Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-11

THE TRAVELLED BooTBLACk.
And His Experience in Washington
and Other Large Cities.

y
IN my profession" said the Travelled
bootback, he put the finishing touches
t. the shoes of The Star reporter. "thera
are kinks and tricks. and the ethics which
govern the members are not the same il. all
cities.
For instance there is "A rule in san Fran
cisco which does not obtain in another city
i'll the United States. 1t will sound odd to
W ashingtonians. but it is profitable to The
shoe poiishcrs of the metropolis of the coast
ana the customers submit because the boot
blacks union OF the city stands unit on
its enforcement. 1t is that on Sundays and
mondays you must pay ten cents Tor poi-
ISL Wnlch costs on other days nve cents.
or course. shine is worth more on one
day than another. but there Is devla-
ton.
I'm San Francisco there few if any
bootbiackS with boxes, here The
stands are arranged ON the sidewalk. or in
holes in the wall. usually with from Three
to six comfortably Upholstered chairs.
There Is great rivalry among the shoe art
lists. Most OF them are Italians. One man
on Market street wears belt which pro-
claims to the customer that he is the
'champian bootback of the city.
In the United States, the universal price
FOR a shine on the street Is live cents. In
the hotels Of the large cities 1t is usually
ten cents. Nearly all of the bootbacks IN
New York are Italians. and around the
CITY nan SQUARE, YOU Will STE boys Win
boxes who are diminutive that they
scarcely come up to your knee These boys
are hired out by padrones, who also control
the bootblacklnS privileges ON the ferry
boats. The typical New York bootb!lck
is Il thing of the past, Us regards nationals
ty.
In Washington and Baltimore. and in
the cities farther south. the shoe poiishcr3
are colored boys men. Their earnings
vary. With US. as in other caillngs. IL de-
ponds upon the man and the location OF his
business. l have good place on this corr
ner, and l seldom go below seventy five
cents day. and often make Sl.1o and ~.
1t depends upon the weather. Some OF the
small boys think they are doing well II
they earn an average of fifty cents. The
cost of the poishes makes a serious inroai
on the profits
In London tup'ence, Or four American
cents, is the usual price. though have paid
two cents often to little Cockneys who De-
lieved in small profits. In Paris most OF
the boot black boys are men. as. en- pas
SAINT, are the newsboyS. 1t seems strange
to the American eye to see men crying he
papers on the boulevards. There very
few men newsboys' in the American cities.
The boulevard bootblackS ask twenty SOUS,
or four cents.
The russell leather shoe has revolutions
lied our business. Some years ago a tan
shoe was as uncommon as Is the black
leather shoe today. There is but one polish
Tor the latter. while We have several for the
former, and they are the more expensive.
'Blacklng' Is composed Of cheaper ingre.
dents. Russet polish is not expensive
1t was. but We all use 1t sparingly as
we can. The backing brush has nearly dis.
appeared. the polishing cloth Of canton
flannel having taken its place. And thus
has about passed one of the cherished tools
of the bootblacks calling. No more can he
be depicted by the artists in the papers with
a box in one hand and brush in the Other
A strip of cloth must be substituted by tha
wielders Of the nimble piece of carbon.
Thanks, just nickel. please: no pour
boire. Do I speak French? Why not? !
have been all over the world. Bon jour-
monsieur. Merci."