Research and such nonsense

[Snicker]

I've been having a hard time making my Fanfic sound genuine. SO I have checked out a few books from the library that are based in the 1700-1800 eras as well as doing online research and reading other fanfictions. I pretty much only made this thread to post about the Journal of Finn Reardon A Newsie. I think you guys may have already read it, but I can't get over how strange it is.
So far, I've only seen Mush, Racetrack, and Kid Blink pop up but I know Spot and Crutchy are in here somewhere... It's really helpful. Mush is noted as muscular and quite the lady's man as he always has a "goil" on his arm. Racetrack is still the smart-eh-ess-ess (a-s-s) and even does bet on everything! The only real thing Disney has off with the original characters is age (Their WAY off, there) and they forgot to mention they go to school... (The teacher sounds a lot like Snyder, though...) The lodging houses are also set much differently. They provide food and education instead of only beds and a wash room.
I'm trying to find activities and things people spent their spare time doing. So far I've found ice-skating and junk picking.
Random facts I've picked up:
*That stupid giant chalkboard I know we all think is pointless was in fact real...

*Race's real name isn't Anthony it's Thomas. (Who was telling us Anthony,
anyhow?)

*Little newsies are just as cute as you'd expect

*Toilet paper was old newspapers... Ouch.

*Deaths really do sell more papes and "improving the truth" is done by all.

*Mush is crazy.

*Cheese it really was used and although it doesn't surprise me, it's just odd to think about.

[Snicker is too lazy to log in]

How embarrassing.. I just finished the book only to discover this kid isn't even real! >:c
What a rip off! Who writes a fake diary, anyhow?! I was really suspicious of the super descriptive dialogue but I figured someone had edited it or something. I'm really upset, I thought he was real! Also, they took characters from the movie. Racetrack and Mush were so much like the ones in the movie because they WERE. Race even had black hair. :c
I feel so stupid...

[Echo]

Even though they did take people from the movie, mush and Racetrack were real newsies. ya know, Nick Meyers? and so was Spot and Kid Blink (who really led the strike, as we all know) and so was Boots and I'm pretty sure Crutchy was too...

[Snicker]

I know those guys are real! I'm saying she stole their entire personalities from the movie! She also said Kid blink is older than 13 and in real life I feel like he probably was only that old. I'm not sure about Crutchy. I think he was but I don't really have anywhere to look.
Spot was the only one I didn't find in the book. Well, I didn't find Boots either. But there was a girl named Bootsie. . . I figured it meant something. I figured out Disney based David after a real person. His name was David Simmons and he also helped lead the strike.

[Echo]

oh yeah! I knew there was another person that I was forgeting... and they based jack off of another real person I think his name was something sullivan... I'm not really sure, but I know he's there!