The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1884-10-21
SHINE EN- UP..P"
The Street Arabs Beginning to
Improve Their OpportCni-
ties for Business.
Chicago News.
shine shine J"

y
shining to-day?" was asked Of him.
81 hain't made nuthin'. Ben
a-sellin' papers most all day"
Haven't you had SINGLE 'shine'?"
SHAW. faint no day fur shinin,
an the chumps wotis gone into them
> Easements stands they gobDles up adj
the trade anyway"
'eThat amt So" said another boy
slightly older than the first, who drew
near with a backing outfit slung
over his shoulders. "a felier what
does good, clean work an don't make
muses. around in offices ken get
plenty TO do" he added with a con-
temptuous glance at the tobacco
muncher.
Can you make a living at boot
blacking?" was of the newcomer.
ken / make a Twin? We'll, [
should say ken. I've been makin'
fur six years at shinin' an sellin'
papers Pm tryin' now to get job
in a shop, though, cause I'm lgittin
too big. Pm goin' on IA now"
How much do You earn in a day
from shining?"
" Bout dollar usually. If /
work extry hard / ken make a
dollar an half. / hev customers
an goes to 'em. A boy what's up
to time an brushes up the gents
pants an gives good shine can easy
get work. Course if you don't care
how you do, they amt goiD' to hev
You round" Another whitening
look was bestowed ON the crushed
small boy, who had confessed to
making "nuthin' all day. Then,
with Jerk of one thumb to indicate
locality, the larger boy continued
Why, over there in that basement
Billy an another Teller have
struck up partnership an fixed up a
place for shinin' that's costin' them
$500. A gent what | shines for
says it's the finest boot-blackin' shop
in 'Merica. They made the hull
start by shinin.' They shined on
the streets same as emmy of us. Boys
ken git long If they wants to, boot
blackin' or ennythiag. If they git
nothir' to do it's their own fault.
He turned about and departed with
an air which equaled in independence
that of the most opulent man in
Chicago while the little unfortunate
lifted his quid to the other cheek,
,ni oa7od after him
The inquirer crossed the street and
entered the basem, mt indicated by the
bootblacK's thumb. Two boys about
Is years old were busily engaged in
putting thing to rights. The apart
ment was light and airy, and was
provided with handsome gas fixtures.
Two happier or prouder young men
Il would De difficult to find in Chicago
than these two, who had succeeded in
lifting their trade out of the streets.
The walls of their place of business
were hung with pictures which, if not
displaying the highest art, had moth
ing of the questionable character OF
the costly paintings which often adorn
elegant drinking places and other
resorts fitted up for patronag of men.
Yes" said one of the proprietOrs,
"we saved up between us in the last
year enough to open this place, and
we calculate to make it the best of
kind in the country. I've never been
anywhere outside of Chicago except
once, when we went ON a newsbOys'
excursion TO Milwaukee, but some OF
our customers who have been all
over the country tell me that there is
no shop in New York as nice as this !"
He leaned back against the wall aud
looked up admiringly at one of the
new gas Jets with It's Opaque globe of
glass.
1--WE employ seven or eight boys,
he explained, ''and pay them 81. 70 a
dav. We have all We can do. There
il always plenty of this kind of work
for those that want it. | suppose
there are ten or twelve hundred boot
blacks In the city, although We have
but thirty members In our association.
The object OF the association For
beRevoleut purposes and to regulate
prices.
"Who introduced bootblacking
shops in Chicago?" asked the repOr-
ter
ga young man that came from
New York. He WIS a boot5lack
there long time"
The originator of the bOotblacking
shops was found in similar basement
to the one already described, except
that it was not fitted up in such an
expensive manner. He was tall
and intelligent young man, who said
he .sgrew too big" to follow his trade