Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-15
CLERKS IN GERMANY.


hardshlps during period Of from four to seven
years, and the custom of masters considering
tneir apprentices beings much inferior to
themselves, IS SO deeply rooted, that an act of
actual cruelty committed by the employers is
not considered anything extraordinary much
less Is 1T ever punished unless II borders on
CRIME. Then again, the jOurneymen treat such
apprenuce with superiority not known in
TINS country. An appeal of the Young man to
ms parents IS often without success, as his en-
ure future largely depends on his good beha-
vlOr, and consequently submissive obedience
during his term OF apprenticeship. MANY city
admlnlstratlons, II not all, require q testimo-
NAL OF every applicant for permission TO settle
and carry on his business in the place, of his
having served a certain number of wears az
apprentice with regularly and duly admitted
master oil his trade. This testimonial il issued
by the guild, ian association of ali the mnsters
"f the same trade,) and which is not granted
uhtl the applicant proves his uninterrupted
devotion TO the business for the last four to
seven years-the number depending on the
snpulatlons-and brings letters from his mas
Ter To the effect OF his having served him to his
entire satisfaction. The custom Of binding
young men does not merely embrace mechan-
les, but is also applied to merchants To il
lustrate this mode aud manner, we will relate
the history OF young mercantile gentleman
now IN our city, who assures US that most of
bus colleagues who served their apprenticeship
In the same city had to submit to the same
treatment.
was sixteen years of age, and had been
corresponding with mercantile houses for the
last three months, trying to get a situation as
an apprentice. One Of my applications was
crowned with success: You NAV enter NV
business On the first day of January, if your
testimony from college proves satisfactory l
enclose the usual contract for the signature of
your father and your own
- The principal features of this contract were
Dn n M fall
without my permission; you are forbidden to
smoke; you must not carry any money about
your person; II any Is ever found with y0u it
Sdall be considered as stolen property, and L
shall be at liberty to stamp you n thief in all
puohc newspapers; you must in all cases i'm
plIeltiy obey your principal; the duration of
your apprenticeship shall be five years; ; give
You board and lodging; your father must pay
Tor your washing, clothing, and anything else
you need.
This contract, although n severe instru
ment, signed, glad to succeed in getting a
situation This contract was-this is rHy Opin-
Ion n0Jc-rather OHs-SIded rs all the euuivs
lent which could look for. was the right TO
acquire the art Of selling coffee sugar rice
and other groceries, and to practice this mys-
terry for period of five years until my knowI-
edge was suthcIently profound to receive my
LehrDrIef, (Indenture) and to be liberated
81 entered my place on the first day of JAN
u2ry, lo40-a cold, frosty night it was-at
o CLOCK In tho evening, and never shall forget
the first two hours Of my apprenticeship |
had left my father, mother and sisters for the
first time. Nobody welcomed me at my new
place. The clerk, whom / then considered a
very enviable person, never asked me apy
questlOn-he could not cOndeScend TO speak To
an apprentIce-a clerk mind, who had gone
through all these same trials, knew very well
the Importance Of his POSITION. and such a thing
as friendly conversation would have aston
e. IN hn h.
person In the house who seemed TO feel for me-
ana who offered TO give me supper. if de-
sired tO eat. a little after ten Mr. Clerk in
structed me in the mystery of closing the store
and this duty being satisfactorily performed,
he desired me to follow him up stairs to the
bedroom. The room was cold. There had
been NO ire In ii that winter, and may be
many winters previous. Yet this did not dis
please me, rs was accustomed to sleeping in
+ cold room. | happened to be undressed be-
lore Mr Clerk and was about getting into my
bed when L was informed that it was tie duty
Ol tho apprentice to exLinguish the candle, and
had to wait until his highnes. had got into
E.s bed My couch was good, however and in
five minutes l dreamt Of home. At six next
morning was aroused By loud call of some.
body, and ordered to open the store. Custom
ers commenced to como In and my duties had
now fairly begun. L soon learned tho use of
the scales and the location OF the different
drawers, and in "A week or ten day. wa. fair.
ly initiated and knew the cOuntenances Of the
servant girls In the entire neighbOrhOOd. About
o'clock In the morning, Mr.. Clerk won't into
the breakfast room where the family were
seated around the breakfast table stayed a
few minutes, and ordered NE to go in and take
my coffee. When | entered. madam pointed
to cup of coffee on the table, and, seeing no
vacant chair, L understood what was expected
Of me L tO'k my cup Of coffee went back to
the door and drank it standing an experiment
from which the clerk was not exceptsd
. To get up at D. 90 to bed at l0i o'clock 10
stand IN the store, customers or none, with
front doors open at fourteen degrees below
zero, was my every day amusement during the
whole winter. My hands commenced swell
ing, and in two weeks we've full of chilbIains.
which would break and cause a very severe
r3In-thoy did swell much several times
that had 10 cut of NY coat sleeves when un-
dressing at night, because the hands could not
be forced through. | was not allowed to come
into the TOOm, - that did not cOnc near the
hre Tor week sOuletimes Ill spite of the very
coideSt OF weather. and the exercise of making
paper bags. or freeing raisns Of the stem was
not sufficient 10 keep Inc warm. One very cold
day retIrei into "A kind Of closet with u glass
door, through which could conveniently over
iJOE the store. and watch the arrival of Gus
TONER not So directly exposed TO the cold aud
could a. "Sii hntSh my lot u paper bags. 1t
being = dark pace, however, / had to- light n
talio@ candle, such We sold at six pennies
equal TO u cent apiece; Madam, a lady Of
seYsnty-hve years of age, discovered my stra,-
agen, and soon ordered Inc back into the store
II being an unnecessary expense " consume a
candle.
"Our store was kept open every day, Sun
days included, and my chances of obtaining
my principals permission to take a walk were
scarce; About once month was by him con-
sldered very fair allowance and then the
donation ri my liberty was limited to two or
three hours. | reeOllect that II; one time | did
not leave the house for thirteen successive
weeks. boing then the only salesman INV
colleague having br"ken an arm left for home
Z" get II mended- a sister of mine, whom [
had not seen for i've years, y visit Oh "A
neighbCring farm, and she bad been there sew
eraI weeks before had chance to see her
and then had to perform the trip there and
back in two hours, because | could not be
spared for l longer time. At the end of the
third year ot my apprenticeship l was pro-
.Ff4I "A "A