The Boy Broker; Or, Among the Kings of Wall Street — A Closer Reading

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In Category - Young Readers Enchanted Adventures

Authors: Munsey, Frank Andrew, 1854-1925 Digital Source: Project Gutenberg Gutenberg Release Year: 2009 First Publication Year: Not confirmed

Key Word: Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction; Friendship -- Juvenile fiction; Country life -- Juvenile fiction; Students -- Juvenile fiction; Diligence -- Juvenile fiction; Success -- Juvenile fiction; Youth and death -- Juvenile fiction; Unemployment -- Juvenile fiction; Stockbrokers -- Juvenile fiction Target Reader: Readers of public-domain and historical texts

Book Edition: Project Gutenberg digital edition Book Language: en

Edition facts

Words 59,602

Reading time 260 min

Text sections 9

The catalog record for The Boy Broker; Or, Among the Kings of Wall Street — A Closer Reading provides practical reading context through 59,602 words, 4 hr 20 min estimated reading time, and 9 detected text sections.

The text analysis averages about 15.8 words per sentence, while the detected sections provide another way to judge how the source is divided.

Project Gutenberg metadata also associates the work with “Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction,” connecting these edition facts with the source record’s subject description.

Source: Project Gutenberg record #28887

Frank A. Munsey's 1888 novel follows Herbert Randolph, a country boy turned Wall Street broker, through adventures involving a detective, a fence, and street-smart friends. The narrative shifts from moralizing lectures to fast-paced action, with dialogue that reveals character and period slang.

Editorial Edition Score 4.7/5

★★★★★ ★★★★★

Calculated from edition completeness, EPUB availability, text structure and catalogue metadata. Not a user rating.

How this score is calculated

Description quality20 pts
Title & short description10 pts
Source metadata20 pts
Text length15 pts
Chapters / structure15 pts
EPUB file integrity20 pts

Total of 100 points, scaled to a 2.5-5.0 range. Editions with an empty description or a missing EPUB file are not scored.

Edition quality

File: pg28887

Read the Text

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GREAT CITY.

"Give me the best morning paper you have, please."

"The _Tribune_ costs the most, if that is the one you want."

"The price will be no objection providing the paper contains what I wish to find."

"You want work, I s'pose."

"Yes, I am looking for employment."

"I knew it--just in from the country too," said the newsboy, comically. "Well, what you want is the _Herald_ or _World_. They are just loaded with wants."

"Thank you, you may give me both."

"Both! Whew, you must be well fixed!" replied the young metropolitan, handing over the papers, as he regarded his new customer curiously.

"What does that mean?" asked the latter, seriously.

"You don't know what well fixed means? You must have come from way back! Why it means--it means that you're solid, that you've got the stuff, don't you see?"

"I'm solid enough for a boy of my age, if that is the idea," replied the lad from the country, rather sharply, as a tinge of color rose to his cheeks.

"Shucks! That ain't the idea at all," said the street boy, in a tone that seemed apologetic. "What I mean is that you're a kind of boodle alderman--you're rich. Do you see now?"

"Oh! That's it. Well, you see, I didn't know what you meant. I never heard those terms up in Vermont. No; I'm not rich, but on the contrary have so little money that I must commence work at once."

"And that is why you bought two papers, so you can take in the whole business. You've got a big head, Vermont, any way, and would do stunnin' on mornin' papers."

"Thank you. Do you mean at selling them?"

"Yes, of course. You wouldn't give 'em away, would you?"

"Well, no, I should not be inclined to do so."

"That sounds more like it. Perhaps I'll give you a job, if you can't find anything else."

"Thank you, I may be very glad to get a chance to sell papers even."

"'Tain't a bad business anyhow. Me and lots of fellers makes plenty of money at it. But I s'pose you're hungry, hain't you? If you be I'll take you round to a boss place and it won't cost nothin' hardly."

"I am very much obliged to you, but I had my breakfast soon after leaving the boat."

"And I bet they done you up on the price. I tell you what it is, it takes a fellow a good while to learn to live in this city. You don't know nothin' about what it costs. Why I know a plenty of boys that spend more--yes, I'd say so, twice as much as what I do, and they don't throw no style into their livin' either. You see they don't know how and hain't got no taste, any way. But I like your looks, Vermont, and ef you want any points--and you're liable to want 'em in this city, I'll bet you--why you just call on me and I'll fix you out in big shape."

"Thank you, sincerely," said the Green Mountain lad, a broad smile playing over his fine face, as he regarded the drollery of his new acquaintance. "I shall need many suggestions, no doubt, for I feel almost lost in this great city. I had no idea it was so large. I was never here before, and do not know where to go for a room or meals."

"So I thought, and that's why I offered to put you into the right track. My name is Bob Hunter--I hain't got no business cards yet, but all the boys knows me, and my place of business is right round here in City Hall Park. You'll find me here 'most any time durin' business hours."

"Bob Hunter! Well, you may be sure I shall remember your name and place of business, for I want to see you again. But what are your business hours?"

"Oh, yes; I forgot that. Everybody must have business hours, of course. Well, say from five to ten in the mornin', and three to eight in the afternoon, you can find me in."

"In! You mean _out_, don't you--out here?"

"Shucks! don't be so schoolmastery. Everybody in business says _in_. I guess I know what's proper!"

"All right, Bob Hunter, I'll give it up. You know all about propriety in New York, and I know nothing of it, so here is my hand. I'll say good by till tonight, when I will call upon you again. I must look over these papers now, and hunt for a situation."

Continue Reading →

Frank A. Munsey's The Boy Broker; Or, Among the Kings of Wall Street (1888) opens with a preface that explicitly states its didactic aim: to teach boys manliness and self-reliance through an engaging story rather than a lecture. The narrative voice that follows is a curious blend of earnest moralizing and brisk adventure, shifting between passages of explicit advice and scenes of rapid action. Munsey's prose is direct and unadorned, favoring dialogue that carries the plot forward—as when Bob Hunter's characteristic mannerisms and Tom Flannery's street slang give the text a colloquial energy. The author's dedication to his father, acknowledging the value of 'rigid new england discipline,' sets a tone of retrospective seriousness that occasionally surfaces in the story's commentary on conduct.

A Moral Framework in Disguise

Munsey's preface lays out his theory of boy's fiction: plot and action are merely the 'setting' for a moral 'gem,' and the hero should serve as an unconscious model for the reader. This intention is visible throughout the excerpts, where characters explicitly discuss right conduct. When Herbert Randolph asks the captured fence Gunwagner whether his ill-gotten money has brought happiness, the old man's only reply is a 'silent tear'—a moment of sentiment that reinforces the book's moral arithmetic. Yet Munsey is careful to balance such scenes with action, as when Bob Hunter's loyalty to Tom Flannery is rewarded with praise: 'Tom, you've got more sand than I thought you had.' The lesson is embedded in the characters' relationships, not stated as a rule.

Voice and Vernacular: Dialogue as Engine

The excerpts show Munsey relying heavily on dialogue to differentiate his characters and drive the plot. Bob Hunter speaks in a distinctive, colloquial register—'Excitin'! Well, wasn't it, though!'—while Herbert Randolph uses more formal, measured language: 'We do not feel uneasy about your so called friends.' This contrast in speech patterns underscores their different backgrounds and roles. Tom Flannery's dialect ('I thought you was done for, sure') adds a layer of authenticity to the street scenes. Munsey also uses dialogue to convey information quickly, as when Gunwagner threatens to raise a dozen friends, and Herbert counters by mentioning Mortimer's betrayal. The exchanges are terse, often confrontational, and keep the narrative moving at a brisk pace.

Pacing and the Shift from Lecture to Chase

The excerpts reveal a notable shift in pacing between the preface and the later chapters. The preface is slow, reflective, and argumentative, explaining the author's philosophy at length. In contrast, the action sequences—such as the binding of Gunwagner and the subsequent conversation—are compressed and immediate. Munsey uses short paragraphs and rapid dialogue to create tension: 'Now every hope had failed the old man. He saw nothing but Sing Sing before him.' The chapter break at 'CHAPTER XVIII. TOM FLANNERY IS HUNGRY.' introduces a domestic interlude that slows the pace again, focusing on Bob's breakfast profits and Tom's loyalty. This alternation between high-stakes confrontation and quieter character moments gives the narrative a varied rhythm, though the moral commentary never fully disappears.

Readers attentive to the book's construction will notice how Munsey's preface shapes the reading experience: the moral lessons are never far from the surface, but they are delivered through action and dialogue rather than sermonizing. The author's claim that boys are 'imitative by nature' suggests that Herbert Randolph is meant to be a model worth following. Whether the story succeeds as a disguised lecture or a genuine adventure depends on how much weight the reader gives to the author's stated intentions versus the lively, slang-filled exchanges that propel the plot.

I keep thinking about how The Boy Broker trades earnest lessons for the raw rush of street life, and it reminded me of something quieter—that old clergyman’s vacation, where warmth slowly unhurries a heart. Both leave a gentle ache, like remembering a conversation that didn’t need to end. Father Brighthopes; Or, An Old Clergyman's Vacation — Context and Discussion lingers that way for me.