The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1877-06-28
Learn ! Trade.

There Is of1e lesson which we hope the
present time will Sc deeply ef1gfave upon
the minds of all parents that it's impress.
sion will never be effaced. That Is, the
necessity of teaching boys some trade,
and making thsm thoroughly conversant
with it:
The food Of men who arc wandering
an4iotsly shout the streets Of all greatcit-
les, seeking with weary hearts employ
ment which will provide for themselves
and families even meager support, con-
tains surprisingly few mechanics, or men
who have been trained up to any regular
trade requiring skill and practice. 1t is
made up manly OF men who in their
youth were "smart'' young men, who
thought they knew too much to tie them
selves down to the drrdgery and tinpleas-
antness of any shop. fhey would be
q gentlemen wear good clothes, don
clean shirt every day, and adopt some
light. gefiteeP' employment, which
they could follow without serious effects
upon their clothes or hands.
These men have drifted around, clerkoIa
in q dry goods store at small salary, run
cigar stand, perhaps did some indiffer-
entity good Bookkeeping, copied papers.
VI uODt dlly duu Oil vi tiAO shOuSdld oANh
one things involving but little manual
labor, brains or experience which are
possible in our complex system of life.
As long as times were flush they succeeded
tolerably well In satisfying their little am
billions. they wore tolerabiy good clothes,
and seemed passably genteel." But the
moment the stringency began to make it.
self felt, they were the first to suffer. En-
,1I,~ ,o1k of 1onf Iocolu on6
retained skilled men to the last.
The reason was obvious. A trained
man is an acquisition to any establish
about replacing him. But the crop of
useful is never falling one, and man
! hundred of them in an hours time, each
able to do about the same things, have the
as the other. An advertisement in any
leading daily newspaper in the United
States fof g a man for some light, respect
able employment" would bring thou
sand applicants in twenty -four hours, the
majority Of which would state that
wages would not be so much of an OBJ
jeet as steady employment"
But no such response would be made fOf
an advertisement for bricklayers or CAT
penters, or stone masons. No thousands
of men clamorous to work at any price,
| would come trooping up in answer to an
advertisement for blacksmiths, plumbers,
paintels, timers or mechanics generally.
Trade may be dull with those men, and
wages low, but those who understand their
/ G,I ;,, N
steady employment.
Establishments In this and other cities,
which employ miscellaneous laborers, are
besieged by men willing to work at any
| price. Men who have been watchmen,
policemeni barkeepers, conductors on
street railways, messengers, collectors,
clerks, copyists, ook-keepers, and all
that miscellaneous crowd, throng to OIL
| lumber-yards and similar places, and
offer to work at carrying lumber or SINH
lar ordinary labor, at from seventy five
cents to dollar day. But there arr
few, if any, mechanics in this crowd
and if those who claim to be such arr
examined, it will be found that their me
chanica1 skill is of the most ordinary
kind.
This is the fate which overtakes thos,
who at the outset of life scorned to bint
themselves down to the unpleasant lot O.
an apprentice. They go to the railroad
to beg employment in any capacity, ant
they find there in trusted positions, a
fine, salaries as conductors, engineers
master mechanics, etc., the meh who, {
few years ago, they looked down upon a
greasy and dirty little Irish and German
boys, who were following :" low" ant
ungenteel" business. The same is tru,
wherever they go. Everywhere the.
find the despised apprentices of a few
years age are the men now having at1
thority and position, to whom they mus
apply for places, and who will be. thei
z" Bosses" if they get place. Thus is thu
dignity of labor reyenging itself.-1oted
Blade. 1880 III