not smoking | was chew
ing all the time. l used to be such
smoker that l would get up in the middle
Of the night to smoke G nine. | goI so