Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-10-19
characteristics Of the Nashville News



boy.
The Nashville newsboy is peculiar in
stitution, standing solitary and alone, re-
sembling in no particular his fellows of
other cities. He don't go bawling about
the streets at distressngly early hour in
the morning, disturbing the rest of quietly
disposed people with his "E're's yer morn
in UNION IN MEXICAN" He does moth
ing of the kind, but walks quietly up to
any one who impresses him as being an in
dividusl likely to be in possession of an
extra nickel and says to him, in tone of
earnest entreaty calculated to find a ready
response in the stoniest heart, ''Say,
Mister, don't you want TO buy paper?"
In his hours of leisure be remains in the
immediate vicinity of bis fathers house
differing from the newsboys of other cities
in that he has father,) spending no time
and losing none of his capital in vain eff
forts to rapidly accumulate fortune by
means of certain intricate games with an
incomplete pack of dirty cards, as dOeth bis
depraVed and immoral brother professionals
in large cities. He don't sleep in cellar
ways and dark alleys, neither does he haunt
the doors of places of public amusement,
meeting the patrons thereby as they leave
the hall before the conclusion of the per-
Torrance, with the modest request
of "Mister, gimme yer check?" He
don't threaten to 'bust the
snoot" of an entsrprising rival who en-
croaches upon his own particular beat.
Neither does he mildly insinuate that he'll
''put head on" the bootblack whom he
employs to polish up his brogans at such
l., Elra llnotCd
because of an unusually large sale OF his
stock in trade, if that individual does not
do satisfactory job on the brogans afore-
said, nor does he spit upon the glossy pedal
coverings OF nobby young men for the pur--
pose Of throwing Job into the hands of
some favorite knight of the box and brush.
He never collects a varied and extensive
assortment of stumps of cigars, making
himself sick by q persevering effort
TO smoke up as many as possible
within given time. He is not constant
reader Of the Sporting Times, nor is he a
regular Subscriber for the Ne11 York Police
Gazette. He don't have his favorite among
the noted fighters, and in large assemblies
it would be utterly impossible tn select
him from a crowd OF boys of similar age
and size, by the peculiar "eut of his jib f"
He don't wear clothes made for a person
double his size, giving expression to hope
that some under sized boy will "tread on
the tail in his coat" ''knock a chip off his
shoulder" or perform any other overt act
OF that character, in order that he may
have an opportunity to exercise his muscle
and show OFF what be knows about hitting
straight from the shoulder. He don't care
cent about being stase-driver when he
grows up, and he never appl2uds, in at
tending theatrical performance, when the
heavy villain is completely OutwiJted and
virtue tr.umphs. The stock quotation,
'He that lsyeGh his hand on woman save
in the way of Kindness" etc., and others
Of similar character, never throws him
into violent transport of wild enthusiasm.
In short, the Nashville peWsboy is a
moral juvenile Of staid habits, and the pros
pect is, if be continues on in his present
course, be will rise to responsible posi-
ton in ife-that of travelling agent for an
insurance company, or a peddler of sewing
machines, a colporteur, or something of
that sort. May success attend him.