The evening times., 1901-01-19
MONEY IN sTEEPLE CLIMBING.
Professional Who Has Cash Enough
TO Retire
(Frcm the Cleveland Leader-)

Climbing Lau church steeples is an e5sy,
Reaitbful and pleasant way of making a
living, according 20 Joseph b Perry, the
Eian who recently repaired ana painted
the spire that towers skyward high above
The roof CT St Johns Cathedral at Erie
and Superior Streets He has been lons
at the business. and has made enough
money 10 retire IN year or so and
spend the remainder OF has life comfCCta-
bly, OF ghe ground az his farm near Al
peEa- Mich Perry is getting toward for
=y-nino years now. and is ole the most IA
nous steeple climbers in The country Al
hough he has taken all kinds CT chances
IN his work he has never been hurt
He came here the day after the VINO
storm that seemed to be blowing over the
spire Of St Johns Cathedral. and, al
though the wind was about as high that
day, he GScended the steeQle, and tied a
rope ground IL He went up inside the
steeple 10 the highest point where there
was a chance to get out, aao from there
threw a small rope around the base of the
cross at the top. With this he pulled d
heavier rope INTO place. and was ready
for work. He put stronE rope around
the Steeple where il vas beginning to
crack open attached q block and tackle
10 this and tightened 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 steepIe again and
repaired il 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 $225- When be
was through he made a contract to paint
the portions OF the spiTe that needed re-
painting Next spring he will gild the
great twelye-foot cross that surmounts
IT..
in winter. because the gold leaf cannot be
made to stick
Afr 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. It 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 SI10 before breakfast one morn
ing he said. 1t was at my home in AL
pena- 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 vas to be put on
was sixteen feet tall and ten feet across
They were in hurry 10 have the cross
placed II position on top the steeple. and
sent for me 10 do it They offered me sf1O
for the Job. I got up at O'Clock in the
morning and went up inside of the steepIe
TO where the little windows are Then I
got out and climbed up the lightning rod
to the top Of the steeple. fastened a block
and tackle, and had the men on the
ground below hoist the cross up to me-
/ put It IN place and fastened it so that
nothing less than a hurricane could blow
II away, and then came down and went
10 breakfast I was less than two hours
On the JOB, and it was making money
faster than I ever made it before or have
since
The easiest money ever made was by
going up in a balloon I happened 10 be
n town up in Canada where the old
Barpun circus WIS showing To make il
more Interesting the circus people we're in
the habit OF offering $10G to anyone who
would 80 up IN the balloon with the aero
naut WheE he made an ascension. This
was 20 make II look as though il was a
very dangerous thing 10 go up in bal
loon l had nothing particular to do. and
so waited until the balloon was about
ready TO start and the offer cf sf0O to
any man Who would go up had been shout
eo over and over, and the handbiIls max
ING Lhe same announcement had been
passed around all througe the crowd. and
then / went up TO the ropes around the
balloon and said I would go up in il for
800 Everybody heard me. and got a
eheer. and there was no chance for the
snow people 10 back cut. So they told me
10 get IN and up We went We came down
sixty miles away. but got back and got
my 500 the next morning.
I have been IN the steeple-climbfnz
business fer seventeen years although
made Iny first climb when 1 was only
twelve years old I was working for z n
Oliver with the intention OF learning the
carpenter and millwright business. which
atteTward learned and worked at until
l began limbias steeples altogether for
living There was steeple I54 feet high.
and they wanted somebody to put q cross
II place on top Of it. The spire vas slen-
Ger one. and II was thought that If would
not De strong enough for a man to 90 on
top OF it They advertised for two wears
FOR some one TO put the cross in place
and no one undertook the Job. I made IN
my nlnd that / could do it all right. and
! did IT- Oliver made the plans for me.
ahd told NE Just what 10 co after I got
20 the top Of the steeple The cross was
made of galvanized iron and only weighed
l94 pounds. so that ! vas able to handle If
all right with the assistance OF the men
on the ground 10 haul on the ropes for
me-
The highest spire I ever climbed was
30 teet high. Ii IS On the cathedral in
OtraSa. Canada I gilJed the cross on
thaL St. Johns steeple here. the one
have been at work on. Is ZS2 feet high. in
Guiding the cross. which is twelve feet
high have left a rope around the base
or The cross, 50 that II VIII be easier worl,
wien II comes TO gliding the cross next
spFlEg / always take . contract 10 fin
lsh a JOB for so much. TO matter how long
il takes If the weather is bad 50 that
cannot work, II is NY loss