Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1880-09-02

faithfully shall serve, his secrets keep,
his lawful commands everywhere gladly
do. He shall do no damage to his said
master, nor see it to be done of others,
but to his power shall let (prevent), or
forthwith give notice to his said master
of the same.
"The goods of his said master he shall
not waste, nor the same without license
of him to any give or lend. Hurt to his
said master he shall not do, cause, nor
procure to be done. He shall neither
buy nor sell without his masters license.
Taverns, inns, or ale houses he shall not
haunt. At cards, dice, tables, or any
other unlawful game, he shall not play.
Matrimony he shall not contract; nor
from the service of his said master day
nor night absent himself"
master and father. This absolute power
was frequently abused.
The first two years of the boys APP
premiership he was in many cases serv-
ant of all work. He BACKED his mas
grindstone, drove the cows, and, as Sir
Wallace Scott reports of Scotland, was
liable in some strict families 'sto spend
Z.
The hours of labor then were from
sunrise to sunset in the summer, and
from sunrise to nine O'Clock in the even
ing in the winter.
The wages of an apprentice were
about sufficient to buy the material for
his clothes; and if he had sixpence a
week over, he was lucky boy. Usually,
however, he did succeed in learning his
trade. His master had time to teach
him, and it was to his masters interest
that he should become competent
workman as soon as possible.
But all this has passed. The steam
engine has changed everything. The
master, what is he now? Where is he?
He is capitalist, director, a presi-
dent of company. He may never see
his workmen, if indeed he ever enters
his factory.
Nor is there any one else to teach ap-
prentices, for each foreman has in
charge large roomful of men and ma
chinery, and can not spare, from his
exacting and ceaseless duties, much
time for instructing an ignorant boy.
Hence, it has become a matter of ex-
IRENE difficulty for boy in the United
States, England, Germany or France,
to become really skillful in any trade.
To many boys it is impossible.
To meet this difficulty, which increases
every year, apprentice schools have been
established in Europe, to which boys are
regularly bound, as of old, and at which
they acquire a trade and an education
at the same time. Some large private
establishments in France maintain such
school for the express purpose of train
ing the superior workmen whom they
need, and must have.
During the first year, the young ap-
prentice spends about half the working
day in the shops, and two hours in
school. When he is older, and has
served three years, he works seven and
half hours in the shops, and three
hours in the school-room.
English manufacturers are becoming
awake to the necessity of rearing work
men who can compete with the skilled
artisans of France and Germany. We,
too, are following slowly in the same
course.
1t has been lately suggested that part
of the huge bequest of Stephen Girard
should be expended in founding APP
prentice schools of this kind, which
would carry out the will of the donor
more effectually than has hitherto been
found possible. The trustees have more
income than they know what to do with.
and in this way their surplus could
be advantageously expended.-Yoasth' s
Companion.