Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1877-12-26
Save the Boys.

Save the Boys.
DO American boys learn trades
any morei One would suppose not,
if the multitude of purposeless, aim.
less young men ont Of employment
is any indication. There was time
when the master mechanic had his
house filed with hearty young up.
prentices, and when his journeymen
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, formed u strong pro
ductive industrial group, seem like
the memory of a primitive age.
Sons of rich and educated men did
not think it beneath them to swing
the broad.axe in q ship yard, or the
sledge hammer at the anvil. Or
they went to sea before the mast,
and climbed to the quarterback
from the forecastle.
In q large family of boys one
would he sent to college, one might
possibly 60 iuto mercantile pursuit4,
and the others would choose their
trades after many anxious but Chez
~ family cOuncila Nowadays the
young lads shrink from the confine.
ments of the mechanics shop. II
they cannot 60 to college, and -
while away their youth, they must
ego into q store anything but
work. We do not belittle tho vocA-
ton of clerk or q salesman when
we say that to be in either one or the
other of these eallings appears to
the most young men the most DOM.
Portable thing. Of all tho pursuits
which men follow, this seems to re-
Quire the least preparation. At auy
rate the men who are willing TO
make them selves generally useful
more naturally turn to the shop OF
the retail dealer than any other
source of employment. They have
never learned o trade. They like to
wear good clothes and keep their
hands soft and white. If they can.
not stand behind the counter or
desk, or secure political influence
sufficient to push them into m Office
of some sort, they drift aimlessly
about, looking for employment that
never comes.
False ideas Of living and extrav.
agant notions are responsible for Q
great deal of this hopeless misery.
Young lads are brought up to con.
slider manual labor degrading, aud
fond, foolish parents sometimes seem
to prefer that their children should
60 out into the world hopeless, rath.
er than that they should learn q
trade. But the selishDess Of me-
chanics and the outrageous tyranny
of their unions, have had hand in
bringing to pass the present state
of things About twenty five years
. ago there began series q expert
ments in trades-uni which has
resulted disastrousiy. Tho times
were good, work plenty, and wages
fair. n maintain . monopoly OF
. these, associations Of mechanics b.
/ gan to limit the number Of appren-
/ tees which might be employed in
A each shop, factory, or company OF
0 workmen.
: Men who had sons to equip fos
: life actually voted to shut the trade
D against their own offspring. The
3 consequence was that the supply u
/; skilled workmen did not keep NJ
with the expansion of the country,
!, and with the legitimate demand
! Employers were obliged to send
, abroad for workmen, and Il came 4
9 pass that grown men nom foreign
. parts took the places In American
e workshops 1br which American toYl
= should have been educated. Where
!, now, are those neglected, ceestet
boysi Some Of then AFe IN - md
o alms-h ouseA Sooe win b Soand
lounging o. tie hanehssds thspab
% Ito p0rka, vaisl0 waiting Shr'09e
:. thing - tam lps OthscA $3.50
Q, enough, IN, eAyMto1AoI - eeQn
u tions where thay On Nonuohll
70 selves -gsasrally useful -NSV' -
Ismes' Br- IL IL Ts,Hs. ~ ~
I The Uniijd esasss ~ - -
Il postal cards than any St6e: S9uooa