Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1902-07-19
QUEER JOBS FOR BOYS
TASKS THAT MESSENGER LADS
ARE ASKED TO UNDERTAKE.

Engaged to Air Babies or Dogs, Assist
1nebriatcd individuals, Accompany
Nervous shoppers, Keep Turn In Bar.
Der shop, and DO other Odd Duties.
They're finding new stunts for the
messenger boys right along" remarked
the manager Of local district messen.
ger office the other day. Airing babies
and dogs, taking care Of jagged individ.
uals, accompanying out.of.town women
on shopping expeditions, and jobs Of
that sort are now old stories for the
kids. But every once In while some.
thing new for them to do turns up.
"A couple of Saturday evenings ago
n business man well known along i
street dropped in and handed me one
that Id never heard Of before In con.
nection with the messenger business.
~ want to get shaved over at
Blanks he said, mentioning a well.
patronized barber shop, in about three.
quarters Of an hour. The place Is nj.
ways TANNED up with fellows waiting
for their over.Sunday SLAVES on Sat.
urday evenings. and I've had some
wearisome waits there. wish you'd
hike a kid over there for me to nail u
place In the next row for me. He can
let on that he's due for a haircut, and
Ill drop around about the time he's
called to the chair
II sent boy over to the shop, and
1t went through all right. The young.
ster peeled his coat and kept wary
eye out that he wasn't skipped In his
turn. A couple OF minutes before the
boy was due to be summoned to chair
as the next the business man who
had rugged up the little scheme dropped
1n, and when the lad was called by the
barber the man just slipped into the
chair and the boy donned his coat, with
grin, his task accomplished. The
business man told me afterward that
two or three OF the waiting men In the
shop started to register kicks over the
transaction until II was explained to
them, when they Gained down and
eaughed over the idea.
During the races at Bennlng a race.
track man, wearing a lot OF jewelry,
nut a new one over. When he got up
10 the desk he leaned over conAdntial-
ly and said to met
~ want sou to send kid down to
So-and-Sos pawnshOp with this ring,
removing a fine three-stone diamond
ring from his left hand. I want two
hundred on it-and have the boy hurry.
II sent one Of the larger boys on the
errand, and he returned promptly with
the 500 and the ticket. The racing man
had observed me smile bit over his
scheme, and he smiled along with me.
"'Well, It does look bit tinical,
doesn't IT, said he. But the racing
bunch are travelling around the streets
to see what they can see all the time,
and II any OF them happened to spy Inc
going into or coming out OF pawn
shop the word would get around that
wouldn't suit my game a little bit
see:"
Not long ago ! had another novelty
here. \ department official that | know
well walked in with shoeboX under
his arm,
Say, said he to me, have you got
any kid around this plant with No.
feetT
IAN sizes said |.
Good thing said the man, opening
the box and pulling fine pair Of pat
ent leather shoes out Of II. Il want you
TO pick out a boy with No. feet anC
have him jog around town for day
in these Internal contraptions. bought
the shoes yesterday. They slipped OF
all right when bought them, but al
most died In 'em at the theater las
night. They sort o. drew around the
instep. II you've got youngster tina
can stretch 'em for me III pay right FOL
the merchandise, although I'd hate u
have TO take a chance on paying I'll,
kids relatives for his life In case h,
failed 10 survive the ordeal
II handed the shoes over TO tidy Lac
provided with feet that fitted then
snugly enough, and the boy wore then
around for the day without any dis
comfort. The man came In for then
that same evening, and the next even
ing he dropped in to say that the shoei
fitted him immensely. and that h,
hadn't been bothered a little Bit by tn,
drawing insteps after wearing then
all OF that day.
"a very much illustrated man came