The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-12-01
EDGAR TIE CHIMNEY SWEEP
WY 4 ONCE LUCRATIVE TRADE ms
FiLLEN INTO DECIK

Expc,t to Find Pretenders--A Veteran
sweeps Lament for the Good Old DRy~. D
sweeping chimncys in New York Is by no
means nm obsolete business. though there pro
not ouc-fourth OF tho number Of persons en-
gagged in Il to-day that there were forty years.
ngo. This. however. Is but the natural result
of tho improvements in the sweeping nppn-
rntus. which enable ono man now to do as much
work rs could formerly have been done by ten.
Uncle Levi Edgar is. probably. one Of the old
est sweeps in this city. With the aid OF de-
toctive ho was found leaning against post NJ
the corner of an allcy-way of Thompson street.
slowly chewing tobacco and contemplating tho
heavens. He is about GO years Of age and his
face. without being ahnormnlly black. Is dnrk
enough 10 be lost sight Of before night has
wholly cnshrouded lighter objects.
Uncle Low wHs willing 10 toll all he know.
and after sending for friend called Charlie
Lent. he led the way to small grocery at CLARK
and Domiuck streets. A bnrroom. on lowy
scale. was in the rear. and here Uncle LeNi
aitor drinking glass Of water. seated himself
upon n cask and refused to say u word about
his business until Charlie Lent was there TO
support and encourage him.
. 1t was noticed TINT Uncle Low had only four
fingers upon his lcf hand.
How did you lose your foronnger~ WIS
asked.
The sweep examined the hand nnxiously, ne
though hc was looking ut II for the first time.
aud replied. laconicaliy. bit on. boss" An
sid: W.T. M must til do f trnf S6ss mnn
bit me h@d. and dcy had to amiiicate it in 40
Al length Charlie Lent came in. He wns
much younger man than Uncle Low hut he had
seen service. Both mon agreed that the great
evil that heset 60 ~ chimney sweeps was tho
laxity Of the authorities in not demnndinR thnt
every workman should take out n license. There
New York. And most Of EN-" Uncle Levi
said, emphntical!y. knows no mo- bout
swccpn' ihan know bout prcachin', and dat
Uncle Levi began business thlrty-sIx years
ago. Ho went 10, he says. with the now
patent" Before that. and. TO n groat extent. for
many years after II, chimneys were sweep, by
sending boys up the fiues. Ihelads had brushes
and scrapers. and these. with blanket to put
In front Of the Fireplace TO prevent the SCOT from
getting into the room. were oil the stock in
trade a chimney sweep required.
Oar war some accidents den" Uncle Levi
said. reiectively. " Do all you could. boss, and
still do carpets would get dirtied. and dc boys
Oar was ole Uncle Charlie Cox. he had boy us
got stuck In chimboy, Dey tried hard to got
open. and do dead corp OF dat chile was recov-
erod, In dem days. boss. tree or four boys
driver hohind dem. and dey would be singn'
ont. Wo-o-o-o.' and mebbe get four or tive
Was de dave. boss Oar WAS s ole Uncle Jim Jim
Hunter. as was called 'Ole Sweet Home. la
Ta' 1oo,lGi singer bn, de best %, dem ni was
Twenty SECOND street he could DO heard at de-
Battery and den de luby songs he sang"
The sweeps mouth watered with musical
ecstasy. He WIS asked what oe man Goulo"
usually sang. Uncle Levi leaned back on the
cnsk. cast his eyes upward. and said. Dis was
wo. no. hoa. woa hey. wo no"
Won't you take something ?" was asked
hastily. He sung with moro power and volume
than purity. and his throat was dry. 80 he did
Charles Lent also refreshed himself. and he
now joined IN the conversation.
De chimteys," he said, isn't what dcy
hat man kin hardly Kit his head in whar n
boy used 10 squeeze his whole body. IL makes
u mans blood bile for to SEQ what rale DOWN
right ignance dare are amongst desc people
dat calls doirselves chimbey sweeps. Henr
em talk you'd think dey'd went through TO-
colleges an high school, an got all de adica-
ton dat morchal man kin git. Yes. sab. IL
Almost makes me blush to think Of T."
From the united statements Of Uncle Levi
and Charlie Lent. II was gathered that for good
artists chimney sweeping today offers better
yenr'" Uncle Levi said. we makes more now
| den we used TO- De season is in May. June,
and July. md den again in September and
moro SCOT nor wood. Do biz folks up town
! wants d"tr chmbeys sweep moran dey neots,
/ hut de pore trash down hear don't care much"
! Aye" Chnriie Lent added " but chimblcy
! swerpin' amt what It use 90 WIS for all dat. De
/ bows use 10 go stnEin about de streets with
/ HtlI HtlNers hricr ucm' look out lor WORK.
| Now dey has slate or a cara hungin' up ai0re
delr doors lor o'lers, Or ,dey scts IA postal
In the days when chimney sweeps vera
] poorer IN pocket. but numerically stronger.
| than they are nj present. 1t WIS usual Tor one
| man To employ "A hrge number Of assistants To
| DO the mechanical labor. Thus Ole Uncle
| charlie Cox, long since laid IN his grave. had
| twelve or fourteen men and boys under him;
aud oven now Andrew Parker employs ten or
twelve assistants Tor CLEANING steamer nues, a
species Of labor which Uncle Levi and Charlie
| Lent despise. as entailing too large an amount
! Of creeping and crawling in narrow places.
| Before parting company, the two men again
| asserted that the future prosperity Of chimney
sweeping depended upon the authorities insist
ID n Il thHrN 81 ~
! men In tho business that knew nothing about il.
" Dey sweep at do ch,mblev. you See. boss. bot,
| Lor bless YOU, doy don't sweep II. no how
In an obscure dive in Sullivan street an
ternity as "Sx.toei jack" on account OF
a curious mnlformation Of his feet told an
anecdoto OF the time when boys went up
the chmncys. A boy about two years OF nge.
the son OF nObleman. was stolen from his
home in London. A largo reward was offered
nothing was heard Of him. Twelve winters
alterwnrd a sweep and his boy were called to
which the boy had lived The sweep sent his
young assistant ~ the drawing room chimney.
and then stepped out to meet man around tho
corner While ho was gone the lady OF tho
house returned She WIS dr. ssed ia garments
of fashionable shape and costly material, but 10
was intensely cold. and observing that the open
CRATE WAS stocked with combustlblcs ready for
lighting she did not hesitate TO draw IN ono Of
her Kid gloves aud apply match. She knew
nothing Of the boy ptho chimney. until 5hrieks
ofagony issued from the ilue. -
Father OF Mercy the Mortified woman eX-
claimed. have consumed some uniortunnto
being engaged in tho discharge OF his humble
A crash from tho chimney was the only reply,
and scattering the Goals IN al directions. an !
seriously lhlurihg the Neveet carpr,' Ine sihnll
his parent. In the sooty aud iil-smelling Little
creature at her feet. the lady recognized her
child.
Terrific Cruelty 20 an Innocent Man.
ALBANY. Nov. 2s.-Gov Robinson has