The sun set, casting a warm glow on the busy streets of New York City. Newsboys moved through the crowds, their shouts filling the evening air. Among them was young Tommy, a scruffy kid with a cap pulled low, so it almost covered his eyes.
“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” Tommy’s voice cracked as he waved a crumpled newspaper in the air, his thin frame lost under the weight of the headline shouting from the front page.
The year was 1929, and the Great Depression had tightened its grip. The stock market had crashed, fortunes evaporated, and hope seemed scarce. But Tommy knew one thing: people were hungry for the latest news.
He headed towards a well-dressed businessman, pushing through the crowd like an agile cat. “Sir, the latest edition! The headlines will make your head spin!”.
The man glanced at Tommy, his brow furrowing. “What’s with all the fuss, boy?”
Tommy thrust the paper into the man’s hands. “Wall Street in ruins! Banks collapsing! Read all about it!”
The man’s eyes widened as he scanned the big, bold letters. “My God,” he whispered. “How could this happen?”
Tommy shrugged his shoulders. “Beats me, mister. But it’s all there, and you won’t hear it on the wireless. Only here in the extra edition.”
The extra edition—fresh off the press, ink still wet, stories hitting the streets within minutes of the breaking news reaching the news desks.
Tommy’s heart raced as he continued his rounds. He passed a shoeshine stand, where old Mr. Higgins sat, polishing a pair of old, worn shoes. “Mr. Higgins!” Tommy called. “Get your news here!”
Mr. Higgins raised his spectacles to look at the headline. “Market crash, eh? Well, I’ll be damned. What’s the world coming to?”
Tommy leaned in, lowering his voice. “They say fortunes went up like smoke. But you know what? We’re the lucky ones. We get to shout it from the rooftops.”
Mr. Higgins grinned. “You’re smart, kid. Keep it up.”
And so, Tommy continued through the city’s streets—past carts selling apples, past newsstands with yesterday’s news, past the clatter of streetcars. He felt excited by the power of words, the thrill of being the first to deliver the news to the masses.
“Extra! Extra!” he shouted. “Read all about it!” And the city listened.
Listen