The Boy Broker Part 1

The Boy Broker.

by Frank A. Munsey.

PREFACE.

The best story for boys is the one that will help them most and give them the greatest pleasure--the story that will make them more manly, more self reliant, more generous, more n.o.ble and sweeter in disposition.

Such a story I have aimed to make THE BOY BROKER. The moral or lesson it contains could be put into a very short lecture, but as a lecture I am confident that it would prove valueless. Boys are benefited little by advice. They seldom listen to it and less frequently make any practical application of it. Imitative by nature, they are easily influenced by those with whom they a.s.sociate, and no a.s.sociate, in my opinion, has so strong a grasp upon them as the hero of some much prized book. He becomes a real being to their young, healthy imagination--their ideal of manliness, bravery, generosity, and n.o.bility. He enters into their lives, their sports, their adventures, their kind acts, a companion, a model so much idealized and admired that unconsciously they grow to be like him in so far as their surroundings will permit. In a good story plot and action are but the setting to the gem--the means of conveying a lesson in disguise in such a way that the reader will not suspect he is being taught. Let it once occur to him that he is reading a lecture and the book will at once be quietly but most effectually packed away. Many authors, it seems to me, fail in their purpose by devoting too much time to the gem and too little to the setting. Others go too far the other way and write stories that give young readers a wrong idea of life--stories whose heroes do improbable and unnatural acts. While my purpose has been to make THE BOY BROKER interesting I have aimed to give a true idea of life in a great city. So much nonsense of a misleading character has been written about benevolent old gentlemen who help poor boys from the country that I have sought to turn the light of fact on the subject and picture a little real life--about such life as a boy may expect to find if he comes to New York friendless and alone. He might find it much worse; he could not wisely hope to find it better.

FRANK A. MUNSEY.

NEW YORK, _September, 1888_.

CHAPTER I.

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GREAT CITY.

"Give me the best morning paper you have, please."

"The _Tribune_ costs the most, if that is the one you want."

"The price will be no objection providing the paper contains what I wish to find."

"You want work, I s'pose."

"Yes, I am looking for employment."

"I knew it--just in from the country too," said the newsboy, comically.

"Well, what you want is the _Herald_ or _World_. They are just loaded with wants."

"Thank you, you may give me both."

"Both! Whew, you must be well fixed!" replied the young metropolitan, handing over the papers, as he regarded his new customer curiously.

"What does that mean?" asked the latter, seriously.

"You don't know what well fixed means? You must have come from way back!

Why it means--it means that you're solid, that you've got the stuff, don't you see?"

"I'm solid enough for a boy of my age, if that is the idea," replied the lad from the country, rather sharply, as a tinge of color rose to his cheeks.

"Shucks! That ain't the idea at all," said the street boy, in a tone that seemed apologetic. "What I mean is that you're a kind of boodle alderman--you're rich. Do you see now?"

"Oh! That's it. Well, you see, I didn't know what you meant. I never heard those terms up in Vermont. No; I'm not rich, but on the contrary have so little money that I must commence work at once."

"And that is why you bought two papers, so you can take in the whole business. You've got a big head, Vermont, any way, and would do stunnin'

on mornin' papers."

"Thank you. Do you mean at selling them?"

"Yes, of course. You wouldn't give 'em away, would you?"

"Well, no, I should not be inclined to do so."

"That sounds more like it. Perhaps I'll give you a job, if you can't find anything else."

"Thank you, I may be very glad to get a chance to sell papers even."

"'Tain't a bad business anyhow. Me and lots of fellers makes plenty of money at it. But I s'pose you're hungry, hain't you? If you be I'll take you round to a boss place and it won't cost nothin' hardly."

"I am very much obliged to you, but I had my breakfast soon after leaving the boat."

"And I bet they done you up on the price. I tell you what it is, it takes a fellow a good while to learn to live in this city. You don't know nothin' about what it costs. Why I know a plenty of boys that spend more--yes, I'd say so, twice as much as what I do, and they don't throw no style into their livin' either. You see they don't know how and hain't got no taste, any way. But I like your looks, Vermont, and ef you want any points--and you're liable to want 'em in this city, I'll bet you--why you just call on me and I'll fix you out in big shape."

[Ill.u.s.tration: "YOU EVIDENTLY KNOW ALL ABOUT PROPRIETY, SO HERE IS MY HAND," SAID HERBERT.]

"Thank you, sincerely," said the Green Mountain lad, a broad smile playing over his fine face, as he regarded the drollery of his new acquaintance. "I shall need many suggestions, no doubt, for I feel almost lost in this great city. I had no idea it was so large. I was never here before, and do not know where to go for a room or meals."

"So I thought, and that's why I offered to put you into the right track.

My name is Bob Hunter--I hain't got no business cards yet, but all the boys knows me, and my place of business is right round here in City Hall Park. You'll find me here 'most any time durin' business hours."

"Bob Hunter! Well, you may be sure I shall remember your name and place of business, for I want to see you again. But what are your business hours?"

"Oh, yes; I forgot that. Everybody must have business hours, of course.

Well, say from five to ten in the mornin', and three to eight in the afternoon, you can find me in."

"In! You mean _out_, don't you--out here?"

"Shucks! don't be so schoolmastery. Everybody in business says _in_. I guess I know what's proper!"

"All right, Bob Hunter, I'll give it up. You know all about propriety in New York, and I know nothing of it, so here is my hand. I'll say good by till tonight, when I will call upon you again. I must look over these papers now, and hunt for a situation."

"I hope you'll have luck, and get a bang up place. I'll be _in_ when you call tonight; and if you hain't no objections, I'd like to know your name. It would be more handy to do business, you see. How could my clerks announce you so I'd know you, if I don't know your name? You see, I might think it was some one that wanted to collect a bill," continued Bob, dryly, "and I'd be _out_. Don't you see how it's done? I'd just tell my clerks to say 'Mr. Hunter is not in;' so, you see, you would get left. Why, business men do it every day!"

"My name is Herbert Randolph," replied the other, laughing heartily at his comical friend--I say friend, for he already felt convinced that he had found one in Bob Hunter.

"Herbert Randolph! that's a tony name--some old fellow I read about in school was called Randolph; most likely he was some of your relations."

The day was too cold for him to remain out in the park and read; so Herbert, acting on the advice of Bob Hunter, hurried to the great granite post office, and there, in the rotunda, ran his eye over the "wants" in his two papers.

Many columns of closely printed matter in each paper offering every conceivable position were spread out before him--a bewildering display of flattering prospects.

Young Randolph soon learned that if he stopped to read every advertis.e.m.e.nt in both journals it would be very late in the day before he could apply for any position. But should he only read a few of the wants he might fail to notice the best openings. This was a misfortune, for he was ambitious to get the right position--the position that would enable him to advance the fastest; and like all inexperienced boys, he hoped and even expected he might get it the very first time trying.

He had already marked a dozen or two advertised situations which, it seemed to him, would do very well, in fact were quite desirable, but of course they were the high priced positions which would naturally be most sought after by thousands of other applicants--rivals whom the young Vermonter did not take into consideration. He saw before him a demand for four or five thousand people to help move the wheels of commerce.