The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-03-26
5 Mechanical Labor Objectionable

Ie Is Mechanical Labor Objectionable
7 A few days ago a gentleman advel
!. tised for clerk. BY the close {
- the first day on which the advertise
9 ment appeared there were four hun
dred and eighteen applicants for tn
+ one clerkshIp. This afforded a yer,
>, forcible illustration OF the extent I.
, which the occupation of clerkin,
!, and bookkeeping is overstocked
. But few months slHce the head o
business establishment, who wish
= ell some help in the way of writing
but in which some literary ability
was required, advertised for an as
sistant at a moderate salary, and
! having incidentally mentioned thai
the position might suit a lawyer oil
physician not i'll good practice, got
more than hundred applications,
of which fifty-three were from young
, .awyers and doctors.
Here was aBother illustration oi
an over-supply of the professional OF
"genteel occupations" Another
advertiser who wanted person to
take charge of the editorial work of
a paper, received fifty-seven applica
tiOns not more than hall a dozen
of the applicants being recognized
newspaper writer's, but nearly all of
them being clerks, bookkeepers, and
professional men. Still another ad-
vertised for two apprentices in a
wheelwright and smith shop, in one
of the semi rural wards OF the city,
requesting applicants to give their
address and age. He got three ap-
plications, but in every case the ap-
plicant was too old, two of them
being over eighteen, and one nearly
twenty. Still another advertised for
an office boy, about fourteen years
old, and had so many applicants of
all ages, from mere children not
more than twelve years old to full
grown men of twenty-one.
/ These are not very cheerful or en-
couraging signs. The present gen
Grafton OF young men seem to have
strong aversion to every kind OF
trade, business, calling, or oecupa-
ton that requires manual labor, and
an equally strong tendency toward
some so-called "genteer' employ |
ment or profession. The result is
seen in such lamentable facts as
those above stated surplus OF |
bookkepers and clerks Of every kind
who can get no employment, and are
wasting their lives in the vain pur
suit of what is not to be had, and q
terrible Over-stock of lawyers with
out practice and doctors without
patients. The passion on the part
of boys and young men to he clerks,
Office attendants, messengers, any
thing, SO that it Is not work of the
kind that will make them mechanics
or tradesmen, is q deplorable sight
TO those who have full opportunities
to see the struggle for such employ
ments by those unfortunates who
have put it out of their power to do
anything else, by neglectIng to learn
some permanent. trade or business in
which trained skill can always be
turned to account.
The applications for elerkships
and similar positions In large estab-
lisnments, are numerous beyond
anything that would be thought of
bv those who have parents and rela-
lives, as well as the boys and young
men themselves, seem TO be afflicted
with the same infatuation. To all
such We say, that the worst advice
you can give to your boy is TO en-
courage him to be a clerk or book
keeper. At best it is not well-paid
occupation. Very frequently it is
among the poorest. This is the
case when a clerk is fortunate enough
to employed, but If he should happen
to be cut of Il place, then comes
weary scarcity, the fearful struggle
with thousands of others looking for
places the ever-ending disappoint-
ments, the hope deferred that makes
the heart sick, the humiliations that
take all the manhood out of poor
souls, the privations of those who
depend upon his earnings, and who
have no resource 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 after the genteel positions
that bring such trials and privations
upon them in after life.- Philadelphia
Ledger.
1t would almost seem that COM
ment on the above facts and accom-
panying remarks is superfluous, but
in daily received correspondence we
find inquiries for advice ,
from those who think their talents
are not properly appreciated and !,
their efforts not adequately eompen-
stated. The state OF affairs shown by .
the instances quoted by our contem-
porary, we think, are not only .
explained, but are susceptible of ].
One cause of it is
innate laziness and the other foolish
pride. There may be others, but !
these are the principal ones; the
laziness that prevents man from
learning his chosen business, aud the
pride that prevents him from cboos-
ing one suited to his capacity and :
Yet the lazy often desire
tue most iacerie11 pAs-a and the
proud those whs are the serv- :
ants of servaht {
He who wouis Ddrn up his nose in. !
scorn at serving an apprenticeship
at 2 trade where his hours of labor !
would be but ten at most, possibly ,
only eight, out of the twenty-four,
and who, at the expiration of three, 4
four, or five years would be COM ,
peteBt workman, worth handsome !
compensation, possibly capable oil
acting as foreman, superintendent,
or employer. chooses to agonize AM ,
struggle TOR a place in some mer- !
camille business where he is the ,
drudge of his fellow employees, and
almost a thrall TO his employers for
yesrs, only to fad himself clerk ,
for the best part If not the remainder ,
of his life. As journeymen in al
most any mechanical business. his
pay would be absolutely greater than /
as clerk, his hours OF labor would,
in most cases, be less, his response
bilities less, and the wear. and tear
on his body and mind less. But