The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1852-05-27
WHOLE NUMBER 558.
THE sHoE.BLacK BRIGADE.

i THE SHOE-BLACK BRIGADE.
/ 4 day or two before The Crystal Palace
was opened to the public, the streets Of Lon
don acquired new feature. In the more
crowded thoronshfares, at suitable inter
walls, there appeared number Of boys
whose dress and occupation attracted uni
versal attention. They wore red iackai
the livery of the Qaeen's servants. 4
strong apron protected their gay attlr'
from injury. Each vas provided with
bench, a pair Of backing brushes, pot o
liquid backing, money boz, and pla
card, upon which was printed, ''The Shoe
black Brigade" Thus provided, the boys
stood at their appointed posts TO thacken
the shoes Of all the world, al the very mod
crate charge Of one penny per pair.
These boys had formed what might be
called the elite Of the London Ragged
Schools, and they were Sc, up in their new
business By the managers Of those schools
They had been accustomed from childhood
ito gain their subsistence by stealing; they
were, in fact, sAriful Dodgers and Charley
Bates of London. Stesling was the only
l,rade they knew; and, but for the institu.
ton of Ragged Schools, they would doubt
less continued to exercise that profession
Till transported as felons beyond the sea-
The formation Of the Shoe black Brigade
gave them the first opportunity they had
ever known to earn their living honestly.
The Brigade has now been in operation ten
months, and with what results may be
learned from the following extract fsom an
article in London Journal:
At first the boys had much to contend
against. They were new TO the work, and
felt awkward in their fine clothes. Idle
boys Knocked at them, pulled their aprons
and pot dirt into their pots. Portly gentle
men posed them with strange questions
Elderly ladies' told them they would all
come to be Lord Mayors. Costermongers
called them Young cardinels and red re-
plblicans, in allusion to their red jackets
Foreigners offered them curious coins for
change. Cd soldiers, with only one leg,
insisted on paying half price; and some
times shabby people would say, offhand,
that they would pay next time. Still the
boys stood their ground, and held manful
possession Of the points which they had
seized a, first. A few Of them fell into
Temptation. like other mortals. owing 10
success kossuth's visit to Guildhall was
a sort Of Capua TO some. That dav peo-
pie trod unanimously 81 each others toes.
and the industrious little colony earned a
large sum of money. A few of the urchins
could no, bear up calmly against the food
tide of prosperity; they ieasied on nlagnifi-
cent pies; they steamed to Greenwich and
gorred themselves with whitebat; they
made themselves i'll with cheap cigars;
thev shook themselves with rides on Hamp-
stead donkevs. But these offenders were
exceptions to the rule, and they were dis
charged for bad conduct. Nearly all the
boys saved money, which was Kept for
them in little bank established by the
committee One had seven pounds put By !;
several had five pounds each. Alany a
widowed mother was supported by he-
sons black brush. Seven Of the lads spen,
their savings on an outfit for Australia,
and arc now in that colony; fourteen others
obtained situations in families. One has
bound himself apprentice TO the Waterman's
Company; another relieved bis parents
from distress for rent; and a father wa.
enabled by the same means to come up tn)
London and see the boy from whom he had
been separated for years.
These results were gratifying, and led
me to the INTERPOLATION of The Brigade into
several of the large country towns, where
the experiment was equally successful
The point is established, that all bu, the
most vicious boys, if a fair opportunity is
afforded, prefer to gain their subsistence By
honest labor rather than by theft.
r. S.--Since the above was written, we
have read the following announcement in
an English paper:
..The good folks Of Liverpool have i'm
proved upon the Shoe black Brigade, and
are about to establish two other corps, one
to run errands, called Mercury boys, and
the other to clean door plates and knock
ers, to be called the Brass Band. Home
Journal.