The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-03-04
THE LAST or THE SHOEHL.ACk&
Literary Memorials OF the Street Shoebinck
The Kise, Fail. Extinction, and keap-
pearnnce of the Race.


pearnnce of the Race.
Few persons who observe the shoeblacks
OF our city plying their humble calling are
aware that they belong to a race which in
other lands became extinct or that the irater-
nifty can boast OF literary memorials penned by
one of England's greatest poets. The polite
Chesterfield aud the natty Wulpole confessed
in jocose mood that the shoeblack profession
Was as more disniiled Than The anihors; o, %
have been written by Lord Chesterfield must
excite u smile even with the most stod:
oF ,1 n The o n" r any % y % 4.s s"0T i s
ball Ivy naming them WIN onr..l,r. ". nre sen;,b" o.
envy tnt i"ok ~ 10 the occupation of shoe clean
n: while w HGn 'ns If Of our or"G IN enc "s
iioyment. bu, while are unhnppy excluded from
cause we are unfortunate.
History has left no record Of tho first shoe
black. but we can well understand that he
could not have existed in those. days when
white leather and some OF rod. some Of black
velvet. and some Of white red and green.
stitched all oyer with silk and laid ON with Sill
The history Of ,locomotion in London proves
thnt the era " sho" cleaning must have begun
tnat in the early days all trtv. In London was
on horseback, until tho time Of Elizabeth. when
coaches became 80 general that an act Of Par
Lament was pissed TO limt their use. All were
ing the exclusive honor of four; but when the
proud Duke Of Bucsinshap Sc, up coach
with six horses the stout Eori OF Noithuin-
bertrand" established one with eight. A udi.
| "rous example is given ~, to he extent to which
,ais rossi"n for "o9eh riding was thrn S S!r
coach !" carry th"m 70 the green goose fair ut
Stanford ne Bow il;oS were 50 lie madamd
tn" foolish women began to swell with proud
superstition ii imaginary greatness. and gave
AL their money TO The crowd which eol,owe,t
,
ism commenced and became fashionable. for
Gay. ex,aminr against ,hc ''io,t'ng coMcn,,,,
let '" me- VAIL" but what a waik k. Those Who VIC,
have described the stroets OF those DAYS state
| that u" centre of the narrow streets was occu-
..nrriaSewny was full IT holes and luasmires
Western town. When the Kin: went 10 parlia-
Sidewalks We're unknown. and 10 the principal
the y @ posts the
and the carriage road Within the posts
! the path was as uneven as the space without.
at IL time This naturally led to contests. for
til" rule to keep the wall " rs thY only safe
often maintained by commts with sticks and
naked steel At every step some trade or shop
projection narrowed tho narrow way. and
or into the muddy kennel. In wet and windy
weather tho unhappy walker heard the crazy
drenching hi, laced hat or powdsrcd wig with
Implying torrents. Tor alas, umbroas We're
then exclusively used by women.
such ,h"n: the stat. Of he streets in the
| shoebnck. then budding into bloom. found
! himself III II paradise:
| In tive fnliuwin;: amusing Lines the poet Gay
thus describes mother ihstrGc,in. her son in
| his calling
son" i t.r % irr"s s , ans
I"n"f " i.n NI',n vi ,fhSr 81 "i
o." # , Y 'F .@ ~, ~! ds.s '% crew.
IL" 'sc, i'm L.as ,9a, W. Nh ,',r, ym,ro~A4,
a.. rS.,.r a IN: MI I@ n ii the 'a aa
A. y G. . ciSaa n. ntr ,n,M; , . "a n.o
Mhtre hral,i,us srrs't. ig",n 'nars"s ,roS'dNide
Aha wial rco ' Wan IT,, ' YOUR lrnor. shoes.
Those were the palmy dnva OF the s!onblncks
| when tue calling wu~ the them" Of the wit and
"nsn!lra ~ t vr,SrMi III. roe and - It r.,
scene changed nud the evil hour Of the fra
trrnty wa, nj hand. lor To- At one Of the cor
b" seen one, who proved 10 be th. last Of the
shoeb'acks = he seemed 10 he dcdical"d to his
sSm q" h Rne 'Sr H. M"S "srH eadv
dawn t" nish' win his ilti" trii2d depressed
trade. He watched with m.Iancho, aye the
Hr"i1a imn =, ,H 4 Ne street, and d.,
m n" Jaw the f"" " Wi"m,ns and hu
broken uiego-' which, dlsri;nr.eA slushy
be- noticed kennels diligently cinans"d and
draina widene,i, Experiments after rypPri-
his very eyes and the holes that were to him
old familiar faces" when he loved filed no
with u haste which caused him "a DESPAIR.
1t IL said that this last representative Of u
| departed business was unable 10 antain such
| u struggle With Il capriciouS world, for
one morn We Inls.i him On the accustomed stand.
Poor fellow he died in workhouse and his
| children, with keener eys To the wants of the
| community. took w the trade which b. most
hat In Inc. a
OF cleaning shoes.
The spirit OF the Last OF the Shooblacls must
have waited TO other shores. for about this
period. when the shoeblacks vanished from
inc London streets. they were first observed
very actively employed AT every corner of Paris
II city then in 10 iilthyH condition as the Lon
don ~ Queen Annrs reign.
or the resurrection Of Ihs English shoobluck
md tho modern renewal Of tn" profession or
i,s trarspant'nE itself in al civilized coun-
tries l shall not speak. My task has been
To coilate u fsw facts bearing on the Il rise and
fail" Of tho institution OF shoe cleaning in pub
lie streets. showing that the much despised
fraternity can claim literary memorials Of
| deSS WAS even invoked in behalf Of the calling