The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1865-01-25
"WANTED-A BOE.@


US 70 jot down some thoughts under the
above caption. We beg to inform the
public that we do not want another ap-
prentice just now,so the "wanted must
be considered as serving "to point NOR
al" and not as an advertisement.
We suspect that the species "Boy," has
gone after that "lost tribe" of Featherdom
-"The Do, Do" Certainly we have
not seen one of the species oftener than
once a quarter, for ten years. True
there are plenty of nominal boys every
where; that is to say, there is no lack Of
bipeds in short coats and caps, with
smooth faces, "of stubble." Bnt these
are not the boys of not very distant day
They appear as such to the eye, bat when
one sees them on the street, or hears them
speak, the illusion yauishes.
The boy that we knew ten years ago
has departed and left little trace behind
We remember that he occasionally came
into our Office, almost always on errands
for his father, or some grown-up person,
and seldom, if ever, to sit in our arm
chair, scribbliDg on our exchanges, talk
to the printers, or NEEDLE with the type
He came in, told his errand if a cold
morning, warmed his toes, and went his
way. We do not recollect that he whis-
tied Yankee Doodle, or drummed on the
table He may have done so, but it has
not been remembered
The boy we knew ten years ago never
appears tc as now in the street. We
MISS him wonderfully. He used to bow
and say Good morning." and never said
"bully for you," as men passed along the
streets. We do not recolIect of seeiugthe
boy of ten years ago with pipe, or cigar
IN his mouth; and alas, that we should
have to say tive never saw the boy
of ten years ago DRUNK. We never saw
him reeliug Gu the Sidewalk aud DISCUS
ting the passers-by with his nlaudlin and
awkward profanity. We do not remem.
Der to have seen him sitting in the stores
and groc2r by the hour, chewing tobacco
guzzling beer, and making himself, in
some OF the lowest respects, the equal Of
grown.folks who do these things.
The boy of ten years ago did not
require as much room, ether at home or
in a crowd, as does the boy of to-day
The latter is the loudest talker in a crowd
of men,while at home he too often requires
as much attention aud grooming as a val
liable horse. He claims all the favors,
shirks all the "hardships," as he calls
them, and might be mistaken for the
head of the family, only that he conde,
scends to let that imaginary Individual
pay the grocery, store, aud shoemaker
bills-as a mater Of special favor, We
suppose. Altogether, the boy of to-day
is nondescript. He puts on the bad
habits Of grown folks when he graduates
at the nursery, and in dimensions,
except in all things essential to true
manhood, only, is to all intents and
purposes \ MAN
The boy of ten years ago had some.
ambitions above and beyond retailing
sugar ard calico on a starvation salary
so small that the temptation to "crlb'
from the change drawer Is often too strong
for unaccllmated virtue. He did net
consider it a disgrace to be good black
smith, shoemaker, carpenter, &c., &c. lie
would have considered it disgrace to
have been a blunderhead at anything =
When he undertook q Job he tried to do
it well,-actingon the safe and correct rule
Whatever is worth doing at all, is werth
doing we'll" We are not prepared to sag
hat the boy of ancient times did not
sometimes reckon his daty performed to.
bis employer when he had put in the day
;onoeho10, and got his pay but it was not
| rule with the boy Of ancient times that
the employer is TO be cheated out of as
many hours a day as possible without
kicking up muss."
Not so>with the boy of modern times
lie has no comprehension of the
mutual dependence and benefit Of the
employer and the employed. He
'egards his employer as a very handy
person to apply to for favors, but seldom
'egards his convenience, his comfort, his
business, as of the slightest moment
lie would miss him on payday, if absent.
And that is about all. His commands, +.
lis requests, his interests, are all forgotten
u ignored, Happy the employer who
,an find a boy who is not altogether wiser
han himself in all things pertaining to
business 1t would bo a rich treat to
ind boy who has not learned everything
oefere reaching the middle of his teens
"a boy who was not born suprcmeIy wise
dove age end experience.
But we long for these things with little
nope. We do not say there are no ex-
,eptions; but it is a notorious fact that
he majority Of boys now, take little inter.
,st in the business 0f their employers