The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1875-06-24
The Training of Chimncy.Sweepers.

In his speech in the House of Lords in
May last on the Chimncy-swccpcrs' bill
LORD Shattcsbury gave some revolving
details of the cruelties practiced upon
climbing boys. 1t appeared, he said.
from evidence taken in 1863 that the age
at which training commenced was from
six to eight, generally slx-"a nice
trainable age" said the masters. There
were instances of five and even of44. The
hours of work in the smaller towns were
eight to nine; in the larger from twelve
to sixteen, work beginning at four o'clock,
three and even two in the morning, Six.
ty-three witnesses were examined from
al! parts of England, thirty.three of
whom were master sweeps. Then fol-
lowed The mode of doing it. OF the
training, Mr.. Kuff, of Nottingham. a
master sweep, said: "No one knows
the cruelty which a boy has to undergo
in learning. The flesh must be hardened.
This must be done by rubbing it, chiefly
on the elbows and knees, with the strong
est brine, close by hot fire. You must
stand over them with cane, or coax
them by promise of half-pcnny, ETC.,
II they will stand few more rubs. At
first they will come back from their
work streaming with blood, and the
knees looking as if the caps had been
pulled off: Then they must be rubbed with
brine again." The following dcscrip-
tion," said the Commissioners, "is so
painful that we should hesitate to record
1t were it not amply confirmed:" eff, as
often happens" says master sweep,
"a boy Is gloomy or sleepy, or anywise
Unity, and you have other jobs on at
the same time, though I should be as
kind as l could, you must ill.trcat him
somehow, either with the hand or brush,
or something. 1t is remembering the
cruelty which I have suffered which
makes me so strong against boys being
employed. have the marks of it on
my body now, and believe the biggest
part OF the sweeps in the town have the
same. That Showing deep scar across
the bottom of the calf of the leg) was
made by blow from my master with an
ash-plant-s. G., a young ash tree that is
SIX years old; it was cut to the bone,
which had TO be scraped to heal the
wound. have marks of nailed boots,
etc, on other parts" Hear, hear Mr..
Stransield, another master-sweep, said: :
In learning child you must
use violence. 1 shudder now when
l think of it. I have gone to
bed with my knee and elbows scabbed
and raw, and the inside of my thighs all
sacrificed" Another said: AT first they
will come back from their work with
their arms and knees streaming with
blood, and the knees looking as if the
caps had been pulled off. Then they
must be rubbed with brine again, and
perhaps 60 of at once to another Chin
ney. In some boys have heard that the
flesh does not harden for years." Hear
IL found boy" states one of the Com
missioners, "Of about eight, in the mar
ket, who had run away from some place
of correction. Part of the knee-caps got
torn off, the gristle all showed white, and
the guiders (tendons) all around were
like white string, or an imitation of white
cotton. His back was covered with sores
all the way up" To harden his knees a
lotion made of "old netting"-i. e., urine
kept long for the purpose, simmered
with hot cinders-was put on them. cit
was like killing him." said the sweep,
and I had to stand by and see it all"
"Why, I myself" says another, shave
kept lad four hours up a chimney
when he was so sore that he could
scarcely move; but would not let him
come down till he had finished. 1t has
often made my heart ache to hear them
wall, even when l was what you may
call party to it. In learning child"
he goes on, "you can't be soft with him :;
you must use violence"