The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-21
CHIMNEY sWERPs.

The Modern Substitute for the Old
Time Ragged aud Hungry Waif.
From the San Francisco Chronicle.
During the lasU three or four days thou
sands Of people downtown have heard the
merry, far-reachinR notes OF a bugle, and
then looked up to the top OF the tall chimney
Of the California hotel to see blackjack
ing fellow in plug hat having his fun at
the dizzy hight Of over 100 feet. The top of
the chimney was forty feet above the roof
of the S-story building. From its outar
edge it would have been an unbroken fall
nearly to the ground, and few people could
have looked down from there without be-
coming dizzy. Yet the happy fellow
danced about in q way that made peoples
hair stand on end, stopping part Of the
time to pull In rope or toot on his ringing
horn.
Chronicle reporter yesterday. "My trade
is the king Of 'em all, SIR" He was giving
the $50 or so fiues in the building their an
nual cleansing, and there was more Of inter-
est about 1t than mis- reckless dancing on the
tall chimney's edge. He had patent scrap
ing machines Of assorted sizes to flt various
fues let down by two ropes, one of which
widened it so THAI it would clean two sides
of hue as fast as it could be hauled up.
the 1ue ended, quickly cover up part Of the
furniture, and shout up the hue. The fell
low on top would foot: "All ri0hsw and
down the scraper would come. The flue
was cleaned In five minutes and the SCOT re-
moved.
A great iron smokestack at the rear had
to be cleaned yesterday. The interesting
part of the scientific job was the way the
fellow above got up to where the smoke
was rolling out. A pulley with a small
rope through 1t hung on the edge The plug
hated sweep quickly tied q stick to the
rope, stood on the stick, and ran himself up
with the pulley like shot. II was funny
to see the apparently impossible way that
fellow would climb smooth wall
II never use any ladders" he said, ~
Just climb. Now, you wouldn't think q
man could climb on the outside Of chin
men like that would youT and he pointed
10 a chimney 20 feet high and about SKI
feet in size. He would show how it was
done. The human squirrel just gra bbed the
corners facing the narrow side, seized the
corners with the tops of his feet near the
toes, and went up the rough plastered wall
as easily as up ladder. That's what you
have got 70 be able to do to be a chimney
sweep" he said.
The poor, ragged, hungry little chimney
sweep has been a picturesque victim Of
song and story for generations, but he be-
longs to the paSt now. When the sweep
gave the reporter some confidential infor-
nation about his business the latter respect
fully took off his hat. eff business is
good" he said, 1.-TWO fellows will make from
So to $50 apiece day. For ordinary fiues
we get 81 apiece. For job like that
smokestack we charge about SIS. Big Chin
neys 90 by special contract Yes, that's
doing pretty we'll; but, you see, it's the
king OF trades, and there's very few Of us.
Lots Of fellows try 1t, but If they don't
know their business they strike jobs they
can't handle, and they soon run themselves
out of business"
He climbed another chimney, and the peo-
pie below heard the bugle again.