The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-03-06
ONE MANS HOBBY.
The Patron Saint of the
Street Urchins.
He Wanders About the Water Front
ard Makes Small Purchases
From Youthful Peddlers.
"Buy paper, mister. please?"
"Come here. sonnv,"

BUY paper, mister. please?"
Come here, sonny"
A street urchin with bundle of morning
papers under his arm followed kindly
faced, gray bearded old man into a shelter
ing corner at the south end of the ferry
house at the foot of Market street
''How many papers have you left.
sonny?"
II sold all THE CALLS. but here's fourteen
other papers. I'll try to get you CALL if
you want it, sir
Never mind. sonny, give me what you
have; they'll do"
(which one. sir?"
''All. Here's a dollar. Give me the
change"
That newsboy was the most surprised
person ON all East street. His big, black
eyes opened as wide as saucers, but he
never said anything except thanks" when
he handed out the change.
"If you meet any of the other boys who
have not sold out yet send them to me. SON
ny. will you?"
"You bet l will"
And he was as good as his word. 1t was
10 O'Clock in the morning when that old
man bought his first stock of leftover
newspapers. Before the afternoon journals
were out lie had stock of papers that
reached from the ground nearly to his chin.
Every newSboy on the water front sold
out to him, and some of them more than
once. for the tricky urchlns went TO the
newsstands in the ferry houses and bought
all their leftover papers at a reduction, and
sold them to the kindly faced old man for
a nickel a copy.
This was two weeks ego, and the old man
not only bought out all the newsboys but
the match-peddlers and every other kind Of
youthful peddler who had heard tile glad
tidings and fastened to him.
After dark wagon came along. and took
all the old mans accumulations away
The next morning he appeared on the
water 'front.' and hung around the ferry
houses and wharves all day long. He
bought something of. everything that every
boy had TO sell. but he bought no more Job
lots.
THAT was my first day." he explained to
the boys who pressed him 10 buy all their
wares, land did it up in big style.
Pm going to buy something from all of
you boys, now, SO long as you don't cheat
me, but I'm not going to take any more job
lots"
And the old man kept his word. Every
day since then he has appeared on East
street. he walks back and forth from
Fishermen's wharf to the Mail docks or
loiters about at the ferry houses or one Of
the busy wharves, watching the crowds and
the workmen.
Aud the boys watch him. They know Mt
any hour of the day just at what part Of
the front the old man is.
His pockets are always stuffed full of
matches and cheap handerchiefs and shoe
strings and newspapers and various odds
and ends that he has picked up from the
boys on the 'front.'
lie makes 1t a rule never to buy more than
twice in one day from the same boy, and he
knows them ali so well now that they have
learned the uselessness of trying to deceive
him.
And he always pays the exact market
price for all his wares. He never allows
one of the boys to keep the change. but
always counts it over carefully.
be says he Is inculcating business prin-
eiples into the boys by this. And he will
knows he ought to get three punches OF red
heads for 10 cents, and he will not take
less.
He goes home at about dark. Then his
pockets are bullying out with all sorts of
knick knaeksand more or less useless things.
There is always big bundle of papers
under his arm at this time of day, and not
unfrequently there is string of fish dang
ling from one hand, which lie has purchased
from some youthful angler.
Saturday he wore a rubber coat, and as
that afforded him greater facilities for stow
ing things away in his pockets he had a
larger number of miscellaneous purchases
than usual
No one knows what his name IS He has
but little TO say to grown persons, though
he is always polite and kindly to all who
address him.
He told THE CALL man Yesterday that il
was his idea of being useful in the world
and making good business men out of the
boys
That was all there was to it. and he didn't
care to say any more about it.
de dresses fairly well, talks quietly and
sauely on every subject. and the street
urchins and newsboys of the water front
swear by him.