The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-06-18

Largest mandatory OF, silver ware in
the world. He did not go into his
fathers counting room as clerk, but
| into his fathers shop as an apprentice;
and he learned how to do with his own
hands whatever he has since had to di-
rect others in doing.
But such examples are numberless.
| All my Acquaintance with business men
teaches me that the fundamental secret
| of success in businiss is KNOWLEDGE
real knowledge-knowledge as is only
/ acquired by becoming practically IA
mifiar with methods and processes
such knowledge, in fact, as a man gets
by taking hold of work, and doing it
until he can do 1t easily and perfectly.
There is a noble establishment in
Broadway, iwhere many OF us go, &C.
casionnlly, for the rehabilitation OF our
outer man. 1t was in the grand upper
room of this palace-like store, while l
was being measured for coat, that /
conceived the idea of writing this arti-
Gle, In weli-conducted establishments
of every kind you will notice the same
faces year after year; for able men nat
urally gather able men around them
and employers and employed, by
become attached to one another,
and have neither motive nor desire to
sever the connection. and yet, on
that occasion, seeing around me the
same skiIlful aud Obliging persons that
had seen there ten years before, /
could not but reflect how little chance
they had to advance from clerkship 10
mastership. s--
"Suppose," thought 1, "a lad OF six
teen or seventeen should propose to
himself, as an object in life, TO become
proprietor of an establishment ike
this-what would be the shortest and
likeliest path for him to strike into2'
feel certain that the best thing he
could do would be to apprentice him
is TO be known about the making OF
clothes. Having acquired that knowl-
edge-not with his head only but with
his fingers as withholding would be
easier than to set up a small shop.
Now. what is the difference between a
small tailor-shOp (wen placed and we'll
conducted) and the overshadowing
clothing houses of Brooks or Devlin?
Why, nothing but thirty years growth!
The knowledge which a clerk acquires
is part of the indispensable equipment
of a man of business; but 1t is far from
being SO vital to a grand success as that
which comes of a true apprenticeship.
Gibbon says, that going out with the
militia on training days was of material
assistance to him in writing the history
of the great Roman wars. Just giving
the word of command to "a few COM
panies of country militia let him into
the secret of complicated battles and
great campaigns.
Learn trade, then, lads, you who
aspire to do something creditable and
substantial during your life. Would
you be an architect, and build the new
Capitol west OF the Mississippi? Well.
then, go apprentice yourself to the best
carpenter or mason within your reach.
Do you wish 10 be Il sculptor. and yet
cannot pay IA masters fee? Instead of
piuiug in your mothers chimney cor
ner, go to the nearest stone cutters and
cut tom bstones.
The educating effect OF learning a
good trade has never been sufficiently
considered.
Why have we. nova days, SO many
simpering, silly girls about, who know
nothing, can do nothing, and are
notbing?. They have been at school
long enough To get IL little knowledge,
aud they do not appear to he wanting
in natural capacity; and yet, so empty
are they OF sense and reflection, that,
often when / look into their express
sionIess countenances, 1 find it diff
cult to believe in the Immortality of
their soul. II seems more reasonable
to think that such abortiVe efforts of
Nature would be quietly absorbed or
dissipated, like the lenveS which dutter
to the ground, and are no more seen.
What is the matter with these poor
creatures? The matter is: they have
never boiled potatoes, ironed clothes,
made buildings, cleaned paint, made
beds, nor any other way seriously APP
piled their minds and hands TO the
exact and skillful performance of
homely tasks. They have missed the
precious education which comes of care
fully-done work. If any. good soul
would take half II dozen of these beings,
and give them u good three years. drill
in the work of a well-ordered house,
the educating effect would astonish
every one who knew them. You can
not boil an egg precisely right without
getting little education out Oft.
Compare the mechanics in the Nov
city Works with the clerks in Stew
art store. The clerks nre excellent
fellows; they look we'll, dress we'll. I'M
derstand their business, and are in
every respect worthy members of
society; but our best mechanics have
certain force of manhood, IL weight of
rarely seen in those who only buy and
sell.
should be sorry TO say anything to
disparage our institutions OF learning.
Nevertheless, 1 feel confident that an
Intelligent youth, who remains at
school until he is sixteen or seventeen,
and then apprentices himself to good
trade, can get better education out of
his shop with an hours study of prin-
ciples in the EVENING" than it is possi-
BILE to get in any college in existence
that is to say, better education for
this new and forming country, where,
for fifty years at least to come. no man
can hope TO play, leading part, except
in welding material forces.
l say, then, lads of sixteen, If you
would lay a foundation for sure
prosperity, begin by learning a trade.
If you would escape the perdition OF
becoming a fool, learn trade. II you
would do a mans part for your coun-
try, begin the work of preparation by
learning a trade.