The Republican journal., 1902-04-17
4 THE RIGGER'S TRADE.

case
ug annoy " men you get 10 1ork
hot1iA ZONES the rlssef lhat we ooch
al W llson S stores, and want new
fofelnast ana new n9glhg throughout,
es. yes; we II looh out lot you,
mans oach lhe Jug, Wilch lnllneoIateiy
puts BACK at full speed 1or New OK;
llliln lew hours lRe Qliapitaleu
vessel has been toWed RAPIDLY up the
hafDor ana warped INTO her COCK. Al
though 1t Is . o'clock OF Wlnters
evening, she Is Immediately boarded oy
several SeI1-contalned LOOKING men, VINO
&c ABOUT her fapluiv testing her ropes,
examining the spars ana estimating
now muc4 she needs.
II IS before a bargain mas oteh
struck between her captain ana the
contracting ngger. ms done, the yes
sci becomes at once the scene OF tre-
mehdous acuNllN
y Aghter carrying q 4u9e oerfleh
comes alongside ana makes 1ast. \
tIamor OF shouted orders nus ,1 tne a3T'
the piercing glow OF a seaIchllsht H.
That radiance thirty ouu platk ilgures
Chamber up the masts, dlsperse them,
selves along tn yards and ropes ana
begin a performance that makes one
think OF a swarm OF huge SPIDERS pusv
with their strange architecture. lhey
are IAe snip rlSgerS at Worh.
Along the water front they nave
PIuNefo IluStIatNt Oh d loIIolIl lope'
ABOUT as g0ou a chahce as snip ny,
yer mas WIN d ne insurance ohlPall!,
INeE say. or tLe INSURANCE con u
do not hanker to write poncleS 1or men
VINO lolIoN lIls trace ne Iate o.
hIoItdIlS Is 700 ldi On 1ie "lolls sioe
ol = tI4e paidhte' -..,. ,.., $50.
Even tue toast"i SAILOR, ha'd qua
dangerous as Is MS NE loohS uPoil sup
rigging as desperate Way u hlahiIls
i1Vlng' Any sailor VIII tell you thal
the men who 60 aloft TO patch up
dlsIleVeled snip fouo" the most peru
Gus traue III the "uIiu; IL YOU want
1urtheI PROOF looh at the hospllal rec
oT1lS OF any Dig port
me Salp llgstl IS JACK ol an lldues'
reg uIiIhs sieat PIissledl stlells w.
4ulchl-eSs 0! perception anu courage
ne steeple JACK, the IRON WORKER on
great t"ehlF-sloTy pullulls, even lllt
lfapeze pellofIleI, "orhs IL! la less
peru OF me ana llhlp-
JACK oI lllt SteePle' Ilioush "oIhiilS
AT great ATTITUDES, can lei! on tle soilu-
- ~ - S0k1' ~
KNOWS tilat steer DEANS 40 NOT D'tah,
ana the trapeze performer usually as
pays ms skill ABOVE hel ana Always
WIN Wen tested ropes. But the rlggef
must depend upon alootlhs as 1TeaclleI-
Gus as rotten ice.
ne muSI WoIh' anu NoIh )" II ~
trusting TO ropes winch would not De
manq ms ATTENTION II they We're trust
worthy lie must pass ABOVE yaWhlhg
CULTS on spars whose heart is eaten out
by rot, He must chmb to the top OF
masts, unsettled ana WaVerlng III their
places,
lie must 90 alott III ram or snow ana
often plck his way by the hllndlng glare
OF the seafthllght, obeylng the tore
man whistle with the unquestlonlng
promptltude OF d soldier on duty. And
at every atep, no matter how sure OF
loot, Keen OF eye, and steady OF nerve
he be, ne may plunge to death below
because the rope that he grasps or the
spar Oh Nhlch he sets his foot IS rotten.
II sailor falls from tile masthead
while at sea, the rolling OF the vessel Is
likely to sent him overboard; but the
Elggei must come down on hard boards:
1t is not unusual Tor 2C per cent OF all
rlggers actively employed to he injured
III a season.
The proportion Of Triggers more OF