Paperboys, 1954

Many a future journalists’ first job in journalism began humbly on the streets, selling or delivering the hometown afternoon paper. But in the ‘70s when newspapers began shifting to pre-dawn delivery, “boys” could no longer ride their neighborhoods, tossing rolled papers from their bicycles — and thus, a whole farm-team generation of future writers, photographers and editors was lost. Though I was absent at the time of this photo, I was lucky enough to be an 8-year-old newsboy for editor Roland Giduz, who made this photo in March 1954 saluting the paperboys of the his startup, the Chapel Hill News Leader (located in Carrboro where Sids Surplus is now).

The kids include, left to right, front to back: Joe Moore, Lawrence Howard, Joe Pete Robinson, Clifton Lee “C.L.” Bowen, Albert Williams and Teddy Morrow. Back row, David McConnell, June Sparrow, Jack Berkut, Paul Houston, Gerald Hogan, Sonny O’Neal and Peter Ness.