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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1919-11-6, Page 2mc Slip of the Sign Bee EARL R. RICE. hheetesse Ni The terrific storm that raged over a Western city oue night in June a few years ago put scores of telephone,' telegraph and electric -light wires out of commission. On the following day many men worked overtime in repair ing the damage. Amens them was John Vincent, n young repair man in the service of the Abelson Electric Sign Compar.y. .ht half cast six o'clock, after working all day, he went to the top of one of the tallest It 'i tings in to in tri repair a sign there. Ohl l gaily the jolt would hove gone over ::tail another day, but a great convent:en was Meg held in the city. and a large retail item with goods to sell that had their store In the building t'enin aded that their huge sign be put into tiff orliing order. Beonieeflelei & SpeekIitt s peerless pro- deete were useful, inl'.pclieebie and cheap, and the flaring ign that so informed the puettee from the top of the skyscraper had to give ite rightly, message. "Fix it up." was the or :er that the ee mpany sent to the young repair: ntar:; and although John bed werhe'. long and bard that play, The p'•i,rres d to do his hest. As the ale vote;r rees swiftly tit the f,.at'te::nth tiattr. the lett ,aciow the roof, Je.',:n said t a hie eseisaina "We'll, hurry th:a r:ie.ce ale feet a ,:e tam. If it's too b1. ' 'I? seethe temp rar repairs at... e;i.ie haelt he the mornire It's the last `.brat fer the day. and I'll be °dot whan we get ;kiwi:. "Se will I. enid the a,si^tan ••Half a dozen tees Dike this es enagh for one day. I've been t:i i y ever &nee we lett the laet one. John laughed. "After yea have leen w th us a while yoa'll get used to the high onee. I felt that way at fust" But as they stepped out of the cage, John looked sharply at his assistant. "You're all right. Brown?" he asked. "Yes," Brown replied. "Or I will be when we get to work." Together they pro: eeded to the roof, r where John looters the situation over. Eoomerfield & Speckitt's sign was twenty-five feet high by thirty feet wide. The front leaned slightly for- ward. The upper framework was of light but strong iron ,trips, and the lower part was of heavier stuff. The bolo that tied the joints together seemed heavy and strong, and those that fastened the whole structure to the roof were nearly an inch thick. The bottom of the frame rested scarcely a yard from the edge of the roof, and there was barely space enough for a man to walk between it and the battlement in front. The for- ward tilt of the sign brought the up- per part of the frame almost in line with the ledge. Here and there a stack or chimney. pierced the flat, sanded roof, and over • near one corner of the sign a flagpole rose skyward. John noticed that the flag at the top of the mast had been :supplemented by a convention banner, and that in the fitful breeze both flags now swung out at full length, now hug Ump round poje ty . Z ueh to his sati action, John found that the big sign had suffered little damage. A. few broken bulbs and some loosened connections were ap- parently all that needed attention. Those that were on the lower part of the frame where he could reach them he soon took eaxe of, "Now far those neagrthe tog.," said John. "Hand me the stuff, Brown,, and go up." Working from side to side as oc- easion demanded, John climbed slowly up the hack of the iron frame. Perched twenty feet above the roof, he worked deftly. He took this dizzy task coolly --it was all in his day's work. Looking dawn. he said to his assistant: "Where is that coil of wire we brought? I've got to fasten this braex . The bolt is out." .,Just a minute," raid Brown, "I thin% it's over with the toals." He stepped round to the end of the sign. "Here it is. Sall I throw it up or • bring it?" "Throw it," said John. C'at,:h?n;g the wire, he quickly clip- ped the t:eetied length, twisted it into pk a with hip pliers, and threw the eel: over his alluthhiers. "I'll have to have another half dozen bailie," he announced e moment later. "-You've got the last of the box," said Brown. "Then get the box we ;eft hr the t. avatar. Be es quick as yo:l eon, for 1 nt i ettieg tiled." Brown aisappeare.d down the stair- v.a;. Jelin, walling in the twilight, leaked en:dou ly up at the walk above. '•I' l ste• ho.. many I need," he s •r Cloth:lig higher. he shifted his po•: of ,ver toward the e:hd of the sign. As he del sti, he felt the frame vara%e slightly. but he did not worry aboet it As he turned again toward the middle of tale sign, however, he was startled so send thhet the v:'role str.acture had t.l:e:e ,.langercu !y over toward the front. His weight on the upper hare lista tlta•os•rn lige centre of gravity oat- . side the edge of the roof, and slowly but surely the heavy fragile was settl- ing over the ledge. He looked down, and for a moment hi; head swam, for his view was clear—straight to the crowd, in the street ten stories below. The danger of his position flashed upon him and for a moment paralyzed. every nerve. Only for a moment, how- ever, did he hesitate. He turned quick- ly to get down from the upper bars; as he 'did so the Boil of wire round his ehoulders caught over a projecting' end of iron and the d onward pull of his body wedged it fast. He pulled to free himself, but the effort only tightened the co'i'l. Even fractions of a second were rr ., ious. He could feel the steady slipping and buckling of the frame- work; in fact, the sign had sagged so far that the whole upper half hung over the street. John groaned as he thought of what would happen when those iron bars, massed into a great projectile, went hurtling down into the crowd below. But those bars must not fall! He must save those men and women an the sidewalk, and himself, too! "O Brown!" he called. But Brown did not answer. Through some mis- understanding, the box he had gone to get had been moved, and he had signaled to the eletator boy; he was waiting there, wholly unaware of his mate's danger. w _ "It's no use! I've got to do it my- self!"" John said to himself. - There was need of haste. In its for- ward thrust the great sign was at an angle of nearly forty degrees from the perpendicular. Soon the uprights along its front would rest on the masonwork battlement and the final strain would come. If they broke, the upper part of the frame would go crashing down. If the uprights held, the weight at the outer end of the lever thus formed would probably tear The clothes you were so proud of when new—can be made to appear new again, Fabrics that are dirty, shabby or spotted will be restord to their former beauty by sending them to Parker's. is properly clone at PARKER'S' Parcels may be sent Post or Express. We pay carriage one way on all orders. Advice upon cleaning or dyeing any .1rticle will be promptly given upon request. PARKER'S DYE WORKS, Loanited Cleaners and Dyers, 791 `forge St. Toronto ec.4M74',417.:, ..,� mComFt• t 7 sem: , ,•,, x ,� t 1 Consistency. Consistency is one of . the funda- mental f les qu•tlr i of n disc`ipIa'and e, from m own Y re• experience 1 lent I haveu efond; P it to be most ,important. It should always be accompanied by kindness 1 More mothers have troubles with their; children because of their own incon-;. sisteney than for any other one res - son. Johnnie comes home from school' and asks, ":Mother, may Igo over to! Billy Baker's to play?" and IIather,i. knowing that Billy's influence is not i good, refuses. Johnny displays morel or less temper, but Mother .4 firm,' and Johnnie stays at home. A few days later, however, Johnnie makes a the same request, and Mother, who is e entertaining a caller, lets him go for; a little while. This is a case of in consistency, and, in order to save one' scene, Mother is laying ;. good founda-', tion fer many more. The probability is that had she replied, "Mother has told you before," the matter would have ended there, or even if he had cried a little and "made e scene," the; eon would have had a. valuable lesson' and learned that Mother meant what she saki. His love for the moment` might have been shaken, but eventu- ally Johnnie would have been a hap-: pier boy and his love and respect for his another would have been greater. The value of eunsisteney cannot be overestimated. The tiniest baby should be dealt with kindly but firm.... ly. A mother can develop the teasing habit in her chilli while he is still in his cradle if she lacks this quality cf cc: s.sten:y. At one time when her baby cries she dces not pick him up. for she says, "It is not goof for him and he is forming bad habits." But tete next clay, if she is nervous and unwilling to endure his noise. she yields -just. for anee." The result is that she gores in to her child more o: less through his later cl:ilabcod, Again. with an elder child, the mc:b:er tail: partially concede, a sort of vempronaise. and the child is keen ero:igh to Ihie•w that be has gained his point. and e:relh time he will seek til ga n z I'; tie mere, until the mother. realizes when it is too late that her problem is great and her word really Net very littce weight. My advice is: Be : eonsiderate in your regeirements of a child, and then be consistent in seeing that these requirements are carried out. Irri- table, nagging mothers and unattrac tive, nervous children would be almost unknown if the former could realize; the importance of kindness and con -4 sisteney. Lack of sympathy and strained relations between parent r and,' their older children often spring from habitual inconsistency. Perhaps the most important thing; of all is this: When you make ale -i gitimate request you must knew with -i in yourself that you expe t it to be' earned out. Then if you are disobey- ed you must calmly, but definitely and' e emphatically, see to it that your re- i loose the bolts holding the sign to the roof. and the whole affair would go • hurtling into the street. In either case, death threatened John and the f people below a quest is emptied with. This method cannot be practiced to -day and neg-i lected to -morrow, but must be eoa- sistently followed. The future happiness, character and well-being of your little one depend entirely upon firm, wise sad consistent guidance. It is these fundamental qualities of mother-dieeipline that train the strong -twilled little sons and daughters into splendid men and wo- hien. earee ydaring to move, John twisted his shoulders round till be, could draw himself down and out of the coil of wire that held him. As he did so he had to face the street. and in that moment he saw what he should have to do. An iron brace that had run straight up the front of the frame had sprung loose at its lower end and now swung dangling in the air from its fastening near the top. It occurred to him in a flash that if he could reach that swinging bar and thrust the end of it .against a window top below he could stop the tipping sign long enough for help to arrive. But to do it he must be quick. Cautiously he thrust out his hand to grasp the bar. It was eight inches beyond his reach. He dared not climb higher, for that would hasten the fatal plunge. Thrust- ing his hand into his pocket for a tool, he brought out his pliers, and with trembling hand again reached out. Out, out he stretched his arm and body until ,it seemed that he nntst fail. But no! The teeth of the pliers closed over the edge of the braceas a gust of wind swayed it toward him. Drawing it in, he guided the lower end toward the ledge below. He was not a moment too soon, for an instant later the weight of the frame settled with a taint jar upon the brace. Holding his breath, John waited. Would it hold? His chest heaved, his eyes stared, his muscles ached as he shrank back from the threat of that terrible fall. But it held. A feeli ig of security came to him, and he backed away toward the roof and safety! He haci hesitated only long enough to clip a strand of wire and pull it after him. A.s soon as he was safe over, the ledge and saw the sanded roof below him, he leaped down from the buckled frame, carriers the wire to the chimney forty feet away and made it fast round the bricks. When Brown came up the stairway a minute later he found John wild- eyed and faint. But the big sign was safely anchored. Together they cut the roue from the flagstaff and added its .strength tc that of the wire. "It will miss one night of aclver- tiling, but that's better than what might have happened,"' said John as they finished anchoring the sign. (The End.) Let's. Start a Propaganda in Favor of Work. The crying. need of the world to -day is far workers. Certainly there was never a time %den so much work was waiting to be done, nor when so few people were willing to do it. The manufacturer in his plant, the farmer in his fields, the merehant in his store and the housekeeper in her kitchen are all uttering the 'same cry, "Send us help." At that there seems to be plenty of people who plight work. But no one seems to be standing about waiting for the jobs that are open for them. It begins almost to seem as if no ane really wanted to work. It is rather foolish to place the blame for present conditions on any class, though capital is trying to shift it all oil labor and labor is blaming capital. Everybody is more or less to blame. Such is the nice adjustment of things in this. world that ho one can claim to be all right, and every- body else all wrong. I've been wondering a great deal lately just how far we mothers have ten wrong? How much of the res- pousiIility,' for present conditions must we assume? Just what has been our attitude toward, weak, real per'. that .s productive, l ke farming or cooking tar sewing or washing or manufaetur- ine? Have we hell these jobs up be- fore our children as the most desirable fc thein? Or have we warned thein t.� steer (leer of hard work and look :'ter somethin easy anal pleasant? We have always war;el hard olar- selves. Teo bard by far. the most of us. And ;•e've hoped with all our hearts that when our children grew up: they might have things easy. We've' talked it before them, what a dog''s' life was the farmer's, and how house-; work was nothing but slavery. Un-� consciously our sons and our daugh- ters have absorbed the ilea that the necessary work of life was sort of beneath them. They have gotten the impression that life for them should be a sort of holiday, a place where' they could do a smattering of work in a haphazard way and demand a big salary for it. They have not come up with the good old-fashioned training we had ourselves. Don't you remember whet, you were coming along that mother's favorite maxims were, "All play and no work makes ad. a lazy bay," and, "What soever thy hand finds to do, do it with thy might?" When you were being brought tip the schools hadn't discov- ered that children were to be taught without their knowing it, that study was to be made play for them. Your mother never heard that children were to be allowed self-expression; she had an idea that children were to be given mina:We Liniment tor sale everywhere. =It G FINEST BEEF AND VEOET LES PEFECTLY 000KED lust heat ard eat, "tN.0LARtt t,b„:0 C9ORITFICAL for this beautiful CABINET PHONOGRAPH EIRE S the biggest phonograph bargain ever offered --a magnificent cabinet phonograph of choice artistic design. standing 4i inches high, finished in mahogany or fumed oak, equipped extra heavy double spring mo r which plays Y s three 10 -inch records in one v lnd- in$ Universal tone arra that PLAYS .SLI l BCORD 12 inch turn -table, Permanent jewel needle. all exposed parts heavily nielcel-plated—for ONLY y?9. delivered C.O.D. to any address in Ontario. This is the "Brilliant" Phono- graph—equal which sell forP5120.00. to other REEDtf�Q PD X'+ t '0VD:t', O$X orri. - To ina'•e. this wa:r:r•rtut in,: o'luctori after still more a:t•r dive, we will give to each tvare,sascr of our "Iirilliant" Phonograph. an assortment of, 25 i°. -inch Ilt?I*i3[.I-Sliti:iT ltl":t'd)RI x -- 1.13t)- LVT1'.SLY FREE. Think of it! A full size Cabinet Phonograph. equipped to play all records. with a genuine permtn- ent sapphire needle and 25 doubly s ,iee.I 10 -inch records for only $7t'. 1) a't hesitate --don't put it ofri Tlsiq sre.iul offering—designed to introduce our "Brilliant" I'hon,agraph and t .'t:uras to a large circle of music-lovers—pis opeu for a limited time only. MAIL US THiS COUPON COV 'O r Brilliant Phonograph Corporation, Dept. W. 1,,, 1531 Dundn:+ St. West, Toronto. Please send me full particulars of your special offer of 25 Records F RF1S with the purchase of the $129 phonograph icer Bete Name.,.,,.... ................. Street or I:.P,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, Province NOW We want to more 'ally describe the "Ilrilluruat" Phonograph and to itivo you a bette r idea of the t:pl,"ndlel ossa'rtsm,:nt of Records that we give y.,u absolutely i n1:I.. F111 in and malt us the eeupon tt'-0it',ltt. It costs wen nettl:tug--it puts .00 und.•r no obit i;atsun 'whatever. certain tasks to perform at stated! tinges, and to be taught to mind, be respectful to their elders and obey the law. You are the result of your mother's' training, a law-abiding, barel-working,? sober citieen. The present generation is the result of aur training, a wor1.1; full of idler, Inoking for effort hours, light work. high pay and considerable license w°hre law touches their per- sonal liberty. We are reaping what we have sown.' It is rather late to correct our faults,' but when we're brooding over presents conditions and laying the blame on others, let's try to turn the current of our thoughts. Let's try to repair as best we can, and start a current of thought in favor of real, honest work, work of the kind the world needs. la. S lieves Neoral >SLS na>r,l a Liniment e Y The efforts t► mist. the (iermnn vessel, scuttled Flow have resulted in ems :,ttit h p, tine a ereis- ers and fife. en F...-el'aeyers bt-lett fleet- ed. - Place stpe'h on `heave's in a tiny room near the f.rtr er in a 'warm attic raunh, They t thee n.lt be in a damp or frr ty pin. a'. Tb '; i; ill stand a great ileal of he et and 'lay air, lout little moirtur . If you want squash or pumpkins to kaf p -eel:, handle them earefuily do the.- arc sot lrr:;e°s; A1l grades. Write for prices. TORONTO SALT WORKS Q. J. CLIFF TORONTO C ► i' sy The Syrup fiI P 'ac s ea s A golden stream of Crown Brand Corn �•°. Syrup is the most delicious touch you can give to Pancakes! 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