“Newsboys’ Strike Goes On”

 

(New York Daily Tribune, July 22, 1899).

 

There was a called meeting of the striking newsboys in Frankfort Street yesterday morning for the purpose of repeating their defiance of the boycotted newspapers and to arrange further means for carrying the strike to a successful issue. Grand Master Workman “Kid” Blink, alias “Mug Magee,” called the meeting to order, and, amid cheers spoke in past as follows:

 

“Fr’en’s, Brudders and Feller Citerzens: We is united in a patriotic cause. The time has come when we mus’ eder

make a stan’ or be downtridden by the decypils of acrice and greed’ness. Dey wants it all, and when we comes to

‘em dey sez we must take the papes at der own price or leave ‘em. Dis ain’t no time to temporize. Is ye all still wid us in de cause?”

 

“Sure! Sure!” came from a chorus of throats.

 

“Well, den,” continued the chairman, “we’ll go ahead wid de warfare, same as we done yistiday. Let no guilty man escape. Lay fer ‘em and give it to ‘em hot.”

 

As a result of the meeting many of the incidents of the preceding day were repeated yesterday. Whenever a boy

appeared with the papers in his hand he was immediately surrounded and his stock was torn to shreds. The boys did

not confine themselves to the street sellers, but in a number of cases attacked stands where papers are sold and

made havoc with the extras which had been placed there.

 

Back to Articles

HOME