The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-12-05
How Boys
Make Money

coSted boy OF MS own SIZE.
Say, Jimmie. 1 got onto the sllckest
scheme out this morning / got into line
where the opery tickets wuz bein' sold,
and Jackey stood out by the door, an
Jest about time fer the sale ter begin a
man come a fiuin' up an said he'd fer
got twas the day ter buy his tickets. an
he wanted the best in the house N
then Jackey got IN his work, an chas-
seed the gentleman up ter me. an sold
out my place fer dollar"
'Wha'd yer a done II nobody'd took
yer placer" asked Jimmie who seemed
to be considering the possibilities Of the
case for future ventures Of his own.
'Oh. I'd Jest a dropped out" answered
the young financier with an air Of the
greatest unconcern.
"They couldn't done thing to yer"
responded Jimmie as he went meditative-
ly upon his way.
These boys of the street have their
wits sharpened by the rough stones Of
experience. and they find ways Of adding
to their income which no one else would
think OF. Some Of the ways are old. and
some are new and decidedly ingenious.
but all are interesting since they show
the resources of the modern boy, the
business man of a decade hence.
Some of the boys are always ON hand
when there ls a sale of seats for an OPP
era or dramatic entertainment of special
interest. At these reserved seat sales,
where it Is often necessary to stand in
line for two or three hours, or even more,
before the sale actually begins the boys
serve to hold the places Of the prospect
i've buyer until the opening hour. He is
then relieved and paid according to the
time he has stood in line. This saves the
time of the business man. and also pays
the boy well, since he receives from 25
to 30 cents an hour. The young financler
who talked with Jimmie was bright
enough to see the opportunity for a spec
ulaton In which he had to invest only his
time.
Spectators are not rare among boys OF
this class, and they are quite as daring
in proportion to their capital as men
of older years. When there Is to be
baseball or football game in which espe.
cial interest is felt, they buy up tickets,
one or more, according to their capital.
and when all seats have been sold and
excitement has run high. they sell out at
handsome profit. There is risk In this
as in all speculation, but the boys are
sharp and seldom make a miscalcula-
tion.
An especially fortunate venture was
made by one enterprising boy who had
saved his earnings for several days. then
invested them in barrel Of apples These
he polished till they shone temptingly,
and sold them at retail upon the streets
and in offices. He cleared Sc.
The boys who sell papers to regular
customers in the downtown office dis
trict have an especially good thing They
are sought by advertisers, who pay them
well to fold an advertising "dodger" in
side their papers, and so distribute them.
These boys are also given a commission
for selling tickets to their customers, for
many man will buy ticket of his
newsboy when he cares nothing for the
ticket itself These boys, too have the
best of 1t when it comes to New Years
greetings. or any of the special features
gotten out in connection with the papers
One newsboy who has this class Of Gus
toners sold 200 maps of the world. which
his paper published, and made a good
profit. At the times OF special events Of
Importance the boys sell many extra
papers, and carry them even into the
residence districts where they are usually
sold only on the regular deliveries
Occasionally a boy who is especially
bright and obliging finds good fortune
awaiting him in the person OF some Of the
members of the firms in his beat" One
such boy, whose pseudonym was Grass
L. a.,
terest OF the employees and guests Of
hotel where he sold papers every day.
On Christmas a collection was taken,
and after the son Of the hotel proprietor
had initiated him into the mysteries Of
bath, which was more than a summer
jump in the river, he was presented a
complete outfit of clothing. overcoat in
cluded and then sent home in the hack
which stood habitualy before the hotel
door The episode was so well enjoyed
by all parties that it became an annual
event.
1t is nothing new for e boy to watch
a horse or a bicycle. carry wood or coal
to the top stories of buildings which have
no elevators, or carry bundle or valise
for passengers alighting from trains, but
STILL since the enterprising boy of to-
day is usually Jack Of all trades" un-
til in time he becomes master Of one.
Boys who attend school in many in
stances run errands or deliver for mer-
chants on Saturday which Is the busy
day of the week in many business houses. /
Those who have a bicycle save their
car fare in addition to the usual rate
paid for the errand, and they have the
additional advantage of getting through
with greater number Of errands in the
some length Of time Boys who are
quick and obliging often receive tips
from those they serve.
The postal laws which work against
the local subscription list Of publishing
houses by demanding a higher rate Of
postage for local than for outside printed
matter since pound rates cannot be
taken advantage Of in the publishers
own city, work in favor OF the boys. II
is cheaper to deliver these papers Of local
circulation than to mall them, and so
the boys secure another bit OF work
once a month.
But the boys who live by the railroad
tracks where wheat Is unloaded have the
advantage Of all others during the ship
ping season. After a car has been emp
tied a boy Is allowed to sweep It out.
and the sweeping are his These
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