The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-05-13
IRDARING FEAT
High School Boys Climb the
Edison Chimney.
Hang Their Glass ColOrs lS6
Feet in the Air.
DONE AT MIDNIGHT.
Ralph Forbes and Frank Shell
don Accomplish the Task.
Lively Time Anticipated Over
the Event Tonight.

Just at the spooky midnight hour
Thursday night, Ralph Forbes and
Frank Sheldon. two members of the
sub-senior class at the Topeka high
school. climbed to the top of the
smokestack at the Edison plant and
hung their class colors at the very top
of the pipe, 1877 feet from the ground
Their insignia was made up in the
shape of a pennant, almost 90 feet in
length, with the figures "05' on
field of blue.
This morning at 10 O'Clock Charles
Austin, an employee of the Edison
company, took the banner down. He
nailed it on the walls of the engine
room. to be kept as a trophy or relic
Austin is a small man in size, weigh
ing not more than $50 pounds. but he
made the trip up the ladder along
side the pipe just as though he was
going in to dinner. He aided in paint
ing the stack and has been up there
before. 1t took him just 16 u min
utes to bring the colors down. Half
of this time was consumed in loosen
ing it from its hold. The boys had
fastened the bunting to piece of wire
and hooked this into the bell of the
pipe. 1t blew clear around to the
other side, and it was necessary for
austin TO laSSO the Streamer with the
aid of a heavy bolt fastened to a rope.
He had a risky job, but apparently
didn't notice it, for he gave a yell of
delight when he had accomplished his
job.
But the credit belongs to the boys.
Neither of them. ever attempted such
a job before. Ralph Forbes is a son
of P H Forbes, who owns the
Sheldon conceived the idea and with
several of their fellow classmates
went down to the Edison plant last
night and waited until everything was
quiet Both the boys went UP the
long ladder which is fastened to the
side of the pipe. Forbes went up first
with Sheldon right at his heels. Shell
| don got so cold that he shook the lad
der like a limb before either had
| reached the top. But that didn't phase
the youngsters a bit. They hung up
their flag and then spent about ten
minutes sitting upon the edge of the
bell taking a view of the city. They
were just three-Quarters of an hour in
putting up the flag.
But that is not ali of it The sub-jun-
Tors saw the nag this morning and made
comments about it, with the result that
they received a challenge from the sub
seniors that they were afraid to do like
wise. You never saw a boy that would
take dare, SO the sub-juniors got to-
gether in executive session and decided
that they would hang their colors at the
top of the pipe tonight.
| The sub-senlorS, on the other hand.
nave O6CAd6O tIldl IAey wont STAND Tor
this and are planning to go in a body and
keep the juniors from putting up their
colors. The chances are ripe for a rat
Ting good class fight all around the Ed
ison smokestack' tonight unless some of
the men employed there keep on watch
with good supply of bricks and shot
guns.
There is something started now in dead
earnest. The Edison people will be both
cred from now on until the end of time
with high school students who will hang
their colOrs on the top of the smokestack.
! Down at Kansas university they have the
same kind of an annual fracas. The
freshman make it their business to paint
their class numerals on the standpipe and
the sCphOmoreS think it their mission in
life to keep the first year men from do
ing this. Tonight or tomorrow at some
immediate date the subscribers and the
sub-juniors of the Topeka high school
will have the same kind of a fight. At
Kansas university there are a whole list
of broken legs and arms and cracked
| heads to be charged up to this class nu-
neral business, and before many years
the high school will have a few to charge
up to its account