Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-01-06
FERRYBoAT BooTBLAcks.

FERRYBOAT BooTBLACks.
Three Hundred of Them In New York
Take In 100000 Yearly.
It is a tritiing thing, a ferryboat
shine, when considered by itself, and
quite likely to lack luster, as we all
know. But considered in the aggre-
gate, the business of polishing the
shoes of commuters and Brooklyn
men who come to town by boat is
altogether too big to be sneezed at.
According to William Dodd, who
controls the shine boys on the Ho-
boken boats, at least $1,000 is ex-
pended for shines on the various
ferry lines every weekday, or more
than $500, 1000 year.
Including the Kings County Ele-
waited railroad trains, on which shoe
shining is permitted, the same as
on the ferry boats" said Mr.. Dodd,
"the true figures are undoubtedly
much in excess of those named, as
you can find out for yourself with q
little figuring. There are five con-
tractors, firms and corporations now
engaged in the business of ferryboat
and elevated railroad shoe polish
ing. The largest of these concerns
employs $50 boys or more and the
smallest not less than 20. should
say that between 300 and 400 shin
ers in all are at work every day
among the commuters.
"The boys get quite as large a
share of the gross intake in the
shoe polishing business as the en-
ployees in any other business, and
better, I am sure, than in some. On
this line we pay 'greenhorn' SIS a
week; when he has been with us a
little while we raise him to Sc and
later to 81.
1.-The boys are allowed to keep all
the tips they receive. Besides, they
can have all they can earn shining
shoes on the boats after 2 o'clock in
the evening, when their service as
our employees is brought to close
each day. An ambitious boy can
get together $40 or even s12 week
on the Hoboken boats by hustling,
and when you consider the mental
grade of the boys, that is not at all
bad
Of course, there are elaborate
rules for the guidance of the boys
on every ferry line. They are or
dered to speak nothing but English
when on duty, not to smoke or chew
tobacco, not to swear, to stay on
the mems side Of the boat and to
keep as clean and tidy as possible
that is, their faces must be washed,
their hair combed, and their blue
uniforms brushed every morning.
Moreover, their suspenders, which
are much in evidence in warm
weather, when the boys wear no
coats, must always be white and
clean. This seems to be considered
of great Importance on nearly every
line, and on one line the boys re-
ceive clean suspenders free of charge
from their employers twice a week
the year round.
One of the most important duties
of the boys is to keep close record
of their shines, and each is furnish
ed with little book for that pur-
pose. When boy shines pair of
black shoes, for which he charges s
cents, he makes a straight mark in
the book. II the shoes shined are
patent leather or russell, for which
the charge is 10 cents, he puts down
an x, and for Is cent oil and pol
ish he inscribes both an x and a
straight mark.
AS human nature is weak and fall
lible, even among bootblacks, the
work and conduct Of the ferryboats
sinners are carefully supervised by
special inspectors, who are likely to
appear on any boat at any moment.
These Officials as they like to
term themselves, are generally
graduates from the ranks of the
sinners and right proud they are of
their rise in life. Their chief duty
is not, as might be supposed, to
watch for knocking down." but