The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1879-05-31
"COme and Be Shone."
Detroit Free Press. J

lpetroit Free Press.
The Detroit brigade of boot blacks
was increased by one yesterday. A pas
senger train from the East carried one
more passenger than the conductor knew
of, because the said passenger was con-
cealed on the trucks and looked more
like hunk of mud than a live boy four
teen years old. He came across the river
with the others, and after brief look
around the depot he walked up to a
hackman and said
"Old boy, Pm right from Jersey City,
with nothing to eat for two hull days
and not red in my pocket. I'm game,
am. Lend me a quarter and I'll make
it a dollar before noon."
II don't know you," replied the hack
man.
"Nor you, but that's all right. A
man who won't lend live boy quar-.
ter to get start in life is no man at all.
Come, what dye say?"
He got the money, and walking up to
bootblack who stood shiveripg in the
cool air, he said
Boy, you'll never make sinner in
the world. Your forte is landscape
painting or counting bank notes. I'll
gin We a quarter for yer kit, and If ye
ever want money for pint of peanuts
call on me-"
| II was trade. There was new box
of backing and pretty fair brush, and
the new boy no sooner had the box UNI
| der his arm than he cried out in won
derfully shrll voice:
"Come and see me! Come and be
shone by chap who'll make yer butes
look nicer in two minits than a SLOUGH
could in four days. Hold out yer feet
an gin me a chance to lay the corner
stone of fortune-and don't you for
get itf"
He secured five blacks" as fast as
he could work, and in twenty minutes
he had paid back the quarter. In half
an hour he was fifteen cents ahead, aud
then he rubbed his aching arms and
said:
"Pve got to drop sunthin' down for
my stomach to lay hold on, and then I'll
come out and make the fur fly. It'll
take me two hours to get limbered up
and feel like buzz-saw run by chain
lightning, but when l do get to work in
earnest | shall use up brush every
nine minits all day long"
After he had procured cheap break
fast at restaurant he found himself
confronted by four or FIVE bootblacks,
who looked as if they had planned to
give him the bounce.
Morning, gents" said the new boy
as he looked from one to the other.
"No use giving me any copperas, my
beauties, for I've struck this town to
stay. Pm. right on the black. I'd
rather black butes, but kin black eyes
if Pm forced to. Pm Kelley motor
only more 80. ] strike, kick, bite and
pull hair all at one motion, and it takes
three policemen to pull me away from
the mangled remains of my victims"
The boys consulted together and con-
cluded not to tackle him, and in five
minutes more they were giving him
their friendship. He led them back to
the depot stood them in line and said I:
"Now, slouches, you stick to me and
I'll stick to you. This town hain't
never bin half worked, and know it,
Down East we all thought you used
dishwater and -blacking instead of
shoe-polish. Repress yer emotion a
few minutes and see me tear myself all
| to flinders"
The new boy moved around like a top,
worked like pony engine, talked like a
candidate, and made twenty cents in
about ten minutes. Putting the
"chink" down into his old vest pocket,
he swung his box over his shoulder and
remarked:
"Sixty cents afore ten o'clock of the
first day is good huff Now want to
go uptown, see the streets, study archi-
lecture, steal me dog, and this after
noon I'll feel as if I was born here and
had been in Jail half dozen times.
Ta-ta, children; don't spend your money
for taffy while Pm gone!"