The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-25

William Inglis in Harper's Weekly.
"ORTuNATELY there is one who
knows about all sorts of old New
L York history, one who was born
on Manhattan Island when it contained
one small city and any number of sprawl
ing villages, yet who is still a young mid
die aged man without one gray hair in
his head-Charles White of Corlears Hook,
in the old Seventh ward. At first he was
for showing me the similarity between
the local barkers and Pheidippides, who
ran all the way from Marathon to Ath-
ems, cried "Nikn.' and died, their like
ness TO the ancient heralds who ran,
shouting victories of the distant legions
through the streets of Rome; but when
1t was pointed out that these were .he
IL ecursors of all news bulletin Service,
while our local barkers are highly special
lied and very different. he relented.
.'Our barkers began in an altogether
different way" said Mr.. White, "and It's
a curious thing to see that the tactics
they used at first to drown out one an
others cries are used now in partnership
to shock the public into buying papers.
The first fellows to run and shout extras
through the streets of New York were
The carriers who delivered papers at the
time of the American revolution. Han
over Square was the Printing House row
of the city in those days. Little old New
York was pretty small then, but it sup
ported four newspapers. James Riving-
toms Royal Gazette made tie most OF
every victory the kings troops, and every
time the Continentals won Mr.. Lewis
rushed out an extra of the New York
Mercury and General Advertiser. AS
these newspapers had no war correspond
ents or reporters, and as such things as
telegraphs and telephones or railroads had
not even been dreamed OF, you can lia-
aeine how every battle was reported at
first as a victory for each side. The re-
suit at Bunker Hill was published both
ways in New York. Why, even the Bat
tie of Monmouth, right at home, down th'
Jersey coast, was falsely reported. and
for eight days the little old town vas
wildly excited, patriots and royalists each
hoping for the lest OF it, while the trim
r;ers, waiting to see which side OF the
1tncG 10 ldll Jill Ncic SO NotAfNNN ete~'
couldn't sleep.
"The papers in those days-funny little
sheets!-were served by carriers who went
over certain regular routes, as far north
as Greenwich Village, on the West Side,
and Corlears Hook on the east. In times
of the widest excitement the most enter
prising carriers might work as far north
as Kips Bay, about the Thirty-fourth
street ferry of today, while some rowed
across the river and ran to Brooklyn,
Wnliamsburgh and even to Bushwick
"can,t YOU see those old time carriers?
husky young fellows they had to be
to run far and lug a load of papers on
their arms, ami still be able to yell. Many
a time think of 'em, in their old three
cornered hats and knee breeches and big,
square toed shoes, chasing UP the Broad
way or Queen street, waking the people
out of their beds
"'Yux-tree. Yux-tor Extra edition
Royal Gazette! Full account of the royal
armys victory in the Jerseysl The rebel
Washington slain! Read the extra Royal
Gazette!'
That's all very well for the Tory bark
| er, but now listen 10 the patrlot Ddrker,
across the street. getting back at him:
..Yux-tree! Mercury an Advertiser!
Great American victory near Monmouth
| General washington kills half the rod
ocats an captures the rest. Don't believe
Jenny Rivingtons lies Read that ex-
| traw.'
"These fellows served papers along the
same routes-mcre lanes than streets
Ordinarily the rival papers had different
publication days, SO the carriers didn't
clash; but when the war extras were s
sued they always tried to outrun and
outyell and outslang each other. Believe
me- the big black scare heads and the
believing barlsers didn't begin with tllt
| Spanish war
1t was most entertaining to hear Mr.
White sketch the history of the barkers
They didn't step their clamor when. the
defeat of Lord Cornwallis brought peace
The old New York shipping merchants
who lived above their counting rooms