Evening star., 1925-10-04
BY GEORGE NJ. BATTEY, JR.

w YHAT has become of the
h| luxurious gent e m n
wv known as the chimney
sweeper, that jocular,
smut-faced imp of Satan,
and the deadly rival of endmen in
minstrel shows, who used to CON
tribute so much to family health. COM
fort and happiness in Washington?
According to DR.. William Tindall,
director of the information bureau
at the District Building. and for
merly, for many years, secretary q the
commission. who answers hundreds
of questions over the counter daily
he has gone into the limbo of OK
carts. sword-canes. tournament riders
duelists and other half-forgotten
things.
The subject came up the other day
when a solicitouS person from the
Northwest section appeared at the Dis
trict building and sought chimney
sweeper to clear a choking fue.
"The chimney.sweeperS are no
more" answered DIR. Tindall with a
note of sadness In his voice. for he re-
calls fondly those days Of chimney
doctors" and smoke -belching, soot-scat-
tering fiues "A tinsmith might help
you
But I was told that the District
commission kept a chimney sweeping
department" persisted the troubled
householder.
80 it did up to c5 years ago. but
not now. I doubt If you could find a
chimney-sweeper in the city who does
nothing but sweep chimneys. although
of course you might locate one who is
retired. occupying a basement or a
hole-in-a-wall, but mostly attending
to fitting keys into locks. or following
the plumbing trade as a regular
thing"
Thus is related briefly the fate Of the
poor chimney-sweeper. as true a
martyr to human progress as could be
found. Inventive genius has sounded
his death knell. Dry heat. steam heat
improved chimneys, roofs of slate
gravel, tin and tile have proved his
undoing. He is distinctly 4 relic of
yesterday. with a hectic past but no
future. and unless somebody does
something to perpetuate his name and
fame, a correct description of his ap.
pearance and habits will be as rare,
a century hence. as the characterize
tions of mastodon. dinosaurs and
oterodactyl in the present age.
A monument has been erected in
Alabama to the boil weevil, because
that energetic insect taught the
thusiastic admirer of the original an
cestor, Adam, has built a shaft to
the first man somewhere in Maryland
a tablet Is dedicated to a famous oak
tree in Athens. Ga. the Indian Is
memorialized in iron and stone: practic.
ally every profession and trade. creed
and cult is remembered in marble OF
anniversary celebrations: but the
faithful chimney-sweeper faces extinc
ton and oblivion without so much as
footstone to tell of his once glorious
sway.
WE must bark back to the eight
w eenth century to find a real ap
probation of this picturesque char
acter. Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
noted author, who toyed with the af
fections of the poet Pope and received
her retribution through his written
portrayal of her as "Sappho." the
woman with heart Of ice. set the
fashion for her encourage by enter.
tanning the chimney-sweeper Of Lon
don at big dinner yearly.
Needless to say. on these prandial
occasions. every face was clean and
each recipient Of a priced invitation
appeared in his best bib and tucker
Lady Montasu and her distinguished
guest friends who were not chimney
sweepers were highly gratif1ed to fine
SO much native wit and latent ability
lurking beneath these crusty exteri
ors., Although her ladyship failed to
smile on Alexander Pope, she proved
to the satisfaction of the Sweeps
that her heart was warm; and hel
chimneyS and hearths during her life
time were the marvels of all England
Going back bit further, we fine
William Shakespeare raising a literary
shaft which has since seen no counter
part. In his ''Cymbeline" he observes
Golden lads and Eirls all must.
As chimney y-sweepers come to dust.
In Loves Labours' Lost" he testi
| fies to the darkness of their complex
ions.
But these fast friends Of the chin
ney-sweeper are moldering in dust OF
| another kind, and apparently there
! is none to take their places, SO the
steps.
II we'll remember these happy-go
lucky fellows as they shamblet
through our streets, singing theil
plaintive monotones," DR.. Tindal
went on. "They sang in a cheerful
| hopeful, well-modulated voice, Sweep
| all; sweep, all" Passing along the
| thoroughfare came the man, OF
master sweeper, followed closely BY
the boy apprentice, overladen but
willing, and both going at an amblins
| pace, and giving the impression tha
SCOT weighed more heavily on theil
clammy brows than care.
! Gentlemen in broadcloth and ladie.
| finely sowned paid them the obeisanct
| of right -ofway that was due to {
| king. COngreSSmen, members of ths
| stepped of the sidewalk at their ap
| proach, saluted smartly. and were re
| warded with their most appreciativs
! smllees -..-----.---.---