West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1885-12-25

give ner q coin You Ear always
easily spare and you will sleep better.
A few Of the little newsgirls are well
known TO downtown business men.
One little Italian girl, not more than
seven or eight years old, has a pretty
little trick of her own, which very often
proves effective In selling a paper or
bringing forth the present Of a coin.
The hurried pedestrian on Nassau
street, near Fulton. is surprised to feel
a soft little hand close upon his finger,
and when he looks down a pretty but
dirty little face is turned smilingly MP
TO his, and the child who trots along
beside him holding his finger asks:
please buy a paper. misterp" Even a
rough man dislikes to break AWAY from
the gentle grasp Of the small fingers,
and the cvntiding smile and soft voice
of the child almost invariably effects a
sale. Most of the newsgirls, however,
make sales by sheer force of endurance.
They will follow a possible customer
for a block. walking so closely i'm front
OF him that he can scarcely take a step.
and imploring him to make a purchase.
Ii the victim argues that he already
has a paper and does not desire a du-
plica.o, the girl will say: well. you
didn't buy that one Of me, mister.
TIease u one oil mel
What becomes of the newsgirls is n
question almost as abstruse rs the prob
lem relative TO the disappearance of
pins. One who frequents the same To-
callties downtown notices the same
faces year after year. until they sud-
denly disappear entirely from his OBJ
~servation, and others take their places.
But they never seem TO grow older,
L and $40 THAR naNyGpupor Npala a oo. -
lead to advancement, thew can not be
imagined TO have climbed out of sight
on the ladder of prosperity. One little
girl who for several years sold papers
in front Of Nash & Crooks restaurant
in Park Row had sufi ,ient resolution
to study telegraphy in her pare mo-
ments, and now she holds q position as
operator in the Western Union build
ing. Another newsgirl who came un-
der the writer's notice had one of the
opportunities that are usually offered
only In Sunday-school books, but she
failed 10 take the right advantage of II.
Her story is not embarrassing:
About five years ago, "a newspaper
reporter was passing along Park Row,
near Ann street, i'm the afternoon, when
he observed a particularly gloomy small
boy moodily counting "A few pennies at
the edge Of the gutter with a bundle of
papers under his arm. While he wFs
thu engaged a depraved and ragged
urchin, several years older and many
sizes larger, swooped down upon him.
seized his pennies and bolted across
the street toward the Post-ofice. The
gloomy, small boy seized him by the
coat tails-or that portion of his coat
nearest where the tails would have
been If they had not been torn off-and
was waited with him across the street
through a labyrinth OF horses, wagons
and street cars, screaming meanwhile
at the top of his voice. The depraved
urchin was so much annoyed by the
little fellows attentions that he pro-
ceeded to confer upon him a scientific
thrashing, and all the other newsboys
and girls in the vicinity became inter
ested and came over TO observe and adj
mire. But before the t%hrashino had
been entirely administered a tattered
darlsel of perhaps ten or twelve years
appeared upon the scene, and, from
the manner Of the reception, it was OBJ
vious that she was a person of some
reputation and Importance in affairs of
q similar nature.
"Wot's the row." she inquired. ell
bowling her way toward the center of
the throng. A score of voices informed
her. At the sound of her voice the de-
PRAYED urchin suddenly ceased his pu-
gilistic operations, turned pale and
made a violent effort to break through
the crowd. The tattered damsel
caught sight of him.
Take my papers," she cried, hand
ing them to a constituencies small bow.
who at once bolted and sold them at
Fulton Ferry, to his personal aggran-
diZement.
The luckless fighter made several
fruitless efforts to get out of the ring
and then began to wall in anticipation
Of his approaching doom, though he
was older and taller than the avenger.
b little Amazon grasped him bv the
hair and delivered a series of right
handlers upon his countenance with so
much fervor that the life-blood streamed
from his nose and his bellowings might
have been heard six miles away, while
the group of small spectators howled
with delight. Having punished him
sufficiently, the catered damsel let him
go and turned her attention to his little
victim. The gloomy small boy was
gloomier than ever. His nose was also
bleeding, and the little GIRL who had
NFNh6th hihA VI nlo duNtIddIN DTOulGtu
a very dirty handkerchief and sent one
OF her maids of honor t. dip it in the
drinking-fountain.
"Wot was he lickin' ye ferP' she in
quired, tenderly.
"He-he stole my-my money!"
sobbed the little fellow.
The Amazon at once looked savagely
about for the depraved urchin, who,
deeming danger past, was s~tanching
the flow of blood from his nose near a
neighboring street-lamp, bowling dis
mally the while and gazed upon BY an
interested throng. Seeing her again
descending upon him be screamed,
covered and gave himself up for lost.
where's the kids money?" de-
manded the little Amazon, in a terrible
voice.
"Here It's" cried the culprit, diving
into his pocket. Don't lick me no
more. III give it 30 you"
The Amazon counted IL and asked
the small boy il IL was right. Then
she turned to the depraved urchin and
said III you ever touch that kid again
won't just lick you, thought I'll lick
you till they call an ambulance"
The reporter who witnessed this san
culinary affair wrote IL up forthwith.
a day or two later a gilded youth APP