Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-07-10
What Shall we do with our Young Mem Z

The Knoxville Tribune says: This is
hard question to answer. 1t has often
been asked and as often failed of salts
factory answer. It is easy to give adj
vice; far more difficult to heed it. It is
easy, too. to tell our young men to go to
work, but 1t is not SO easy for them to
always find it-at least the kind they
may desire. One trouble with many of
Them Is, they are too much inclined to
seek "soft places" They are not will
ing to commence life at the bottom
round of the ladder and climb upwards.
They prefer to skip the lower ones and
reach the upper ones at the first bound.
Here they commit blunder, if they
will allow us to say so. It is always the
best and surest policy to get right down
to the earnest and practical duties of life
just as we find them, no matter how
rugged they be, or how distasteful.-
Take hold of them and grapple with
them, and trustto "good luck" and per-
sistent labor to get up higher. Promo
ton or elevation will soon come along
and reward all such efforts. Pride is
playing the wild with too many of our
young men. They are stunning these
ply because they regard them beneath
their ''cloth." They forget the fact that
all real business men and men of wealth
and intelligence have a much higher
opinion Of the young man who is dis
posed to work himself up step by step,
by hard and persevering toll, than of the
one who is too proud to do SO. The for
mer will command attention and assis-
lance in due time, while the other will
neither have employment nor friends.
We could give instances right here In
Knoxville of men who twenty five years
ago, were hard laborers, and toiled at the
| day at SO cents, that are now worth
thousands of dollars. Wekn0w prom
inent railroad gentleman, "new vastly
rich, who commenced life in the noun
tains of Virginia as common corn field
hand, and received only eight dollars
month for his services. He was so faith
full and efficient, however, that his en-
ployer found him indispensable-tha
he. could not well get along without
him, and, therefore raisd his wages
From this position he soon stepped to q
higher one, and that augmented his re-
sponsibilities, but brought it larger COM
pensation. He was then young, stout
and vigorous, and was not ashamed of
labor in any Of its forms: Whatever his
hand found to do that he did with his
| AAAA6Ao' t1iO Ao SI0CC AAuASCA Al OuO
eyes of his fellows? Not at all. He
commended himself by his industry and
his willingness to work wherever he
might be put. To day he is indepen-
dent and has the confidence and esteem
of all who know him. Young man, go
and do likewise. Don't be afraid of soil
ing your hands or your clothes. If you
can't be clerk in store, or lawyer
or physician, you can at least be a labor
err on farm and if you can only COM
mand eight dollar month, take it and
resolve by your industry and fidelity
that you will exact higher wages the
next month. Horace Greedy once re-
marked that too many young men were
vainly striving to do that which they
could not do, and that which they could
do, they were too proud to do.
Again, why will SO many young men
from the country come to the towns and
cities in search of "easy Places" when
their fathers own good farms, and where
they can find useful and remunerative
employment They do wrong in this
thing, as they will find out In short
time to their sorrow. They had better
stay where they are and stick to their
plows. 1t will be far better for them in