Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1890-11-06
IT is HARD ON THE WIsPs.
How the Newsboys Are Forced to Begin
the Hard Battle of Life.

10" the NeWsDOys Arc rOrceu TO DeStn
the Hard Battle of Life.
Poor tiny merchants Of the pave,
who first essay to make an honest
penny selling papers in the maelstrom
of humanity.
Did you ever watch their strugglesH
Did you ever note their sorrowsl Did
you ever pause moment and see the
dreadful odds that they encounter1 To
me the wonder is that they keep up the
fight and do not back down and perish
IN the midst of their dread initiation.
Perhaps some do. but many stick it
out, for the ranks Of the newsboys are
always full to overfowing, and the
fearful innocent lad of today becomes
the sly, intrepid. seasoned gamin of to-
morrow.
Although the newcomer, if he have
worthy points, soon finds a champion
among the seniors or juniors ofthe pro-
fession-for your gaInin is very apt to
have chivalrous streak in his black
little heart, though there are many de-
void of the is by no means welcome
on general principles, for he means an
other mouth to feed and a tightening
Of the reins Of competition. And 30 he
finds himself facing the backs and
shoulders and sharp, terribly sharp, ell
bows Of an army. It is fight to get
his wares out to begin with. The way
to the dark cellar of production is
choked with contending forces who
fight like rats with teeth and claws.
The middleman who sells on the side
walk at slight advance on Office rates
is an unknown factor to him, and as
for the swift wagon speeding up the
avenue as fast as if it were an ambu-
lance land by what right, I should like
to know, but that of reckless impu-
dence which the police ought to take
in hand), his unused feet can no more
keep up with it than if it were hurri-
cane.
And, by the way, what imps of per-
versity they often put at the tails Of
those wagons to deal out the papers.
How they love to see the midgets tug
ging despairingly behind while they
ride easy and secure. Often l have
seen them lose their papers hundreds
of sales because it pleased them not to
sell, and how they would grin and
cackle with imp like delight as they
saw the little merchants, breathless and
fearful, drop by the waysidel Little
wretchesl God grant that you get left
in the race for life yourself, and see
how you like it. The way of the world,
you say1 Alb, me. believe that you
are right.
But when he gets his papers and
starts out with timid voice to find a
customer the novice finds new troubles
in his path. How big and gruff and
heartless men arel How they rush along
and sweep the weak and timid from
their pathl And even when man
says aye, nine times in ten the new boy
gets left behind by some quick imp who
darts in and intervenes his own paper
between the customer and that of the
rightful seller. II the customer takes
from the novice the latter is apt to get
a kick or a cuff from the one who
sought to cheat hiIa that sets his brain
to Keeling. Then others join N. Ba-
mana skins and even less choice Lpsfsels
from the cutters assauit thu Bedgling
He is kicked ana hnsEled about by the
bullies of the pave bis hat is ruined
or stolen by some brawnier fellow than
he. His clothes are torn and muddied.
Well be it for him if his stock of papers
be not knocked into some puddle OF
dirty water and ruined forever.
At the best night finds him with half
the papers unsold. And then in the
darkness comes the meanest creature
in the gamin world-the big. hulking
highwayman Of the iliputian commu-
nity-a fellow twice as big and strong
as he, who drags him into some dark
corner and by force and blows gets all
his pennies away from him. and leaves
him crying in such bitterness as you
nor I have ever felt, honestly believe.
And what redress has he9 None.
The careless crowd drifts by and pays
no heed to bis tears and misfortunes.
The police would do nothing for him.
What care they, the brutes, for the
wrongs of infancyi The other boys
laugh at him. They have been there
before themselves, and it tiekles them
to see some other fellow in the fangs OF
the wolf And so the poor lamb bleats
on with no one to pity or succor him.
caught one Of these petty thieves
in the act one night. | almost killed
him. was so angry. almost wish