The Butte inter mountain., 1902-02-14
TWO CHIMNEY SWEEPS CON-
sPIRE, BUT IN VAIN.
SENSATION AMONG EB0N CRAFT
Mr.. Sinington, Colored, illustrates the
Wiley Scheme Of His Confreres,
Brown and Green, and
ALI Is Serene.

Butte, sah," glided into the Inter Noun
tain office this morning to complain OF
the unprofessional conduct of two of his
confreres.
Mr.. Sinington is q sweep to the manor
born, to whom nature has given such
bountifu hue of ebony that sooty CHM
neys only emphasize his color.
Perched fiippantly on his wealth of
black ostrich feather hair was a tiara
which did justice for a billboard and
announced to the world that Mr.. Sinn-
ington was Chimney Sweep Extraordi-
nary to His Majesty the Butte Citizen"
And then he told his tale.
1t appears that there is feeling that
Is much stronger that friendly emula-
tion between the members of the sooty
craft in Butte. Mr.. Sinington's II years
of successful practice in chimneys tall.
dary and narraw; years In which he has
had his ups and downs, but withal. years
OF success and eminence in his calling
have stirred the envy of the more mod
ern school of sweeps, who descend TO
strategy and army bugles to attain sue
cess and break into the Sinington client
age.
But Sinington, artist In his line, has
continued to prosper; he has gone calmly
on and up until he has acquired a corner
on the chimney market, as 1t were, that
is hard to break into.
Rivals Are Jealous of Him.
Two of his rivals, who for convience,
may be known as Brown and Green,
chafing under the continued prosperity
of their dark. competitor formed COM
bine to undermine him and make him
lose the fair fame which the years have
brought him.
A few days ago the three were bidders
FOR the cleaning of set of chimneys in
the heart of the city. The job was a
good one, however. that required
skill and thorough knowledge OF the game
and through Siningtons superiority, he
alleges, he got the contract, at which
Brown and Green turned different hues
with envy.
Then they entered into q conspiracy
that was dark to block the path, or
rather the chimneys, of Mr.. Sinington.
l. They would steal the roof in the
morning gray and fill the chimneys Of
the Sinington contract with brick. Sin
tfgton would run up against it-that is,
against the brick-he would sweat and
puff and bring all his engines of SCOT to
bear upon the obstinate mass but un-
availingly.
Ultimately, thought they, he would re-
tire vanquished, whereupon the conspir-
ators would get the job, remove the
brick and shatter forever the vaunted
superiority of the Afro-American.
But there are channels In the world
of sweeps throug which plots and count
er plots leak out.
How he learned of the conspiracy Is
a secret dark as his ebony self, but Sim
ington became aware of the willy scheme
and set himself to thwart It,
Rtsing early yesterday morning at an
Hour when all good sweeps are supposed
to be sleeping the sleep of the tired
sweeps, he repaired to the seen of ac-
tion and, choosing a convenient chimney
in which to secrete himself, and from
which he expected no smoke for hours
to come, he removed his tiara and was
lost In the sombre depths of the stack.
+ A little bunch of the ostrich-feather
hair and one chful eye alone emerg-
ed.
Comes Too Shadows.
An hour passed slowly and the watch
was beginning to weary in his cramped
position, when two dark shadows came
gliding along the roof-tops with bun
die which they were half carrying, half
dragging along.
The bundle was sack of bricks and
the Ahadows were Brown and Green.
Reaching the appointed chimney they
rested for moment, while Singinton,
from his vantage hole, saw them grin in
malicious glee.
But as Sinington watched and waited
for the first brick to drop a horrible
realization came to him. Up from the
depths of his vigil chimney came an
ominous rumble and his trained nose
detected the unmistakable odor of kero-
Sene.
They We're starting fire at the base
of his chimney and he would be suffo-
Gated II the Brown-Green combine didn't
begin operations very soon.
Brown looked at Green and smiled and
Green smiled back. Then Brown made
a forecast Ito Green of Sinington's vain
attempt to dislodge the brick. Green fore
casted in return and the smoke came
pouring up
A smothered cough made the conspira-
tors turn, but the darky had ducked out
of sight, not even a struggling feather
from the ostrich plume could be seen.
"'Twas but the wind" said Brown.
"Sghing through the trees" added
Green. And they continued the forecast
while the colored Sparton, swallowed
smoke in quarts.
Just as the darky was about to throw
up the sponge and the smoke, Brown
dropped the first brick and Green was
about to follow suit. when the long -suf-
fering Snington sprang from his retreat.
A thunder cloud was pale In compar-
son with the indignant chimney sweep
as he pounced upon the trembling pair.
And then he told them his private
opinion of unprincipled sweeps I'm terms
that glowed WITH the. grotesque and
graphic terms which adorn the vocalbu-
larry Of the craft
he scorned the laws assistance In his
chastisement, chased them singly down
the chimney for the bricks, they had So
carefully planted and sent them home