The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-05-15


Especial Cores ondence.1
NEW YORK, May 1O.-The poor little
uewsboys of New York feel that they
are greatly abused these days The fol-
lowing notice has been issued by the
Metropolitan Traction company and
posted in cars of all the lines controlled
by it:
In consequence of the number of serious
cidents to newsboys, they will not hereafter be
allowed on the cars of this line. Passengers
are respectfully requested to cooperate with
the company by buying papers before boarding
cars.
Since being issued the order has been
generally enforced on car lines through
out the city. Newsboys in Philadelphia,
Trenton. Newark, Jersey City and in
several other cities were prohibited some
time ago from boarding street cars, and
it is claimed by the managers of these
lines that their passengers have thus
been spared considerable annoyance
from the youthful, shri1l voiced hawkers,
and that dangers of accident to the lat
ter have likewise been avoided
The little fellows themselves take IN
kindly to the order in New York They
have held several indignation meetings
in the public squares and denounced the
action of the street railway companies
as unwarranted and, as one enthused
orator expressed it, unconstitutional -
Many of the older newsboys complain
that this prohibition is an outrage and
a deliberate attempt to rob them of
their bread and butter. 'tWhy should
we be boycotted,' said one excited
young news vender when questioned,
''when we hain't done nuthin but work
hard to serve the public? It's blamed
shame to give us the go by this way. 1
have been Jumpin on and off cars four
years, and never had a slip. Why, it's
part of the art O. bein a newsboy to be
sure O. his footin- S'pose onct in
awhile one O. us do make a miss. Hain't
it the same way in other things? just
cause a Engineer or a brakeman loses
his life they don't stop railroadin, not
much. It's cause we'se little and hain't
got hackers dat we has to suffer. -
An old gentleman, a prominent law
yer, who goes up town every afternoon
at certain hour ON the Broadway cable
cars, was very enthusiastic respecting
the stand taken by the street car mag
mates. Said he to the writer: II have
seen many sorry sights resulting from
this loose system of allowing the news
boys to invade our street cars. By usage
they had became rather privileged char
acters. Conductors seemed to have a
sort of paternal regard for them which
was all Well enough In Its way, and the
average passenger had come to believe
it his duty not to look sour or concerned
when his pet corn was brought to his
mind by some clumsy, assertive little
brigand with bundle of papers under
his arm. But this could all be passed
by perhaps were it not that these enter
prising urchins take large risks in ex-
posing themselves to the cruel dangers
of our later modes of transit I myself
have seen two newsboys killed outright
and several SO injured and manned that
their usefulness in life was destroyed
Every sensible man should buy his read
ing matter before entering astreet car. -
1t seems yet too early to predict what
some of the New York evening dailies
will have to say concerning this inno-
walton. 1t is within the bounds of a "a
tional judgment of human nature to
suspect that if they find their sale IL
ninished because the newsboys are not
allowed on street cars they will criti-
else the order in no moderate terms
that is, two or three of them will Thus
far, however, the metropolitan press has
treated the decision of the street rail
road companies with a lukewarm and
casual interest After all, the newspa-
pers do not seriously depend on street
car passengers for their maintenance,
and, as for the newsboys, they can do
l. IL.