The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1873-06-14
InUertebPdte Men.

When a young man, more than ordinarily use
less to himself and friends had no other occupa-
tion, be used to sit down and write a letter TO
Horace Greeley, pretending that he wanted work,
would do anything TO get il, and that, IL society
in general had not turned against him, he would
be able to prove himself capable Of great things.
To beg he was ashamed aud to dig he could not,
because il made bis back ache; so he sat down
and emptied all his woes on Mr. Greeley's head,
aud really felt that be had achieved some dis
tinction il Mr. Greeley replied and told him 10
60 out West. II is needless 10 say that he never
went although he should have gone, ia common
with thousands Of his congeners who herd in
cities, lie in wait for the hapless advertiser, and
precipitate themselves, not as individuals but as
horde, upon any one who dares seek assistance
in the columns of the daily papers. For, be it
known, the young man Of the period is as useless
as be is ubiquitous. He cannot longer stand on
street corners for that is against the statue, but
he can live on his father, his widowed mother,
possibly even his sschoOl-teaching sisters, pretend
ing the while that he is always seeking employ
ment, always laboring in the vineyard in one
form or another.
This jeremiade against useless class of non-
producers is brought out by the result of three OF
four months advertising at various periods for q
young man to fill certain post requiring an or
dinarily facile pen, knowledge OF simple COM
mercial forms of expression, and familiarity with
business routine yet il will hardly he credited
that, out OF hundreds who applied and were ex'
amined, scarcely ten could be found who gave
even promise of succeeding. Vague, uncertain,
| indirect, willing to work for anything and al
nything, having no special fitness or adaptation
for any particular line, they formed the rank and
| file of the noble army of incompetents who hew
| the wood and draw the water for their tetters -
And yet, the advertisement in question was speci
| ally worded to exclude this very class Knowing
that there were ten incapables in the world fol
one expert, it called for an exceptional man, anc
| the very class who rushed in were these who are
said to rush in where angels fear to tread.
| The question presents itself to every thinking
man Where do all these young men come from
In what school have they acquired their aimless
uncertain, vague ideas of duty, of work, Of ap
pication, of achievement? What do they expect
to do in the race of life before them Do they
mean to be book-keepers at 81, 900 or 1000 6
year forever? Will they stand and wait upon thu
ringing of bell and answer some great mans
nod and beck2 Will they, pending an engage
ment for even their superf1uous ability continue
to wiring the hearts of aged parents, hard-work
| ing sisters and relatives as poor as they F? Thes
are questions hard to answer in the affirmative
The riddle, never solved, "What shall be done
| with them ~ is a serious one. Ii Satan ind;
business for idle hands in this city he must do
| thriving trade, Judging from the applications re
ceived for cerkship.
1t is sad and solemn question, not TO be light
ly dismissed on d moments reflection, question
reaching further than mere technical or protes
sional education. Schools may abound in th
land, and colleges shoulder each other in a lint
across the continent but the aimless, uncertain
purposeless man will still exist unless, from BIZ
youth up, his parents exhort him to stand by hl
own arm, to think for himself, to follow SOM
one line aud make himself perfect therein. Ther
shall sturdier manhood be parent to noble
race springing up; and if one seeks assistance
and casts forth his drag not, he shall find it he(
with applications that give some evidence on tn
face of them of the writer's ability to perform hi
undertakings. 1t matters little whether mai
be a newer Of wood or drawer of water ; ther
must be such but it matters greatly whether
man be competent or not for the line he assumes
| Scientific Aanericdn