Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1855-04-18
ISHALL NOT LEARN \ TRADE.

"Shan't you2 / should like to know
why not Hundreds and tens of thou
sands have learned one before you, and
more will do the same thing. \ trade
well learned may make name and for
tune earned. If you ever get either with
out working for it, you will be either very
lucky or very unfortunate.
g | don't think much of boy who says
be is not going to learn a trade. If his
place in the world is such that he can
learn trade and have good situation,
he will be very unwise not to seize the
opportunity. A boy who goes to trado
determined 20 make himself master of
his business, and be a well informed and
intelligent workman. will soon rise to the
head of his profession, if he pursues the
right path. The faithful apprentice who
delights to do his work WELL and to the
best of his ability, SO as to earn the praise
of his employer, will feel happier and be
a more honorable man than he who does
just enough to shuttle along through the
day, aud hurries away from his work as
though it were a nuisance or curse.
Il know boy who was too poor to 60
to school and college, although he would
have liked that course very well. But he
had to work So he went to learn trade.
He tried to do his work always to the best
of his ability. He went to a place and
one day his master came to look at what
he had done. and after closely examining
it he turned round and said to tbs fore
man, james, this is very excellent work
for a new boy Did not that little fellow
feel as proud as if he had won a triumph ?
He was rewarded from the start with the
good opinion of bis employer, and he new
er forgot the pleasure with which he heard
his masters encouraging words. lie al
ways tried to do his work well-to do in
fact the very best, and while the other ap-
prentices did not seem to care how their
work was done or how they spent their
masters time, he took pride in working
as though he was in higher post now and
doing well in more ways than one in this
world
"Not long ago boy was leaving school;
as had a chance of speaking to him /
said.
What are you going to do 2"
- / am going into merchants Jobbing
house"
"Going to be a clerk, then2 why don't
YOU learn a trade ?"
Trade 2" said be, " amt agoing to
learn trade"
Not going to learn trader" | should
like to know why trade is not as good
as clerkship. I suppose you think 1t
is more genteel and respectable what
would you do with jobbiDg house, | won
der ?"
Learn a trade2 Did you ever hear
of such a man as Ben Franklin, who learn
ed the Printing trade, and became one Of
the most distinguished men of modern
times Have you heard Of carpenter
named nitrennouse. or man who made
philosophical instruments, and afterwards
revolutionized the world with his discov-
cries in the steam engine2 Have you
beard of James Watt, or is it gcnteel not
to know any thing about trades or those
who have learned them Who was Ark
wright. that followed the trade of bar
ber? or Whitney, or Fulton? Who was
Governor Armstrong, of Massachusetts,,
or Isaac Hill, of New Hampshire, who
learned the trade of printer2 Did you
ever hear of a man who swung his sledge
on an anvil and became the distinguished
Ellibu Burrittl Did you ever hear Of
the distinguished cobbler, named Roger
Sherman Or, of the illustrious lame
cobbler of London, named John Pounds,
who founded ragged schools. and put in
operation one of the greatest pieces Of
machinery of the age ?"