The sun was dawning on New York Harbor; the streets of the city were quiet, save for the occasional purr of a stray cat or bark of a wandering dog. Within the hour, this veil of silence would be drawn away, surrendering the boisterous shouts of young boys and girls eager to sell the daily paper to earn their daily wage; market shoppers and workers anxiously looking to buy and sell products; lastly, we find lively groups of children scampering about, laughing, playing and enjoying themselves however they possibly could. This was New York City 1900.
The newsie strike of 1899 came and went, as did many newsies. The lodging houses in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens had a large influx of young boys since the Strike, many of whom idolized the idea of being a newsie simply because of unity and power they had developed during the Strike. These boys, the majority of which, were orphans found a place they could call home without a fear of persecution from refuge workers, police, or the upper class. The old newsies had a different light to shed on the situation. Being a newsie had its advantages but apart from soakin' scabs and having a certain degree of independence, the newsie life was rough. There was always a war between two boroughs vying for power and respect, which was hard to come by at the time. Respect was earned. One newsie knew that more than any other in the city: Spot Conlon.
Some newsies sell their paper quota quicker than others so free time was well spent. With a seeming bond between Jack Kelly and Spot Conlon, the newsies of Manhattan and Brooklyn got along quite well. On this particular late spring day, a small group of newsies from both boroughs decided to take a swim near the Brooklyn docks. It was closing in on one o'clock when Jack came wandering into Brooklyn, he headed straight to a smaller figure seated high on his perch overlooking the bay.
