Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-04-14
DAILY EVENING STAR.
Mechanics and Merchants.

In looking at the relative position of these
two important classes, it occurs to us, that
there is much more enterprise among our
mechanics, as body, than can be found
among our merchants. The last few years
has effected wonderful difference in the
relative position of these parties. The
mechanics have taken giant stride IN the
way to eminence. Look at their mangnlfl-
cent Hall-their School of esign-their adj
mirable lectures, where the young mechanic
is rapidly acquiring mastery in those
sciences which can alone give permanent
prosperity to men or nations. Where is
our Merchants Hall, where are the schools
in which the thousand young clerks-the
embryo merchants of the future, are learn
ing the science of exchange-the great
principles Of successful trade? Echo may
answer where, but we cannot tell. How
many of our clerk are qualifying themselves
by enlarged study to become the leading,
enteIprising merchants of the future. We
fear they are so closely confined at the mere
drudgery of business, that the development
of their minds, the cultivation of their
mental talents are almost lost sight of.
There are, we believe, some 900 or 1000
boys, principally sons of mechanics, attend
ing the School of Design and the lectures of
the Maryland Institute. They are qualify
ing themselves for farther advance in
mechanical science. Should We not have
such an institution for the benefit of the
young merchants who are hereafter to WELD
the increased business of our city? We
throw out these suggestions hoping that
they may elicit something from those more
Immediately connected with the great mer-
camille interests, and induce some useful
action in the matter-Baltimore Republican.
REPUTATION AFTER DEATH.-It is very
singular how the fact Of mans death
often seems to give people truer idea of
his character, whether for good or evil, than
they have ever possessed while he was
acting and living among them. Death is so
genuine fact, that it excludes falls ehood,
or betrays its emptiness; it is a tombstone
that proves the gold, and dishonors the base
metal. Could the departed, whoever he
may be, return in a week after his decease,
he would almost invariably find himself at a
higher or lower point than he had formerly
occupied, on q scale of public appreciation.
DREADFUL CAsUALTY.-John Smith, yes
terday, between the hours Of ten and eleven,
A. NJ, committed soicide in most singular
manner: He sharpened piece of sole lea
ther to an edge-then deliberately swallow
ed lump of beeswax, in order to choke
himself but, this being failure, he swal-
lowed piece of steel-then with horse
shoe magnet drew it out of his body, from
his stomach. 1t passed through his heart,
causing instant death
EPITAPH ON LoCoMoTIvE-By the sole
survivor of deplorable accident. (No
blame attached to the servants of the COM
pany:)
Collisions four
The signals were in vain;
Grown old and rusted,
Her bier busted,
And smashed the excursion train
60 Her end pieces.'-Punch.
Ia The Syracuse Central New Yorker
is informed son good authority that hun
dreds, if not thousands, of the parcels of
land given away by Hon. Gerritt Smith, to
poor and worthy white aud colored people
in the State, were advertised to be sold for
taxes, TIN of December last"
HsS Nine ounces, says the Scientific
American, of pure, fresh lime, dissolved in
forty gallons of water, will purify five hun
dred and sixty gallons of hard water the
DreciDitate is chalk IT takes siytpen bourS