Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-08-27
rA r. IT ON.
HE SAYS TO BOYS, "LEARN A TRADE. "


80 many remarkable men as have, vet
| cannot call to mind one of the acknowledged
kings Of business who did not in early life
serve long, rigorous apprenticeship to some
occupation akin to that which he afterward
exercised, and in which his great success
was made.
Vanderbilt, for example, vas a boatman,
sloop captain and steamboat captain, for
nineteen years before he set up for himself
in the business of building and running
steamboats,, in which he gained more mon ey
than was ever before gained In a single life
time, except by plumber. There is not to-day
in the whole world a man who knows as
| much about steamboats, and steamships as
this same Cornelius Vanderbilt.
Astor Is another illustration. He learned
the fur business from the very rudiments.
He used to beat furs from morning till night
in his masters back shop, and after doing
this awhile he used to take basket of trink-
cts and nicknacks, and go around among the
sloops and markets, driving hard bargains
with boatmen, Indians and marketmen, for
such skins as they had brought to town. By
and by he shouldered his pack and tramped
the country for peltries, and extending his
tramps at length he became familiar with
every place, every tribe and every person
connected with the fur trade in North Amer
lea. Then he went TO Europe, and learned
all about the market for furs and their prices
in every part Of the world. Few men have
ever understood thing so well as Mr.. Astor
understood the business of collecting, curing
and selling furs. He knew it, not as clerk
might have known it he knew it as man
knows the trade to which he has served q
long apprenticeship under watchful and
exacting master.
Another case In point was the first Roths-
oh L..
seventh year. laboriously acquired knowl-
edge of money, first as errand boy and mon
ey-counter to his father, and afterward as
bankers clerk.
Girard, too, was thorough sailor before
he ever owned ship, and was personally
familiar with most of the commercial ports
long before he ever consigned cargo to one
OF them.
John Gorham, of Providence, the head of
the largest mandatory of silver ware in the
world, 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 direct Others in doing.
But such examples are numerous. All my
acquaintance with business men teaches me
that the fundamental secret of success in
business is knowledge-real knowledge
such knowledge as is only acquired by be-
coming practically familiar with methods and
processes-such knowledge, in fact, as
man gets by taking hold of the work, and
doing it until he can do it easily and per-
fectly.
There is noble establishment in Broad
way, where many of us 10, occasionally, for
the rehabilitation of the outer man. II was
in the grand upper room of this palace-l:ke
store, while was being measured for coat,
that conceived the idea of writing this ar
ticle. In well conducted establishments of
every kind, you will notice the same faces
year after year; for able men naturally gath
er able men around them, and employers and
employed, by reciprocal justice and courtesy,
become attached to one another, and have
neither motive nor desire to sever the cor
nection. And yet, on that occasion, seeing
around me the same skillful and obliging
persons that had seen there ten years be-
fore, could not but reflect how little chance
they had to advance from clerkship to part
nership.
"Suppose," said /, ia lad of sixteen or
seventeen should propose to himself as an
object in life, to become the proprietor of
an establishment like this-what would be
the shortest and likeliest path for him to
strike into ?"
feel certain that the best thing he could
do would be to apprentice himself to good
tailor, and learn all there Is to be known
about the making of clothes Having ac-
quired that acknowledgement with his head
only, but with his fingers as well-nothing
would be easier than to set up small shop.
Now, what is the difference between small
tailor shop (well placed and we'll conducted)
and the overshadowing clothing houses of
Brooks or Devlin Why, nothing but thirty
years growth
The knowledge which clerk acquires is
part of the indispensable equipment of a
man of business; but it is far from being
so vital to grand success as that which
comes of 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 Ro-
man war. Just giving the word of com
mand to few companies of country militia
let him into the secret of complicated battles
and great campaigns.
Learn trade, then, lads, you who aspire
to do something creditabe and substantial
during your life. Would you be an archi-
tect, and build the new Capital west of the
Mississippi? Well, then, go apprentice to
the best carpenter or mason within your
reach Do you wish to be a sculptor, and
yet cannot pay masters fee2 Instead of
pinlng in your mothers chimney corner, go
stones.
The educating effect of learning good
trade has never been sufficiently considered.
Why have we, nowadays, SO many sim
pering, silly girls about, who know moth
ing, can do nothing, and are doing nothing2
They have been at school long enough to
get little knowledge, and they do not ap-
pear to be wanting in natural capacity and
yet so empty are they of sense and reflec-
tion, that often when look into their ex-
pressionless countenances find it difficult
to believe in the Immortality of their souls.
1t seems more reasonable to think that such
abortive efforts of Nature would be quietly
absorbed or dissipatcd, like the leaves which
flutter to the ground and are no more seen.
What is the matter with these poor crea-
lures The matter is they have never boil
ed potatoes, ironed clothes, made lpuddings,
cleaned paint, made beds, nor in any other
way seriously applied their minds and
hands to the exact and skillful performance
of homely tasks. They have missed the
precious education which comes of carefully
done work. If any good soul would take
half dozen of these unfortunate things, and
give them a good three years drill in the
work Of a well ordered house, the educating
effect would astonish every one who knew
them. You cannot boil an egg precisely
right without getting little education out
oft
Compare the mechanics in the Novelty
Works with the clerks in Stewards store.
The clerks are excellent fellows; they look
well, dress well, understand their business,
and are in every respect worthy members of
| society; but our best mechanics have GER
tain force of manhood, weight of charac-
ter, and depth of reflection rarely seen in
those who only buy and sell.
| should be sorry to say anything to dis
parage our institutions of learning. Never
theless, feel confident that an intelligent
| youth, who remains at school until he Is
sixteen or seventeen, and then apprentices
himself to geod trade, can get better
education out Of his shop (with an hours
study of principles in the evening" than 1t is
possible to get In any college in existence
that Is to says better education for this new
and forming country, where, for fifty years
at least to como, no man can hope to play a
leading part, except in welding material
forces.
say, then, lads of sixteen, il you would
lay foundation for a sure prosperity, begin
by learning trade. II you would escape
the perdition of being fool learn trade,