The haunting photographs of early 20th century American child workers that helped change labour laws

[Art_from_Ark]

18. Having a paper route meant delivering papers along a set route

usually after school, and on Sunday mornings. My hometown paper did not have a Saturday edition, so Saturdays were off. Papers were delivered in a bundle to my house, and I would spend about 30 minutes rolling them up and putting them in my delivery sack, then another 30-45 minutes or so delivering them by bicycle to the subscribers on my route, which was near my house. I collected the money from subscribers once a month at my leisure, paid the newspaper office its share, then took the rest for myself. It was easy work, and I did not have to rely on my parents for an allowance (which they could not afford). At the same time, I could meet lots of people in my town that way, and was even able to get some pointers about my hobbies from some of them.

On the other hand, "newsies" often had to work long hours *hawking* newspapers, and often were not allowed to return until they had sold their quota. They had to work in all sorts of weather, completely exposed to the elements, and working at night and in the early morning made them vulnerable to child predators, thieves, and other unsavory characters. And if they died or became gravely ill from exposure, no one, except maybe their family, gave one whit about them.

Here is one of Hine's pictures of "newsies" in St. Louis at 11:00a.m. on May 9, 1910. That day was a Monday, and the kids should have been in school at that time, but they had to sell newspapers instead.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/works-of-art/1970.727.1