Good Jobs

Everybody has to start somewhere! That is especially true if you are a teen. First jobs are never the best jobs but they can lead to better things. Here is a history of my earliest jobs.

I didn't know that in the USA it was possible to work for nothing, but that is exactly what I did when I worked for the Brainerd Daily Dispatch. Actually I was a paperboy, when meant to the Dispatch that I was and "independent business man." That was their way of saying "You're on your own kid!" My paper route had 51 news papers and sometimes went as high as 60. The extra news papers meant that I worked just that much harder for nothing. Papers had to be delivered summer and winter in all types of weather conditions six days a week.

The delivery truck would drop the bundle of papers at my curb. I would then walk or run the route delivering the paper to the doors of the people. It was against policy to throw the paper at the driveway. No sir! I had to deliver them by opening the storm door and dropping the paper inside the door. This, of course, meant that I had to put up with any dog that was chained close enough to take a chunk out of my leg. It also meant that My hands would freeze trying to open door and drop the newspapers.

And I was privileged to do all this for nothing. I was reminded, however, that other kids weren't luck enough to have a paper route. They had to stay home, inside, where it was warm. They weren't luck enough to go out and freeze their toes and fingers. And in the summer they had to go on vacation with their parents.

What I mean by working for nothing is that it was also up to me to collect the money for the newspapers. After collecting the money I had to give the Dispatch their share and I got to keep the rest, which was usually nothing. It was supposed to be something, but when a few of your customers don't pay their bill it turns into nothing. So I worked for nothing for about three years. Then I got fired because I forgot to deliver the newspapers one day.

Well, I was ready for another job anyway. I took a dishwashing job at Brehmer's Cafe for 85 cents per hour. He needed me only on weekends for about 4 hours a day. That came to a grand total of 8 hours per week. Let's see...... that's about $6.80 per week. Not too bad considering I could buy a coke for a dime. He was sorry to see me go when I took a job at the Sweden House for $1.05 per hour. There I got sixteen hours per weekend. Man, I was in the money at $16.80 per week. They must have been paying me too much because the Sweden House went broke.

That led to my next job as a chauffeur. I made $5.00 a day 5 days a week. It was for this elderly couple. They husband was disabled so it was my job to help him get to the car, into the car, out of the car, into the restaurant, to the restroom, back from the restroom, back to the car and into his house. They provided the car. They bragged on me as being the best chauffeur they ever had. Oh, did I mention that they also bought me a coffee and cookie at the restaurant. They were sorry to see me go when I took a job at the printing shop.... my first real job.