Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1874-04-04

| ship during this time was want o
society !; for IL young man of any re
finement of feeling, and not possessing
to any great degree that quality de
nominated " brass" might live in thi,
city for years without being brough
in that friendly, neighborly contac
with people congenial to him, without
which existence become little better
than Il blank. After few months, /
change occurring in the firm that EN-
p!oyed me, | was told that, not doing
the amount of business they antici
pated, they should decrease store ex.
penses by It ducing the salaries of the
other clerks, and, as | was :he last en-
ploycd, they should try and get along
without my services not that they were
dissatisfied with me at all-would
recommend me, etc.
| felt very sorry for this, for [ had
perform it without the half fear of not
doing it right that 1 had at first, and
| liked my employers very well, and
did not like the idea of having to begin
in a new place; however, did not
think it II very serious matter, for
supposed | could easily get situation
before the end of the week (this was on
Wednesday, by personal application,
or by answering some of the many adj
vertisements which had noticed in the
papers under "Help Wanted" [
looked i'll the papers in which the wants
are principally published, and, select
ing two or thee which l thought l
might perhaps be successful with, /
wrote the advertisers in the best man
ner | was capable of, and was somewhat
surprised as the next day passed, and
the next also, at not receiving any re-
ply; however. | looked over the papers
again, and selecting some more prom
i>ing offers answered them-some by
letter, as directed, and others in per
son at time and place specified and,
although at the first one | visited | was
ON hand before the appointed time, |
fonnd twenty applicants ahead of me,
which number was considerably aug
mented in the time l staid, which was
not long, for as socn as the merchant
arrived he said Gentlemen, are there
any among your number who have ever
occupied il position of this kind in this
city?' naming Il vacancy he wished to
have filed. elf there are, they will
please come in the office" Five in
telIigent looking young men imme-
diately stepped forth from whom to
select of course the rest of us had
no chance, aud repetition of this is
what occurred every day, for business
is done here in New York in specialties
more than any where else in the coun-
try ; that is, Il firm does business in
one or a few separate articles, and the
employment luns i'll the same way. If
a merchant wishes to engage an entry
clerk, he not only wants one who has
served in that capacity, but if he is
dealer in fancy goods he wants an entry
clerk who has been employed in that
particular branch OF business, and in
this city; or, if he does rot make til IS
last condition absolutely essential, he
will give the preference to such one
cert ,inlv, an s, it is in all branches
OF business, whether wholesale or re
Ill for instance, retail shoe dealer
on Sixth Avenue advertised for clerk,
and a young man with whom | had be
come acquainted applied. The dealer
saw that the young man understood the
bus ness thoroughly, but told him he
had an application by clerk from an
other store on the same avenue, and he
thought he might influence some trade;
at any rate, other things being equal,
he IN ust of course give him the prefer
ence.
Before the end of two weeks fruit
less search for employment, my money
was exhausted, and l had done what
cost me Il great mental effort, applied
fnc hn e
two dollars, which was given me, but
i'll IL way which [ construed to mean
it must be the last. | still had shelter
for another week, but nothing more. /
received answers to some of my COM
munications during this time, but they
all ended in nothing.
At one place, where a gentleman had
advertised for rapid penman, good at
figures, | was we'll received, and the
gentleman seemed to take quite an in
terest i'll me; now my penmanship
could not be called elegant, though good
enough for ordinary purposes rs an
arc )untant, | am correct. had strong
hopes of getting employment here, but
when he showed me samples of penman-
ship that had been submitted by other
"Pp'i'"uo', my iSaIt Iuljcu It Ole
man in particular had left a sample of
writing which l have never seen ex-
celled; it was like copper plate -"the
corresponding clerk, the gentleman
sad, "of large house-been affected
by the panic; he wants to earn so per
week, but would work for less"
/ had now been unemployed for three
weeks, during the last of which, to sat
isfy the cravings of hunger, l had sold
a few articles of clothing that l could
po 'sibly get along without, and now had
come Saturday, when the rent of my
room for the ensuing week must be
pa d. | dreaded asklog for trust in a
matter of this kind, especially from
lady; but the thought Of being TUNED
into the street at length overrow, red
other considerations, SO, putting on an
lnditlel ent air, | carelessly II marke d to
my landlady that | did not get any
money th,t day, but would pay her the
first of the week. She locked at me
wonderlngly, but answered me kindly.
Monday renewed my efforts with re-
doubled earnestness, but it was of no
use. There are plenty of places Wi ere
agt nts are wanted to sell supertiuous
articles by canvassing city or country,
and the most glowing inducements are
held out, but even these require the in
vestment of some capital. The business
is very distasteful to me, but L resolved
to try it if L could get ii chance. /
found man who was willing to let me
have a sample of his wares without pay