Sorry, when I first glanced at your post that date popped out to me as 1896 and I thought it was funny. Actually, I'm the old one here. (but not that old)
Me too, and atleast 20-30 hours a week during the school year. And i was reffing hockey games from the time i was 11 or 12 for 15 bucks a game, until i could find an actual job. Then you have these people in the Occupy movement who have never even held a meaningful job and they are like 25 and think society should take care of them. It sure is a good thing liberals got rid of that evil child labour, otherwise society society would really be messed up.
At 12 I had a weekly paper route, couldn't deliver the daily paper till 14, then @ 14 had a daily route, @16 I was working in a restaurant (steak house mnnnnn..) bought a fake ID and hit the bars. I still have my fake ID, it's so gay, I got this little "pussy bumper" moustache. lmao
I looked for and returned pop bottles to the grocer when I was around 9 or 10. The big bottles were a prize as they brought in a little more. I think the smallest ones were only worth .02 back then. Late 60's, early 70's.
Got you all beat. A friend and I used to go catch fish then take them to the local bar on our bicycles and sell them to the drunks so they could go home and tell their wives they were just out fishing.
So one kid comes home from school and asks me if I want to donate for some "charitable" cause they are trying to raise funds for at school. Me being "Father Prick" asks "How about you doing some chores and I'll pay you and you can donate the F'n money you earned?" Well this approach has never worked, never. She said "One girl raised $150 dollars". I said she should be a professional "beggar". Not much sweat goes into asking people for money,