The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-09-04

Generally rugged, often shoeless or
hatless, or both, unclean in person and
language, the newsbOys Of New York
are class by themselves, Nowhere
else, and among no other human beings,
is there so much energy, independence,
elIrOntery, cunning, shiftlcssness, and
contentedncss with the lot fortune send
them. Out at four o'clock in the morn
ing TO crowd the folding-roOms Of the
morning newspapers, they can be seen
from then until late at night, and heard
everywhere shouting their wares to the
general ear. Each sale they make yields
only cent or the fraction Of cent
profit, and il can be readily seen that
they must make many sales, involving
hours of time and a terrible strain on
youthful muscles for them to gain even
Il Scanty subsistence. If boy sells one
hundred papers per day, heis doing more
than un average business, but his profits
only amount to fifty cents; so that
three dollars per week is more than the
general reward Of nn occupation that
consumes fourteen hours per day and
requires a daily capital almost equal to
the weekly profits. Out Of these scanty
earnings, got ut such great cost, the
newsboy can, if he will, live cleanly and
comfortably. Although MS class I'M
providcnt in the last degree, hundreds
of newsboys take the benefits of the
practical philanthrophy of the Children's
Aid Society, which has established the
NcwsbOys' Lodging House at No. 40
Park Place, where boy eau obtain II
clean bed and wholesome meals ut cost
of six cents each. Less than half his
petty profits, therefore, suiIiccs for his
sustennncc and shelter, leaving him
twenty-six cents per day to provide for
his clothing and other necessaries HUI
man thrift has never had more extreme
example than that out OF such gains ms
these II fund of 80, 1896 has accumula-
ted in the savings bank attached to the
institution, from deposits made by l, lOi
boys of their surplus pennies. But
cheering as this fact is, when other boys
ure considered, the improvidcnce of the
mass of and the vast total Of homeless
boys remain uncOntrndicted. During
the last year S,Gj5 different boys were
inmates for differing periods Of the
lOdging-house, and of this number 3, l22
were orphans, and 1851 were half-or-
phans. OF the whole number 80 per
cent. were received gratuitously, because
they were destitute and We are thus
brought face to face with the appalling
fact that during 1870 $500 boys under
the age Of fourteen years, sought in vain
in the streets of New York for the sub
sistence that costs only twenty.four cents
II day. That this is misery that is
forced upon and not sought by its VIC
tins, is shown by the fact that during
the year 713 only of those admitted to
The lodging.house were found to he tr1l-
ants who had fled from comfortable
homes from an uncomfortable spirit of
adventure. All others were actually
homeless, nor did they constitute the to-
tai intantile privation of the year, All
those admitted to the lodging-house do
not sell newspapers, nor do all who seek
its comforts. There are hundreds, many
of whom are girls, who are suffering the
martyrdOm of prohigate parentage.
Taken altogether, the newsbOys are sub
iccted to great privations and terrible
temptations. Among them are many
who, surviving the one and proving srl.
pcrior to the other, are to emerge from
this shrouded infancy into an honorable
manhood. But among them are many
others who are to escape all evil in n
paupcr grave before childhood is passed,
or falling in this beatitudeare to become
confirmed vagrnnts and thieves.