New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-29
CHARLESTON'S RAH-RAHS.

MIsCHIEVOUS LITTLE NEGRO CHIMNEY-SWEEPS
AND THEIR CURIOUS LIFE.
Speaking of city-bred boys who gain a livelihood
by doing odd Jobs here and there. the little chimney
sweeps in Charleston interesting, said a woman
who spent last winter in that conservative old town
From continually showing them way up and down
the narrow fiues their clothes become one mass of
shreds and tatters, to which the SCOT clings obs-
nately | saw number of them dancing like imps
of darkness on a street corner afternoon. They
were inky-back from head heel. the SCOT clingng
even their eyebrows"
Don't the people burn coal in Charleston"
ooh. yes. But great many won't hear of using
anything but wood in their secping-rooms. and the
big twostory brick kitchens belonging to the houses
originally built to accommodate army of slaves,
but now occupied by families Of more or less ire
sponsibe negroes. all have open freplaces In when
wood, usually lightwood is burned. The law re-
quires that each of these chimneys shall be swept
at least once month The city is divided into dis
trcts each district leased out to contractor who
engages 10 attend to the sweeping, and he in turn
hires the small black sweeps, who can easily get
up and down the chimneys to clean them think ~
cents story is the charge for sweeping chimney"
And what wages do the sweeps get?
Anything. nothing according to their need or
the inclination Of the contractor They make liv-
Ing such as IT Is and that is all they expect. They
don't work all day. and they full Of mischief
they generally give the contractor plenty Of occupa-
ton In looking after them. They play truant, and
all sorts of fantastic tricks. and frequently stop
more than once on the way to some appointment to
have jig or breakdown in the street or some va
cant lot The contractor treats them well, because
the Office Of a sweep not being in high repute. or
much sought after, he finds 1t difficult to secure
employees
How do they clean the fues?'
They have a short-handed brush, not unlike a
hearth brush only II has brstlcs on both sides. ana
three-cornered iron scraper. They rest their fee
on the projecting. uneven bricks on either side OF
the chimney and climb up in that way IL is part
of their duty to sing when they get up TO the TOP.
ITO sng?" -,
Yes in order TO show that they have gone all
the way up They have a peculiar rnythmlc cry
which they repeat over and over: Rah-r-a-h, ran
r-a-h" People in the ne.ghborhood 60 to the VIII
dows when they hear this cry to see the sweep
Grotesque enough ne looks. with half his body pro
the roofs. an army OF disodged bats and chimney
swallows nutterinc bout his head.
"Rah-rahs' the children call them, ana many
t.md little ones afraid OF them thinking them
something uncanny. ,,., 49,, .
ut is a famous trick with these little imps 10
brush up against pedestrians in the most unseemiy
way in the world. doing il purposeiy so as 10 SO
their clothing. They walk along care!essly. TO All
appearance with their heads turned around be
hind them and then are all apologies wheh the
collision they designed takes place.
There was quite excitement one DAY IN a
house in our neighborhood. A sweep got stuck fast
in the chimney and could neither move up nor
down. The contractor thought he was fooihS AZ
first but afterward a brCklayer was sent ior ana
n hole made IN the chimney, through when the 1T
tie prisoner escaped from bis irksome position.