Year: 1879

Boys are Put.


THE familiar nursery rhyme has 1t
that little boys are made of snaps and
snails and puppy dogs tails, but things
have changed since this mellihuOus
stanza was penned. Nowadays boys
are boys, and they entire into the busi-
ness of life frequently before they
emerge from the puppy-dOg condition.
The operation of the American District
messenger system has done much to de-
velop the uses to which boy may be
put, and the boy in turn has developed
some very queer phases of human ma
ture.


In this city several hundred lads are
employed in this service, and in the
words of Pinkerton's motto, they
never sleep" At all hours of the
day and night these uniformed, dimin-
utive youngsters are on the 90; nothing
deters them, and there is scarcely anY
assignment too difficult for them to
overcome. That a boy fourteen years
of age, and the company employ none
older, is very valuable adjunct to the
affairs of life, is illustrated in the serV-
ice he is pressed into by the public.


During the last opera season there
was a great demand for seats, and many
who f1Ocked to the place of sale found
that, unless they got up early and stood
in line for several hours waiting for the
box Office 10 open, their hope for secur-
ing desirable place was small. So
many, to escape this harassing expert
enee, engaged the messenger-boy, and
the lad, true to his instruction and keen
in the interest of his client, posted him
self to the Academy at midnight and
dwelt there until the day daWned and
then planted his little body before the
box-otfice and clung there until he got
his seats, despite the crowding and
crushing of the eager thrOng at his
back. This service they are frequently
called upon to perform where there is
craze over any new production.


Of late, the boys have become great
beaux. They are called upon to escort
ladies to and from the theater and con-
cert, and frequently accompany them
to select little parties and take them
home at the appointed hour. Recently,
g West -Ender made an innovation. In
stead of engaging a liveried son Of
Ham to attend the bell at her regular
reception, messenger boy in bright
uniform was stationed at the door. The
thing took, and now the boy is an indis-
pensable requisite to the social gather
ing in that select quarter of the world.


A gentleman residing out Broad
street, by a trying experience, has
learned to adore the small boy and to
regard with feelings akin to lOathing
the sable-colored gentlemen who attend
at tables by contract. The resident Of
Broad street gave adinner, an immense
affair, about two weeks ago, and, when
aIlwas in readiness and the guests were
Just to be invited out to dine, the chief
waiter informed the host that the serv-
ice expected was greater than he was
led to anticipate, and the compensation
agreed upon would have to be in
creased. The Broad streeter sWOre and
raved and said it was extortiOn and
vowed that he would not be bled, if the
guests had to go without dinner. The
head waiter was Obdurate and the up
shot of the matter was that he took
himself and his assistants OFF. Here
was a predicament. When he had
cooled down to a reasoning point the
host sent for eight messenger boys, and
these, with the assistance Of his house
hold help, ran the dinner through with
much success and with no accident
worth mentioning.


Not long since a blind man, 8 stran-
ger in the city, secured the service of
one of the lads to guide him over the
city. When he reported in the even
ing, the youngster said ne had a " bully
time showing the blindman the sights. y


"Do you Know" exclaimed the little
fellow, in a paroxysm of laughter, &C he
made me take him into the steeple at
Independence Hall, so he could look
over the city? My eye, he was rum
one, for blind man."


Frequently they are called upon to
take umbrellas and lunch to children
at school on rainy days, and there have
been occasions when ladies engaged
them to wheel their babies around the
square by the hour.


A few days ago boy was sent for
very suddenly by wealthy old lady In
a fashionable section of the city. The
breathless lad was met at the door by
q maid, who instructed him to 90 to a
certain well-known doctor in all haste.
The messenger found the M. D. deeply
engaged with a very important Office
case, so he could not answer the sum-
mons for some time. The lad rushed
back to the old lady's and between his
breath explained the situation. Through
the open door he heard confused wall
ings and mutterings not complimentary
to the doctor, and finally very bulky
female, with an agitated voice and
puffy poodle appeared in the entry.
The puffy poodle was the pet OF the
bulky female, and the poodle was sick
sick as a poodle well could be. A
basket was brought, and the poodle,
with much tenderness, deposited with
in, and, with many injunetiOns to be
careful and not to Jolt him, the boy
took the dog to the doctors.


A stranger stopping at one Of the
principal hotels was taken veryill some
days ago, and required constant atten-
ton. He finally thought of the mes
senger boy, and for four days one OF
these little uninformed lads sat at his
bedside and attended to his every want;
At last the sick mans wife came and
relieved the little stranger, who had
watched and waited so faithfully.


Not content with calling them into
every mercantile service, the theatrical
managers have frequently pressed them
into service in the course Of q play.
One lad appeared for several weeks at
tbe alnilf-Street Theater in his char
acter of messenger, simply going IN
every night and delivering to one OF
the characters several telegraphlc dis
patches.


Beside these various duties, they are
frequently hired to "shadOw" peOplei
that is, to follow them and ascertain
their mode of life, OF business, when
they are suspected. They go tC
market, deliver invitations, distribute
circulars, run errands aBd fulfill
thousand and one duties that the pasi
generation never dreamed boy caPa'
Bile of doing Philadelphia Record.


in his lecture on Claude Bernard
M. Paul Bert narrated a singular sJraC
apem which was invented by Bernard
during the last Franco-German War
and might be utilized without difficulty
under similar circumstances. 1t wal
proposed to revictual Paris, which wa
strictly blockaded by German forces
A large number of cattle had been col
lected, waiting for an opportunity t
| cross the German lines. But a dith
4 cultv Vsg tn silence these animals, a