The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1873-12-26
Yae Leisure Ig,,ae of Bo5yg.

8iic E[SLStiy'S ICgEiB or ESg1EFg.
Every father of family knows that
there is time in the life Of his sons
that gives him much trouble and some
anxiety. We allude to the period Of
hoyhood, when exuberauCe Of spirits
and thOughtlessness are at their hight,
and when the studies imposed by
echoO. discipline are entirely insuth-
cient to find adequate employment
for their too active minds and bodies.
And it is not possible, or even desir-
sUIc. to increase the already cOnsidera-
lie application of all we'll bred bows
TO the study of books and the acquire
Incnt of learning. 1t is not to be
wished that youth Of twelve should
grow up to be Il conceited woulG-be
F1dant of twenty, and q bookwor Of
thirty years of age Thus the task Of
finding fitting occupation for the leis-
ure hours Of boy IS no inconsidera-
bic one, as few pursuits into which q
10y would plunge with eagerncss are
suited for putting in the way Of 50
much impulsiveness and want Of con
Fideration as most boys possess. The
question: then, Of how to amuse our
boys is one Of paramount Importance
and difficulty.
We would suggest to many parents
who have been perpIexed with this
difficulty, to give their lads every pos
si6le opportunity Of acquiring a me-
chanical trade. The industry and in
genuity OF 4 boy of average ability
may easily be made to furnish him
with a never falling source of amuse-
ment of the best order The boy who
can produce or make something al
ready begins to feel that he is some
body in the world, the achievement
of a result is not 4 reward reserved
for grown people only And the etlu-
cation Of mind eye and hand, which
the use of tools mechanical appliances
furnishes, is Of great and real value
beyond the good resulting from the
occupation Of leisure time Having
nothing to do is as great a snare to
the young as it Is to the full grown
end no greater benefits can be confer
red on youths than to teach them to
convert time now wasted, and often
worse than wasted, into pleasant
means Of recreation and mental i'm
PrOvement
We say, therefore, to all parents
Provide your boys with mechanical
apparatus and tools. There is no
greater pleasure to most bows than
the handling Of a tool; and many
great men and ingenious inventors
look back with gratitude and delight
to the day when they were first allow
cd to use the lathe, the saw, and the
plain.
The boy, whose time and mind are
now occupied with marbles and kites.
may be a Watt, a Morse, or a Besse-
lner III en,5Tyo: and it is certainly an
easy matter to turn his thoughts and
musings into a channel which shall
give full scope to their faculties. And
to most boys the use of mechanical
tools is the most fascinating Of all oc-
cupatiOns.
AS logic and mathematics have q
value beyond accuracy in argument
and the correct solution of problems.
IN that they teach men the habit Of
using their rejecting powers svste-
maticai!y, so carpentry, turning. and
other arts are Of high Importance
These occupations teach BOYS to think.
to proceed from initial causes to re-
suits, and not only to understand the
nature and duty of the mechanical
powers, but to observe their effects
and to acquire knowledge by actual
experiment, which is the best way of
learning anything. All the theories
Culed out Of books leave an impress
Oh the mind and memory, which is
slight compared to that Of the prac-
tcaI experience of the true mechan-
ic.
Our advice is, TO all who have the
great responsibility of the charge of
boys: Give them a lathe. or a set of
cUpenter's or even blacksmith's tools
'5lvc their mind a turn towards the
solid and useful side Of life. You will
soon see the result in increased activ-
ity Of their thinking capabilities. and
the direction Of their ideas towards
practical results; and still more OBJ
NIouSly. in the avoidance of idle mis-
chief and nonsense Ito omit all refer
ence to absolute wickedness and NOR
al degradatiou) which are, to too
great an extent, the pasttime of the
generation which is to succeed US
Scientific AmertcQa.
TIE INyN~TN-TvpTE C,,r1,r AE