Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-10-16

| wv I factory was put up at
" " Cornwall, Ontario, by the
/ Scotch Canadian capitalists
who are now Lord Moun-Stephen and
Lord Strathcona- d-AIount-Royal,
their contractor for the building was
John Stacy. He was Of great physi-
cal strength, notoriously "a tall man
Of his hands," and everything in the ma
ture of a practical joke was dear to
him, although he must have been
| fifty-five or sixty years old. So no.
body who knew him was surprised
when he proposed a luncheon on top
Of the factory chimney just after its
completion.
1t cannot be truthfully said that
men came fiocking to his invitations.
The chimney, which stood about
twenty-five or thirty feet clear of the
factory building, was plain shaft of
brick with an unrailed iron coping, and
to reach this top we had to so out on
ladder, about thirty-five or forty
feet long, which slanted from the roof
of the ten-story stair tower to the cop
ing. In high winds the tall stack of
brick swayed distinctly, as all high
brick chimneys do at such times
ITS Il wonder entirely what alb
sorbing business the gentlemen of
Cornwall do be having on the day of
me luncheon party" old Mr.. Stacy
told me, with apparent solemnity and
few touches of brogue. II 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 creaturesl
"When l aXed ould Aleck Sandfield
to ate wild us up there, he fed as one
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 70
be able to join me chimney party.
Sure, it's cloudy in his talk John Ban
can be at times. And ten or a dozen
more-'with one accord they made
excuse l dunno what's gone wrong.
There's seldom unwillingness among
them to partake of what's going at
ME expense"
"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 noww he exclaimed,
eyeing me with mock admiration. He
seen it at wanse. The foolish old man
I am! 'Tis the fut Of the chimney 1
should have invited them to! And me
at the greatest of pains tc instruct
them ON the picturesque prospect form
the top, and about the enjoyment of
sitting foreninst yer p.vvisions wild
one hundred and thirty feet of hole
under your toes and the same Of clear
air beneath your backbone!
"And them" 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 at
traction! And you think is scared
| tucLl. Oce lDt pclStltllOh VI tLiS
young"
"And so the party won't come off?"
l said, ignoring his irony.
"Troth, it will! There's yourself
and your chief, Mr.. Bell. Ye will rep
resent the noble ART of factory ar
rchitecture; and the superintendent
he climb anything with good lunch
at the top of it. It's manufacturing
Industries he'll speak for, and me son
George can stand with yourself for
young Canada; and there's meself foI
old Ireland; and then there's the re-
porters, maybe. and Mr.. MacDew,-
that is the mayor,-and wee Macklen
that wants to be. Sure, they'll rep
resent the pr-roud municipality Of
Cornwall"
"Macklem! Surely he won't try IT."
"And why not?"
"That little, nervous shivering store
keeper!"
"Arrah, but you forget the ambi
ton he has to be mayor! 1t initiates
him to that extent he might float like
q balloon. How did l get him to ac.
cept? All, that was aisy! l just took
1t for granted he wouldn't want to be
climbing high places, and l went or
telling him how Mayor MacDew ha6
accepted, and how I'd arranged fol
the Montreal Daily Gazette reporter
and that the Cornwall Sentinel woulu
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 infuerce so many Corn
wall votes hereafther, and wnit pop
ularity the present mayor do be al