The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-07-13

L
he might have taken his choice from the
| first families in the land, besides Katie
was young and they had hoped TO keep hel
with them for some years yet. Really they
did not know what to think about it, they
must have time TO consider.
CHAPTER v.
Charles Gordon had worked in New York
as journeyman at two dollars and hall
per day During the winter there was but
little to do and he enjoyed those hours Of
leisure with all the zest Of youth. As he
grew older and found that those weeks and
sometimes months Of idleness left him but
little of the means he had boarded up i'll
the busy season, he began to think serious
" Of the lot Of the mechanics family AZ
pictured by Mr.. Langham, and at times he
felt sorry he had chosen that vocation. He
would, however, persevere until he was
twenty five If he could not do better
than the majority had by that time he
would give it up and try something else.
Meanwhile he would read books and study
men, so that if ne should wish to engage IN
any other business he would not be alt
gether ignorant Perhaps he would do
better if he were to 60 to some new and
growing city in the west, where buildings
could hardly be put up rapidly enough to
accommodate the ever increasing pOpula-
ton, and as he thought, Chicago offered
the greatest inducements, he packed up his
tools, took leave of his father and mother,
and sister, and started for the metropolis Of
the west He reached that place just at
the commencement of the busy season and
soon found work As he worked he kept
both eyes and ears open, and nothing that
was calculated to give him an insight INTO
the workings of mechanics escaped his no
tice IL did not take him long to discover
that men worked on buildings who had
never learned the trade They acquired
sufficient knowledge Of it to enable them
to saw stick of timber straight and plane
a board. and then styled themselves car
penters and went to work, and what was
more astonishing to Charles, they COM
manded as good wages as those who had
served long apprenticeship, and we're
thoroughly mastero the business. Speak
ing one day to a person who had grown old
at the trade, he said
= 1t is rather poor encouragement to be
obliged to work by the side of one who Is
80 unjust to his employer as not to half
work, and who does not know enough
about his business to do good honest day $
work. even if he were conscientious, and see
him receive the same wages as one who Is
thoroughly skilled at his trade, and honest
IN his work
Do you think, young man, those men
are unjust to their employers
Certainly do, replied Charles. They
impose upon him in two ways. In the hrst
place they represent themselves to be car
penters when they have no knowledge Of
the trade, and could not build decent
shanty if they were left to themselves, and
in the next place they do Just about half
the work they might accomplish
Do you think they receive any more
wages than they can keep family on
:" think not. l know l could not keep
a family on my wages, especially if | was
without work in the winter, and | do not
mean to marry until | have the means Of
supporting wife in comfort.
a. am glad 70 hear you say that, very
few young men are 80 considerate. They
marry without ever thinking Of the future,
and after they have two or three children
besides wife to provide for, the future
looks dark. | tell you, young man, human
nature is not so bad as it might be, or we
should have more crime than there is now.
| sometimes wonder that these poor fami-
lies are not oftener driven to desperation.
. But have we who are skilled no advan-
tage over those who are ignorant T. inquired
Charles.
~ es we have one, but it is a very
doubtful one. During the winter season
you and |, known to be skilled mechanics.
will be able to obtain work and 50 support
ourselves, while those wood-butchers will be
supported by the city. So you see our ad-
vantage, as said before, is doubtful one /;
they will be supported without work, and
we shall have to work for our living. The
inhabitants Of this great city know it would
not do to allow them to suffer cold and
hunger Why, they would be like pack
Of wolves and spread death and devastation
all around them. The rich know this, and
they know that TO enjoy their luxuries in
peace they must minister to the wants Of
this part Of our population.
That has dark look. What is the use
Of spending time and talent to acquire a
knowledge Of the trade, if it Is not going to
benefit us =
1t is of no use as things are now, yet if
the skilled mechanics would combine they
could very soon produce a change"
"Why do they not do it T. asked
Charles.
They are jealous Of each other, and
stand in each others way, instead Of trying
To help one another, and bring about diff
ferent style of things, besides there are not
enough Of them Ali those who could, have
forsaken the trade and tried some other
line Of life, and would forsake it too, but
have a large family, and must keep at
work to support them. | cannot stop a
day to look around me for anything better,
or | would not now be working at the
bench. Why, there are not a dozen good
carpenters in the city. You were talking
about these wood butchers being dishonest
to their employers. Well it may be so, but
it looks to me as if these same employers
were dishonest to me. do as much work
as any two of them, and do it in work
manlike manner, yet my employer will pay
me no more than he pays them. tell you
think he is unjust to ME"
"I will not be on level with such men,
said Charles. Work with them at the
same bench, and receive the same pay"
Then you will not work at the trade. y
"Yes / will, you will see. l will study
the case, and you will hear from me again
sometime" said Charles, with all the i'm.
petuosity Of youthful hope and experi-
ence.
If you undertake to bring skilled labol
in our department, into the market, you
will engage IN q gigantic undertaking
What do you suppose you can do alone
Gone good determined mind can do {
great deal / shall make the effort. If
fail, shall lay down the carpenter tools
and never touch them again as long as t.
live"
That night Charles sat long after mid
night thinking what plan he should pursue
He finally adopted one which he intendet
to put into practice the next day. The mex
day he went to the building on which h
had been at work, sought his employer anc
said to him: