Anchorage Newspapers
Sold Twice?

by Ron Maley
(Ocean Shores, Wa.)


Back in 1950, I sold Anchorage Daily News on the corner of 4th and C.

Ten feet from the bar door.


Most of my customers paid more than I was selling them for, many times I would get a dollar. When I ran out of papers, I would go into the bar and collect the papers that were lying around and go back out to the corner again.

About a week into reselling, the bartender started helping me by collecting the papers for me and stacking them by the door. I don't think he liked me roaming around the tables in the bar…

At the end of summer I was the richest 11-year-old in town. The good old days.

A Note from Anchorage Memories

My brother Tom had an experience like that, only his was when he became a shoe shine boy.

We were living in Cordova, Alaska at the time and in the summer, my brother built a small, portable shoe shine box.

He stationed himself on the sidewalk just outside the bars. He charged 50 cents for a shine, but his customers were giving him a dollar, ten or even twenty dollars – because they admired his hustle and some had a few too many drinks under their belt.

Tom made a lot of money that summer until dad stated telling the guys at the bar to “stop spoiling my kid” by overpaying him so much.

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