Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-08-05
tnr 1tnung allon.
Clerks and Apprentices.


Sixteen years Of age What shall be
what shall | do? how shall | make the most
Of this one life which have to live in the
world2
Here we are with the huge continent Of
America to subdue. people, civlizc and render
accessible. What piece of work lies before
the next two generations Of American citi-
zens Three or four railroads across the
Continent system Of ship canals between
the Far West and the Atlantic Ocean--the
Isthmus of Darieu to be pierced-the nation
al debt to be discharged-tho Government
simpifcd and puriGed-Canada, Cuba aud
Mexico not conquered not absorbed, not even
annexed perhaps, yet united to US by the
unrestricted interchange Of products and SER
viccs-our cities reorganizcd and rebuilt and
the blessings Of civilization far more equally
difused than have ever yet been contemplat-
ed, These are but few items in the great
task of preparing the Continent of America
to ntav that leading and controlling part in
the affairs of mankind for which Nature has
6tteJ Il
/ sixteen wears of are How shall | prepare
r,rsoIf to ID mans mart in this great work
ana nv so doing procure for myself fair
share Of safe and rational happiness9
Tf Won On to the West. and talk with the
.Ie,ding men NJ CHICAGO. Cincinnati. St. Lon.
i Omaha San Francisco and nsk them what
Lind of men thew want in the western coun,
trv ,bov viii male Won the same answer
:. We want men ont here" they say. "whc
know how to do something or make something
OF buyers and sellers we have superhuity
and nrof,.ssional men. such as they are. thef,
i NO iacL We want men who can start ,
f,ctorv and work in one We want men VIII,
really lnow how to cultivate the land. Sen,
lus doers and makers AZ many as Won please
if thev are reallv com,etent we stand read,
10 o;yo tbem a start y
SnoL lan,,,o.,, >, az This have mvself re
noa,oJI,, hc9rd in the western eountry. an,
snv one who goes there can see for hinsel
,r5.t soIJ fbere il for mon who know no,
20 ' sata bold Of work and do IL You can a
J u 80 G,p ronrseif that the s,rnng. roote
men of the West. as of the East, are me
: who in their youth learned that subtle, il
r communicable wisdom which comes of doin
homely work with their own hands and min,
, patiently and well. One of the most thri,
, inc establishments in Chicago is a wagon ia,
c tory. founded twenty years ago by poor m,
] chanic. whose entire capital at starting ju
t sufiiced to enable him to complete one roug
o farmers wagon; but it was good stron
c wagon il gave great satisfaction to the ma
that bought it; it brought in plenty of ne
d orders to the maker, and the factory is no
turning out from five to seven hundred wegoi
n a week.
I | remember visiting, in Cincinnati, lar,
o mandatory of bolts and nuts, in which ty
j" hundred men were employed. This establis
If ment was one of five in different cities, own
t. by the same company and managed by
N chief. Great indeed was my astonishmel
Is on being introduced to this captain of indr
&c try. to find him a brisk and smiling you
ne gentleman Of thirty-two. | thought 1t nit
a. be a mistake | supposed he was the son
el s the old man." But no; he was the VERT
er Bile founder, chief owner and manager OF Ii
I'd extensive iron works, and during the war
H. had worked contract for supplying an arr
py with biscuit. This youngster of thirty-t
er had done these things and with the gen
ry osity natural to youth, he was in the habit
ne giving away s25,000a year to the beneyol'
operations of the city. This young fell
has been Injured to work and to responsible
from his boyhood, and he carried on th'
ut large enterprises with an ease and gai'
; - wonderful TO witness.
,re Few persons have looked into the lives
ID. so many remarkable men as have, yet c
Of not call to mind one of the acknowledged XII
he of business who did not in early life serv
nor long rigorous apprenticeship to some occu
ton akin to that which he afterwards exer
nv ed. and in which his great success was mat
tbe Vanderbilt. for example, was boatm
she sloop captain, and steamboat captain, for nj
on teen years before he set up for himself in
or business ofbuilding and running steamboats,
the which he gained more money than was e
before gained in single lifetime, except
me- plunder' There is not to-day in the wi
ick world a man who knows as much about stei
I'M boats and steamships as this same Corne
Vanderbilt
his Astor is another illustration. He lear
but the fur business from the very rudime
he. He used to beat furs from morning till nj
was in his masters back shop, and after dc
this awhile, he used to take basket of t
how kots and nick-knacks, and 60 round am
the the sloops and markets driving hard barg
+ as with the boatmen, Indians and market-n
ked for such skins as they had brought to to
By.and-by he shouldered his pack and ira
ler ed the country for peltries and, extenc
and his Journey, at length he became familiar '