OCR Text |
Show A NEWSBOY'S EARNINGS. A newsboy who had given his parents $10 every week since the 8th of last July, and besides accumulated $10 in the Philadelphia Saving Fund, at Seventh and Walnut streets, was publicly awarded last evening in the hall of the "Sunday Breakfast Association," on Vine street, below Eighth. In the audience were a lot of bright-faced lads, whose careful toilet and brand new clothes would not indicate that they belonged to the army of news gamins. They were from the Newsboys Home and members of the Newsboys League, which was established last May in connection with the Home for the purpose of promoting the moral and social improvement of the two hundred lads who belong to the League. An outgrowth of the League is a Dime Savings Bank established last summer. The first deposit was made on July 8, and there are now sixty seven depositors. As soon as a lad's savings amount to one dollar they are transferred from the Dime Bank to the Philadelphia Savings Fund. J.S. Cummings, President of the Newsboys Association, in sketching the history of the movement in Philadelphia for the assistance of the newsboys, pointed out the good results accomplished by following the advice of the newsboys greatest friend, George W. Childs, to commit the management of the charity to women. At this and subsequent mentioning of the name of Mr. Childs, the lads applauded heartily. Mr. Cummings then spoke of the lad whose savings exceeded those of any of the young capitalists. "I am glad," said the speaker, to hear our honored Mayor warn the boys against those vile shows. I know at least one boy present who says that he never attended one of them - the lad to whom the prize is to be awarded to-night. His modesty being equal to his industry, he begged that his name should not be made public. At the time when he could have had no idea of the nature or value of the prize, he requested that it be given to the boy whose bank account was next to his in size. He is a healthy lad of 15 years. He rises at 2 o'clock every morning, rain or (I was about to say shine, but there's no shine then) and is off immediately to the newspaper offices. He sells about 456 newspapers a day 311 of the morning and 115 of the afternoon issues. He has made as much as $15 in a day, on such occasions as elections or great calamities. A daily earning of $10 [unreadable line]. Every week he gives his mother $10; and she has received as much as $15 a week from him. The day is far gone when he spent more than three cents for articles outside the necessaries of life. He is a member of a Sunday school in the northwestern part of the city and attends it regularly. While Mr. Cummings was speaking, a bright modest-looking, fair haired boy, with an unmistakeable expression of candor and honesty upon his intelligent face, sat along one a front bench, and toward him every eye was directed when he arose to receive from the speaker an order from George W. Childs on John Wanamaker for a first class suit of clothes. The general applause which followed among the lads would indicate that they were not envious of their fortunate comrade. Supplementing this gift the Mayor leaned over the platform and jingled four quarter dollars into the boy's hand, remarking, with a smile, that it would answer as a little nest-egg for another bank account. The lad's parents are German. He attends the Methodist Sunday school at Twenty-eight street and Girard avenue. It is known that one reason why the boy asked to have his name withheld was that his mother, if she knew that he kept back a cent from her, would whip him until he delivered up all. <br><br> Philadelphia Times. |