The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1904-07-14
AFaIl From Tho Staging.

] had an experience once that nearly
whltened my hair, said the artist. Spill
white paint on IL asked the man In TIN
big leather chair. Not 1t was something
worse than that. ! was iast starting oul
to earn my living with brush, and wal
willing to paint almost anything, from :
portrait TO the shy piece In thes,er scenery
And then he went on to tell this story.
Ole Of the public buildings In the capita
had a big dome, and on the ceiling Of the
dome was great deal Ct elaborate painting
that had become Dizzy, and needed retouch
ing. | was pleased enough when got
The ID Ct doing IL.
They erected q staging for me to work
ony-a fraih 9oking thing, which almost
turned me sick when | arrived with my
outfit and stood In the rotunda, looking up
at the dome, huudrsd and fifty feet above
me.
| shall be 50 dizzy that | can't hold a
brush, said to the carpenter.
Oh, that will be all right said he. We
are e lag to fpread big canvas under the
staging, for tie Iotunda Is Ia use all the
time, and you'd be spotting rybody be-
low with paia. unless we had something to
protect them.
| felt relieved when heard that, and
still more relieved wttn | had climbed up
into the dome and found that the entire
roturds below was hidden by taut cloth
which the workmen had stretched across.
Ihsd been to work nearly two days when
began to get careless In stepping around
The staging. suppose the canvas below
me gave me feeling Of comparative safety.
About noon ore day took step back
ward to look up at some drapery which
had Just repsinted. Ny foot touched only
the air, and fell into the canvas.
There was ripping and tearing Of cloth
IS settled down into the hollow. lay
there fat on my back, and locked round
with an interest In the quality and faster-
ings Of the canvas that you may be .ure
was sincere.
There was no doubt about the strength
Of the fastenirgs, they were OF rope, tied
around big knots in the cloth, and strong
enough to hold a horse. But the canvas
Itself WAS frightfully thin, and WAS mildew-
ed In spots. turned over on my face and
found myself staring through a rip down
to the marble flooring Of the rotunda, a
hundred feet below.
l was comfortable enough physically,
but mentally! Every time moved some
thing would stretch and tear.
OF course yelled for help, and after a
time ] heard answering shouts down be
low. The canyas was ssgging down In
the middle and strsining and iqaeaking a.
long the edges. Figured out that 1t wonld
take the workmen at least two minutes to
climb into The dome. By the time they got
to me thought should be spread out be-
low.
tried to move up the incline OF cloth,
scramblng along on my stomach and push
ipg with my feet; but the attempt wldened
The rip in the canvas. Suddenly, as Ipush.
cd harder with my feet, one foot and near
ly the whole leg shot through the canvas.
could hear the scream OF women below
My flnger-nsils scratched and clawed the
rough surface, but OF course made little
impression. They simply kept me from
slipping quite so fast. Then heard the
steps Of men on the scsff,ldlng. They let
down rope that curled near my fingers,
but /. was several seconds before ! dared
to let 20 my hold on the canvas for
sufficient time to grasp 1t.
Finally | got both hands upon 1t, ard
they dragged me up the Incline to the
staging.