The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1879-06-03
The SPIRIT OF DEMOCRACY
Tuesday. June s. 1870.
aCoME AND BE sHoNE."
borrowing a Quarter of a Dollar on
Short tAcQuaintance.

OhOIb bACYuHkiitduCCs
The D,sroit 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
concealed on the trucks. and looked
more like hunk Of mud than live boy
fourteen years OLD He came across tic
river with the others, and after brief
look around the depot be walked up to q
hack man and said:
"O.d hoy, I'm right from Jersey CIV,
with nothing t, eat for two hull days and
net red In my pocket. I'm game, ]
am. Lend me quarter and I'll make it
dollar before noon"
"ldon't know you" replied the hack
man.
s.Nor you. b 4 that's all right. A
sman who Won't lend live boy quarter
- get start IN life is no man all. Come,
what dye say Z"
He got the money, and, walking up t.
boot-black who stood shivering in the
cool air, he said:
boy. you'll pcver make sinner in
me world. Your forte is landscape
painting or counting bank notes III
pin ye quarter for yer kit, and II yer
svef want money for q pint Of peanuts,
can on me-"
II was teade. There was new box
Of backing and pretty fair brush, and
the new boy no sooner had tbe box under
his arm than be cried out in wonder
iullv shrill voice:
"C,me and see met Come AMI be
shone BY chap who kin make yer butes
look nicer in two miaits than sloucb
coul / In four days. Hold out yer feet
an gin me a chance 10 lay tie corner
atone Of fot1ne-and don't you forget
nj"
He secured Eve "blacks" as fast as he
oould work, and in twenty minutes be
had paid back the quarter. In half an
hour be was sixteen cents ahead, and then
he rubbed bis aching arms and said:
"f've got to drop suthin' down for my
stomach TO lay hold on. and then Ill
come out and make the fur ny. It'll take
me two hours yet TO get limbered up and
trel like huzs.saw run by chain light
ming, but when do gi, {, wsrk in earn
sst shall use up brush every nine
minnt all day long"
Amer be had procured cheap break
fast at q restaurant, he found himself
confronted by four or nve boothlacks,
who looked as ifthey had planned to give
him the bounce.
"Morning, gents, said the new boy
~ he looked from one to the OF er. mo
use giving me any coPperas, my beauties,
for I've stuck t,wn to stav. I'm right
on tle black. I'd rather black butts, but
] kin black eyes il I'm forced to. I'm .
Keely motor-only more so. / strike,
kick. bite and pull hair all at one motion,
and it takes three police men TO pull me
sway from tae manglei remains Of my
victim
The boys consulted together and con-
cluded not t, tackle him. and In Eve min
nses more they were giving him their
friendship He led them back to the de-
pot. st,od them in line, and said:
"Now, slouches. you stick by me and
I'll stick by you. This town hain't never
bin half worked, and know il. Down
East We all thought you used dishwater
and stove backing instead Of shoe-polish.
Repress yer emotions few minutes, and
500 me tear myself oil to finders"
The new boy moved around like q top.
worked like pony -engine, talked like q
candidate, and made twenty cents in
about ten minutes. Puttingthe "chink"
down int, his old vest pocket, be swung
his box over his shoulder and remarked: :
"Sixty cents afore ten o'clock Of the
first day is good 'nuff. Now want to
60 up town, see the streets, study archi-
tecturo steal me dog, and this after
noon Ill feel as II was born here,
and had been In Jail half q dozen times.
Tssa, children don't spend your money
for tafYy while I'm gone