The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1877-08-30
LEARN A TRADE.
Valuable Advice 10 Young Men Saart
m I'M Il

Let The boys and young men of this
vicinity read the following from the To-
ledo Blade and take the hint:
There is one lesson which we hope the
present times will so deeply engrave upon
the minds of all parents that its I'M
preston will never be efiaced. That is,
the nece ssity of teaching boys some trade,
and making them thoroughly conversant
with it.
The food of men who are wandering
anxiously about the stress of all great
cities, seekin., with weary hearts employ
ment which will provide for themselves
and families even q meager Support, con-
tains surprisingly few mechanics, or men
who have been trained up to any reeu-
lar trade requiring skill and practice.
1t Is made up mainly of men who III
their youth were "smart" young men,
who thought they knew too much 10 lie
themselves down to the drudeery and
unpleasantness of any shop. They would
be q gentleman" wear good clothes, dol
a clean shirt every day, and follow some
light " genteef' employment, which they
could follow without serious effects upon
their clothes or hands.
These men have drifle1 around, clelA-
ed in dry goods store at small salary,
Iun cigar stand, perhaps did some in
differently good bookkeeping, copied
papers, or done any and all of The thou
sand and one things involving but little
manual labor, brains OF experience,
which are possible in our com; lex sys-
TEN of lie. As long as times were flu .l
they succeeded tolerably well in satisfy
ms their little ambitions. They wore
tole.aby good clothes, and seemed
passably "genteel." But The moment
the stfingency began 20 make ITSELF fell.
they we're the first to suffer- Employers
turned them off relentlessIy, and retained
skilled men to the last.
The reason was obvious. A trained
man is an acquisition to any establish
ment, and if dropped there is no ce4-
tainty about replacing him. But the
crop OF these men who are simply gen
lily useful Is q never-fail;ng one, and
man can go out into the street and
pick Up a hundred of them in an hon. s
time, each of whom will know about IS
much, be able to do about the same
things, have The same general low stand
ard of usefulness as the other. An ad-
vertisement in any leading daily news
paper in the United States for "a man
Cor some light, respectable employment"
would bring a thousand applicants in
twenty-four hours, the majority o. which
would state that "ws ges would not be so
much of an object as steady employ
ment."
But no such response would be made
Tor an advertisement for bricklayels or
carpenters, or stone masous. No thou
sands OF men clamoTous to work at any
price, would come trooping up in answer
to an advertisement for blacksmith,
plumbers, painters, timers or mechanics
generally. Trade may be dull with
those men, and wages low, but those who
Understand their business find no dill
Guilty in occurring steady employment.
Establishments in this and other cities,
which employ miscellaneous laborers.
are besieged by men wiling to work ri
any price. Men who have been watch
men, policemen, barkeeper3, conductors
on street railways, passengers, collectors,
clerks, copyists, ok-keepers, and al
that miscellaneous crowd throng to Our
lumber yerds, and similar places aud
offer to work al carrying lumber or SINH
lar ordinary labor AT from IS cents to a
dollar day. But there are few, if any,
mechanics in this crowd, and if these
who claim to be such are examined il will
be found that their mechanical skill is of
the most ordinary kind
This IS the Gate which oveitakes those
VINO at the outset Of lie scorned to bind
themselves down to tbe unpleasant lot Of
gu apprentice. They 90 to the railroad
to beg employment in any capacity, and
they fitd there in trusted positions, at
fine salaries as conductors, e1gineeis,
master mechanics, etc., the men who a
few years ago they looked down upon
as greasy and dirty ittle Itish and
German boys, who were follow
ing Glow" and ungenteel" business.
The same is true wherever they go.
Everywhere they find The despised ap-
prentices OF few years ago are the men
now having authority end position, TO
whom they must apply for places end
who will lie theil, " bosses" if they get a
place. Thus IS the dignity O. 'abog re-
veng' lg it-e,fe. H