The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-02

New York, Sept. There Is one
class of workers in New York who
are never afraid of hard times, who
have more opportunities for EN-
| ployment than they can take ad-
vantage of, and who set their own
wages and hours OF work, without
consulting employers or labor
unions. Possessed of extraordinary
courage, vision and poise, they fol-
low the RICH road to success. They
are the steeplejacks.
, There are only about half dozen
'steeplejacks listed in the New York
| telephone book-a number not
nearly large enough to take care of
all the work that is available on
church spires, chimney stacks and
skyscraper f1agpoles. Competition
is kept down by fear. Steeplejack-
ing is not likely to appeal to the ma
jority; certainly, one does not find
it listed in the advertisements of
correspondence courses.
This monopoly, made possible
by his physical superiority, the
steeplejack closely guards, as an
inventor guards the secret formula
of his invention. He is loath to ex-
pand his business, to include out
side workers, but usually keeps it
carefully within the circles of his
own family. Thus a steeplejack is
usually the son of a steeplejack c.
the father of one. One New York
steeplejack, Louis Mccarthy, has
trained his wife to assist him, and
is now proceeding to train his infant
son.
Nobody took me by the hand ard
made the way easy" he declared in
explaining this peculiar form OF
business corporation. Il had to
pick it up by myself and risk my
neck doing it. Catch me giving the
game away. When l am overloaded
and have to hire an assistant l don't
go about looking for the SMART
guys The thicker they are the bet
ter. I'd rather take a week to /!
snow him how to tie a paint bucket |
to a bo'sun's chair than to have |
him catch on in one lesson and in
side few weeks be competing with |
me for jobs"
This attitude seems a bit odd. /
especially when so few people are |
eager to paint the peaks of sky /
scrapers or fix the clocks in church
towers. 1t can be explained only
by the steeplejack's natural desire
to protect his high wages. Mr.. Nc
Carthy, for example, makes SIS for
every day he works, and some DAYS
when the task is exceptionally diff
hcuIt the figure raises to 500 or
$3.50.
Took the Lady Along.
When Mr.. Mccarthy first intro
duced his wife to steeplejacking he
had no intention OF making her his
assistant. 1t was simply to quiet
her fears, which kept her Constant
~ worried while he was away at
work. /
Il decided" he said, that she
would just have to go up with me
a couple of times so as she could
see 1t wasn't SO awful dangerous.
The first time l took her up | was /
on Borough Hall in Brook /
yn. The f1agpole was to be painted
and the gilded ball on top was l65
.eet above the street. She went I'D II
hat fagpole with me in a bo'sun's
;hair, and has never been afraid for
ne since. She is happiest when We :
ire together high up on the rim of {
some chimney stack. Most of nv
work Is on chimneys. l am a sort '
" stack specialist. The baby keeps {
Ter home now, but before long | ! Y
.ope to have them both with me on t
he job The youngster is going to t
,e the greatest steepleJack that ever
lived. 2
Why, only the other day" cor i
inued the proud father, Il found t
i'm playing with a rope and trying c
0 climb up the back of a chair. We /
ncourage him to climb He'll need t
God climbing muscles.
Il give him other tests, too. Some i
ines l hold him out of a fourth C
tory window by his wrists. He Q
ever shows any signs of fear. He e
kes it The first time I tried that b
e Just smiled. Then he saw a lit a
e dog in the backyard below and t
aid, 'BoW-woW.' I'm going to take s
I'M up pole with me pretty soon v
nd nave our pictures taken. lin
cure it will be a momento for him b
after life if his dad should kick
II before he grows up." e
Kicking off" is a rather fire. o
uent occurrence among steepIe- a
icks- The mortality rate is So C.
lormous In their profession th1t II
lsurance companies will not in II
Ire them, yet there have been some s.