The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1908-03-11
LOVES ALL BIRDS
sTEEPLEJAcK's STRONG STRAIN
OF sENTiMENTALITY.
Never Too High or Too Busy to Do q
Kind Act for His Feathered
Friends-ThInks They
Like Him.

Big Jack Norton, the steeplejack,
was busily daubing away on the huge
150foot smokestack Of the Union sta
ton power house, says the Indianap.
oils News. lie sat suspended in a
small chair, which was swinging from
the top of the stock supported by two
three-quartcr-inch 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
grasred something, the crowd did not
know what After a moment or two
the l,cople in the street saw the
steeplcjack begin lowering himself
back to earth.
Down, down he came, slowly and
deliberately. Several of the watchers
ran over to the power house to have
Il closer view of the daredevil and to
Try to satisfy their curiosity as to
why he 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 1T
tie sparrow.
There you are, you poor little fell
low" he said to the bird, giving nc
heed to the crowdaround him. Near
ly frozen to. death, aren't you? Well
I've got good warm coat pocket in
here in the power house and you car
get in there and go to Sleep"
With that tenderly spoken comfort
to halffrOzen sparrow, the common
est of all birds, the steeplejack hur
ried into the power house and fount
his coat. Into one of the pockets ths
suffering sparrow was deposited. Their
Norton went to his lunch basket ant
found. among his other noonda.
viands, bread sandwich. One o
the slices of bread was broken int,
crumbs and dropped into the poke
containing the sparrow.
Now, Mr.. Sparrow, you stay there
and fill up and get warm" he said a
parting comfort to the bird. "WheI
| you get all Strengthened out again II
| turn you loose" Norton then turned
| to a negro ash hauler and said: Gin
me a boost on the ropes, will you
John? I've got to get back up to tn
top of that stack and get busy. | ha
to come down with the bird. Poor III
tie devil! He was up on the flange @
the stack and was almost frozen I
DEATH You fellows don't make enoug
smoke come out of that stack to kee
bird warm. That's one thing Nv
got against smoke consumers"
did you come all the way dow
from the top of that stack just to saw
sparrow" bystander asked.
It's cinch," answered the steepl,
jack. Il always do IT, / always hav
and always will. When bird get
into trouble I'm never too busy nc
too high up to give 1t helping hant
My wife laughs at me and says II
sentimental. TX that's what 1t Is, wei
we'll just let it go at that"
The steepleiack then went on
tell stories of experiences he has ha
with birds while he was working {
lofty heights. Pigeons, sparrows an
every other species Of bird that soal
to Jack Nortons workshop-steeplt
and smokestacks-find friend
him. Time and again he has foun
them crippled, just as he found tt
sparrow on the fiange OF the STAG
The birds are his only companion
away up there and he frankly admi
that he lis fool enough to believe the
feel pretty kindly toward him." No
} ton says that he never harmed a biz
in all the years Of his life and that
would come down a stack or steep
any day to do friendly turn for OF