National Republican., 1883-07-11
A TOUCHING STORY.
The Pathetic Little Life OF n Dctroi,
Newsboy.

The Pathetic Little Life OF n Detroi,
Newsboy.
| Boston Herald
Persons who have been in the habit of visit.
ing the postoffice, says the Detroit Free Press.
or who were frequenters of Griswold street
during the last ten years, must have observed
small newsboy, whose station was at the lamp
post on the northwest corner of Griswold and
Larned streets, on crutches, good naturedly
holding out his papers to passersby.
Though he seemed to have little or no COM
panionship with the sturdy, active, and noisy
lads who were his competitors in trade, they
were all fond of him, loyal to him, and
would fight for him, if need were, on
slightest provocation. Many of them have,
indeed, been known to quietly sneak
away from their own customers to give
the forlorn little cripple" a chance when
business was unpromising They seemed to
recognize in him that indefnable mastership
which the gentle helpless always exert.
Johnnie Merleau (for that is his name) had
plenty of regulars" on his list of customers,
They were mostly bankers merchants, law
years, and reporters-his regulars" were
and whenever he saw one of them approach
ing he knew that a sale was certain, You
could almost tell what was in his Thought by
the way he folded his paper and fished out
his little handful of change to break nickel
or dime If it should be necessary. He sell
dom talked unless spoken to, but every Gus
toner who knew him nearly always gave him
CHEEKY salutatlon, to which he responded
with asmile that spoke his gratitude more
eloquently than could any words he might
command. During portions of the last two
or three years he was n student in one of the
commercial colleges of the city. He was am
bilious to fit himself for business career.
Perhaps his small dealings with the magnates
na ntlNNt tnNa e al
were the inspiration of that ambition. In any
event the little chap bent all his energies
In that direction, and soon mastered a
pretty good swing at accounts and became
the photographic envy of the whole crowd of
newsboys. He used to look at his fictitious
ledger accounts himself with commendable
pride, and was always ready whom not on
duty to discuss banking, double and single
entry bookkeeping, discounts, premiums and
all the jargonic arcaua of the world of busi-
ness with any interested elder 1t was pleas. |
ure to those who knew his small careor to
note the dignifed pride with which he rang
the bell OF the elevator that was to land him |
at the door of his school room, and it is said |
that among the hundreds of boys and young |
mem who were his fellow students, few had |
the untiring application of poor crippled lit'le |
Johnny Merleau.
But hope, pride in his advancing fortunes,
customers, school, the bright sunshine, com
Iauos' anu MI tne CneerlnB ana rosy things of |
life and earth, real and unreal, have little |
for Johnny Merleau now. The
slender crutches stand unused and useless
in the corner of the hospital ward,
whore the owner lies dying in the
certain knowledge that he has done
with them forevermore. And yet he salutes
the shadow of death as courageously as he
trudged along the hard lines of his life. One
phase of his career should not be left unre-
corded. On Nov 8, 1874 at the age of IL
years, he made u deposit of 81 in a savings
bank in this city, and ever since that time he
has kept an account with that same bank.
DURING the intervening period he deposited
In all 5000, and no one deposit Of them all ex.
ceeded 81. On Saturday morning the cashier
Of the bank received from him an order in his
own handwriting to pay the bearer 800, with
which to purchase for him lot in Emwood
There was further order authorizing his sis
,er to sign for him and to draw at will the
balance of his account for her own use That
balance, exclusive of the 500 for a burial lot,
vas at the close of business Saturday night
$40, That is all there is of tho story of
Johnny Merleau's life. 1t needs no embel.
ishment of rhetoric to give it value. Its
'athos lies wholly in its facts.
INA