Happy National Newspaper Carrier Day! On September 4, today recognizes the dedicated newspaper carriers who deliver the news in the wee hours of the morning.
A lot has changed since the first newspaper carrier. Not only have the routines changed, but their methods and the age of the people delivering has changed as well.
However, the newspaper carrier still exists in some form. Each and every newspaper carrier owe their start to an enterprising young immigrant in New York City, New York over one hundred and eighty years ago.
As the tradition gradually fades, their history becomes no less fascinating.
According to a captioned photo released by the Museum of the City of New York, The Sun‘s American newspaper publisher Benjamin Day hired the first paperboy on Septemeber 4, 1833.
A ten-year-old Barney Flaherty answered the advertisement that September day. And although the ad specified for “steady men” to apply, Flaherty so impressed the editor that Day was so impressed by the boy’s sincerity; he gave him the job.
Down on the corner, passersby soon heard Flaherty hawking his sales pitch. Eventually, the universal chorus of boys (and sometimes girls) calling, “Paper! Get your paper, here!” could be heard on the streets selling papers.
"A number of steady men can find employment by vending this paper. A liberal discount is allowed to those who buy to sell again." ~ Benjamin Day’s 1833 advertisement in The Sun.
In 1960, The Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame was created. It acknowledges some famous newspaper carriers in our nation’s history, too.
Included in the Newspaper Carrier Hall of Fame are Martin Luther King Jr., Warren Buffet, and John Wayne.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Show your newspaper carrier a little extra appreciation. A box of chocolates, a card, or a simple “thank you” would make their day a little brighter.
Enjoy the ease that we have in being able to wake up, get our coffee, and have a paper to read before getting out of our pajamas!
If you were a newspaper carrier, take the day to reminisce a bit. Share stories from your delivery routes and the people you knew then.
Use #NewspaperCarrierDay to post on social media.
HISTORY
National Day Calendar® was unable to identify the founder of National Newspaper Carrier Day. However, the day does commemorate the day Flaherty landed the job and made it a success.
#NewspaperCarrierDay
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@MuseumofCityNY
@NewsMediaAlliance
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