morning, and this we did in turn, so it will be seen that we all began
at the bottom. Hon. H.W. Oliver,[13] head of the great manufacturing
firm of Oliver Brothers, and W.C. Morland,[14] City Solicitor,
subsequently joined the corps and started in the same fashion. It is
not the rich man's son that the young struggler for advancement has to
fear in the race of life, nor his nephew, nor his cousin. Let him look
out for the "dark horse" in the boy who begins by sweeping out the
office.

[Footnote 13: Died 1904.]

[Footnote 14: Died 1889.]

[Illustration: ROBERT PITCAIRN]

A messenger boy in those days had many pleasures. There were wholesale
fruit stores, where a pocketful of apples was sometimes to be had for
the prompt delivery of a message; bakers' and confectioners' shops,
where sweet cakes were sometimes given to him. He met with very kind
men, to whom he looked up with respect; they spoke a pleasant word and
complimented him on his promptness, perhaps asked him to deliver a
message on the way back to the office. I do not know a situation in
which a boy is more apt to attract attention, which is all a really
clever boy requires in order to rise. Wise men are always looking out
for clever boys.

One great excitement of this life was the extra charge of ten cents
which we were permitted to collect for messages delivered beyond a
certain limit. These "dime messages," as might be expected, were
anxiously watched, and quarrels arose among us as to the right of