The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1867-05-16
About Work and Trades.

The Toledo Blade il correct in its re-
marks that it would not be difficult to
prove that very large proportion OF
the young men who arc now complains
ing Of hard times, and the limited de-
mand for labor, belong to that class
which has not been brought up to me
el,s,icaltrades They are generally, men
who have spent their youth and early
manhood in various occupations, the
easier, the better, and have learned no
skilled handicraft upon which they can
depend for living. This is an evil, and
it is a growing one. 1t deserves the at
tention of persons whether they are do
ing the best they can for their children,
in keeping them from the mechanics
trade, and fosteringin them desire
only for what they call respectable pro-
fessions,D such as clerking. book-keep-
ing, Agencies. and other occupations
which do not make heavy demand upon
their muscle There is an increasing an
tipathy to hardswork. This may be in
ferred from the large number OF youths
and young men who pre- engaged in pet
itinersnt agencies, going from honse to
house, peddling quack nostrums, books,
pictures, and patented contrivances OF
every conceivable sort. Their habits
have been spehsn MS, to unfit them for
work of q severer kind, and they arc SO
anxious to "earn their living with their
coats on" z.lIat they aresat the mercy of
every advertiser who promises great
wages for peddling his wares. These
men think they are engaged in ''gen
teel'' business, whereas they become OBJ
jects of contcnpt to every honest me-
chanic or laborer whom they bore. Sue
cess rarely follows man who shirks Ia
Dor. A week minded, castle-building
youth, who eschews an honest calling,
because it is considered hard or unpopu7
lar, will never develop into responsi-
bic merchant, business man, or farmer;
will seldom, become q respectable or
valuable citizen.
few days ago strong, muscular |
man in the prime Of life, called upon us
TO inquire into the chances Of his OBJ
tanning q situation rs book keeper. clerk,
agent, or anything" Being unable to
tell him where, such situation could be
with a look Of utter discour-
agcment he exclaimed go, how Wish
| had learned trade He then desir-
ed to know how long it would take him
to learn to set tyre enough TO earn his
board. In this we could give him no
and yentured, in view of
lis well developed frame, to suggest the
as being more likely field for
when he replied that he
rad not been raised as a farmer, and
could not do the work.
Now, there are probably some men
out of work who are skilled in mechan
ical trades but, as a rule, sober, civil,
mechanic has ten chances
for employs ent where such men as we
have introduced have one. A great
many of these helpless men, too, are the
DESCENDANTS of parents who were well
to do and who probably thought it de
grading to put their children to trade,
The result is that they can now do moth
ing but what is not needed, and the .gen-
EEL professions" are overrun with .appli
,ants. To every youth and young man
who is asking himself what he shall do,
We would offer the advice Of cotempo
AIRY ''Gointo a shop or upon farm
md learn legitimate business, If You
.ver expect to become of value to your
elf or to the community or country In
which you live