Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-06-17
13e
Breaker Boy


whats that, What was up to
yes'day? amt sure I can remember
II all. but III try.
my days is mostly all alike when
the mine is workin. Ma and me lives
In that there little log shanty with
little Bill and Sissy. They goes to
school. but none OF that for me. Never
learnt thing in school, ! didn't.
There weren't no chance. When l
went 20 school, IT was in one door and
out the other.
yep, I'm Is now-been workin in
the breaker since was ten. Days Is
mostly the same to me. Yes'day
mornin' I was dreamin' away two
forty about our nine We was playin'
the Hogtowners and they was one
ahead. goes up to the bat and soaks
her for homer, and jest as ! was
gettin' around to third. and the fellers
was hollerin' to beat time, l comes
to and ma was a-singing:
Rise. Johnnie, rise.
Don't you hear the bells a-ringin'f
Johnnie. are you wakin'
1t Is time to be alive
Early in the mornin'.
Continually keeps calm
Johnnie. are you wakin?
It is half past five
"She sings that every mornin' to get
me up. Pretty good of ma. to wake
Teller that way, amt It? It's sight
better'n bein' hauled out by the hair
like some of the kids is.
so gets up and puts on my
clothes. That's the part don't like
fer cent. After you once gets dirty.
IT don't makepo difference. but it's
pretty tough to get out of decent bed
and into them black mine clothes
Anyhow. | gets on my clothes. fills my
lamp and goes down to breakfast.
1t was a dandy. yes'day. Ma had
cook and she puts the real thing into
yer pail. uses the pail as belonged
to pa. When the cage fell and killed
him. the pail he had wasn't broke at
all. so somebody brung ii home to
ma and when started in used that
It's pretty much Of tin can. but 1t
was pas and besides new pals cost
so cents, and that's half days work
for me.
80 yes'day gets NE to the breaker
by seven and gets over on the hill
and has a ketch with the little kids
before goin to work When we onct
get to work. there amt much chance
for baseball-it's Just work all day.
why do have lamp? Well. you
see. I've got the bad corners. It's
awful dark and the dust is bad. Us
older boys mostly gets them bad
places Sometimes In sunny days I
kin see to pick the slate in there. but
mostly It is so dark that uses my
lamp all the time.
NO. the work amt hard. only
sometimes yer back gifts sore. You
don't do nothin' but bend over and
pick, and fer a greenhorn II amt no
cinch. I've been there goin' on six
years now. and | never minds IL. In
winter it's bad on account of the cold
on your hands. but mostly 1t amt so
worse
"Yes'day we quit at four. Didn't
have no more cars. they said. so we
all skins home. takes a wash OF our
faces and hands. and makes for the
baseball No. we don't wash all over
every day when there's steady work.
Onct in couple OF days does us a
plenty.
There was a good game up there
es'day. The Reds was playin' the
Yankees. so us little fellers never had
show till most six. but we had a
good one then. Played till near eight.
and then we lost the ball
Then we takes a sneak down By
the saloon. but there wasn't nothin'
doin' there. so We cuts II out and goes
home
Ma was sittin' on the stoop waitin'
fer me- She don't like me to stay out
nights She's alius glad when she
sees me IN bed of a night. Says she
knows where am then
There amt nothing else 10 tell you
oh. yes. there was Hunkie got killed
on the track to-day-but that sin't
nothin'. There's ma s-callin' now. 7
suppose she wants me to so to the
store-so long