The morning news., 1899-12-31

he said, the little ones when off work
sleeping. quite naked, on heaps of SCOT.
They were never washed, for their owners
said: whats the good?' They often con-
tracted loathsome and painful disease,
which went by the name OF "sooty can
GER" II was shown that over all the couu-
try children from four to eight years OF
age were constantly employed IN this
work. The majority OF them were orphans,
the rest were bartered or sold by brutal
parents.
Torture for Little Ones.
They had to be taken young and train
ed to their hideous work OF pushing their
way through long, narrow, tortuous pass
ages choked up with SCOT. To clean this
away they had TO move up and down by
pressing every Joint of their bodies
against the hard and often broken sur
faces OF the chimneys. To prevent their
hands and knees from streaming with
blood the children were rubbed with brine
before a strong fire to harden the flesh.
TO drive them up the chimneys when they
hesiiated burning straw was applied 10
their feet, and this was also found useful
to bring them around II they tainted or
stuck in the fue. That Is no fancy pic
ture that Dickens draws in the beginning
Of "Oliver Twist Of the sort Of masters
the children had. The reader win remem-
Ter that Gamfield, after stunning his dom
key 10 make it stand still, walks up to the
workhouse gate, whereon was "A notice
that f5 and Oliver Twist were offered to
any one who would apprentice him TO any
calling.
Gamheld reflects that this would just
suit him, and steps In before the board
to make his offer. IF the parish would
Ike him to learn a light. pleasant trade
IN a good, spectacle cnimbley sweepin'
bizniss, l wants a prentice and am ready
t.I.a
IT'S a nasty business" said one gentle
man. Young boys have been smothered
in chimneys before now" said another.
That's acause they dagaped the straw
afore they liz It in the chmbley 10 make
'em come down agin." said GamfLeld;
that's All smoke and no blaze; vereas
smoke amt o no use at all In making a
boy come down, for 1t only sends him to
sleep, and that's what he likes Boys IS
very obstinit. and very lazy, gen'lmen,
and there's nOthink like a good hot blaze
to make 'em come down with run. Its
humane. too, gen men, acause, even II
they've stuck Ia the chimbiey roasting
their feet makes 'em struggle 10 hextrt-
cate theirselves." The board however,
maintained that II was a nasty trade, and
seeing that II was so they beat down
Gamheld to g zen shlllings. and agreed to
give him Oliver with that. Such were
the guardians and masters the children
g en- had. Later in the same book we
flnd Bin Skies and his friends complain
ing bitterly OF recent legislation which had
reduced the supply OF diminutlve children
that we're needed by them IN their bus
mess" 10 put through the small aperiurcg
Of Windows 10 open for them the doors
Of houses they meant 90 rob II vas their
custom 20 hire boys from the master
chimney awcepcrs ~ 20 much per lob.
Purchased FROM Their Masters.
Lord Shafiesbury himself had actually
10 buy many Of the boys from their m8s-
icra that be might rescue them ard have
them educated and ~ uD ln ife. He in-
feresied others IN chem. aHs before lfgia-
latlOu dii anything many were saved from
their terrible iifc. but though iHrra wore
humane men in Englsnd "a o. surprising 10
learn how strong was no opposition