Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1870-02-12
Some Good Talk for Boys.

The following from the Detroit Tree
Press, is worthy TO be read aud re-read
by every boy in the land, until he has
the words in his memory and the thoughts
in his mind so thoroughly that neither
can be forgotten:
"WASTED.--A good, steady boy, Of
about sixteen years of age, to learn The
printers trade. A boy from the country
preIerred-mnst have passable English
education, and come with his mind made
up TO learn the trade.
The above is from the St. Joseph coun-
ty Mich, Democrat. The editor of that
paper "wants good, steady boy, of
about sixteen years Of age" to learn the
printing business; to commence at low
but reasonable wages; TO get the first
principles Of manhood, and lay the
foundation of business life. lie wants
a boy who will como with his mind
made up to be manly, to give his en-
ployer his whole time, instead of idlimg
or skulking, who will work without watch.
ing, who will study to please, to econo
mize the property placed in his care, who
will be honest, who will stay i'll nights,
who will let liquor and cigars alone, in
fact, the editor wants one of the old
fashioned lads, such as were our grand
sires.
Where will he find hlM. We ask the
question OF every young man "aoout six
teen years old" A "good steady boyr
Where is he? Where does he live i?
Where can letter reach his parents :?
Where is the young man that is willing
TO go at n business to make business of
it? The boy who will take up a trade,
i'll preference to Ioafing about the streets,
seizing upon every new slang word, ev.
cry loaterish expression, a drag upon his
father, a source of anxiety to his mother,
disgrace, perhaps. "a boy from the
country preferred" All that tells the
story! The editor tells in these few
words that a young man of sixteen who
has grown up in village or city, exposed
to and drinking in the vices of the cider
and more wicked, will not suit him. He
does not regard him as trustworthy, as
calculated to ever make true man, as
willing to listen to patient instruction,
But will boy from the country do?
Perhaps some may prove faithful The
majority will work a week, a month,
perhaps two months, and then, when
they shall be able to earn part of their
wages, they get dissatisfied, discouraged,
and wrong ideas of their own smartness
ahd others ignorance, aud they go away,
seldom, if ever, to take up new trade,
but TO become a knot upon the tree of
life, of no good to even themselves.
If that editor gets n 'good, steady
boy" one who will fill the place to his
satisfaction, you may look to see that
boy become mana business mana
true man. He will be patient, ecOnom-
ical, sober and Industrious ; he will strive
to excel, TO understand without repeated
injunction, to get up the ladder higher
every month, and when he has finished
his trade he will see that some one also
wants good, steady, competent man to
assist him in managing paper-to take
charge of an office-tO become partner
in paying business.
1t is so in every business. 1t wants
those steady boys-boys who will come
to lea?n-to grow up useful men-tO be
come energetic, rushing, bustlng atoms
of the business world instead of drifted
splinters of cast away wrecks. There
is place in this great country tor every
honest, industrious lad to learn trade
or do business at fair wages. 1t may be
hard to find position, for every day
that passes only serves to make employ
ers distrust more and mere the modern
youth. But, let any lad with bold heart
to do right by himself and those who
would afford him chance TO lift himself
into manhood and competence, only say
as much, only put away the idea that
work WAS never meant for him, and go
plainly down and say as much to those
for whom he would labor, ind he will
find open doors ON every side. What
the world wants most, aud what is now
the hardest to get, is "a good; steady
boy"