Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-10-14
PLAYS WlTh D-ATH
FEARFUL RISKS TAKEN BY
"STEEPLE JACK"
No Height from the Ground Too
Great for Him to Attain in the
Pursuit Of His Hazardous
Occupation.

IT, in the pursuit of your nfes vo.
| cation. YOU had seen five men drop
from your side at dizzy height to a
terrible death below, would you con.
tinue in that vocation? If you did
persist in It, would you have sufficient
confidence in yourself to retain your
nerve under all circumstances for
thirty-fve years?
That has been a brief part OF the
many exciting experiences in the life
of II. f. CRisky'D Evans, "Steepe
Jack"
Risky" Evans is a type OF the dare
devils that are growing scarcer each
year The inventions of modern
times have eliminated much of the
necessity for risk which was run i'm
| necessary climbing Of steeples and
high buildings i'm the earlier days. He
himself has been one of the foremost
in making the business OF those who
must work at high attitudes as safe
| and easy as if they had solid ground
beneath their feet. But stil. every
, once in while Risky finds it nee.
ea-aiy to go TO great height to car.
ny ~ a rope on which TO swing a
scatold. or to attach block and pull
ley that his men. less yersed in the
art OF climbing. may perform their du
ties with safety.
There are plenty OF men who work
at great heights as nonchalantly as
does the average person on the
Sround. Carpenters, masons and 9th
err builders must have the same con
tempt for the dizziness that affects
The average person who looks down
rom a great height. But even the
work of such men rs these pales be
'ore the accomplishments OF the few
iett in IN" country of the caliber of
Risky" Evans.
ON wager he once climbed AZ
night, without ropes, ladders. or any
other paraphernaiia, the steeple O;
st. Joseph's church, in Cincinnati.
stood erect on the topmost part of the
cross surrounding the steeple. set
Ere TO two newspapers he had carried
with him in his pocket. and dropped
| them blazing on either side of the
iieople. 10 prove 10 the man with
whom he had made the WAGER that
ne was at the top OF the steeUle. The
| wager was for $50, and the time aIlot
ted him to accomplish the feat was
half an hour
He is the same man who q few
years ago. slid twice daily from the
| roof garden Of the Masonic Temne
ar CHICAGO down rope the entire
twenty stories TO the ground. attract.
ing at each performance crowds tina,
| contested the streets. making them
/ impaa able.
lie iS one Of the men who are often
| seen painting hagpoles many fee,
| above the tops OF the highest OF down.
| town skyscrapers lie has climbed
! practically every steeple OF any prom.
lncnce in Chicago. but he considers
/ chicago steeples nothing. for i'm New
| YORK he has gone with only the Aid
| OF his hands, shoulders and tors r.
me TOP of old Trinity, a height of
! 225 feet
Risky Evans first real experi.
'nre Of any great height from the
earth was I'm the early '7Os. He was
boy who loved all sorts of adve,
| lures. a balloon5t Of then natloral
."uta'ion came to the CITY which wa.
! Risky. home. He needed Someone
10 go with the balloon. i'm which h,
wa" taxing mp several passengers r.
20 down the rope on which was fast
ened the anchor 10 mako fl IA + wbo,
landing was made This vas e.,
lusky.s' liking lie took tho io,.
| When the professor" wanted IN LAM
risky was hoisted over r.o e,do -,
me car Down the SWINGING ronc =,
a.ld Ir"s eripped ieht around n han.
/ over hand manu-
Whom got 10 the end Of the rome
ana sat down a.sjraddle OF tho apcbo-
J. ieit pretty good Evans said In I'm
'ns the story Then boran ~
w"''h icr a tree top to grab the an.
Choir in We went thr9rrb o,o
l.o. and bad my clothes torn into
h''ds and got al sc.atchod mn an
p hIHg on, and finally eot tho anon,
around limb. .eraied TO tho .nra
Ies7or' and the landing was made 70