Valley Newsboy

Dennis Sikes, that was his name.
Odd that I can still remember it. He was 12 and I was 10. His family was getting ready to move out of the house that my second-grade teacher Dora Saunders would move into. Dennis had an "Indianapolis News" paper route. Dennis had pockets that jingled. I wanted pockets that jingled. Due to his move he needed someone to take his route, and I felt I was just the "man" to take it.

But there were a couple obstacles-
-I was too young. I think the Star-News people wanted their carriers to be at least 12.
-My parents also worried I was too young. They also knew that having a paper route would complicate my schedule should we want to take vacations or other time away from home.
But I had my mind set on having change in my pockets, so I persevered.

The route manager, a nice guy by the name of Mr. Hanson, came out and interviewed me, then talked with my parents. When he left the route was mine.
(Mom and Dad immediately set out to insure I knew how to make change.)

I delivered the Indy News evenings, Monday through Saturday, then I got up early Sunday to deliver the Sunday Star...
Seven days a week I delivered newspapers for almost 5 years. My pockets jingled. I saved and bought myself nice things. I was King of my world.
My bundle of papers was delivered at the end of our drive shortly after school let out. I'd pack them into a canvas saddlebag and throw them onto my bicycle (until I was twelve when I bought myself a Cushman Motor Scooter similar to this one), and I'd start out Northbound delivering papers to houses along Morgantown Road toward Bill Doty's Standard Station. Then I'd double back Southbound delivering along the way to old Smith Valley Road where I turned West and worked my way to Paddock Road. There I'd again go North to a couple newer houses near S.V. Road, then back South, over the bridge past Cissy, C&C, and Rita's house, delivering my last paper by simply walking through the back patio and into Ode Perry's old house where I'd lay the paper on their kitchen table. (I can still remember the comfortable smell of that place.)

I think I've written before about how much that route taught me...
Because of it I truly became a "small businessman" and learned ya always gotta have more income than outgo. I learned to save for things I wanted.
Much of my Valley clientele was elderly, so I also learned once in a while there'd be no one to answer the door when you came to collect at week's end. Having developed strong relationships with my customers over those five years, that was tough sometimes.

Doty's Standard Service, Effie's Variety Store, and Don Sutton's grocery were all great places to stop and have a cold refreshing "Ski" and maybe a bag of "Planter's Peanuts" in the summer, while affording a place to thaw out in the cold of Winter.

Papers delivered, there was almost always a pick-up basketball or full-tackle football game to be played at Steve and Danny W's house. (We were talking at our latest mini about the evening David W's collar bone got broken. We tackled tough!)

When it was REALLY cold, the creek would freeze over and we'd ride/slide our bikes up and down that stretch just beneath the old iron bridge. How we kept from breaking some bone while doing that is beyond me!

Ahhh.....
So there. I've shared some of my smiles with you.
Please, share some Friday-forum smiles with the rest of us.