Printing and selling "Extras" is probably extinct with newer faster ways for news to travel. I am glad I had the opportunity to sell "Extras" twice as a boy. The newspaper was Fort Smith Times Record. The first "Extra" consisted of an oversized two-word headline simply saying, ROOSEVELT DEAD! It was April 12, 1945. Franklin D Roosevelt was our president. He had been the only President of my lifetime, since I was born in 1932. He was the only President to serve four terms. I loaded my bike with papers and headed out into the residential areas. Most folks windows and doors were open. No AC back then except for the rich. I yelled as loud as possible, "Extra! Extra! Roosevelt Dead!". They knew that already from the radio but they wanted to see it in print and buy a paper to keep. The papers sold quickly and I went back to the news office for another load. This tragedy was a windfall for me. The next "Extra" came just a few months later. It was either August 14 or September 2 (VJ Day). This time the headline screamed out WAR OVER! That was a fun one to sell. It was more popular than the first one. I yelled it out and the people ran to buy a copy. I think I went back three times for more extras! I really got caught up in it all. It was a great experience.Lucrative too!
Imagine a newsboy in Jerusalem in AD 33. He works for Jerusalem News. It is rather late on Friday afternoon and the "Extra" is printed, JESUS CHRIST DEAD! Some purchase a copy and rejoice at the news. Others weep. Everyone wants to know about the event. The newsboy sells those papers quickly. It is good money. Sunday morning. The presses roll again. Another "extra". The newsboys run to get this one on the streets. The headline screams out JESUS ALIVE! What? No one can believe it! What happened? They had seen him die. He had been buried. The place had been guarded by soldiers. Alive? How could that be? Well, we know today "the rest of the story". I wish I could have been a newsboy selling those extras! Oh my, I just realized I am selling those "extras". You are too, I hope! You'll have to yell it out to be heard over the noise of the streets.
