The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-06
Gha GateLLlgss1er.
asntsel weEhers.

In every city and village Of Canada, ssys
the Toronto Globs, there are numbers Of
stalwart young men hanging round stores
and offices, looking for "genteel" employ
ment, working on starvation salaries, or
idly waiting for Influence to get them a
government berth. They may be divided
into two classes-men who are too lazy to
be OF any use, and men who are sacrificing
the future to absurd social prejudices.
With those Of the first class we will not
NEEDLE now; they are not to be reused by
scolding or counsel. But the others are
often sound.hearted, capable fellows,
ready to work and able to do good for
themselves and the community, II only
they can find something which the senti.
ments OF genteelocracy will allow them to
20 at. In an office they write during long
hours for very poor pay or none at all;
they stand behind q counter from morn.
ing till late evening, or will do well in an
engineering or surveying party. It is not
monotony, or fatigue, or hardship that
most OF them fear, but the ridiculous bug
aboo Of what they suppose TO be good So
ciety. Their mothers or sisters, not TO
mention cousins and aunts, have taught
them 70 believe that it Is more respectable
to copy deeds or sell ribbons than to shove
4 plane, cut stone, plough the soil, or
swing an axe. 1t Is not necessary TO say
that their female relatives are entirely mis-
taken. The lads Know that in their hearts.
But they want to be respected, rather than
be respectable, and imagine that theye
would not be respected il engaged on
farm or ut q trade. They are, in fact,
afraid of the opinion OF few fools. All
sensible people would applaud their disre-
gard OF conventional opinion.
We know how hard 1t is for the young
to defy their own social preiudices. But
they are often the slaves OF their imagina-
lions, and in nine cases out OF ten nobody
sneers or cares straw when they do that
from which their souls shrink. Let
young clerkly person take up manual
employment and he will lind that the
world is about the same, and he about as |
much thought Of, as before. In the long
run nothing but success-by which abused
word we do not mean the acquisition OF
money or power-is really respected. Sue |
cess consists in living happy and there |
fore q good life, and we believe that many |
well educated young men ruin their
chances OF such success by refusing 70 en-
yaee in actual bodily labor. They take up |
'genteel" employments in early man:
hood, get accustomed to them, and
pass the best years OF their life
in waiting for rise that never |
comes to the majority. Having lost hope
with youth, they fear to begin in another
line, and pass on TO age without knowing |
what Independence means. For purposes
OF worldly advancement good education
is much more useless TO such men than
10 a farmer or mechanic. 1t is especially |
the well.eduCated, able.bodied young TEL
lows who have career as mechanics or
farmers. liable TO do manual labor as
we'll Us their fellows, their knowledge WILL
show them many chances that the igno-
rant do not see. Put q man OF good in
teIligence and education in ditch with
a shovel in his hand, beside q gang OF ig'
norant navyies, and he will be foreman
before long, then sub-contractor, and fin.
ally, If sharp, he may rise TO be o friend oil
upper. The same man In q store or once
has many more chances sgainst him, be-
cause there he has 10 compete with educa-
ted men. Education increases ones
chances OF advancement infinitely more
in trade where educationl Is rare than IN |
profession where il is common. Amolt-
ious, Well-taught young men can do bet.
ter than "go west" They can throw OF
their coats at home, and by beginning to
ca. their bread in the sweat OF their otows
get into position OF command much more
rapidly than by engaging In "genteef
employment.