My First Job:

Oh man, I started delivering the North West News when I was about eleven years old. My older brothers delivered the paper and now it was my turn. It had to be delivered only once a week. It was two bundles of papers and my route consisted of the 6100 blocks from Roscoe St to Addison st.. I pulled a wagon with the papers and they were placed on the front porches of the houses. The delivering of the papers did not take very long, possibly two hours. But the last week of the month we had to go to each house and collect payment for the paper. That usually took the whole week after school and after supper. But, it payed pretty good. It gave me money for the movies and it payed for books, airplane and boat models I built and some candy. Mom used the rest for school supplies etc. It was a pretty good deal for a young kid.

At thirteen, I was lucky to get a route at Belmont and Central shopping area. It included all the stores on Belmont St and also Central st., six blocks each way, north, south, east and west. It was more fun delivering there even though there were more papers. At Christmas time I got great tips from the store owners, even from some that didn't like the paper. I delivered here for two more years, and finally one very hot summer day I was cutting through the field pulling the wagon and I said to myself, "I quit. I'm dumping the papers here and I'm never delivering again". And I did just that. I found a desolate spot in the field, dumped the papers and went home. I called the paper company and told them I quit, but I didn't tell them about the field.

I started high school a month later and took a job in the cafeteria serving food and washing dishes. The pay was free lunch each day. I was not too thrilled about the job, but Mom was. I held that job for that complete year of high school. The next year I transferred to St Rita High School located on the south side of Chicago.