The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-06-10
ChaFIes DiekeqI On NFWs.VeDaerI.

1
-aaries Dickens presided al the annual
aInaer OF the NeWs.V Vendors Benevolent
Institution, in London, May, 9th. In pro-
posing the toast of the evening, he lament
ed the difficulty of his position, which
arose from the fact that there were no Op-
posing Influences that he was called upon
70 overcome. IL for example, success had
never attended the efforts of the sOciefy-f
tns managers could say that the institu-
Ilon was lRsolvent-ina hopeless condition
-tnAt It's accounts had been kept by Mr..
Edmunds or by "Fom"-Tcheers snd lsugh-
Ter l-if the treasurer had taken il into his
head TO run away with the money box-f
any such event had occurred, he might be
enabled to make 8 pathetic appea! to their
sympathies. But he had no chance. Just
ss nation was happy whose records were
barren; so benevolent society that had nc
history was Fortunate and its president un-
fortunsts. Laughter.
The neWs-Vender anu the newsman, be
yond sll question, were very subordinate
parts Of thAt wonderful engine, the neWs-
paper press. Still he thought they AL
knew pretty well that they were to the
fountain-hesd what goot service pipss
were 70 good water supply. They we're
all Of them accustomed TO say in their ev-
ery-dsy HE that they nevsr knew the
worth of 8 thing until they lost it. Let
them try the worth of this calling by this
test. A few years ago it WIS discovered
ona morning that astrike hsd taken place
amongst the cab drivers Of London. I'm
agine such state of things to occur
amongst the neRs-yeaders. People Anx-
iously waiting in all directions, and under
every variety of circumstances, for news
which did not reach them IS usual; imsg-
Inc the circulation of the blood Of country
standing still, the clock of he world stop
ped. Why, even Mr.. Reuter-whon he
wss always happy to suppose slumbering
by night by the side Of Mrs. Reuter-
lAu2htsr with q galvanic battery under
Lne bolster, with an electric wire at each
side Of the bed, and with the bells st each
carlow he would click and hssh those
wonderful dispatches of his, and how they
would become mere nothings, without that
intelligence, that activity and honesty
which caught up the threads and stitches
of the electric needle and scattered them
all over the land.
Although the news-vender might be al
lowed 70 be very unpicturesque render
lag Of mercury or Fame, or other conVers
tional messengers from the clouds, and sl-
though they must sll admis that he is Cf
this earth, and has often, poor fellow, 3
grest deal oft on his boots, still he had had
very remarkable characteristics, to which
none of his celestial predecessors could lsy
the slightest claim. One was that he was
always messenger of civilization, the
other was that he was equally so not only
in what he brought but in what he ceased
to bring
Mr.. Dickens then went on 70 drsWa
graphic picture of the description of news
which the news-venders were called upon
to disseminate in days gone by, when sOci-
ETY. was in state of gross sensuslity, and
intempersnce was the rule, and when the
most devilish duels we're fought for the
most dlsgrsceful of causes. That state OF
things was happily discontinued forever,
and when they remembered the undoubted
truth that this change could never have
been effected without the aid of the load
the news-vender carried, surely it was not
too romantic tO;express the hope in his be-
half that the public would show to him
some little token of that sympathetic re-
nembrsnce which they we're always glad
70 bestow upon the bearers Of happy IL
1ings.