Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1892 — QUEER OLD CUSTOMS. [ARTICLE]

QUEER OLD CUSTOMS.

Sluggard-Wakera and Dog-Whlp-pors in Church, It will be news to the readers of the Free Press that there was once a time, a long timutoo, extending over several centuries, when there was a salaried official in church to waken sleeping members of the eongrega tion expel dogs from' the sa cred edifice. These individuals are alluded to in the records as aluggard-wakors and dog-whippers, and the fees paid them were very liberal, their annual salary beifig a mere pittance. . The custom, which was frequent In England, was also practiced in America more than two centuries ago. The Rev. Dr. Samuel Whiting, a minister of Lynn, Mass., was provided with a sluggard-waker, one Allen Bridges, who brushed the faces of those inelined to sleep with a fov’s tail fastened to a long staff, like-wise a sharp thorn wherewith he may be most sound. A certain Mr. Tompkins, being thus admonished, sprung up with a good deal of force and to the Wonder of all did, so says the record of the day, ‘ ‘prophainlie” exclaim in a loud vcico, “Buss the woodchuck and seized and bit iiis hand. “And I think,” continues the chronicler, “he will not sooneagaine go to sleep in meeting. The women may sometimes sleep and none know it by reason of their enormous bonnets.”

Women as well as men served in this capacity. Betty Finch, of Warrington, occupied this position at Holy Trinity Church in ltiifij a comparatively recent period. She walked majestically up and down the aisle during the service armed with a long stick,like a flashing rod, with a “bob” on the end of it. With this she angled for sleepers. The term “bobbers” was used for this service and Betty’s son, one of the family of officials, used to recite for the amusement of the tavern goers: mv father's a dark, -» sister'* a. singer, My mother* a -boblww." —*—-t Ana r am a ringer. ’ The dog-whipper was to bo found in every county in England, and is still at his work in the churches in some remote places. Indeed there is a church in Wales where “lazy tongs” with spikes in ibe ends are still used to drag the uuconsecrated animals out of the sacred edilice. The. dog-whipper at Brav in Berkshire Was provided with a ‘:ierkin” to indicate his official position, at cost of six shillings and four peucc. the item paid to Richard Turner for whipping the “doggies” out of a church at Morton, in Derbyshire, in 1622 was one shilling. It is believed that the well-known sexton of Peterborough, Old Scarlett was one of the first dpg-whippers in the country. His portrait ou the wall of the cathedral depicts him with a whip in his belt. Ho died in 15UJ. In some churches tho dog-whipper was only alowed to drive out truant dogs, the dogs of the gentry being furnished with a pew where they were admonished to keep ordor. In Nortborpe Church, which was a depeedeuey of Northorpe Hall, there was a Hall-pew for the Northorpe canines who were of bluer blood than the collies of the shepherd, and were more highly accommodated as wall as being safe from the<taws of the dog-whTpper.

Bile of an Ancient City. A ichtKon Globe. The remains of an ancient town can be Seen on the Col. Brown place, a mile west of Atchison. Tho city covered the space of at least three acres and was inhabited by a race much tnoro intelligent than the Indian of the present time, as pieces of broken ppttery, containing figures, can be picked up in many places on the old site. The pottery resembles that which was made by tho Maba race, of New Mexico. The site of the ancient city Is on a level tract of land which Is considerably higher than the other ground in the vicinity. Atchison roar oe on the site of the oldest city in the United States.