The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-05-29
GtreGntelti(e1rrer:
Using strength with Economy.

because within our limits 1t seems
quite impossible togive such series o.
| illustrations aa will in any adequate
degree indicate the various forms o.
waste, or avail at all for the correction
of the evil. The more serious part Of
the Intellectual expenditure referred to
ARISES not so much from miscalcnla-
ton; as from working without a de.
finite plan; as from setting to work
without first thinking the work out in
advance, and pushing 1t forward with
| urgent haste, without clTcumSpectlon
and elaboration as the process goes on.
| There were two men, both farmers,
with whose method of labor we were
we'll acquainted in our childhood, who
| illustrated, each in his way, the i'm
portant principal here referred to. The
first was Mitchell, "the roarer," as the
villagers called him, and roarer he
| was. His power of work was prodig-
ious, and the use he made Of It stlll
more prodigious. But he meyer seem
ed to do any thinking about his work.
He took everything butt foremost. be
used to "break a pitchfork handle a
day." all through haying, trying to
throw on "two.hundred" cock of hay
at a fork full; he would get hold of the
| big end OF rock weighing half ton
to slue it into place in stone wall,
when a crow-bar stood just at his
elbow; he drove his oxen with shout
ing and gesticulatiOn and hourishes OF
goadstick that would alone have tired
out Il common man; he would pc just
as likely as not to drive brads all day
long with a broad-axe, when tack
hammer lay on the bench before him.
| The consequence was, that although he
| worked twice as hard as common men,
| he did rot bring much more about ut the
years end than ordinary people, and at
| middle age was getting all damned
out of shape with the distortion OF over
| work.
In contrast with him was old "Pud'
Wells, as he was called, Pod being
probably the short for putterer. Old
Pud was as strong and as slow In mo-
ton as II fat OK. Whenever he had any.
thing of moment to do he used TO sit
down and ruminate upon it-generally
light his pipe and smoke over It. II
there was any easy way about 1t. he al
ways hit it. he never miscalculated
the strength of pitchfork handle so
far as to break 1t, and he never would
have broken it, though 1t had been OF
pith-stalk. He was a miracle at NOV
ing heavy stone for cellar. walls or
bridge abutments, and such work cant
ing Them round with light lifts OF the
lever in just the right place, and set
Ting them into their beds as II they
had been babies in their cribs. He
could hitch the chain to deep-rooted
stumps so that yoke of steers could
twiIch them out, when other men could
not "fetch" them with seven-foot cat
tie. When about to cut down tree
he cleared away the brush carefully,
studied out good position to stand In
irving it once or twice, and II on side
hill knocking away the turf to get firm
foothold, or hunting for fiat stone to
bolster up the dOwn-htll side OF his
foot, SO that he never slipped or had TO
hiT00nlf
that he could strike to the best adVan-
tage and every stroke told it's utmost.
he could NOW with marvellous ease,
for he had made study OF the proper
length of snath, the proper adjustment
of the handles, the proper breadth OF
swarth, the proper inclination OF the
body, the proper swing, and the proper
thing for him to do in the whole matter.
This man thought out his work before
hand, and kept thinking about 1t all
the way along, having learned the
practical wisdom of the old saw-"Cal-
culRtiOn is better than hard work" In
the course of his long lifetime mot end
ed yet. we believe) he brough ut more
about than average men. and by 1udg .
ment brought it about with so little OF
excessive hard labor that people thought
him lazy, and that he got along 30 well
because his luck was good.
Now, these two workers are types or
two great classes into which all hand.
workers, male and female. are divided
those who by timely thought econo-
mfze their strength, and those who
from lack of thought subject 1t to con-
tinual waste. Whether there is larger
proportion ofthis latter class amongst
men than women it would not be pos
sibIe to determine; but 1t may perhaps
be Justly assumed that the error Is
more serious one for women than for
men, since their physical strength Is
materially less. Accordingly, 1t may
be proper to comment specially upon
the waste of strength so frequently no.
ticeable in the conduct OF our ordinary
homework, that being the leading enc
ployment of women and the most i'm
portant single industry in the world.
1t is perhaps the necessary result OF the
deficient mental discipline bestowed
upon women as compared with men,
and especially upon houseworklng
women, that they should exhibit less
of Judgment, less OF thinking habit at
their labor, than average men at their
labor; or, without instituting compari~
sons, less of tact, of tha faculty of TAX
ing things to advantage, of mechanical
ingenuity, of labor-saving combina-
tiOns of work, than would seem to be
easily ,attainable 30 ordinary intellt-
gence If moderately thoughtful and
trained to the study of its labor. In the
we have often noticed really painful
suuandering of strength, just from the
want OF little elaboration. The bns-
thing worker, apparently Hurried by
the sense of what she has got to do.
sees the salt-cellar, catches 1t up and
runs across the whole breadth
OF the floor to the closet with
gar-bowl and a fork that does not need
washing, and puts them away; ditto,
the pepper box and two napkins; ditto,
two napkins and the vinegar cruet.
making six journeys across the room
when, with the title tray or the bread
board on the other table, all the arti-
cles might have been carried at once
and 80 many steps saved.
So, too, when the "parlory fire" Is to
be built the hurrying housewife runs
into the room first with handful of
shavings and splinters, forgets the
match, hastens back for that, and just
as she has lighted 1t thinks of the char
coal; HES after that, but neglects TO
bring along with 1t the scuttle of coal
ed; her steps are bent for It in haste, but
as she goes she omits to carry out the
charcoal. basin, and when she returns
forgets to bring in hod for the ashes
or the dust-brush and pan, which there
fore cost her another journey. The
process goes on after this sort, so that,
by the time the fire is built and the de-
bris cleared away, she has gone forth
and back dozen times or more BE-
| twixt the parlor and kitchen, then de-
liberation and thinking over at the
outset of what would be wanted would
| have saved at least one. half the trips.
| Multitudes OF women works thus all
the day long and all their life long.
They work hard and move fast, yet are
hrfr 81 k0