11. Chimney Sweep
Chimney sweeps clambered up narrow scaffolds and into tight brick flues, armed with coarse brushes and hessian sacks. They scraped thick layers of soot from crumbling mortar and dislodged sticky creosote clumps. Every ascent carried the risk of falls onto hard hearthstones, while inhaled ash burned lungs and eyes. Without protective gear, sweeps endured chronic coughs, blackened skin, and long-term respiratory damage, proving that not all frontier jobs involved six-shooters to be dangerous.
