The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-08-12


subordinates, do they attain the higher
positions and greater responsibilities of
tneT pfoIeSSl0n.sSsssz~-ysa
And what is true in this instance may
be said of nearly every branch of business
as we find like necessity Tor greater
amplitude and thoroughness of prepara-
ton in all lines of professional activity.
The discoveries in chemistry within a
few years past have been of far reach
ing Importance and many~of them have
been such that frst-class doctor cam
not remain ignorant of the advances
made and retain his position in the
front rank of his professions. With law
yers, also, greater familiarity is ex-
pected with all departments of modern
science, so that many members of the
bar at the present day may be really
classed as experts in the technicalities
OF important industries. And with these
demands for higher standard of prep
aratlon the facilities for its attainment
nave been so multiplied that they are
easily within the reach of all who have
the disposition and the energy to avail
themselves Of the opportunities offered. :,
One popularity in the conduct of our
leading industries, however, has oper-
ated rather to hinder the attainment of
this higher standard of excellence
among workmen in many cases. The
"divlsion of labor now carried out in
such detail in most branches of BUSINESS
has given us great numbers of workmen
who know only a small portion of a
trade, and; unless the mechanic be ann
bilious to rise in his avocation, he be-
cnmQS
blaeksmiths, machinists, carpenters,
masons, painters, shoemakers, etc., are,
now divided into separate classes of
Workmen who are masters only of some
speciality in their trade, rather than the
whole trade, and but seldom endeavor
to reach practical knowledge of all
the other departments of their own busi4
ness. To illustrate from what is certainly,
one ofthe least stcomplicated Of our trades
IN a modernsh factory we find, besides Z
the cutters, filters and makers of the up-.
pers, there are different sets OF men
employed for HASTINGS heeling, trimse
mng,, Furnishing, finishing, etc., the
hnlshed boot or shoe in most cases be-
ing lhe work of six. to ten hands, seacfrssl
of whom knows only how to do his par
ticular part. This division Of labor un-
doubtedly gives the best results in the
aggregate for the community, but the.
ease with which workmen attain pro-
hclency in one small item of q whole
trade undoubtedly tends to check that
ambition to excel which has thus far
been the most markeA Acharacteristic of
American mechanics. 81 - i''4 sAA hfui%
81 have taken all knowledoe to he Il
4
lo9Z' when he was only thirty-one years
of age. The expression often occurs to
US when we consider what is now ex- :
pected from first-class mechanics as
wen as from professional men. Bacon 1s
excelled all other. men of his day in a
I" knowledge OF the mutual relations Of
all departments of knowledge" and
his philosophy, more than that of any
one else OF his time, taught "the art Of
inventing arts.'' Taking his meaning
in this sense, there are many to-day
who might fifty say what Bacon said Of
himself. But this is pre-eminently a 81
practical age, and, while. it shows the
best possible development OF the Ba-
conian philosophy, it requires of all p,
who would stand at the head in any de-
partment of the worlds activity, an
amount OF practical knowledge of which
he had only a general conception.ll The !,
which now crowd upon each.
other in the competitions OF life are OF
those who do not meet the call for that
betterculture and more complete prepa
ration of which society can never have
enough and which the diversified indus. ss
tries and great enterprises of modern
times will always find ample EN- ploy-
ment for. ''There is always room at 10
the top" said Daniel Webster, in reply
to the Inquiry of young lawyer as to
the chances of success in his profess
sion and only those who pursue their
avocations. OF whatever nature, with
this in mind, are certain to succeed