The southern enterprise. [volume] (Greenville, S.C.) 1854-1870, 1869-07-07

snouio % e3ueveiOpeo dDus appileu
for the benefit Of society. gs 49,
| A very strong and q very gen
oral prejudice lies In the way.
Employment in the workshop has
been regarded in this State, espe-
cially, as degrading. In our early
years, nothing was more shocking
to the members of the old families
Of the State, than the idea Of one
them learning q trade. It was too
decidedly plebeian. It might be
known that they were gamblers,
inseinperate and -l;ccntious but,
they didnot lose caste. To handle
the tr.wel or the jack plane, how.
ever, was death to character. An
intimate friend ofour boyhood, be-
longing to an old family, whoee es.
tates had dwindled away, not vii
ling to live poor, in order to feast
pride, determined on becoming a
brickmason, having noticed the
great success of the father OF one
OF our classmates, who belonged to
this class of citizens. His eldest
brother demonstrated vehemently
against this determination, and
said to him: Do you suppose
that if I meet you in King Street,
(the fashionable promenade) with
a trowel in your hand and mortar
on your shoes, I shall speak to
youa" He replied calmly, but
firmly: " Ihe day will come,
when Won will be glad to have a
room in my fino b ick house."
This as we happened to know, was
literally fulfilled. This incident
serves to illustrate the feeling that
has prevailed in this State with re
gard to boys learning a trade. We
confess, that 10 us, it has always
seemed very silly. We have
known q man to affect superiority
over the mechanic, who built his
nice mills, though his own father
laid the foundation of his vast for.
tune in selling half pints. Mixed
liquors was decidedly more aristo-
cratic than mixing mortar. Dit
ferent eyes certainly require diff:
terent glasses. Parents should
teach their children that
"Honor and fame from no condition rise"
Even in this State numerous
cases could be adduced to show tn {
mechanics share q pretty fair
chance for wealth and position.
Let q few suffice. Jonathan Lu.
Gus, who amassed a fortune and
was made a Baronet by George
I'LL for in, n,,oducing rice mills into
England, was a millwright.s His
next neighbor, Thomas Bennett
who became very wealthy and was
made Go. ernor Of the State. was
also q millwright. Old Mr..
Schnierle was carpenter, and &C.
quired riches by his industry ; but
this did not prevent his son, the
General, from filing the Mayoral
ty Of Charleston for years. Many
more such cases we could cite, but
it is unnecessary. These rye to
show that despite the strong pref
udice against mechanics, many
have risen superior to it, and have
compelled the respect of those
who, in early life. may have re
garded them with disdain. We
have suffered in this State on &c
count Of this prejudice. Our pres
ent condition demands that com
mon sense should govern. ON
youth should be Taught that there
10 dignity in labor; and they
should be encouraged to lay hold
of the trowel, the plane, the sleGge
the loom, or any instrument OF ar
employing the wants Of society
They ehould be encouraged to re
gard manual labor, as not advers,
to the acquisition of tame, as wei
rs riches. Sir Christopher Wrer
was an architect. Stephenson wa,
q machinist. Franklin was prin
ter. Hugh Miller was o ston,
mason. Elihu Bnrrit was black
smith. What man is there II
South Carolina who, however be
inddled with notoins of caste
would not be exhilarated at th,
prospect of his son securing q rep
ntation similar 10 that Of these me
cbanics2 And to what docs .thi
thing Of caste amonnt2 We know
q very aristocratic family in which
is coinmingled the blood Of Q tail
or, Q tallow chandler, and o deale
In peltry. Bat they are none tn
worse for their humble beginning
II In the reconstruction of thing
among ns, mechanics are YER,
|, mucli needed. We must have al
II