The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-09-03
NOBODY WOULD BORROW IT.
The Unique Experience of tho First Man to
Garry an Umbrella In London.

The Unique Experience of tho First Man to
Garry an Umbrella in London.
We have It on good authority thai
Jonas Hanway, the eccentric philan'
throplst was the first person who
walked about the streets OF London
with an umbrella over his head. lie
was a man who did not want courage
as we know from other deeds which he
did of more dangerous sort. Being
Quaker, he was not afraid Of sneers
or jeering remarks, which Quakers
have always had to encounter. Very
likely he was both insulted and pelted
when he appeared with his umbrella
In some streets, for the constables OF
the reign OF George III. did not keer
order so well as our modern policemen
do. Probably good Mr.. Hanway's or
iginal umbrella was even larger than
those to which, in allusion to one OF
Dickens tales, the popular name OF
camps" is often given by way OF
joke. The Georgian umbrellas are de-
scribed to us as being made OF green
oiled canvas, with cane ribs which
would not bear a strong gust of wind.
Cowper, the poet, in his Task" men,
tlons the umbrella as an article which
people used to protect them from the
sun, because 1t was the fashion then to
cut down many Of the fine old trees OF
parks and groves, so that perhaps this
was Hanway's first idea about 1t, that
1t made good sunshade.
Evidently the umbrella came to us
from the East, where II Is employed for
that purpose, but the French had 1t be-
fore us. This was one think which
made people dislike 1t, for French fash
ions were thought silly. Macdonald,
writing in A. D. 177S, says that the
London idlers and the hackney coach
men shouted after him when he car
ried an umbrella, and called him a
"mincing Frehchman." His sister was
out walking with him, and she was so
much insulted that he had to take
refuge in shop. But must say some
thing about Jonas Hanway, for he is
worthy to be remembered.
He was born at Portsmouth in A. u.
1712, and Travelled about the world a
good deal, and published a book CIV
Ing an account Of his travels in Per-
sia. With some other gentleman he
founded the Marine Society in 1855.
which was intended to benefit beggar
boys and orphans, by giving them an
outfit and starting them as sailors up
Russian merchant. Then he was one
OF the early friends OF Sunday schools
through the schools which he helped to
start were different to those we have
now; they were the means of tanning
children who were like young savases.
They heard the truths Of the Bible and
were taught to read. 1t was not till
this century that a machine for sweep
Ing chimneys was invented and the
custom OF employing boys as climbing
sweepers gradually ceased, but before
that Jonas Hanway did what he could
to protect these poor little fellows.
They had often to go up chimneys on
bitter cold mornings; sometimes they
stuck fast and died, often they got bad
bruises and sores from this dangerous
work. Some Of the timid ones, too,
were always afraid OF meeting bogies
In the chimneys. Even at the age of
six or seven children were so employ
ed, because, when small, they could
climb up narrow chimneys better, and
little girls were actually sent up some
times. Mr.. Hanway obliged the mas
ters to feed these young sweeps prop
erly, to have them washed after their
work, and to give them beds, not dirty
sacks, to sleep upon; also he got their
hours shortened.
When he was in London, Hanway
lived during many years in a house in
Red Lion square, Holborn, and he had
all the reception rooms there decorated
with beautiful paintings and devices.
The reason he gave for this was a good
one; he said that often visitors did not
know what to talk about, and these
wall scenes gave them subJect.-Chat-
terbox.