Alexandria Gazette & Daily Advertiser

From a London paper received at the Office of the N. York Commercial Advertiser.

UTILITY OF CLIMBING BOYS.

Humanity has often revolted at the sufferings of the unfortunate children who are driven by the necessity, or the unnatural cupidity of their parents, to adopt the wretched life of a chimney sweeper. It is however, a fact well known that many pursue this miserable avocation as a matter of choice, and seem in the general scale of society to enjoy as much happiness as those of their own age who obtain a livelihood by other and less disagreeable means. The unfeeling and thoughtless have often applied to this hapless class, in allusion to the uniform blackness of their costume, and in derision, the epithet of clergymen—but a recent occurrence in the city seems to give fair ground for a change in this term, and to justify the transfer of these sooty beings from the church to the bar. The occurrence to which we allude is this—About a fortnight ago. Mr. Wetherly, a silversmith in the Poultry, who is the proprietor of a house in King-street. Cloth Fair, having repeatedly applied to his tenant, (Mr. Watts, a grocer and cheesemonger,) for half a year's rent without success, thought it expedient to direct his upholsterer, a man of great respectability in Fore-street Cripplegate, to levy a distress for the amount. The upholsterer. although a broker, had not been accustomed to this unpleasant part of his profession, and would have declined the commission, did he not feel that by so doing he should disoblige a customer. Having undertaken to execute the warrant of distress, he proceeded to the house of the tenant, accompanied by one of his porters, whom he left in possession. Upon enquiry, however, he found that the family could not accommodate his man with a bed, unless under circumstances of great, personal inconvenience ; and observing an abundance of property on the premises, and thinking too, that the proceedings were rather harsh, he determined to remove his man, and to rely upon the honesty of the people not to take away the goods, which they solemnly assured him they would not. In defiance of this promise, however, and in breach of that gratitude which was certainly due to the broker, they that night, " took a light by moonlight," as it is called, and carried off the greater part of their furniture. On the ensuing morning, when the broker went to the house, he had the mortification to find that it was shut up, and the " bird flown ;" thus he was not alone fixed with the rent, but he was deprived of that which was more material to the landlord, namely, the possession of the house. Knowing that if any King's taxes were in arrear, the tax gatherer would have the power of making forcible entry into the premises, he instantly went to him, hoping to avail himself of his assistance.- Mrs. Watts, however, was as well advised as Mr. Broker, for she had just been to pay the taxes, and now bid defiance to him and her Landlord. The broker was irritated at this ungenerous return for his indulgence, and determined. if possible, to turn the tables upon the lady. Having ascertained that the stock in trade and 'some other property still remained on the premises, he set his emissaries to work, if possible, to gain admission by stratagem. Mrs. Watts was still his match. She got into
the house with her daughter. and from the window bid Mr. Broker and his friends defiance ; and. in fact, threatened, if they came too near, to salute them in a manner not likely to be very agreeable to their olfactory nerves. The broker went to Mr. Wetherley, and stated to him the case, supposing that Mr. W. would have exonerated him from all further responsibility.* Mr. W.however, acted under the advice of his attorney, and said he was sorry that the broker, by the negligence of his servants, or by his own illtimed humanity, had been thus made answerable for the rent. The broker retired not a little mortified at the issue of this unpleasant business, but resolved, if possible, to outwit the fair cause of his discomfiture. Accordingly he placed watches so as to prevent the removal of any part of the property during the night. The remainder of his plan was developed in the morning. At five o'clock he rose from his bed, and proceeded to the neighborhood of the besieged garrison, into which, it seems, .provisions hadbeen conveyed the preceding night, by means of the window on the first floor. It now occurred to his mind to call in the aid of a sweep and through his means to gain legal possession of the premises. To this end he called up a master chimney-sweep in the neighborhood, and by the promise of half-a-guinea soon enlisted him under his banners. One of the sooty battalion was called from his truckle, by the familiar epithet of "Bandy Bob," and told that there was a job to be done. Bandy Bob at first grumbled a little at his early rising, but upon being promised a shilling for hispart of the business, he moved with additional alacrity, and on being further informed that he was to go down, and not up a chimney, the novelty of the operation, as well as the goodness of the joke, rendered him a warm coadjutor. He tho't it was "a prime piece of lark," & the more especially as he owed old mother Watts a grudge, in consequence of her having refused togive him his accustomed perquisite ofa penny and a slice of bread and butter, when he last had the honor of waiting upon her in the ordinary course of his profession The preliminaries of attack being now arranged, Bandy Bob was furnished with the writofpossession. and instructed to descend the chimney of Mrs. Watts' house, and. upon reaching the parlor,to produce his writ, declare himself in possession, and open the door tohis employer. Bob never undertook an affair with greater alacrity. He got upon the top of the house through the permission ofa kindand considerate neighbor, and soon scrambled along the parapet wall to the desired spot. While matters were thus going on above. Mrs. Watts arose from her slumbers. and approached the window, where she saw the broker and his satellites still on the watch. She instantly threw up the casement, and in the plentitude of fancied security."wished them agood morning"-"hoped their early rising would not disagree with them;" but at the same time advised them to waste no more time, as she was "too deep for a score of such ninnies." She then launched out in a variety of pleasantries after her own manner, and in very obliging terms recommended the broker "to go home and study the law-or teach his mammy to milk ducks." While thus indulging in her apparent triumph, she was suddenly alarmed by a loud shout o exultation from below stairs; she instantly ran off to ascertain the cause, and to hersurprise and dismay found Bandy Bob in full possession of her parlor with his writ in his hand. She screamed for the assistance of her daughter; but Bandy Bob, true to his instructions, advanced to the door, opened it, and admitted the besiegers, whose cheers soon alarmed the neighborhood, and sunk the exultation of poor Mrs. Watts to humble supplications for mercy. The due forms of law were then observed, and thus Bandy Bob obtained the credit of being a most important agent in a law affair. Such an entry having been gained without force, or the removal of a single barrier, is perfectly legal : and a sweep with a writ in his hand, in such a case, is as valid an officer as the sheriff of London himself. The subject caused a good deal of bustle in the street, great crows were assembled, and much laughter was excited at the expense of poor Mrs. Watts, who was considered as deservedly punished for a gross breach of faith. The broker in future will, no doubt, remember the old adage, "Possession is nine-tenths of the law."