Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1856-02-16
INTERESTING INFORMATION.

Whm We AH DO.-An amusing an inStruc@
tive hour may be spent, if one will bnt search
out from the confused figures of the census
the number of persons following various oc-
cupations in the United States. Thus we res
joice, as nation, in having two thousand per-
sons who pronounce themselves artists, though
there are probably not score who live in mems
memories, and certainly not one who appears
likely to dethFone Raphael. Of authors we
have, according to the census, onty eighty two;
that is, but eighty~two are willing to confess
to ''genius and garrett" though, if publish
ers' advertisements are to be credited every
new month gives birth to new literary star.
and one more brilliant than any that ever went
before. To pass from bank officers to brokers
is natural transition, and Of the former we
are favored with fourteen hundred Of the lat
ter with six thousand. exemplifyng the Old ad :
ages, that sit never rains but it pours," and that
"bessings never come snglv" Luckily. there
are hundred thousaad honest, stout hearted
blacksmiths as a mSkeSweight against this
Egyptian plague Of flies in the shape of bro
kers and bankers. Moreover, there are six
thousand BARRIERS to "shave" the six thousand
brokers, and thus revenge the community,
which is so essentially "shavcd" by the latter
We have two millions and a half of farmers
seventy thousand mariners, one hundred thou
sand merchants, sixty four thousand masons,
and nearly two hundred thousand carpenters
We have fourteen thousand bakers to make
our bread, twenty four thousand lawyers TO set
US by the ears, forty thousand doctors to "kill
or cure" ard fifteen hundred editors to keep
this motley mass in order-by the potent pow
er of public opinion, controlled and manufac~
tured through the press. We have eleven
thousand hatters, ten thousand tobacconist>,
and thirty one thousand weavers Against
thirty thousand teachers we can set off fifty
thousand tailOrs, so that we care nearly twice
as much for adorning the body that we do for
decking out the mind. Only twenty two thou~
sand people nave been willing 10 set thems
selves down as servants, though most of US
serve others in some capacity or other, from the
boot black who poshes our shoes, to the book
sellers who brightens the public intellect. No.
body. according o the census, follows the trade
of politician, though there are enough, hear
ven knows, in this city alone, to have condemn.
ed dozen Sodoms and Gomorrahs. The cen.
sus fails to record, likewise, the existence of
any patriots among us, though we have thought
long ago that patriotism was especially pro.
fession, profession and nothing else.
The forty thousand physicians support five
hundred undertakers. which gives the impor-
tant statistical fact that it takes eighty doctors
to keep one undertaken in brief business
Ia downright slander] We have fifteen hum
dree wagon makers three Thousand watch ma
kers, seventy eight vinegar makers including
we suppose, all the croas ives crusty bache-
lors, and verjuice old mafdsa thirty thousand
wheelwrghts, and thirty three bowmen. We
have four thousand cutters; twenty three thou
sand sadders and Ave thonsand railroad men.
We have, one hundred andsffty four opticians
and Ten occuists, but nearly -four thousand
eonfectioneers, proving that we care infinitely
more for eating than for eye-sight. This re-
minds US that there are FIVE thousand brewers
and seven hundred wine dealers, but the cen-
sus, strange to say, is silent as to the number
who drink beer and Fquaffzthe rosy" In all,
we have about five millions ana half, above
the age of fifteen years, who are busily ems
ployed at some trade, profession or other oc-
cupaton by which to earn livelihood. It is
plain we are not nation of sluggards. We
nearly all do something. Nay, to be an idle
drone. is happily no recommendation in Ame~
rica as it is in the aristocratic and monarehical
countries of Philadelphia Public
Ledger.