Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-12-09
Business Men OF City
We're Carrier and News
Boys in Years Gone By

There was day. generation ago,
when Times Republican carrier boys
received 81 per month for delivering
their routes. and it wasn't much work
tc get boys. Two dollars a month for
an hour or SOS work each evening
was lot Of money. Today, however.
while it would rot be expected to ask
carrier boys to work for 81 per month,
1t is hard to get them at $3.50
month and bonus Of so cents, when
there Is minimum of kicks"
While 1T may be that boys nova
days are inclined 10 scoff at earning
little money" parents are, In a
measure, responsible for lack Of
interest on the part OF their children
&c earn. People generally are 80 pros
porous these days that they do not
lend encouragement to their boys to
put In part of their time at work.
Employing printers turnout central
Iowa, in meeting held here not long
ago told of the lack OF apprentices. 1t
is hard to get boys interested in trades
these days. when a few genera
tons ago every boy expected to learn
a trade. even tho he might decide not
to follow 1t. He learned 1t as a mat
ter OF course; as the proper thing to
do.
In tho old reading books for gerer-
atoms Benjamin Franklin was point
ed to as the shining example of sue
cess from his modest beginning as
printers devil. In the presidential
| campaign recently closed the story
OF Warren 6. Harding, who is to be
the next president OF these United
States. told Of his early life as a
printers apprentice; how he swept
cut and scrubbed the office. learned
to set type. and run press. From
this start he went into business for
himself. The story was repetition OF
F'ranklin's experiences.
While II is not related that Mr..
Harding ever carried papers, Frank
lin did, and the carrier boy OF to-
day has the same chances of success
| ahead of him that were ahead OF
young Franklin. and Harding. and all
| other boys who want to be success
ful. The carrier boys on the T.-R. to-
day are going to be the business men
OF this city or some other city in the
days to come.
Many business men OF this city to-
day were carrier and news boys as
youngsters. President G. c. Stellar,
of the First National Bank, got his
start in life as newsboy, selling
papers and the other wares of a
| butch on train. His first lessons
| in business, and in saving, were gain
ed from his experiences as a new :
sic"
Frank Oppice. OF the Oppice Fruit
Company, earned his first money
selling papers at Burlington. He
worked both morning and evening,
selling the Ha k-Eye in the morning
and the Gazette in the evening.
w. T. Smith, manager OF the Let's
| Fletcher Company, was a T.-R. car
rier boy, having n route that started
in between Second and Third on Main
went west way out in the country"
to where the Strub home now is sit
uated. and wound up at "Old Charley
Satia's".
George W. Gilbert, clerk Of the dis
| trict court, probably Is the Oldest
| ''T.-R. carrier boy" in the city. When
he carried he was the only carrier.
] This was back In the early sos.
Gilbert was carrying when Garfield
was assassinated. and remembers
| well what a sensation his papers
created that evening.
/ l.. D. Vitek, clerk of courts-e1ect
|