Morning journal and courier., 1882-10-16


 by Foreign Compstition-stan nd Owners
 who Sootho the Mind as we'll Pslash Leather
 From the New York sunl
 While watching the exhortations of the Salvation Army on the City Hall steps, but at the same time walking leisurely along Park row. the other day, well-dressed, genial looking man, with shining boots, slipped. and one foot went plump into a puddle, and mud splashed over the mirror-like lustre of the leather. There was stampede in his direction by group of bootblacks who had been tossing pennies, and he was greeted with ''Shine Put regular patent leather polish on lem for dime, mister" from half dozen throats. Before the stranger could speak nimble Irish lad was on his knees on the sidewalk, the muddy boot was lifted to foot rest on a blacking box, the blacking brushes were all out, and he was scooping some blacking from tin box of backing paste But boy, with a ragged cap and very sharp features, was holding up five
 fingers expressively, and crying "Shina Fiva centa. boss !''
 The effect of this unlocked for competition on the group of bootblacks was like that of crimson rag in front of bull. The lad on his knees sprang to his feet instantly and flung brush at the speaker. His comrades joined in the attack on the luckless urchin ''Get out, you sneaking maccaroni, or we'll break yer head fur yer,' the assailants cried,
 
 The rival gone, the boys resumed the toss ing of pennies, and the ringl ader in the at tack dropped back on his knees and began to restore the lustre on his customers boots. "Them Eye italian 'scabs' has busted the bootblacking bizness," he exclaimed as he put a finishing touch to the boots. and re ceived dime from well filled wallet. ''Ef it hedn't been fur the turin maccaroni eaters we'd CT been gettin' dime for every shine now"
 The advent of the 'tEye-talian' in the pol ished circles of bootblack society is viewed with irreconcilable hostility. The feud is one of the most conspicuous features of the juvenile labor question. The first and only s'strike' known in the bootblacking business was on account of the reduction in the price of shine from dime to five cents, and the success of the movement of the foreign competitors has never besn forgiven. There are about 300 bootblacks of various nationali ties in the city, but the Italians are slowly driving the others out and building up a monopoly. The profits of the business vary with the weather, the location and the out fit. Those who have stands make twice as ! much as the boys who run about with box slung over their shoulder seeking custom where they can. The latter make from sev ' enty five cents to $1, 50 and $2 day. The ! largest amounts are usually earned on Sun ! day, because the charge for shine is often f increased to dime on that day. A boot black with good stand considers himself ! very unlucky if he cannot clear at least $2, \ and does not begin to think he is doing a | good business until he runs his receipts up to ! $4 or more for the day. Tn some locations | notably in front of the Stock Exchange and ! at Fulton Ferry, the bootblacks who run ! stands do a thriving trade, and their profits | regularly exceed $40 week. Those stands, ! however, are worked on shares, and a rental | has to be paid for the privilege. The boot \ backing privilege is let out in most of the \ hotels, where invariably the charge is ten 1 cents. The owners of smaller stands can usually get location in front of stores, by l sweeping out the latter in the morning, and ! thereby save the cost of rental. The rents ! vary with location and size of the stand from | 5Oc. to 25c. a week. Many of the stands particularly those run by colored bootblaoks | are very elaborate, and sometimes as many as twelve chairs are kept for customers. \ Such establishments are run on partnership l shares, and are usually called 'bootblack emporiums,' or ''boot- polishing palaces" A ! boot, polished until it shines like 8 mirror, | is generally displayed conspicuous at the en ! trance as a specimen of york; and when the l customer takes his seat he is handed morn | ing evening paper to read, or he may l admire the very striking pictures that decor l ate the walls. The neatly painted placard ! reading on week days ''The Best Shine in | the city, by John Johnson, cents, is re- versed on Sundays It then reads "A Sun l day Shine, 10 cents" A small box, with an !
 brushes and box of backing, cost $1 35.
 It can be slung over the shoulder and carried
 about without trouble, and can be used with telling effect on the boxes of Italian rivals in
 a street fight. The stands, with chair and
 two foot rest, cost from $5 upward. Some
 of them are very handsome affairs, and are
 kept neat and tidy as can be by their pros porous proprietors. Many stand owners | make reduction for regular customers, and
 have regular scale of prices, from 25 cents
 a week to $1 month. They give patent
 leather shine for 10 cents, which is also the
 charge for the shining of new shoes the first
 time, and they will oil wet shoes and give
 them patent leather shine for 15 cents.
 These bootblaoks do steady business in al
 sorts of weather, and are able to clear from
 $l5 to $3O week. A year ago some enter
 prising bootblacks introduced what was called
 ''waterproof shine" made by the use of {
 patent backing just put on the market I Water had no effect on it. The ingredients
 of the polish, however, routed the leather