Northport Memories: The Newspaper

Johannes Gutenberg, a German goldsmith, fathered the concept of the printed word with his invention of the printing press in the middle of the fifteenth century. It served as the basis for an industry that grew to gigantic proportions covering a broad medial range of newspapers, magazines, books and even later, the Internet. Thanks to Mr. Gutenberg, the brotherhood of young paper carriers was part of most Northport young boy's lives in one way or another.

In the mid 1950's, I never had a formal paper route, but I had a “private route” getting the paper for my dad. Dad was a bit of a literary snob and, in his opinion, newspapers such as Newsday, The Long Island Daily Press, and The New York Daily News were sub-standard. He referred to them as “rags” and he especially disliked the New York Daily News, claiming that the medium was targeted at an illiterate audience who could only look at the pictures. Since his preference wasn't available via "the paper boy," it was my job to go to Barney Craft's every night and fetch his brand of reading. On Sundays, I would get the New York Times and the New York Herald Tribune. Those two papers alone weighed in excess of ten pounds and collectively cost over a dollar, even then. To top that off, he would often have me pick up some “Williams 'Lectric Shave” pre-shaving lotion or some Revelation pipe tobacco. Barney Craft was only too willing to sell me the tobacco. I told him it was for my father, which it was. Not to worry, I was earning a little something for my effort and sometimes would combine my “errand run” for neighbors to boost my bottom line. I was in the work force, earning my way in self-employment.

My older brother had a formal paper route delivering for team Newsday. Today they would refer to this arm of the industry as “distribution.” How professional we've become. His “coach” was a man named Mr. Failheisen who made his “paper drops” using his 1940 Ford Wooden bodied station wagon. My older brother Steve would dissect the bundle and deliver to his customers, carefully hand-depositing each paper on each respective doorstep. Nowadays, the paper gets thrown from a passing vehicle, at, or above the speed limit, landing anywhere from the neighbor’s bushes to the roof of the house, once in a while making contact with the driveway.

Looking back, this discipline was a good place to start teaching responsibility with lessons in running accounts receivables ledger, inventory of incoming supplies, delivery in all sorts of weather, collection and accounting for all monies to the supplier and generally keeping a good business attitude. Deadbeats would only be carried for a short time and would be dropped, a policy that kept most accounts fairly current.

Occasionally, Newsday would have some sort of a promotion for the carriers to inspire more sales which usually involved bonus prizes. The carrier would be encouraged to add more customers to his/her client base. In my brother's tenure as a paper carrier, he earned enough money to buy himself a brand new bicycle, among other things. This was the beginning of “asset accumulation.”

The marketing plan for guaranteed delivery on Steve's paper route involved me, the little brother. It wasn't too often but when he was unable to deliver, I kicked in as the back-up. At one incident, I guess I was about nine years old and the weight of that canvas bag of newspapers over my shoulder was significant. I walked the route and occasionally would set the bag down at the street and walk up to the door with a single delivery. One day, this method failed me at the corner of Bayview Avenue and James Street, a place we knew for years as “Karl's mariners Inn.” At the time, it was known as “Besecker's” and in the parking lot on that day, the papers peeled out of the bag in a strong gust of wind. I was frantic as the pages danced in the air and became lodged on bushes and in trees. Somehow, I contacted my mother who came to my rescue in her calm, collected approach. The papers were retrieved and reassembled in the proper order and the delivery went on. Steve's reputation as a reliable and diligent paper carrier was preserved.

Today, I believe this old fashioned work ethic is extinct, displaced by entitlement mentalities, instant gratification and the cry of "what's in it for me?" Many of us from the old school are now considered to be obsolete as we struggle to deal with the “super-size” generation. The fairy tale starts with something like “Once upon a time, long, long ago,” words which define each generation as the hands of time move forward unmercifully. I miss those early responsibility lessons that were given to us by our elders. The newspaper route was not just a source of spending money, but an ethical template upon which to build a life.

For the old school, in typical Northport tradition, I raise my vanilla egg cream in a toast to the old timers who taught us simple values and the importance of paying it forward. Please, hold the super-size and, no, I don't want fries with that!