Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1908-01-09
LOVES ALL BIRDS
sTEEPLEJAck's STRONG STRAIN
OF sENTlmENTALlTY.
Never Too High or Too Busy 20 DO a
Kind Act for His Feathered
Friends--Thinks They
Like Him.


was busily daubing away on the huge
150-foot smokestack OF the Union sta
ton power house, says the Indianap-
oils News. He sat suspended in a
small chair, which was swinging from.
the top OF the stock supported by two
three-quarterinch ropes. The crowd
in the street car below was rubber
ing" up at the daring steeplejack and
stack painter.
While the crowd watched It saw
Norton quit his work and begin draw
Ing himself nearer to top OF the stack.
Then he put forth his hand and
gTasped something. the crowd did not
know what. After n moment OF two
the people In the street saw the
steeplejack begin lowering himself
back TO earth.
deliberately. Several OF the watchers
ran over to the power house to have
a closer view OF the daredevil and to
try to satisfy their curiosity as to
why ne came down from his lofty,
perch when the morning was not half
worn away.
Norton reached the ground safely
and swung himself free from his chair.
Those gathered near saw him put his
hand in the pocket Of his jacket. and,
to their amazement, bring forth lit
tie sparrow.
There you are. you poor little fell.
low" he said to the bird. giving no
heed to the crowd around him. Near
ly frozen to death, aren't you? Well,
I've got a good warm coat pocket in
here in the power house and you can
get in there and go TO sleep"
With that tenderly spoken comfort
to q half.froEen sparrow, the common.
est of all birds. the steeplejack hur-
ried into the power house and found
his coat. Into one of the pockets the
suffering sparrow was deposited. Then
Norton went to his lunch basket and
found. among his other MONDAY
viands. a bread sandwich. One OF
the slices OF bread was broken into
crumbs and dropped into the pocket
containing the sparrow.
Now, Mr.. Sparrow, you stay there
and I'LL up and get warm" he said as
q parting comfort to the bird. When
you get all Strengthened out again III
turn you loose" Norton then turned
to a negro ash hauler and said: Gin
me q boost on the ropes, will you
John? I've got to get back up to thS
top Of that stack and get busy. had
TO come down with the bird. Poor lit
tie devil! He was up on the flange o.
the stack and was almost frozen Il
death. You fellows don't make enough
smoke come out Of that stack to keeI
bird warm. That's one thing I've
got against smoke consumers"
did you come all the way dow
from the top OF that stack just to saw
SPARROW bystander asked.
TITS q cinch," answered the steeple
Jack. Il always do Il. l always hay,
into trouble I'm never too busy no
too high up to give It a helping hand
My wife laughs at me and says In
sentimental. II that's what 1t Is, well
wen Just let It go at that"
The steeplejack then went on 4
tell stories OF experiences he has hal
with birds while he was working a
lofty heights. Pigeons. sparrows an
every other species Of bird that soar
to Jack Norton's workshop-steeple
and mokestacks--find a friend q
him. Time and again he has foun
them crippled, Just as he found tn
sparrow on the fiange OF the stacl
The birds are his only companion
away up there and he frankly admit
that he "is fool enough to believe the
feel pretty kindly toward him" MOI
ton says that he never harmed a Dir
in all the years of HIS life and that
would come down stack or steepl
any day to do friendly turn for on
OF his feathered friends.