The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-17
CHARLESrON'S RAH-RAHS.
Mischievous Little Negro Chimney.
Sweeps and Their Curious Life.
Some of the Fantastic Tricks Piayee
by the Inky Elves - How They
Operate Among Peoples
Chimneys.

Speaking of city-bred boys who gain,
livelihood by doing odd jobs here and
there, the little chimney-sweeps in
Charleston are interesting" said 3
woman who spent last winter In that
conservative old town. From contin-
ually showing their way up and down
the narrow fues their clothes become
one mass of shreds and tatters, 10 which
the SCOT clings obstinately. 1 saw a
number of them dancing like imps OF
darkness on q street corner one after,
noon. They were inky black from head
to heel, the SCOT clinging even to their
eyebrows"
Don't the people burn coal il
Charleston
'Oh, yes. But a great many won't
hear of using anything but wood in
their sleeping-rooms, and the big two
story brick kitchens belonging to the
houses, originally built to accommodate
an army of slaves, but now occupied by
families of more or less irresponsible
negroes, all have open freplaces, in
which wood, usually hghtwood, is
burned. The law requires that each OF
these chimneys shall be swept at least
once a month. The city is divided into
districts, each district leased out to a
contractor, who engages TO attend to
the sweeping, and he in turn hires a
small black sweep, who can easily get
up and down the chimneys to clean
them. 1 think tan cents a 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 con-
tractor. They make living, such as it
is, and that is all they expect. They
don't work all day, and as they are full
of mischief they generally give the con-
tractor plenty Of occupation in look
ing after them. They play truant and
all sorts of fantastic tricks, and fire.
quently stop more than once on the
way to some appointment to have a
Jig or breakdown in the streets or some
vacant Office. The contractor treats
them well, because the Office of sweep
not being in high repute, or much
sought after, he finds it difficult to Sc
cure employees"
How do they clean the f1ues?'
'They have a short-handled brush,
not unlike hearth brush, only it has
bristles on both sides, and three-cor-
nered iron scraper. They rest their
feet on the projecting, uneven bricks
on either side of the chimney and climb
up in that way. 1t is part of their duty
to sing when they get up to the top"
ITO sing?"
"Yes, in order to show that they
have gone all the way up. They have a
peculiar rhythmic cry, which they re-
peat over and over: 'Rah-r-a-h, rah-
r-a-h!' People in the neighborhOod go
TO the windows when they hear this
cry to see the sweep. Grotesque enough
he looks, with half his body protruding
from the chimney; a black goblin up
among the roofs, an army of dislodged
bats and chimney swallows futtering
about his head.
'Rah-rahs' the children call them,
and many timid little ones are afraid
of them, thinking them something I'M
canny.
ct is famous trick with these lit
tie imps to brush up against pedes-
TRANS in the most unseenly way IN the
world, doing it purposely 50 as to soil
their clothing. They walk along care
lessly. to all appearance, with their
heads turned around behind them, and
then are all apologies when the collision
they designed takes place.
There was quite an excitement one
day in house in our neighborhood.
A sweep got stuck fast in the chimney,
and could neither move up nor down
The contractor thought be was fooling
at first, but afterward a brickiayer
was sent for and a hole made in the
chimney, through which the little pris-
oner escaped from his irksome posi-
don."-N. Y. Tribune.