The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1869-02-16
Why Deaf Boys Learn Trades 2


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Why Dent Boys Learn Trades
The Philsdelphia Ledger justly re-
marks that the present generation OF
young men seems to have q strong aver
sion to every kind of trade. business.
calling, or occupation that req Tres man.
ual labor. and an equal strong tendency
toward some So called "genteel'' employ
mept or profession. The result is seen
in a superabundance of elegant penman,
book keepers. and clerks of every kind
who can get no employment, and are
wasting their lives in the vain pursuit of
overstock Of lawyers without practice
and doctors without patients.
The passion on the part of the boys
and young men to be clerks, Office at
PENDANTS, messengers, anything, SO that
it is not work Of the kind that will make
them mechanics or tradesmen, is de-
plcrable sight to those who have full op.
portunities to see the distressing effects
of it in the struggle for such employ.
ments by those unfortunates who lave
put it out of their power to do anything
else by neglecting to learn some perma-
nent trade or business in which trained
skill can always be turned to account
The applications for clerkships and SIM
liar positions in large establishments are
numerous beyond anything that would
be thought of by those who have no
chance to witness it. Parents and rela.
tives, - we'll az the boys and young
men themselves, seemed to be afflicted
with the same infatnation. To all such
we say, that the most unwise advice you
can give your boy is to encourage him
to be clerk or book keeper. At the
best it is not well paid occupation
Very frequently tits among the poorest.
This is the case when the clerk is fortu
nate enough to be employees; but if he
should happen to be out of place, then
comes the weary search, the fearful
struggle with the thousands of others
looking for places, the never ending dis,
appointments the hope deferred that
makes the heart sick, the strife with
poverty, the humiliations that take all
the manhood out of the poor souls, the
privations and suferings of those who
depend upon his earnings, and who have
no re source when he is earning nothing.
No father, no mother, no relative
should wish to see their boys or kindred
wasting their young lives in striving af
ter the genteel positions that bring such
trials and rrivaiinna upon them in after
life. se59s S@a4i hew
How do these deplorably false notions
as to choice Of occupation get into the
heads Of boys3 Why do they or their
parents consider it more ''genteer' or
desirable to run errands, sweep out Of
fees, make fires, copy letters, ETC., chan
to make hats or shoes, or lay bricks, or
WELD the saw or jackplane, or handle
the machinist's file, or the blacksmith
hammer2 We have heard that some of
them get these notions at school. II
this be true it is a sad perversion Of the
means Of education provided for our
youth, which are intended to make them
useful, as well as intelligent members of
society, and not useless drags and
drones. Should it be SO, that the pres
ent generation of boys get it into their
heads that, because they have more
school learning and book accomplish.
ment than their fathers, they must there
fore look down upon the trades that re.
quire skill and handicraft, and whose
productions make up the vast mass Of
wealth of every country, then it is time
for the controllers and the directors t.
have the interior walls Of our school
houses covered with maxims and mot
toes warning them against the fatal er
ror. r 80 sIc=5 -erf