The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1900-01-17
HUMAN SIGNBOARDS.
THE MEN WHO CARRY THE BANNERS
FOR ADVERTISERS.


of the Methods md IiuIcs Which
Govern His Peculiar Occupation.
His aspect was that OF creature
honelcssly gone to seed. His move
mcnts betrayed listlessness which a
fiery, sodden face. framed in unkempt
white hair and beard, denoted was born
OF mortal apathy. From his neck hung
cheap nickel clock. Over his slender,
narrow shoulders loomcd great oil
cioth banner inscribed with gilt letters,
Which advertised to State streets null
tltude the eminent superiority Of some
Douy's shoes. for he was n Dcripntrtic
sign man who went floating along in
the human sea until an eddy tossed
MN into side street with q Drccini.
tatlon due perhaps to the presence of q
ulngy, fOrl0rn little saloon of evil nnd
iarreachinS odors, into which the GU
rlous observer invited him that hc
might get story
"Who am 1? Nobody but the ve,.
erah banner luggcr in State street
Otherwise. viewed as an atom OF thc
social system, I'm blot, child of tho
gutter. and all the usual rot which an
emotional imagination may be able to
supply. | never was long on ndicc.
tlves. aud sentiment and parted com.
pany years ago. But. as say. I'm tho
veteran banner packer in this human
Wilderness. for l have been mt it
through storm and sunshine for seven
years ana that with few intcrruptions
10 appease the longings OF moral do
linquency common TO the race Of BAN
ncr packers. Appear to have some
education? don't know. Maybe /
had once, but I'm too much OF q phi
losophcr for "reminiscences"
better remove your-your banner"
suggested the curious observer as they
entered the dingy. forlorn little saloon
You'll feel easier"
Cant replied the red faced packer
hconlcally. Locked in"
Locked in! You don't mean IT,"
Yes, that's Il gospel fact" continued
the packer. cdging himself through IN,
narrow door. You will notice thar
the shoulder pieces attached to nv
banner arc part Of an iron band whicl,
goes around my waist. At tho b,cl,
the band works on hinges. ana it is
locked on me by the foreman Of tl,c
banner packers when start out in
Inc morning. l come back to the start.
ing point ut noon. and the foreman
unlocks them. leaving me free for an
hour to eat IL l have the price of q
Inorsel or SO. or to loaf around wishing
was some one else. with my teeth
aching from too close an application
to trufiles and pheasants. If | haven't
linen ut o'clock l am locked into nv
iron frame again and set forth to pack
the banner until g o'clock, when nv
work for the day ends and am MT
liberty to go to my lodgings"
Virtually. then. you are n prisoner
during your working hours?" said tho
curious observer
virtually. yes" responded the ban-
ner packer. Il am one of the hun.
dreds who are patrolling the streets of
New York today in iron frames and
VINO are just as much imprisoned as
our friends In Sing Sing or the male
FACTORS who parade in ball and choin
For certain hours We move m md
down locked In irons, and, although
our shoulders may become racked with
pain. we have no relief except ut the
noon hour and quitting time, unless
we return between times and resign
our jobs"
why are you locked In the framcs?"
because the advertisers demand it.
Many months ago they discovered that
majority Of their pcripatctic sign
men were dishonest and availcd them.
serves or every opportunity to hide
Lneir signs MS soon rs they were ont
VI Slght or the establishments cmDloy-
ng them"
Are banner packers governed by
any fixed rules?"
10 DC sure we are. We are not nj
owed to walk the thoroughfares in
couples, and we must not keep our ban
1ers out in a rain which seems wet
enough to do them serious injury. Wc
Ire forbidden to talk to persons who
lccost us during working hours md
lre particularly enjoined from CONVEX
ation with pnckers engaged by rival |
concerns. To be caught taking q drink |
means instant dismissal.
What territory do we cover? The
Whole of Greater New York. Each ono
u us has defined district and Is for
hidden to overlap another's on pain of
dismissal. But men In my profession
re not punctilious, and when we can
'et together for chat and q pint we
ever fail to embrace the opportunity.
Few besides members Of the fraterni-
seem willing to talk to a banner
acker. We are outcasts, pariahs, the
purned Of all the little world. How
yer, 1t isn't worth while to rchearse
ur personal histories in detail. We
ONE from all classes. the highest as
yell as the lowest, from every walk of
fe. but NIL of us are united on one
ommon plane, and that is hopeless in
ompetency. We're the failures. the
ociai wrecks, whom your business
Inn scans askance and pnsses OF as
cJond tie pale of commercial recogni-
on. He doesn't want us. Nobody will
ave us except those advertisers who
1ink banner packing a good thing in
leir business.
"Our pay is very small. The average
is 80 cents q day and q