Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-10-18
4 plea for the Clerk.

allotted TOR Cay wa
eight hours, there is another class OF
employees who have heretofore been IN.
able 70 ret off With even ten hours ser.
vice. We have reference TO the clerks |
in our Wholesale and retail business
houses. i
We think the mechanics are moving
in the right direction. Americans have
always excited the commiseration OF
foreigners because Of the ceaseless and
restless exerti0n they seem under the
necessity Of putting forth to earn a live.
libood or get rich Everything we do
is hurriedly done as though we had bat
a few moments in which 10 do H. We
eat, drink, and sleep with rapidity
that argues scarcity VI time for such me-
cessities, and we drive ahead with our
work as if our eternal interests depended
upon what was accomplished IN single
day. We have no time for healthful rec
reaton. That is postponed until We be-
come rich and can enjoy il 10 fashion
able aud envy.provoking way Me-
chanics are expected to partake Of The
spirit Of their employers, and run under
n high pressure Of steam and With We.
locity that jars everything with which
they come in contact and soon wears
out the machinery Of life itself We
give our physical boilers no rest, sci.
dom take time TO clean them out, and
consequently but few years are requir-
ed to burn them ont, and make Of the
machines which depended on them for
motive power complete wreckf. aa
A mechanic who labors hard ten hours
each day, with both mind and muscle
faxed to their utmost limit, is not In q
proper condition when he retires TO bis
home at night 60 entertain his family, to
look after the instruction and amuse-
ment OF bis children, 10 cheer his wife,
or lay up stores Of valuable information
in his own mind. One Of the great de-
fects of American civilization is the
want OF unanimity and sympathy Of
feeling between parents and their chill
dren. Could the fact be portrayed as it
actually exists, al classes and individ-
nails would DO astoanded to- learn how
little parents know of their children, or
children OF their parents. The father
comes home from his ten hours toll,
weary and, not unfrequentIy, cross--for
the mind viii sympathize with the body.
He hastily swallows his supper, vents a
few spiteful words upon his patient aud
painstaking wife, scolds the children be-
cause they give vent to the exuberance
Of their feelings ia noisy manifestations,
toasts his feet few minutes at the Ere,
sleepily looks over the morning paper +,
and then retires to bed. lie Is too
weary to join in the sports Of his
children and thus win their confidence;
too tired to inquire as to how they
have enjoyed the day, how they
got along at school, and look over
with them tho lessons for the morrow !;
TOO sleepy to take friendly chat with
the wife Of his bosom, who, shut mp all
day at home, is anxious to know what
is going on in the city,--or read to her
the contents Of the morning paper or
some good book while she plies the busy
needle or darns the winters socks. To
bed he goes to drown in the forgetfulnsss
of sleep the WEAKNESS Of the day. Thus
for a few years the machine is run
until break occurs and it is thrown
aside to give place to another just like
IL and run on the same principles,
But while suchis the wearisome life Of
our mechanics and day laborsrs, even
more is exacted from clerks and employ
ees In our wholesale and retail basil
ness houses. No allotted hours are act ~
part for them. From early morn 10 an ex-
ceedingly late hour at night, they are ex-
peoted to be found at their posts. So long
asa customer is to be served or piece OF
goods to DO put up, there is no relaxa-
ton for clerk. Twelve and even four
teen hours must he stand upon bis weary
feet He can call no particular hour
his own, unless il be on the Sabbath,
and even that exhausted nature de-
mands to restore her squandered vital
ity. He has no evenings TO spend at
home with his mother aud sister, or
among young acqusintances. He has
no time for books of any description
save the Journal aud Ledger of his EN-.
ployer. At the late night hours when
the last customer is in bed aA4 ~ Gasl
piece of goods in its place, be may 20
forth, but it is only to fnd every house
closed save the liquor saloons, the gam
bling dens, or the yet worse habitation
"whose paths lead to hell" Trained
thus, he acquires habits that he cannot
shake off in after years. When he comes
to own an establishment of his own, his
employees are expected 10 walk IN his
footsteps, to tramp in the same tread
mill in which he was trained, and grow
mp in the same way,
Under such circumstances it is not
strange that our business men have
little taste for the FINER amenities Of life,
and that, generally speaking, their ideas
of happiness have no wider scope than
gairsh display that win excite the ad-
miration and envy of all who witness it
Can not this thing be remedied7 It
can, and already the business men in
some of our sister cities have made q
move in the right direction, by closing
their doors promptly at 6 o'clock, P. NJ,
and permitting their employees to
have the entire evening to themselves.
We wish our Evansville merchants would
IN