Pg. 10: Paper Route 21B
When I was in the 3rd or 4th grade — not sure which — I started carrying a paper route, 21B, for the Hutchinson News, an evening paper. When I started, I was the youngest paper boy in Hutch. Brother Bob also had a route, 21A. At that time, you owned your paper routes. They were bought and sold for usually $1 per customer. Mom and Dad paid for our routes, and we were to pay them back from earnings. I think I got them paid back, but don’t remember any kind of mortgage-burning party. I had about 96 customers, and collected 10 cents a week from each, keeping 4 cents a customer for me.
My route extended along Plum street between 7th and 9th and the 5, 6, 7, and 800 blocks on 7th street. A news truck dropped a bundle of papers for several routes a block away from 506 at 8th and Plum. Bob and I would go pick up the bundle for our route, bring them back to 506, and sit on the porch railing across from each other while we folded papers to put in news bag. The news bags had a front and rear sack worn over the shoulders.
I delivered papers by riding my bicycle along the sidewalk and throwing the paper into the customers yard, or porch if easily hit. Bob showed me that a “back-hand” throw was easier than trying to throw from right to left across the handle bars. If it was rainy or snowy, we had to get the paper on the porch. If the weather was too severe, I would walk the route.
When I first started, it was common procedure to “roll” the paper. It took some practice to be able to roll the paper just loose enough to stay rolled up when folded over, and not so tight that it cracked when bent. If too tight, it could break completely in two. We were provided a couple of extras, so one or two mishaps were ok. Otherwise, Bob and I could borrow an extra from the other. I don’t remember ever having to ride down to the office to get more papers.
After a few years, the office insisted that we not roll the papers and that they be placed securely on the porches. Bob and I then “boxed” the papers. I got pretty good at hitting the porch from the bicycle. If I missed, I’d stop and go back and put the paper on the porch. I think throwing papers back handed probably helped my tennis back hand.
All through grade school and junior high days the after-school routine was to go home, play with the neighbor kids till about 5, get the paper bundle, sit on the porch railing across from Bob fixing the papers, and get them delivered before 6 p.m. After 6, we were “late”, and the customer could call the office to have one delivered. In those cases (comparatively few), we got a “kick” notice with the bundle the next day. “Kicks” cost us 10 cents each, so you tried hard not to get any. Customers would usually call me if they could not find their paper. (The dog musta gotten it?)
I had the route up through high school days, but got a substitute to carry it during the high school football and basketball seasons. I needed a better money earner for the summer time. See SUMMERS for more.
