Letter to the Editor: Natural gas industry tramples rights of the ‘little person,’ as lawmakers turn blind eye

Prosecutors: ‘Straightforward’ charges against members of ‘Dallas 6’

My brother and I, at age 15, were Times Leader paper carriers in the early 1950s in Larksville. We had to deliver, on foot, 92 papers every afternoon except Sunday.We would come home from school &#8211; after walking both ways &#8211;wait for the paper truck to drop off the bundle, place the papers in the bag, fold each paper and throw it on the porch in all kinds of weather. The paper was $1.04 a month.To learn about people, a paper route was a good experience. After paying the district manager the bill, we made $30. Most of the residents were coal miners; my father, being one, had a soft spot for coal miners.Collecting was another story. Some people would tip you, some never did. I had a fast rule: After two months of non-payment, I would stop delivery. Once or twice I would enter the local bar and ask the person for the money he owed; if he had money for beverages, he could pay for paper service.I told the district manage I wanted four papers stopped for lack of payment. He advised me I could not stop anyone&#8217;s paper. We exchanged words, and the next bill I deducted $4.16 from the bill and gave two weeks&#8217; notice over my parents&#8217; objection. It was a great experience learning about people.George J. KochisKingston

Letter to the Editor: My early job as paper carrier offered insights into human character