The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-01
KERNELS F(R
DINE NOVELS
Ernest Poole Writes of His
Life With Newsboys.
NEW YORK HAS OVER 5000
All Great TrayeIers-The
"WunderIust" All Powerful.
NEW YORK HAS OVER 5000

The newsboy Is forever restless. lie
works only when the crowds are thick
est; he shapes all his habits 10 suit the
changing. irregular. life OF the meyropo-
lis; and its life makes the life OF bis
hoyhood- Sometimes this spirit OF the
street gets into his blood, and nouids
his whole later existence into an uncess-
ing passion for travel. In New York
today there are some five thousand news
boys Hundreds are homeless. and or
these some are constantly wandering
TO Chicago. San Francisco. and New
orleans to London and the cities Of the
Continent wandering always-but return
ing always. sooner or later 10 what they
think the greatest town on earth. 20 the
home that taught them 10 be homeless.
The first steps in the making OF these
boy wanderers I had from a little GUM
ey' 0taiian) named Nick" whom l met
down by the Brooklyn bridge about one
o'clock on a night in September. He had
begun selling papers when eight years
old, living at home and selling them
when scnool was out. School was out
for good and all when / met hIm. and
home was over a mile away. All day he
had playa de shoota de crap-getts stuck
bsd-go home wild none of de mon'-setta
de beat This unpleasant experience he
was trying hard to avoid. but with only
six papers in stock il seemed highly
probable that Nick" would not go home
at all, but instead would carry de BAN
ner"-a-bit of slang joyially adapted by
the street from all-night experience with
the Salvation Army. and meaning TO
stay out all night. Hundreds Of news
boys sleep out during the summer and
always from these. when the autumn
comes there are recruits. like Nick
who join the homeless Four Hundred. -
Short summer tours are at this stage
an easy Introduction to a wandering l;3e-
Late one night last October five ragged
little urchins appeared at street boys
lodging house. They had beat in on
train from "Phlly." The crowd owned
thirty-five cents between them. which
gave each a two-cent bowl Of coffee IN
the morning, Meanwhile one of ther'
found a friend in their profession. and
through his generous help they secured
credit at the newspaper wagon, as all
New York newsboys may. 4 days hard
work procured the needed funds for a
two nights tour OF ''.he town. and then
drained they beat it" back homo TO
''Philly."
In this beginning of i,is career. the
wanderer is often caught by his parents
and put away in an institution By
this time he has learned 10 despise all
home ties. AS I heard tine other night
from a banner carrier: us kids amt
built fer de home an mudd.- racket.
we don't stand fer it.. But confined III a
reformatory. this despisei racket often
comes again into plsy, rs I'm the case Of
one Bill, whose parents seemed to have
quite forgotten his existence Once
month regularly he used 20 dictate this
brief but indignant eplsiis: Dear Pa.
Coufaund yer. why don't yer write ne?
Yer lovin' son. Bill"
There are hundreds OF homeless news
boys. and their glowing accounts CT
travel and adventure do much to inspire
the new recruits. From inc Nevsbcys
Home ten went 10 Cuba in the late war.
swearing they were Of age and know Il
two more who returned last year from
the Philippines. Another has been coa-
stantly travelling with newsparcr cor
One OF the few boyish traits
they retain is the liking 20 talk about
their travels which lose not bi. In the
telling The other night ] was walking
on Park Row with one Nike. aged six
teen. when he suddenly sprarg or ani
seized the hand OF a 6ilapicatet young
tramp whom he hailed as Whitley"
They had slept out together fcur Yeas
back in Newspaper Row. and since thea
met but once. In Texas. Whl'ey had
lust come on from Buffalo. Mike. sirce
leaving Texas. had visited Chicago. St
Louis. and q host OF other cities
Ills descriptions were too accurate tor
fslsehood He had learned Il travel IL
the most approved form; Lest summer
he was in Chicago and there vas SEIZED
with the desire to 90 abroad. lie beat
tt on a train 10 Buffalo. riding on the
iron rods near the axle. hss accurate
description Of the train and its hour OF
leaving prove that he rode on none other
than the Twsnty-Hour Lirnl-fd- Among
other things scattered duriIl; the trip
was his desire for travel. bat two weeks
in Buffalo brought II back. and again
he beet "a 10 New York Ts--s h
Joined the line OF boys 20 tine p:er Of the
American Steamship Company ard by
coed luck In a few weeks secured the
rssition OF cabin hoy. Unf7Tturs tsiy. he
rad but three days before the rturn pas
sage in which TO do Europe lie lost
no time but beat it On the 1rst train
from Southampton 20 Losdo7- His IN
aignasion was warm against he sti1sy
On the ether side Ct
the English railroad
he found London l:ttle better. In fog
yer could swim through" but with hIs
usual cheerfiiness he struck UP 2 swift
friendship with little Johnny BEii isrs /
boy bought lights and Joining American /
-apltzt with English experience the two
ia a rosr1shizx business Fl lighting Jos; /
,eopIe home IN the next tEo days his I
,ev friend gave hi- deep ztse look ~ 4
The town" vhich vas always the mar /
,bsecf Of Interest IN his travels. and tbsy I
,srted with the promise that Re would /
,orue back again next summer. When /
his rsrrati ton Was eatef- over ccSee t. /,
. ,~c-cent lunch room. Nike and !
~wh!iey.' lit hoe sto1t cigars ard de- /
.criee1 for my SPECIAL benefit the rtds ,
hey hzS ono. enjoyed =. top - bag I
.are car In Texas. where :; se>as the 1
the brakeman. srd the nr>- !
--r Constantly Used them n targets for
,istoi prxctlc%. These b.oodtb.rssy /
.ce-es we're scattered lz~iEhir throzrs
s~sr nzrrzsfszs. They 3; Il exactly attn !
he ccss c, Jesse James ard SICK Car 4
sr ard their reading BY TIE nr-sce1s &
.rosse TIE rhlrss for fhs West ard -
Overture Set io5z ara ] net Or
,ognSs.er % twelve Who bad rsopp><s 4
rors fer th-~e Whole tzvs- ard had res1
n -hz. tine rlre thres-e~rt nor~ts- His