The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-08-30

livery is made by eighteen bows. The
'"lH'eF wears a blue uniform trimmed ia
81 narrow red cord suggestive OF an cleo
trio flash over the wires, while the Pos
ta4 boys don Confederate gray suits with
silver buttons. Some Of the bows vear
smiles, others religiOusy refrain from
nyLhinG ike cheerful cast of cOunte-
nance. There was a time when IL was
thought smart 20 caricature the telegraph
messenger, and he has furnished material
for cheap topical songs and stale Jokes I'm
second-rate ministries. Years ago there
were special articles written about him.
the trend OF which was TO show what
became OF him after he had grown too
much TO be a messenger boy any more.
These articles We're usually far-fetched.
Efforts were made by the writer's 70 show
how he had assembled the ladder Of fame.
accumulated fortune and married the
only hciress In his community simply and
solely because 10 was once messenger
boy.
A bt OF pretty romance could be so
much the better woven around the fact.
il all sounded very nice. and while the
Zero Of the story did all this thousands
Oi other messengers were wondering
when the price Of delivery was going TO
jump from three 10 five cents. and dream
ing OF no higher promotion than night
operator with a salary OF so per month.
Fact and fiction are two different things.
as almost any messenger viii tell You.
after trudging through the snow for o
mile with telegram and wondering if
his request for car fare back 10 tho Office
viii be granted The messengers job is
not a nowery bed OF ease. lie takes
things as they come A telegram for a
broker across the street means three
cents FOR the messenger, while another
for the extreme eastern or western part
Of the city doesn't increase the aI-ount.
Messenger bows get up early some Of
thom. while others sleep late and they
70 on from time % time until about noon
or one O'Clock in The day when tho entire
force is needed for the lvelicst business
hours.
when a boy comes on no O'Clock he be
comes the "late boy" Usually there are
two or three of them between the hours
Of 1880 =. NJ. and $3.50 A. NJ Then IL is
that they doze on in front Of the tele-
graph offices. eat peanuts or got into
trouble II there boz amy in the immediate
neighborhood.
ARE NOT SAINTS.
Messenger boys are not usually saints
Some OF them are very good fellows and
seldom DO anything worse than tease a
Chlnaman with "a rotten apple, or mu-
tiate "a Vagrant dog with a stone But
bows will bo boys" and a telegraph mes
scurcr is often omphatcally and unques
tipnahiy boy" lie gets into a deal or
mischief and performs scores Of small
original sins for which there is no law TO
crUue The policeman 70 "run him IN. 80
Manager Sydu0r Of the Postal Company
hero says bis messenger boys are pretty
good Youngsters as a rule though some or
them often "cut up Jack" said he, Il
was once boy myself. and when some
Of the boys raise little Cain why. / try
not 10 see IL unless 20 grows serious"
The messengers are really not wicked.
bot miscnl'vols They scrap from time
20 time ny way o. excitement amid q long
lay q routine work as monotOnous as
Chewing tou or kissing the baby. Nearly
al OF them bet on the hall game. and
many borrow an the little spare change
Hey can from their friends II there's a
Geek fight within striking distance the
telegraph boy attends ~ he can gain ad-
m ssiOn. Some OF them use language
never seen ia we'll regulated Sunday
sci DOL book.
II SEQ tho pitiful expression messen.
ger boy assumes when ne asks for car
far, back 70 tho oftco is amusing. He
has tearned exactly how 90 appeal 20 the
tender sid0 OF ones nature. and no works
- f,r al IL IN worth. Mister. please sir.
give mo = nickle for car-faro, or, won't