The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-10-05
PAID FOR NOT DOING WORK.
How a Bootblack at Long Branch
Earned a Hundred Dollars.
New York Times. }

N4NCW IpIh IlmeS.l
When Long Branch was not spread out
as IL Is now and the shore line of hotels
ana cottages was not as closely woven
the steamboat trip from the rfcketv long
pier at Port Monmouth was a good start
er Tor q day in the city with such men
as Addison Cammack, Harry CambIos,
Hugh Hastings. Billy Henriudes John
Hoey and others. The theatrical people
and the actor folk had their favorite Sit
LIE pace under cover on the starbOard
side of the boat Lester WalIack tall Sc
GATE, and always cOurtly without being
cOndescendlnS; Edwin Booth always with
the inevitable pipe and strong tobacco.
Edwin Adams. restless and jOvial and
Paddock, Maggie MitchelIs husband, a
story teller worth listening to. had their
pleasant times, while the Wall street men
chose the forward deck. each with his
own camp chair and the boOtblack of the
boat, bright-faced little Dick, was a IA
Money was easy and spirits were gen
erous, and II was always a quarter. some
times half dollar. for a shine without
me BOY asking for IL, and Dick was on
good terms with the world and with his
One day a broker who has since counted
MS millions had one foot on the box
Dick had finished one shoe and the other
foot was just being brushed clear of dust
when Joselyn quietly said:
Give you a dollar not to black it,
Dick! The boy hesitated. There was an
al-rOund laugh and the broker said in a
Dick -
,'Oh. go on! Go on, DicI1r' said cam
s 959f giving 9sg0Ihsr Sdewise tip to his
Five dollars. no black came from the
edge of the circle of chairs.
DICK looked up and was about TO go on
with the backing, and then. at the cry of
Zen nd dollars. BicEi' said the one-shoe-
BACKED broker What do you do with
your money, boy2'
Give it to my mother. sir"
Fifteen dollars, no black-your mother
wants the money, Dick!' again from the
Then competition ran high. 4 new
source OF nerrlment had broken out, and
the broker with his foot on the box saw
the offer and went s. better. 1t was a
miniature stock board scene for a few
minutes. The offers to black and not to
black ran I'D till $40 was bid to black
Fifty dollars for your mother. Dick.
Don't black it, Don't black itl' came in
subdued voice, and the lad seemed ner-
vous, if not frightened.
Get the money, DickH' said the broker.
still holding his foot on the box; then,
speaker, Hand it Overt
The money was forthcoming: Dick took
it, slowed II away in his pocket and the
man with the unblacked shoe stopped low.
got on one knee and began to black his
own shoe he made a good JOB Of 1t. AMI,
boots, tossed box, brushes and backing
But this wasn't the end of it. Every
man in the crowd was Spectator.
Many a share of stock was barsIIned
victor in the Joke asked Dick for TIE
money. Dick hesitated. then slowly
handed ii over and in whimpering voice
said: L thought you was in earnestI'
Never mind the earnest. Dick. said
Cammack. III put it into stock for your
mother. It's a margin to sell on.
want any. You can't sell what you
want and. You can't sell what you
haven't got. mister can your
The query was a poser. Cammack Of
fered fifty shares of an active stock TO
anyone that would take it. a hand up
from another Spectator closed the deal
and the transaction for the account of
Dick was closed out by covering at a
profit next day and SEQ in gold found its
way to Dicks mother.