Once and For All: A Newsies Sequel

Afternoon Papers

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The afternoon was like any regular selling day. All the boys were out at bars, stands, restaurants and delis, jobs, offices, and such to sell today's headline. The boys all resumed their selling spots and hollered out into the streets. Sweat poured down the newsies' faces as it grew hotter and hotter as it reached mid afternoon. Boys removed their caps and unbuttoned their shirts to they had their pants, suspenders, and their undershirt on with their regular shirt tied around their waists. Some had little cloths to wipe the sweat that was beating down their face with.

Rose/Checkers took the day with Jack to learn to sell papers. She was like a lost puppy.

"Let's take a walk 'round the city eh? It ain't that bad. Before you sell for sure you gotta learn the streets of New York and where to avoid. I also gotta introduce you to the fiercest newsie in New York Spo-"

"Spot Conlon? I know about him already."

"You do? And from what?" Jack eyed her.

"The papers. He wasn't always an orphan, Jack. And he's not full Brooklyn blood. He went to my school for a few years before he became an orphan. He was some years older den me, but I dunno how many. He was a good kid before he became an orphan. Last time I saw him I was 7." Checkers explained as they walked around the city.

Jack nodded his head in silence. So the girl had some secrets? How many other newsies did she know? Is she just a Brooklyn spy that is the first female newsie but Spot never told nobody? Jack wiped his forehead with his wrist and kept walking. He would find out soon enough.

"Now girlie, over der," Jack pointed to a street, "That'll take ya all the way to Queens. You ain't going over there for much. Dey'll back up Brooklyn until they die. Dey won't show up to a single event 'less Brooklyn shows up. Leader is Willie Green. He don't show up to nothin'. He's afraid." Jack snickered as he poked fun at the other newsies. Queens was just that. Never showed up to anything without Brooklyn. The Manhattan newsies didn't talk much to the Queens newsies.

Checkers nodded her head and gazed down the street. They walked from street to street, alley to alley, end to end, she advertised the headline and ended up selling all her papes by late afternoon. When you walk from place to place, it's easy to sell papes. When you stay in one spot, it ain't as easy since there are usually boys everywhere. "Pape sir?" She offered the older gent a paper and he tossed her a coin. The man accepted and looked at her in shock.

"I ain't ever seen a girl newsie before. Protect her, Jacky Boy." The man called to Jack and Jack tipped his hat in reply.

It was a dangerous would out there for a newsie.

As the paid walked further and further, Jack pointed out how to get to the Bronx, the Bowery, Harlem, Midtown, Flushing, Woodside, and beyond. Checkers knew most of the streets because she grew up in Harlem. Jack taught her easy stowaway spots and shortcuts to get from city to city without getting jumped or caught by another newsie. She paid close attention to his directions and what he was saying. It could come in handy one day. Except she wouldn't go near Harlem.

Jack and Rose approached a large bridge that extended far over the bay area. He pointed across the bridge into the unknown, as they couldn't see beyond the horizon.

"Now dat dere, dats Brooklyn. You don't go near Brooklyn 'less you are with me. Got it girlie? They'll rip ya to shreds. They don't take care to outsidas like us Manhattan newsies. Dey are strict about their spots and who can come in and out. Spot Conlon is dere leader. Nothing goes past him. He knows everything. Got it, girlie?"