Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-11-18
Conscientious Workers.
SOME GOOD ADVICE TO WORKERS OF ALL
s6RTs.

SOME GOOD ADVICE TO WORKERS OF ALL
s6Rrs.
The tendency Of our times is 10 disregard
old maxims. 1t is true, many Of them,
based on the experience of other people
under very different conditions, are not ap-
plicable in our day. Haste makes waste"
may be true in the workshops. but the bus-
ness man knows that "time is money" and
it pays TO be in hurry when the market
shows signs of change. The good old
maxim that "whaieyer is worth doing is
worth doing WE'LL" is too often forgotten.
THAT is good enough for him. or for the
money, Is poor excuse for a man TO sacri-
fee his good name. and still worse to induce
him TO acquire careless habits. II has been
said tha, while American workmen are bet
ter paid, better fed. better educated and, we
may aed, better behaved, than those otaany
other country, they can beat the world in
sighting their work and cheating their
customers and employers. The shoemaker,
who turns out one or two pairs of boots
week for a customer. takes an honest pride
in his work. and feels and knows that he is
10 be held personally responsible for every
stitch he puts in. In large factory where
| the division of labor should make every
man an expert in his own branch, the work
man often loses his identity and RESPONSE
bility. He knows the customers cannot fall
back on him. however imperfect his work
| II it is only covered up so as to conceal il
| from the eye OF his foreman he is safe
Probably this is doing much to encourage
careless work. IL tis%ell known that ready
made clothing, boots. dresses, undcr-cloth-
ing, everything made in large quantities, is
! far cheaper than custom work. but, alas it
| is very often not as good. There are many
| people in every land who like to be hum
bugged. while others have an equally strong
| passion for cheap wares, whether poor or
| good, and some one must supply this de-
mand. The producers of such goods en-
| ploy poor workmen at eorrespondingly poor
wages. because they must make their profits
out OF their wors mea. Five and ten cent
stores are lowering the standard of produc-
| ton As we'll as the scale of wages
! 1t never pays to be poor workman. II
/ YOU arc Young man aim TO do honest
woik, and, although your present employer
may not be willing 10 pay YOU any more for
I well made coat or neatly finished boot
/ than he would for a botch. don't be dIscour-
| aged. II YOU are a carpenter, make the best
/ JOINT YOU can If YOU are q machinest, see
I that every bolt and rivct Is a. firm as II your
lite depended on It's properly fulfilling its
/ duties. How carefully the aerouaut exam
| ines his balloon, the tight-rope performer
/ his rope, before he trusts his life to it
/ Would shiphuilder take passage on a YES
/ sci II his own building If he knew that be
| had willfully neglected or slighted any es-
sential part Of her hull Yet many a Young
/ mechanic has destroyed his own future and
committed moral suicide by sending forth a
/ poor piece of work The old surgical pro-
I tcssors caution to Young medical student
/ Is no, inapt here. SAID he III you are
/ ever called To set broken leg. and Your
/ work j. a failure. and the man becomes
I cripple, YOU may be sure he will alaays
/ come limping along Just at the wrong time,
when YOU are surrounded by Your clients
and friends. He Is walking advertisement
of your incapacity."
| Every manufacturer knows the value of
( good reputation. There are names that will
| sell almost anything Why do Burt's shoes
bring a better price than those OF other
Makers WAY does Squibb's ether bring a
better price than that OF any one else Why
/ do Merk's chemicals have their own price
list Because they are known to be honest
| ly prepared. The path 10 fame by honest
meri, is slow and tedious one. \ manu-
| faciurer who j. so careful about his products
that he puts a higher price on them than his
less conscientious neighbor can sell for, may
bc repaid a, first by small sales and smaller
| profits. Ii takes long time to build up
reputation by rSocllenee. but once acquired
II IS llke the pearl Of great price.
/, is much the same with the workman as
with the manufacturer. If every stroke he
strikes is solid work. eonscieutiously per
formed, he will acquire a reputation. limited
as II may be. that j. sure to pay IN the end.
We would not conceal or deny the fact that
some men labor under peculiar disady antages
All men. are not born equal. either mentally
or physically. One is naturally sklllful in
one direction, another is expert in many
things. One man may do his level best. and
Vet he will not turn out As good a piece of
work as his more skillful brother who only
half tries. Let him not he discouraged b.
cause he is handicapped in the race and NAV
not be able TO reach the top of the ladder
There is room for honest work men every
where; even respectable medocrity pays bet
ter than brilliancy coupled with trickery
The native American is distinguished by
his ingenuity, and with half a chance he
makes his mark everywhere. Yet he some
times loses the race in competition with less
able men of other lands, because their care
ful training and early drill in their profession
their long and severe apprenticeship, has
more than compensated for the want of natur-
al tact and ingenuity. Perseverance will not
conquer all things, but will 20 good long
way toward success. While luck seems to
favor the few, most men have TO carve out
their own success by hard labor, in which a
full determination to do everything TO the
very best of ones ability counts for more
than is generally supposed. Above all
things, don't waste time in regretting that
anothsr trade was not chosen. Ii it is an
honest one. stick to it and it will pay
Scientific American