Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-05-13
LONDON CHIMNEY SWEEPS IN OLD
TIMES.

There was one cry, generally in the
early morning, that was full of mourn
ful suggestion to svsry kind heart. This
was "Sweep! sweep for it meant that
some miserable climbing boy" was
ready to perform his painful and often
dangerous task. / remember such poor
BOYS very well, but always as thin, half
starved creatures, with only some slight
sooty raiment; and think it was with
bare feet they always climbed. They
were obliged to prove that they mounted
to the top of the chimney by thrusting
their brushes ont of the chimney top;
the master sweep going into the street
to watch for the sign of achievement.
Often and often these poor little crea-
lures came down the chimney bleeding
at knees and elbows, and nearly always,
I think. in tears. The poor little sweep
was held up as an object of compass
sion to happier children, who, hope,
sometimes saved bit of cake or penny
| to give him.
Since machines have happily super
seeded climbine-boys, a class of people
| certainly superior 60 the old chimney
sweepers have taken mp the business,
md as consequences the mummeries of
| the London sweeps On the hrst of every
May have Very much abated. But these
mummeries were said to have had their
| origin in a romantic story, which,
| whether literally true or not, was very
characteristic, and quite believed III
by a multitude of people when l was
child.
IL was said that about the middle of
| the eighteenth century little boy of
1 - n tsaas hu hia mr. ran IN, fhA
London streets-probaoly stolen for the
rich clothing he wore. The child was
| of tender a2e-Only about three or fonr
years old--and. though every effort was
made to recover hun. time passed on
without any tidinRs of the boy retehinR
the bereaved parents. One first of Nav,
however, n fine London hou Q was uu-
| dergoiul the process known rs spring
cleaning, when, of course, chimneys
t1uss be- swept, and miserable ragged
little climbing boy of eight or nine years
| Old was introduced into the drawing
| ro IN for the purpose of executing his
| allotted task. We can imagine tn ,t,
| accompanied by b % master, he had no
time to look around the room before en-
| ,srinc the dark chimney: but 1t would
| appear that he de- oended little sooner
| tnan WAS expected, and found himself
alons In the spacious apartment. when
he was discovered the child Was IN q ,id-
| If tears. yet gazing through thsm on
the p~rtralt of lady whion hung on
the W Ill. On being Intercepted he e.
claimed: :" know that picture II IS my
| mosherf'
Perh ,ps the child remembered other
things which served to convince his pa
rents of his identity; or perhaps ,here
WAS a family likeness which persuaded
them. However this might be, they
we're satisfied that they had recovered
their lost darling. and rescued him al
,once from his bondage. So the tale
runs; though ! never heard what ac-
count the master sweeper gave Of his
acquaintance with the poor child. Bu;
kidnapping Was not uncommon crime
in those DAYS; aud IL IL to be feared
when little boy Was brought TO mas
ter sweeper to be apprenticed, few ques-
tions were asked.
| II was said to be in oommemoration
Of the rescue Of this child from his cruel
ssrvitude that for very many years the
LIST of MAY was kept ~ festival by the
London chimney .sseepers. The Mrs
Montsgue of Biue-stockiue celebrity
used annually TO entertain all the little
chimney -swespers in London, inviting
them TO her swn mansion and garden
wishing them, "a she said. 10 enjoy ons
happy day in the year. But sooner oil
later an ED genei ally comes 10 such %
servances. and when the Montague hos
pitality ceased. the May. day merry.
making Of the sooty fraternity seemed
mainly to CONSIST in the Jackin-t the
green mummeries. tambour-beatin and
grotesque finery Of the groups who pa
raded ihe streets, begging for pence with
| a. little shame AS few days previously
they had begged at houses for cast of
feathers and flowers and ribbons. or, In
fact, any sort of articles which could b
utilized for tawdry display. Playing Al
Jack in -she-grsen and dancing aboui
London streets for many hours mus
have bsen pretty nearly as hard work Al
sweeping chimneys; but fancy tn,
sweepers picked mp good deal OF mo
ney by their May-day frslics, and fol
oncs In she year they we're seen viii
washed facus- Ii ~ generally woman
, bedixeaed with trumpery finery Wit
went about among the bystanders, ex
. tending q great iadie to collect pennies