Missouri Southern State University - Crossroads Yearbook (Joplin, MO)

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“I Can’t Keep My Fingernails Clean!” Photos by Richard Williams chimney sweeps in old England, who were on the bottom of the social scale, could only afford undertakers cast-off clothing. On the hat is usually worn a red feather to ward off evil spirits and thus protect the house from chimney fires and also a green feather for luck. In David’s opinion, “The worst part of the job is not being able to keep my fingernails clean. On the good side, you get to meet a lot of people and see lots of houses.” He also finds that every chimney and fireplace is different. So far the worst thing David has found is a dead squirrel. Even though he gets a lot of strange looks from people when he comes back to his room after a job in his black outfit, all covered with soot and carrying a ladder, there seems to be one common reaction. Most people don’t know that there are still chimney sweeps around—except in the movie Mary Poppins. There is an old saying that if you shake hands with a chimney sweep that good luck will rub off on you. When asked if his luck has improved since he has been a chimney sweep he replied, “Well, I haven’t fallen off of any roofs yet!” CHIMNEY SWEEP 28 I got out of the army and needed a job so I started working with a man who cleaned fireplaces.” That’s the way sophomore criminal justice major David Daugherty explains how he got started working part-time as a chimney sweep. The services of chimney sweeps are becoming more in demand as people go back to burning wood and coal to help heat their homes. Even though it isn’t particularly hard work, David wouldn’t recommend it to just anybody. “You can’t mind getting dirty and you can’t be afraid of heights.” Sometimes he has to climb up onto steep roofs several stories high. Once there he uses an assortment of brushes on a series of connecting rods that are shoved down the chimney to loosen the soot and creosote. Then the dirty part begins—cleaning out the loosened debris from the fireplace itself. David has a slight advantage over the old- time sweeps because he can use a vacuum cleaner to clear out the soot. A lot of history goes with being a chimney sweep also. The traditional attire for a sweep is a black top hat, black pants and a black coat with tails. This outfit came about when

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Luanne Wilson (left) as the mime tells her story in silence while Tish, played by Kelly Besalke (right), translates. The dancing bear, played by Jim Blair (center), says, “You must listen with your eyes. ’’ The Arkansaw Bear BEAR 27

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Whether it’s up on the roof or inside the house, being a chimney sweep involves a lot of dirty, grimey work. Just ask David Daugherty. The worst part is crawling inside the fireplace to dean out the firebox and flue.