The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-10-10
The Very Small NewsbOy's Very Small
Story.

I'm older nor I look. I'm most Z.
How do l know? Cause me mudder
tole me so fore she died. She died last
Thanksgivin' day, an "Billy," she
SEE, eyer a VERY little teller to leave
all alone in der worrel, she SEE. ''Ony
years ole," she SEE. An den she SEE
"Our Farder" an sumfin else, and
shuts her eyes an never has none OF der
soup der Thanksgivin' man wild der
white ehoker give her, an so | eats 1t
meself. No, hain't got no farder, and
my big brudder ruined away long ago,
he did, an so he's no good An me
names Billy Stewit, but der boys calls
me "Small Pertaters;" and s-a-a-y,
locker here-er now, wot dyer want ter
know all bout me fur, wen der hain't
notin' fur nobody to knowP An can't
can't stan here chinnin all, can't. l
got to sell me papers an make me liv-
/ in.
/ How many papers have got? Twelve
an one he frowed in ter make it even,
Wot dyer s-a-a-y? You'll buy 'em all?
1 Whoa! Emmeri Take 'em an fire
ahead wild yer kwestions.
boards wild Auntie Clepathuwoar.
No, can't spell it. Ican't spell notin'
but observation-disclosures
Bile Billy. Yes, I'll spell it after
you, but | won't member. Cleo
p-a-t-r-a. It's awful long wen yer spells
+ it, so wot's der good of spellin' it?
She's black, she is, but she's gooder nor
lots of wife women, an she keeps
doughuuts an coughfee fur boys wen it's
cole, an ice-cream, an watermelling an
leminade wen it's hot, an sometimes
she sells hot corn in a fowl in pail,
an hot eorn's better fur fellers nor lem
made an watermelling, cause it don't
give 'em der stummick ache. Stun
mick ache is perlite, Auntie Clepat SCI,
but dat odder word hain't. An goes
dare to live wen goes inter dismiss, an
four odder fellers lives dare too. In
cellar-a VERY nice cellar-werry few
rats an floor, an she likes me more
nor any OF der rest of 'em. How do
know she likes me best? Cause she
puts two spOonfuls of 'lasses in me cot
fee an ony one in der Odder fellers'
Jim Roach, he punched me head fur it
wunst, but she punched him back good.
No, | didn't 90 dare ter live soon as me
mudder died. lived wild a woman wot
beat me wild jug in der mornin' an a
black bottil mites. She cut me head
wun mite, she does, an wen she falls on
ter der floor an SHORES, | cuts an runs,
an den l goes inter dismiss. WOt DIVER
sa-a-y2 Hon. did go inter bisineSs?
Out of a safe. I'm goin' ter tell yer If
yer'll keep quiet minnit. Dat mite me
} head wos cut walks 'roun' an 'roun'
der streets an keeps a-shyin' of der
4 4, kal-
in, an | woS awful cole, an it wos a.
snowin' an a-snowin', an l has no.
WHARF ter go ter, an | finds no place
ter creep inter, an der wind wos a.
p blowin' an blowin' an a-blowin' wen
comes ter safe a-standin' on der
sidewalk fore big store -wun of dem
safes wot can't be burnt up no how.
An der door wos a-swingin' an a.
swingin', an der wind wos a-blOwin' an
a-blowin', an | SEE ter meself, SEE /,
"There's a VERY ccmterble hotel fur
Small Pertaters," an in L pops, wen
der wind blows harder nor ever, an
bang! goes der door, an dare is shut
in tite. pounds wild me fists an
keeks wild me feet an | screeches like
good IN, but nobody don't hear me.
4 hears dem goin' by, but dey don't
hear me. An was dare uwful long
time an finally hear no more people, 1
don't an big clock in der store strikes
ten an den somebody comes along a.
whistlin' an yells like wun of dem
locomotives an somebody stops whist
lin and hollcrs out 'wot's dot?" An /
yells again "Lemme out, femme out"
An somebody else comes along an dey
talks, an talks, an den dey tries an
tries, but dey can't open der door. An
l hears a cop bang his club an anOdder
bang his'n an dey boif comes an bangs
on der door an at last sumfin smashes
-dey SEE it was rusted a'settin' in der
street-an' it falls in onter me an dey
pulls it off an pops out. An der wos
a old genelman wild big nose an wife
7 hair an numbered dare, an
he seq: "Who are yer, me lad,
an wot yer doin' here?" An
tells him bout der jug an der
black bottil, an he takes me han
an we goes ter a doctor-shop an has
me head washed an tied up wild rag.
An Auntie ClepathuwOar she comes in
fur free cents with pep'mint, an she
sez: am take him wild me ter-nite,"
Su6 ScIs An uci DiS -uOocu LlSu SCI
d" all-rite," he SEE. An he gives her
I dollar an he gives me dollar, an der
/ mex mornin' me heads mos well an
goes ter der Duke of der gutter-dat
big chap wot keeps der big STAN ober
dare on der eorner-an' L buys lot of
papers an sets up 10 bis'ness, an OATS
all.
Wot yer handin' 'em back fur? Hain't
\ yer goin' to buy 'em after all? Look
er-he-er, now, OATS meant WOt dyer
5000 oooy? may have der papers an
der money, too? Who-o-a, Emmer?
Won't me an sonnie have pie and pea
nuts ter mite You beti Who's sOnniei
He's little bit of a feller only five, an
his mudder's dead, too, an his ladders
! gone away in der I" Black Marier." L
takes care of him, does, an wen he
grows up he's goin' to be me partner,
che is. e.rs-r-
Here's der Post, Evenia' Mail, En-
press and Telegram, Margaret Eytinge,
an The Detroit Free Press