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Show flrty, Ki"0 of M nw$boy$. Arty, the king of the newsboys, is, to all appearances, ap-pearances, about 16 years o'd. He is a very boyish boy-ish boy, small, alert, wiry, intelligent and good looking. He has the brightest red cheeks and the brightest brown eyes of any boy that ever, dailv or nightly, serenaded Lotta's fountain to the well known falsetto of I'Pipers! pipers! all about the prize fight suiemurda prize tight train-wr-er-er prize fight election priae fight mister ! Yes, aure, all about the prize fight. Ex-tra e-di-tion! Tips on the prize fight.v etc. And he is justly entitled to the honor of the title. Arty is at the head of his profession, and aspires to greater things. And from the manner in Avhich he handles han-dles his little army it is pretty certaiw that he will come near getting "almost anything that he goes after. He has the energy and the brains that match it. Arty, at my earnest request, was telling mc something of his professional and home life, when a wagonload of papers first edition drove up to the curb. " 'Scuse mc, lidy, for jest a few minutes, while I serve de boys," said he. Then 1 watched his fingers fly along the vedges of great bundles of papers as he handed them out lo scores of nervous urchins who circled around him. Still, quick as a flash down went the number of papers against the name of each boy. on a little tables! which he held in the palm of his hand, with his little finger pressed against it, while his thumb did the lightning light-ning calculations on Ihc lug bundles in ihe wagon. In an incredibly short time forty or fifty little chaps were scattering in all directions, making a blurring sound through the atmosphere with the 1 "Ex-tr-r all about the a-r-rwa-ran prize figlyt Mister!" and Arty was back on the curb with the same characteristic yell on his lips, where "prize fight" and "mister" seemed to be the only English words spoken. This scene was repeated again and again, but having heard considerable of the King j of the Xewsboys. I concluded to wait around and j see how he ruled in his peculiar domain; and it was so interesting that it was 6:30 before I knew it. The last edition was out, and the king graciously gra-ciously gave me an audience. Then the king told me somctihing of his life, which goes to show -'why his authority is undisputed undis-puted by his strange, heterogeneous followers, who are composed of the children of every civilized nation, na-tion, and some that do not look very civilized. In answer to my query, he said : '"Yes. yer right; a newsboy has some ambition besides blowing in his money on de races and nickel-in-de-slot machines. We earn our money, nickel at a time, and we don't feel like throwing it away in 10-plunk pieces. At least, any boy that isn't a chump doesn't. Yes, we do make good wages -if we hustle, but some kids quit as soon as dey earn six bits;,.and dey think dey're rich. You can't do nothing with them." 'TIow big were you when you commenced selling sell-ing papers?" I asked. "Well, I was just five years old, so you see I was pretty little. Xo,, I didn't have to; my folks were living, but I've ' always wanted to go into business for myself, and make my own money. In that case, a boy can't' start in too soon." "But how did you. manage about school?" I asked, seeing that, with the exception of a few words that boys who are about town pick up, he spoke quite well and fluently. "Oh, there was nor trouble about that," he replied. re-plied. "I never missed a day from school, and I graduated from grammar schoon when I was 16. See my accounts on., that pad," he continued, as he displayed a neat row of figures, showingthe number of papers each boy took. "Why, I can keep a set of books with any one in town, and what more does any-(hoy want?" ho inquired. For the lifeVif . nm I couldn't tell in a second just Avhat more.. a boy. really did want." After awhile, however, it came to me that as the king grew he would wish to earn dollars instead in-stead of nickels, and' as he ruled over and outgeneraled out-generaled all the other boys in his Hue, I suggested sug-gested that he might take a hand in dictating politics. pol-itics. "Xixy!" said his majesty from his throne on ihe curb. "A man can't be honest and be in politics' pol-itics' , This shocked me, and I inquired in a most incredulous in-credulous tone: "In either party? Surely, you do not mean that!" "Oh. yes I do," he replied. "You ladies don't know jest what politics is. I have lots of chances to make dishonest money, but I won't take them. I'd rather make one honest dollar than twenty dishonest dollars." "But you will go into some other business when you get big." I insisted. . "Xope," said King Arty, as he shook his head. "I am a newspaper man. I wouldn't be anything else. I like all newspaper men and and newspaper news-paper ladies," said he as he looked kindly down on me; "but I'll get a store and sell stationery, books and papers all the papers in the country. If I do anything else 'twill be on the outside," he concluded. con-cluded. "But now that you. are king, you will want a queen one of these days when you get big," I said. At this he laughed one of the jolliest boy loughs I ever heard. "Why, you won't believe it, but Fvc got de queen, and two little kids besides one six weeks old and do other a year and a half ; and derc's our address out on Castro, nice little flat, paid $2,000 to furnish it, and have $6,000 in de bank to start my business with. Come out and see. de kinds. You'd like dem. They're 'It,' " he laughed, with his brown eyes a-sparkle. ; And as my eyes 'took on the proportions and activity of Emanuelc Aschierdo's, he graciously said: . ; "Knew I'd surprise you; de ladies all think I'm about 14 or 15. and often say: 'Keep de change, Arty.' but I'm 26 and been in the newspaper business busi-ness for twenty-ione years; still everyone things I'm a kid." . . "But how do you do it ?" I eagerly asked. "Give me the receipt. Some members of your profession profes-sion do not earn over a thousaud dollars a week; and a beauty doctor. on the; what-do-you-call-it? i Yes, thank you; on the side would really be a great help if I knew the secret of the rosy cheeks, bright eyes, etc." "It wouldn't be no use to you; ihe ladies what chase de beauty doctor wouldn't take de medicine; but. I'll tell it to you just the same, if you like. I never chews, smokes, drinks or plays de races, so of course I never worries, and I goes to bed at 0 o'clock. Don't bother with no beauty factory; dey are no good; jest stick to de newspaper work and save your money," said his majesty. as he raised hb hat. I attempted to do the same thing, but half a dozen pins held the old thing tight as a Mason's grip, and I offered my hand and my thanks for his good advice. He took them both and concluded his kindness by saying: "Come out and see the kids. You'll like dem dey're just 'It.' " I accepted the invitation and. my first interview inter-view with royalty was'ended. San Francisco Xews Letter. . ( |