The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-08-02
THE MESSENGER BOY.

1
Gown town offices of the American DIE
| telephone.
Have you got e good. bright boy who
at the other end OF the wire
,Ths manager made hasty INQUIRY, and
who had rsecnsy sntsrcd ' tnc sery Ss
knew all ahcht mouth organs and had
played ever since be could toddle. 50 No.
man sitting IN his chair by the window;
the old man In a q,avering voice.
| For answer No. drew out his mouth
SSrs3 M and a. BEGAN TO play "pix s When
played All the nfterroon, beginning with
for the sa sho end T Tsd I'D man Sn ~ al
with closed eyes. nodding his hend aud
,npping his sappered toes IN the floor II
that No. was called again aud again.
The cid man said he hadn't heard any
end Il brought back old times u him.
| Not long ago he went to live With his
daughter IN Ohio. and after he was gone
| No. received a handsome box contain
lng finer mouth organ than he had ever
hoped TO have
there .aro small. round melai boxes with
| glass faces. fastened to the wall. Each OF
these is provided with a knob on one side,
which. when 4 Is pushed shutters excited
up comes the messsengor boy In neat
es aIS ana ad'I asks whsi x ' wanted .i' ''
- rendy to do anything, from taking caro-
sights of the CITY. Or he viii MN on any
kind of errand, or act us IN office boy or
GUIDE 1bpls Sine " n,n or ' do any one Of a
thousand other handy lttlc Jobs. Soma
times he has mos, exciting experiences.
and there ~ always u great variety In his
work.
1t isn't an easy NE by any means. and
good mmny boys Try II and soon I um,
there are always between 600 and 1000 mes
sengcr hoys employed IN Chicago. or these
hires nearly ap, the Postal Telegraph
company more than ,oo. and the AM lean
Distric, Telegraph COMPANY, about ~, 80
interested 10 hNow how these American
llistr'c, telegraph boys live ana what
tnrE o. ana bow mSn , 'neg are Of "a and
Is Any boy who can read and write aud
who Is bright and quick may make np-
accepted lac VIII draw "a month for his
services. II no works sundays, too, 20
may earn sis month. He ~ supposed TO
DO on cali ten hours every day, and u he
works longer he IL paid extra. In busy
times when th"re ase many calls the
young messenger grows very tired
| Consequently some Of IN" boys are given
a CHANCE to work on "splits'-tlat lie, re-
port at o'clock in the morning, and re-
| y
then takes a recess until o'clock ana
work until g. ~
Every hoy buys his own uniform. The
company furnishes the coat. pants and
vest FOR 81 II, and tho cap. FOR 81 10 Five
dollars n month is taken from the hoys
wnscs unti they arc PAID for In we
coat. which costs $50. All Of his cloth,
ing s OF tho hes, grade, and Is furnished
There nre boys now employed by the
American District TELEGRAPH company
who have been messengers for four Nrnrs
hut the length OF service viii not average
more than nnecn to ,igntcan month"; li,:
For many boys can not stand the lons
| honest md Industrious. nni who does not
spend his money OF, cigarettes aud candy
" given u better place with tho oompany
were formerly messenger boys me Guy
Inspector Of the Chicago Telephone con,
panv which controls ,hs A. ID; T. nns,-
mon messenger then "A 'signul-timc,,
then n nigh, manager, then day man,
BOYS have tuken lessons ut nigh, sehools,
| and by wat ching their ppportdniiits-an
there are plenty OF opportunities open tu
messengers find a good place TO WORK
A bright hoy. employed ns a messenger
n few years Ago was called one uny TO
e an architects office to act ms office hoy
, during the afternoon He did II so well
and so cheerfully that tho architect sen,
for him again ana again. And by ana
Would be valuable 10 him. So he offered
him good wages, and he resigned from
pany. Now he IN learning architecture,
and he alrondy holds trusted position
with his employer. Some day he may he
hu ldlng slSr-scrancrs.
The records at the messenger office show
that many other boys have got good STARTS
in the world in the same way,
The messenger has TO he quick. bright
hey, He has to figure out the cos, Tor MS
services, aud often cas.s arise when re-
auire great .ieil Of judgment, ana some, nn
cowardly boy who win carry II message
to n distant part of the city. through de-
seriad streets and plsi silent houses.
Think OF the boy who was sent out one
black stormy night, rot long ago. to a
factory building not FAR from sherman
street. In one OF the most dangerous parts
of the city. The watchman had not rhns
his bell at the proper time and II was pos.
sible that robbery might have attacked
and Killed him. When the boy reached
called In vain There was no answer;
What had become of the Waterman
When the messenger found hiniStt Gn-
able TO get inside he did not glv. up lie
WINS ordered TO find out what the trouble
was, and he determined TO do H. 80 he
went around the corner, and, placing n
board against the wall climbed to the top
and dropped silently TO the inside yard
Ile know that robbers, II robbers were
there, might easily KIN him, or the watch
man. II he happened that way. might
shoot HIM by mistake. But the boy never
fnltered. lie searched the dark Enclosure
until he found the Waterman, asleep at
his post.
How many boys in Chicago would have
dared to do that2
| a messenger must obey many rules. In
the little black book which he carries
there are no less than forty-sx insirnc-
tons governing his behavior, and he must
know them all. Here are few OF rnom
with their numbers:
Q Upon going on duty they mus, have
thor boots or shoes blncked, hands ana
face clean. and have a collar md neckLe
on. Uniforms must he kept well brushed,
and coats buttoned up to the neck at all
times.
10. Messengers are not allowed TO sleep
Except night boys with permission from
| the manager), or assuming unbecom.n ne
attitudes. use profane, vulgar or ihue-
cent language while on duty. Smoking or
chewing tobacco while on duty IS strictly
forb dden.
"a. Messengers must run fast" In an
swcrng subscribers calls. Ihree.fourths
| u,sdn no ul