Strike

One side consisted of the country's most ruthless news executives. The other was made up of thousands of young street urchins.

Their confrontation occurred more than 100 years ago, when New York City newsboys who hawked papers for a penny apiece went on strike against millionaire publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst.

The newsboys, then the main sales force for Pulitzer and Hearst, walked off their jobs on July 20, 1899. Their aim was to shut down two newspapers that had been influential enough to help push the country into war the previous year.

Rival publishers reacted by showering the striking newsboys with publicity. In the process, the newsies ignited a child labor rebellion in cities across the country.

New York newsboys, many of whom made their livings without parental support, also risked their jobs for pennies a day. But pennies were precious in 1899.

Because of a crafty bit of market manipulation, newsboys for Pulitzer and Hearst were taking a particular financial beating in 1899.

Their cost for a bundle of 100 newspapers had been raised from 50 cents to 60 cents the previous year, when the Spanish-American War spiked circulation.

Pulitzer had practically demanded the war, and readers gobbled up his Evening World's real and fictionalized accounts of the combat. Hearst tried to keep pace by spending lavishly on war coverage in his Evening Journal.

But by the steamy days of July 1899, the war had been over for seven months. Circulation was down, yet the newsboys' costs remained at the wartime rate.

Even if a boy was lucky enough to sell his entire daily stock of 100 papers, he would make but 40 cents. As for the papers he didn't sell, he had to eat the loss.

Frustrated, angry and, in some cases, hungry, the newsboys decided to strike.

One undersized boy, called "Kid Blink" because he was blind in one eye, summed up the newsies' position during a rally that drew 2,000 boys and coverage from The New York Times, a competitor of Pulitzer and Hearst.

"Ten cents in the dollar is as much to us," Kid Blink said, "as it is to Mr. Hearst, the millionaire. Am I right, boys? We can do more with 10 cents than he can with 25."

Hearst probably was personally involved in discussions about what to do with these annoying strikers, some of whom attacked replacement workers, vandalized delivery wagons and shredded his newspapers. As for Pulitzer, he assuredly had no contact with the newsboys, though Hollywood has claimed otherwise.

Disney made a 1992 movie about the strike that put Pulitzer in the center of the confrontation. In Disney's "Newsies," Pulitzer even faces a delegation of strikers.

In truth, Pulitzer had been blind for eight years by the time of the strike. He seldom ventured to his newspaper's New York City office.

A mangling of the truth seemed fitting for a movie about Pulitzer and Hearst, for accuracy was not something that either publisher let get in the way of a story.

To get their alarmist stories into the hands of the reading public, both papers needed the newsboys.

So they forged a compromise. A bundle of 100 papers would still be sold to the boys for 60 cents, but the publishers would pay them a refund on all unsold papers.

The boys took the deal, and the strike was settled in the first week of August.

In New York, Pittsburgh and other Eastern cities, the newsboys' story continued to inspire children to fight for better pay, but few found success or public support.

By summer's end, children and adult workers realized that they had neither leverage nor laws on their side. It would take decades of labor struggle to alter the balance of power.

The newsies of 1899, who did better in that era than most, remain romantic figures, especially to teen-age girls who loved the Disney movie about them.

The newsboys were as young as 8-15, yet they created a sensational story of their own, giving Pulitzer and Hearst a run for their money as the century closed.


	LeEsHa's SiTe Home \| About me \| Music \| Pictures \| Strike \| Links /Strike\ The Real Newsie Strike of 1899 On paper, it looked like the mismatch of the century. One side consisted of the country's most ruthless news executives. The other was made up of thousands of young street urchins. Their confrontation occurred more than 100 years ago, when New York City newsboys who hawked papers for a penny apiece went on strike against millionaire publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. The newsboys, then the main sales force for Pulitzer and Hearst, walked off their jobs on July 20, 1899. Their aim was to shut down two newspapers that had been influential enough to help push the country into war the previous year. Rival publishers reacted by showering the striking newsboys with publicity. In the process, the newsies ignited a child labor rebellion in cities across the country. New York newsboys, many of whom made their livings without parental support, also risked their jobs for pennies a day. But pennies were precious in 1899. Because of a crafty bit of market manipulation, newsboys for Pulitzer and Hearst were taking a particular financial beating in 1899. Their cost for a bundle of 100 newspapers had been raised from 50 cents to 60 cents the previous year, when the Spanish-American War spiked circulation. Pulitzer had practically demanded the war, and readers gobbled up his Evening World's real and fictionalized accounts of the combat. Hearst tried to keep pace by spending lavishly on war coverage in his Evening Journal. But by the steamy days of July 1899, the war had been over for seven months. Circulation was down, yet the newsboys' costs remained at the wartime rate. Even if a boy was lucky enough to sell his entire daily stock of 100 papers, he would make but 40 cents. As for the papers he didn't sell, he had to eat the loss. Frustrated, angry and, in some cases, hungry, the newsboys decided to strike. One undersized boy, called "Kid Blink" because he was blind in one eye, summed up the newsies' position during a rally that drew 2,000 boys and coverage from The New York Times, a competitor of Pulitzer and Hearst. "Ten cents in the dollar is as much to us," Kid Blink said, "as it is to Mr. Hearst, the millionaire. Am I right, boys? We can do more with 10 cents than he can with 25." Hearst probably was personally involved in discussions about what to do with these annoying strikers, some of whom attacked replacement workers, vandalized delivery wagons and shredded his newspapers. As for Pulitzer, he assuredly had no contact with the newsboys, though Hollywood has claimed otherwise. Disney made a 1992 movie about the strike that put Pulitzer in the center of the confrontation. In Disney's "Newsies," Pulitzer even faces a delegation of strikers. In truth, Pulitzer had been blind for eight years by the time of the strike. He seldom ventured to his newspaper's New York City office. Joseph Pulitzer A mangling of the truth seemed fitting for a movie about Pulitzer and Hearst, for accuracy was not something that either publisher let get in the way of a story. To get their alarmist stories into the hands of the reading public, both papers needed the newsboys. So they forged a compromise. A bundle of 100 papers would still be sold to the boys for 60 cents, but the publishers would pay them a refund on all unsold papers. The boys took the deal, and the strike was settled in the first week of August. ^ "Don't be a scab" ^ In New York, Pittsburgh and other Eastern cities, the newsboys' story continued to inspire children to fight for better pay, but few found success or public support. By summer's end, children and adult workers realized that they had neither leverage nor laws on their side. It would take decades of labor struggle to alter the balance of power. The newsies of 1899, who did better in that era than most, remain romantic figures, especially to teen-age girls who loved the Disney movie about them. CAN YOU BLAME US?¿? The newsboys were as young as 8-15, yet they created a sensational story of their own, giving Pulitzer and Hearst a run for their money as the century closed.