Evening star., 1900-12-26
CHIMNEY SWEEPS,
Milwaukee Still Has n Few at Work
ut This Hard Calling.

IFoln the MILWAUKEE, Sentlnel.
Unique IN their dress and occupation are
the chimney sweeps of Milwaukee, a class
numbering not more than half dozen peo-
pie in ALL but possessing ubiquity which
makes them familiar sights at least,
though their work, with its drawbacks of
danger, small remuneration, uncongenial
conditions and other attributes, are prob
ably not known or its details even guessed
at. on foot, awheel or in the express
wagons which they use, clad In their black
shoes, with sooty hands and faces, bearing
upon their shoulders the implements of
their calling and with their heads crowned
with tall hats tsik hats at that-can any
one explain why that is the style with
chimney SWeepSH, these men are always
an interesting sight.
John Wandt is the Nestor of the AIilwau-
kee sweeps. He has been thirty-flve years
in the business in this city, having the en-
tire field to himself at one time, later being
the employer of half a dozen other sweeps,
and living on to the days of the present,
when the increasing popularity Of the gas
range and the gas CRATE bids fair to de-
Stroy time-honored occupation and com
pei men now engaged in 1t to seek other
means of livelihood. John Wandt recalls
the days when he made 81, 600 a year profit
from the business. He is still chimney
sweep, and also conducts a saloon on East
Water street, but he says that if it had not
been for outside competition and the use of
gas he would never have been compelled to
open a saloon.
Sometimes now" he said, II am almost
ashamed Of the business. So many people
who are without principle take 1t up for
month or two months or three months,
just to carry them through hard straits,
and then drop it again. but it is not the
same pleasure to me it was once. l do not
take pride in 1t any more. Yes, It is dam
gerous business. You see. we have to
crawl around on slippery roofs, where the
shingles are wet or Shiny. where there is
Ice, or where the footing Is treacherous.
Sometimes we have to work on slate roofs
where the rain has frozen into glare ice
where there Is no protection from the wind,
and where fall is always possible l have
fallen from roofs nine times have had both
legs broken and have been otherwise in
5ured, but you see / am pretty good man
yet. Then there is danger in the climneys
down which we have to go, and in cleaning
furnaces or the pipes leading from fur
naces, but l have never lost a man. Some
times the masons have done their work
very badly and that makes our work more
difficult. but We get along. I have great
many customers whom I have had for
years. When l once work for people they
don want any one to work for them
again, but only me.
Most of the work is done at residences,
but the business is not on the increase
though the city Is growing Gas is driving
us out of our work. Since 1898 the people
of Milwaukee have been using gas more
anu Haoie' anu there is no choking of Chin
neys from gas ranges or gas CRATES. Then
the new buildings are SO built that they
nave one large chimney, through which all
the smoke passes There Is always a
strong draught which in itself keeps the
chlmneys clean. so we don't get much to do
there No, the business is falling off the
prices are smaller, and the competition Is
sharper"
CITY without gas, with soft coal used
in every house, with no big. straight chin
neys with safe roofs to all the houses. and
with big money in every job, one Of the
sweeps said. would be an ideal place for
he was far-sighted enough to observe that
some day electricity Will do away with ali
smoke except that in a few central fac
tories where sweeps are not employed.
Progress is driving US to the wall" said
one, with a laugh, "and our children Will
have to seek some other occupation