The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-11-12
"Billy the Scrapper." "
[Philadelphis Record.

NOW, then, Reddy McGinty, kape in the
line, or I'll be afther kicking the red, white
and blue stuffin' out of yez. I've spoke to
yez once, and I'll spake to yez no more"
The above somewhat inelegsnt remark,
which was spoken with an air of conscious
authority, was overheard by Record re-
porter hurrying through Jayne street, above
Seventh, on Saturday afternoon, where
throngs of newsboys were waiting for the
last editions of the four or five afternoon
papers which have their distributing rooms
on that narrow thoroughfare.
The speaker was William j. Herrity, a
short broad-shouldered and muscular news
boy about seventeen years of age, better
known to fame as BILLY the Scrapper," and
his note of warning was addressed to a small
specimen of carrot-topped humanity who
had attempted to oust still more juvenile
colored boy out of his place in the line that
was besieging the distribution window of the
Item Office.
At that moment two diminutYe young
sters approached the "Ssrapper," and, each
handing him a cent took their places at the
end of the line of boys, who were making
as much noise as so many gigantic English
sparrows.
well, I'll tell yez how 1 works it.' said
the sturdy youth, in reply to question as
TO what he had been paid for; ''yez see these
kids comes here to get their pspes, and the
big 'uDs 'uJ have everything their own way
il / didn't look out and keep order. They'd
be after pushin' the kids out of ther places
in the line, and scarin' away the darkies and
ginerally upsettin' the whole business jist
out OF diveltry."
"And the little boys pay you to keep order
and protect them in their rights?"
"Rightyez are, and it's chape at the money
fur Pm only after chsrgin' them a cent q
day." Here he suddenly darted across the
street and cutfed boy on the head who was
wrangling with one of his little clients over
some early edition papers. Quit tryin' to
cbate the kid, yer dirty duffer. Paid fur
yer place, did yez? an what if yez did, that's
no reason fur yez to chate Jonnie Baxter,
is it?' Re then went up to the window to
settle another dispute, and the reporter
turned TO a small boy for further informa-
tion.
"Oh, he makes about S. or 81 week at
this job when there's anything going on that
sells the papers, and he only works at it tor
two or three hours. III the morning he sells
papers himself. Why is he called the
Scrapper? Why, cause he's so fond of
scrappin', of course. The admiring
youngster then proceeded to tell how the
Scrapper had fought scores OF ambitious
young pugilists from the ranks of the news
boys and bootblacks, and had come out first
in every encounter "Oh, he's a dandy,
tell you, and he fights as fair as they make
'em," was the high praise with which the
Scrapper's little admirer wound up his &C.
count of the hero's doings.
For over a year Mr.. Herrity has been
keeping order and protecting the small fry
from imposition and the bullying of the
larger boys, and he has come to be regarded
as Judge and jury in all the squabbles that
take place among the horde of boys that
gather about the neighborhood mentioned.
He takes great pride in his fairness. The
payment of a cent, while it entities boy to
be carefully looked after for the day. does
not allow him to take any liberties with the
boys who have not paid, and any movement
OF that sort is promptly stopped by the
Scrapper's warning voice or muscular arms,