Commercial men, some of our best merchants, sometimes, in their
eagerness to make money, forget the first principles of honesty, and
often make assertions that upon second thought they would not make.
Sometimes in their advertising they will say things which they would
never think of saying under other circumstances, though lying in
business matters is equally as dishonorable as in private life. The
relations between the public and the merchant, as well as between
master and servant, must rest on mutual respect and confidence. Here is
an illustration, by a close observer, a boy fourteen years of age.
Walking along one of the principal streets, a newsboy noticed the
following sign, in large type, in a show window and attached to some
article for sale. It read: “Regular price, one hundred dollars. Our
price, twenty-nine dollars.”
“Say, president,” said the boy, “is that man telling the truth when he
says a twenty-nine dollar article is worth one hundred dollars?”
It was a question that required a wise answer, but put it in any
business way possible, nothing could satisfy the boy that it was
strictly honest.
“When I go into business,” said the seller, “you bet I’ll not fool the
public; when I say a thing is worth so much it will be worth that much.”
What time would develop, what changes come over this young man, no one
could tell, but the right principle had a good hold of the boy, and it
meant success and a clear conscience during his manhood.
That the success of the association does not depend upon the efforts of
the officers entirely, will be seen by the following:
Three newsboys called upon the president; two of them were leading a
ragged little fellow with a shining-box thrown over his shoulder.
“Say, president,” said one of them, “here’s a boy shining shoes on the
market an’ the way he swears is puttin’ men out o’ business.”
The accused bootblack was a sight. To the question where he lived he
replied: “I have no home. My father’s dead an’ my mother, she’s no
good. There’s no room fur me in the house.”
[Illustration: THE TOUGH FROM MARKET SPACE.
_See Page 152_
]
By further questioning it was learned that the clothes he had on were
given to him some two months ago and had not been taken off since he
put them on. This may seem strange, but it is only one of the dozen of
cases where parents do not require the removal of their boy’s clothes
when they go to bed.
The peculiar odor coming from boys who are treated in this shameful
manner will prove this. This boy walked from a neighboring city, or
stole a ride on some freight-train. He had been shining shoes around
the market-space for a month or more, and declared that to be in the
push, to be recognized by men, and to secure business, it was necessary
to swear and be tough.
“I wouldn’t be a bootblack,” he said, “if I couldn’t swear, the men
wouldn’t shine if I didn’t.”
The newsboys who frequented the market were very much put out by this
boy’s swearing and general tough appearance, so when opportunity
favored they began their missionary work, with the result of persuading
the shiner to accompany them to the president’s office.
The boy had a very attractive face. He was worth saving.
“So, you come to see me about joining the association,” said the
president.
The boy replied: “The boys say I can make more money if I cut out
swearin’ an’ belong to the association.”
“They tell me you swear and sometimes don’t know how to give correct
change to your customers. If that’s so you are just the kind of a boy
we want. You little hustling fellows make our best young men. You don’t
wait until someone comes to you for a shine. I have seen you follow a
man who had red shoes a whole square. You will make a good business
man, and these little boys, friends of yours, are just the kind of boys
who will help you, will bring you business, will tell you where to get
something good to eat, and I think we can throw away your old ragged
clothes and get a new suit, how would you like that?”
His face had a surprised look. He didn’t expect some one to offer
anything of interest to him, he expected to get lectured, to be “talked
goodygood to,” as he afterwards said.
“Well, you see, mister,” said the boy with some familiarity, “we can’t
do business on the street unless we do as men do. They swear at us an’
we must swear at them or we lose the shine.”
“How often do men swear at you?”
“How often? I can’t count ’em. Every other word.”
“Well, it doesn’t sound nice, does it?”
“No, an’ I could cut it out.”
“Sure thing he can cut it out, an’ we’ll be right behind to see that he
forgets it,” put in one of the newsies.
“Well, I’ll start you in the association,” said the president, “but I
don’t want you to be too good to start with. Sometimes you may forget
what the card means, and you will swear before you know it, but don’t
let that worry you, the next time you will do better and forget it.
But when you get the badge, in thirty days, then you mustn’t swear at
all, for if you do the officers will be right after you and your name
will be on a list that means something when you get older and want a
position in some big store.”
The membership card was given to him, a new suit of clothes was
furnished by a kind hearted clothier, and the boys—including the
chairman of the executive committee—took the boy home. When his mother
discovered some one took an interest in him, she began to think he
amounted to something, and from that time on, he received attention.
At the expiration of thirty days the numbered badge was given to him
and he started on his new life.
In the fall of the same year this bootblack was unanimously elected as
an officer of Boyville, and is one of the best boys on the street. Two
months later he brought to the president a gold watch, worth forty-two
dollars and fifty cents. The owner was found, and insisted upon seeing
the young man. He was sent, with the watch, to him. The wealthy lawyer
handed him ten cents, and gave him some good advice. The boy returned
the money saying:
“No, Mister, you keep this, you need it more than I do.”