I never heard a shoeblack called a boot-finisher before, but I think the euphemism was allowable in a young lady who wishes to exalt the commercial status of her intended. |
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A druggist's apprentice in London, Dyott arrived in Philadelphia in the 1790s almost penniless and rented a basement room where by day he polished shoes and by night manufactured shoeblack. |
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In an effort to obtain firsthand experience with the problems of lower-class children, he disguised himself as a shoeblack and worked nights alongside these boys. |
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