Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1867-12-10
APPRENTICEs.-George d. Prem.


tice is now publishing "recollections
of an old connection with the Journal
Office" which are very interesting,
from one of which we clip the fol.
lowing in relation to apprentices:
| cannot help observing here Of
a circumstance, which must have
struck others also, as being both
singular and lamentable. l allude
to the pauci'y of apprentices of
American birth and lineage that are
to be found in the mechanical estab
Iishments of our own and other
American cities. Fully three fourths
OF all the apprentices in our city, if
any one will take the pains to ex-
anime into the subject, will be found
to be the children of German or Irish
parents, those of the former greatly
preponderating. Why is this? Is
it the result of a sentiment of false
pride in our American fathers and
mothers Or does it arise from an
erroneous system OF teaching in our
schools !! | have little doubt that it
is to both of these causes that the
strange anomaly is to be traced. 1t
must be noticed that the absurd
prejudice which so many of our PEG.
pie feel, or pretend to feel, against
mechanics and mechanical arts, has
its adherents precisely among that
class OF parents whose children
would DO most benefited by being
put to a trade. Really intelligent
men and women, whether they be
rich or poor. gre wise enough to
know that there is no disgrace at
tached to the idea of labor. They
know that idleness is the monstrous
mother of race of imbeciles in ip.
tellect and of drones in society.
Hence. some of our most intelligent
and wealthy citizens are occasionally
to be seen placing their sons in posi-
tons where they will be obliged to
labor in the requirement of trades.
When will silly mothers and weak
fathers learn that
"Worth makes the man--waut Of It the felldw1,
and that worth is as attainable a
quality in one situation of life as in
another2
1t cannot be doubted, either, that,
in too many of our schools, if our
children are not absolutely taught to
despise labor, they are not taught to
look upon it as necessary to indf
vidual happiness. Their ambition is
reused, on the contrary, to seek
ways and means of living through
the exercise solely of their intellectual
faculties. OF course, not one in ten
can ever succeed in doing this, and
hence our cities are cursed with
swarms of triaing and purposelrss
young men, whose book learning fits
them for positions already over.
crowded, and whose ignorance of a
trade can recommend them to no
useful or profitable employment.
The following short paragraph
from the Autobiography of Horace
is pertinent to this subject
They say that apprenticeship is
distasteful to and out OF fashion with
the boys of to-day; if so, | regret it
for their sake TO the youth who
asks, how shall | obtain an educa.
tionP | would answer, learn a trade
Of good MASTER hold firmly
that most boys may thus better ac.
quire the knowledge they need than
by spending four years in college"
Mr.. STEWARDS BENEFACTIoN.-
II is now stated, in reference to Mr..
A. L. Stewards rumored philan-
tbropic investment in New York,
that he will soon erect block of
dwellings, up town, to cost 81, 100000.
and to be forever the home of the
women of New York. It is
not to be- an almshouse, but home
more extensive than the Working
Home in Elizabeth street.
where women may find food and
shelter at prices within their reach.
and whatever revenue it may yield
Is to be employed in the erection of
other like institutions. Mr.. Stewart
has also resolved to expend $4,000
300 in the erection of tenement
houses on an approved plan, and to
levise them to "A board of trustees to
be- composed OF one person, from
avery religious denomination in the
city, and to be so rented as to yield
a revenue that shall b" applied to the
of other model tenement
houses in New York prrpetnally-
NeD York Times
nGn Tho ST. panl parara CON $40