The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-24
HE SLEEPS in A STEEPLE
QUEER HOME OF SEXTON OF THE
CHURCH OF THE MESSIAH.
He Likes His Loft i'm the Air, Away
from the Noisy Streets-WindOws
Like headlights.
Baltimore Sun.

Baltimore Sun.
There are not many people" says
Charles Dickens, I'm his quaint goblin story
of 1.-THE Chimes "who would care to sleep
in a church. don't mean at sermon time in
warm weather (when the thing has actually
been DONE once or twice., but in the night,
and alone
Many knights of the road. that queer ge-
nus hobo, who spend their leisure hours
seeing the country on foot and are ofttimes
content to enjoy quiet siesta on the south
ern slope of hill, would probably find
church very comfortable resting place for
their weary bones in bad, wintry weather;
but few persons indeed, would care TO
make their habitation in a church steeple.
Yet, right in the heart of this great city,
within a stones throw of the City Hall:
may be found such man. In the steeple of
the Protestant Episcopal Church of the
Messiah. at Fayette and Gay streets, the
sexton of the church, James DAILY, has eat
en-, and drunk, and slept, day in and night
out, winter and summer. for six years
Up in the great round steeple where the
birds build their nests and the rats play
hide and seek among the dust-covered raft
ers and beams; where the dismal night
wind whistles an uncanny dirge through
each crack and hole; where the big bell
swings on its mold frame. high above the
turmoil of the city-up there Mr.. DAILY
makes his home. A very coZy little home IL
is, too, despite its unusual surroundings, as
a reporter of the Sun saw it yesterday.
Would you like to see my roost?' asked
Mr.. Daily, in the quaint brogue Of the EN-
erald isle which years of knocking around
the world has failed to eradicate.
Receiving an answer in assent, Mr.. DAILY
led the reporter up several flights Of wind
ing stairs, with whitewashed walls on
either side through the organ loft; then up
a short. straight stairway and into the room
where the sexton makes his home.
the heavy brick columns which support the
dome OF the tower at each corner, and is
about twenty feet in diameter. The floor Is
bare, and the only articles of household
furniture consist of a low cot, covered with
clean bedclothes, and plain wooden chair.
Two homogeneous articles occupy consider
tai bars and vaulting HORSE" relics of
the days when there was a gymnasium in
the church for the use of the boys OF the
choir and Sunday school.
WINDOWS LIKE A VESSELS.
At the eastern side of the room is win
dow about three feet high and five feet
wide, overlooking Gay street. This window
is closed by massive shutters of solid wood.
nearly three inches thick, each with a small
oval pane of glass, resembling the dead,
lights of vessel Only through these small
panes OF glass can the light OF day enter
the room. On a clear morning when Mr..
DAILY awakes the first thing he sees is the
warm sun streaming through these oval
shaped glass windows. and the sight let's
loose the hoodgates of memory In Mr.
Days brain, for he was not always a SEX
ton.
Overhead is a ceiling of thin boards, above
which hangs the great bell, with its gaping,
brazen mouth. over five feet in diameter
In the center of the ceiling is q small,
square hole, just large enough to admit a
man. and through this opening a ladder de-
f. <lrr 90 H. -.
bedroom. On either side of the maphole is a
small hole, through which a rope hangs
down. the end being fastened to rung of
the ladder. One of these ropes swings the
big bell to and fro on its rusty, creaking
perch, its loud voice calling the devout TO
prayer. the other rope rope works The hammer
emn requiem for the departed.
did you ever see nicer. daintier home
for a mani" asked Mr.. DAILY, in tone of
modest pride. up here there is no one TO
stantly dropping things the floor above
your head. Everything is quiet and peace
ful-like. In winter. when the window is
man can sleep lively. Cold? Sure, / never
was cold up here: but have been many's
the time in boarding houses All the heat OF
the furnaces i'm the basement of the church
com right up this way. Do you mind the
time of the blizzard? Well / slept up here
then, and was as comfortable as babe In
its mothers arms.
ne nSnt comes through tHosc "inuo" =
there. They look Just like the headlights of
a snip. and they carry me back TO the time
when was younger and stronger than am
to-day / was a sailor in those days. when a
sailor had To be all that the name means.
for those were the days of the clipper ships.
Yes, sir: for over score OF years 1 sailed
the seas, and many strange things I've seen
and heard in my time, too.
LIGHTNING AND CAPTAIN FORBES.
One of the fastest clippers of my time was
the Lightning. built in Boston for an Eng
lish firm, and a beauty she was. served
before the mast on her on many cruise 10
Hongkong and Calcutta. Her master was
Captain Forbes. Did you ever hear tell of
Captain Forbes and his proud boast. and
what came OF Ii? No? Well. this is the way
the yarn goes:
Captain Forbes made such fast time In
the lightning that his shippers built him
another and still finer boat. The captain.
when he heard OF the new boat being built