Child’s World Block 1 correct

Neighborhood children relished the independence of running market errands for their parents and putting the purchase on a tab or just stopping in for some penny candy or a soft drink and a chat with the store staff. Market owners kept a watchful eye on their comings and goings. Hanging out at the store to listen to adults talk politics, sports, or family life granted children entrance to the mysterious world of adults.

For the children of market owners, the store was an extension of home life, where they could visit with family staffing the store or grab a snack or ingredients for dinner that night. They operated the cash register before they could reach it without the help of a step stool, stocked shelves, and made deliveries.

Barnet and Lena Rome’s five children worked in their store. Brothers Louis, Joseph, Sam and Morris delivered newspapers, passing the route down from one to the next. Morris  delivered around the neighborhood and sold papers on the docks to arriving ferry passengers, earning about $20 a week.