The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-08-22

route OF my Own I would get out Of bed
al o'clock IN the morning and deliver
all OF my papers before breakfast. BY
ard b. ] would keep right on down town
and blacken shoes until evening From
SO week I worked my business up IN
III I had doubled my earnings. Mean
while my mother and the children were
living in comfort.
Met Good and Bad.
LAS a newsboy I came into contact with
good people-m!nisters merchants. and
clerks AS a shoeblack I did business
with gamblers and the worst men in the
city. I knew all the sneak thieves. high
waymen, burglars. and pickpoclIets in
Chicago. meeting them on the sidewalks
IN iOOrWays. gambling rooms. and sa-
looms and polishing their shoes Without
vanity or excuse, I can say that was
as popular with one class OF my Gus
toners as with the other. Burglars often
urged me 10 meet them at certain places
I'm the night I never asked them any
questions. nor did ever meet them after
my days work was done When I be-
came older realized that they probably
wanted 10 push me through transoms and
to teach me 10 be a thief and robber."
And YOU came out OF such tempta-
lions and associations decent and clean, -
I said: without the vice or profanity.
liquor. OF tobacco? How did you es-
cspe?''
L don't know. My business IN the
streets. OF course taught me a great
deal about the infrmiues OF human ma
ture. st the age OF twelve. I dare say.
knew as much IN some respects as does
the average boy OF twenty-five re-
membe-ed. too. that I was the head of
the Lorimer family, and that the bread
and butter OF FIVE brothers and sisters
depended on my strict attention 10 bust
ness. l thought OF my father and his
preaching. and recoIlected what he had
said about right living. And 1 saw the
struggles OF my mother to keep her
children together. Right here. let me
say that my mother lived until two years
ago. and that she came to Washington
and saw me take the oath as a member
Of the House OF Representatives.
Set Good Example.
During my life on the Streets" SEN
ator Lorimer continued, she never lee
tured me- She didn't warn me TO avoid
this or shun that. When she talked. she
" 90 always GAAG A0AQ uOhl
wholesome principles OF conduct with
out mentioning any ones name. in the
rearing OF my own eight children. I
have followed the same method. / don't
preach to them. but try to influence
them in the way I was influenced. II a
person whom we all know does wrong,
make him the subject Of a sermon in
one sentence. Poor Jones'. I may say.
will suffer all his life, or. ] don't under
stand why Jones should have done It.
because he has very respectable parents
And yet as a little chap in the streets,
to return to my early experiences, 1 don't
know that I had any thought-out policy
OF individual action. I just went about
my work and kept out of mischief. When
there was a chance 10 do wrong, / let
II go by. but I was no missionary
among my companions. did not preach,
but stuck 70 my tasks and took my
money home TO mother"
But when did you go to school?''
y was never at school a day In my
life When We lived in the country. 1
was scarcely more than an infant. AZ
ter we moved 10 Chicago. II was a bat
tie TO live My mother taught me the
alphabet and I would take school book
along When delivered my papers ano
study II as I walked from one street lamp
to another. At the age of fifteen I was
earning 81 200 a year. Ny mother thought
I was too old for the streets and that
ought TO get into settled occupation.
Gets Laundry Job.
so went to a sign painter to learn
his trade. 1 soon discovered, however
that & would be year or two before
could DO Of any help to my family. YoJ