The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-06-19
From the NssO York Times.

Do American boys learn trades any
morc2 One would suppose not, if the
multitude of purposeless, aimless young
men out of employment is any Indication.
There was a time when the master me-
chanic had his house filed with hearty
young apprentices, and when his journey
men went from under his roof to set up in
life for themselves. To men in middle
life the recollections Of those far off times
when the master, his men and boys, form
ed strong productive industrial group.
seem like the memory of primitive age.
Sons of rich and educate men did not think
it beneath them to swing the broad axe In
the ship yard, or the sledge hammer at the
anvil Or they went to sea before the
mast, and climbed to the quarter deck from
the forecastle.
In large family of boys one would be
sent to college, one might possibly 60 into
merchantile pursuits, and the others would
choose their trades after many anxious
but CHEEKY family councils. Nowadays the
young lads shrink from the irksome con-
finement of the mechanics shop. lfthey
cannot go to college and so while away
their youth, they must go into a store
anything but work. We do not belittle
the vocation Of clerk or statesmen when
we say that to be in either one or the other
of there callings appears to most young
men the most comfortable thing OF all
the pursuits which men follow, this seems
to require the least preparation. AT any
rate the men who are willing to make
themselves generally useful more naturally
turn to the shop of the retail dealer thar
to any other source of employment
They have never learned a trade. They
like to wear good clothes and keep their
hands soft and white. If they cannot
stand behind the counter or desk, or secure
political influence sufficient to push them
| into an Office of some sort, they drift aim
lessly about, looking for employment
which never comes.
False ideas of living and extravagant no.
tons are responsible for a great deal o.
this hopeless misery. Young lads are
brought up to consider manual labor de
grading, and fond, foolish parents some
times seem to prefer that their children
should go out into the world helpless rather
than they should learn a trade. But the
sel6shness of mechanics and the outrag
eous tyranny of their unions, have had a
hand in bringing to pass the present state
of things. About twenty-five years age
there began a series of experiments il
trades-unions which has resulted disas
trously. The times were good, work plenty
and wages fair. To maintain a monopoly
of these, associations of mechanics begar
to limit the number of apprentices which
might be employed in each shop, factory
or company of workmen.
Men who had sons to equip for life &C
tually voted to shut the trade against thei
own offspring. The consequence was tina
the supply of skilled workmen did not keel
up with the expansion of the country, and
with the legitimate demand. Employer
were obliged to send abroad for workmen
aud it came to pass that grown men from
foreign parts took the places in American
work. shops for which American boy
should have been educated. Where nov
are those neglected, cheated boys2 Som
of them are in iails and aims houses
Some will be found lounging on the benche
10 the public parks, vainly waiting TO
something to turn up. Others, Willing
enough, are advertising for situation
where they can make themselves general
: useful.