The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-04-18

down for roll Of tape to wind bunt-
hne. III was right at the boys feet,
and be picked 1t up in twinkling and
walked up to me grinning.
- Let me take il up, said he.
Ever been upl' l asked.
"ENo,' said he, 'but can co.
HWell, the lad S nudacity took my
breath away. 1 let him go, and then
regretted it. But ho was already well
started.
"He began by using the foot ropes,
but they were too easy. He climbed
bare poles like monkey and slid down
ropes and stays like an acrobat Every
man aloft stopped work and watched
him.
He reached the royal yard in no
time, but he did not stop there. Nossir.
He went right on to the top of the
mast, and first thing [ knew | saw him
balancing himself on the truck-that's 5
fiat gilt ball which the flag ballard
is rove through.
little and then engaged him. lie
came from Maine, he safd, and his
father was carpenter. But his grand.
father had been n sailing master, and
that told the whole story. The love
of the life aloft skipped a generation,
but 1T broke out strong IN the third.
skyscraper Sailor.
The rigger is really skyscrapeI
sailor. Indeed the lure of higher
wages sometimes draws them out Of tho
rigging and over TO some giant iron
cage of building, and they become
real skyScraper men-structural 1ron-
workers. They have figured prominent.
" during strikes as nonunion laborers.
The union ironworker calls them
Snakes and VOWS that they are
''bum workers -
In way that is true The sailor
ironworker can ride beam with the
best of them, and foot it like cat
when it rolls beneath him. Jlc can
dance fearlessly on the lottlest
''strut,'' but he g a poor man with the
wrench and rivct; good mechanic
with ropes but not with cables.
His place is down the bay on ice
bound, swaying spars, and you can
think Of him and his daring there some
day when the blast from the sea is
rattling the easements in the tall Bat
terry buildings and making the sea
boom along the brcakwater. And here
is n good tale 10 remember him by. 1t
was given me by an old pilot.
\ crew of riggers boarded ship
one day in a driving gale. The captain
and mate were glad TO see them, tor
the sudden storm had caught the ship
ashore.
The work must be done in j hurry.
and the captain took charge. He or
dered young rigger mp the malnmast
TO yard aloft.
The young man shook his head. "lt
ain I safe, cap n, " said he; ''that loot
ropefs shaky.'
The captain replied with volley of
curses. e.Do as l tell you,' he roared
l.. cl-n at older
man. and the latter, with dark look,
said. SEQ on up. lad. III settle this
when we get ashore.
A peculiar situation is well illustrated
here. On board ship sailor is sup
posed to obey every order. and the
rule handed down through centuries has
become law that Is never broken.
rigcer working on ship IN dock VIII
invite a mate on shore and fight HIM:
but on the water he regards himself
as a sailor. and subject to sailors laws
and ethics.
The Young rigeer went up. Ten nun
utes later as the ship careened before
n sharp blast and heavy swell. there
was 4 veil from the rigging, and the
ricger pitched straight out into the sea;
with a fall of more than hundred
feet. Without word the older man
Jumped after him.
They were seen 6ghtng the waves.
hut at times were lost TO view in the
wild waters, and it was an hour be-
fore 4 rope could he cast within Their
reach In the meantime n liteboat had
been splintered while being lowered
over the side.
The two were hauled to the side Of
fine shin, and the older man was seen
making fast the rope under the arms
of the boy, who was seemingly uncon-
scious.
"Hold TO YOURSELF" they yelled, and
began hauling. but they found only the
lad made fast to the rope. and when
they looked down they saw that the
older man his disappeared. He had
given his last bit of strength to save
tho boy.
az was the boy" concluded the
pilot simply. "und the older man was
nv father -