Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-04-01
SAVE THE BOYS.

Do American boys learn trades any more?
One would suppose not, if the multitude OF
purposeless, aimless young men out OF en-
ployment is any indication. There was
time when the master mechanic had his house
filled with hearty young apprentices, and
when his journeymen went from under his
roof to set up life for themselves. To men
in middle life the recollections of those far
off times when the master, his men and boys,
formed strong productive industrial group,
seem like the memory of primitive age.
Sons of rich and educated men did not
think it beneath them to swing the broad
ak in the ship.yard, or the sledge hammer
at the anvil. Or they went to sea before the
mast, and eli nbed to the quarterback from
the fore castle. In a family Of boys one
would be sent to college, one might posi-
bly, 90 into mercantile pursuits, and the
Others would choose their trades, after many
anxious but CHEEKY family councils. Nova
days the young lads shrink the irksome con-
fnement of the mechanics shop. If they
cannot 60 to college, and so while away their
youth, they must Ego into store" any
thing but work. We do not belittle the vo-
cation of clerk or statesmen when we say
that to be in either one or the other of
these callings, appear to most young men
the most comfortable thing. Of all the
pursuits which raen follow, this seems to re-
quire the IL asst preparation. At any rate, the
men who a,e not willing to make themselves
useful, more naturally turn to the shop of the
retail trader ths-. 70 any other source of en-
ployment. They never have learned trade.
They like to wear good clothes. If they cannot
stand behind counter or desk, or secure po-
litical influence sufficient to push them into an
Office of some sort, they drift aimlessly about,
looking for employment which never comes
False ideas of living and extravagant no.
tious are responsible for a good deal of this
hopeless misery. Young lads are brought up
to consider manual labor degrading and
fond, foolish parents sometimes seem to prefer
that their children should 60 out into the
world helpless, rather than they should learn
a trade. But the sel6shness of mechanics,
and the outrage ,us tyranny of their unions,
have had hand in bringing to pass the pres
ent state of thir g. About twenty-five years
ago there bega.: series of experiments in
trade unions which has resulted disastrously.
1Oe tllueS WeIe Soou, WOIh was PiohIf, ""SS'
fair. TO maintain monopoly Of these, asso-
Citations of mechanics began to limit the mum.
ber of apprentices which might be employed
in each shop, factory or company of work
men. Men who had sons to equip for life ac'
tually voted to shut the trades against their
own offspring. The consequence was that the
supply of skilled workmen did not keep up
with the expapson of the country, and with
the legitimate demand Employers were
obliged to send abroad for workmen, and it
came to pass that grown men from foreign
parts took the places in American workshops
for which American boys should have been
educated. Where now are those neglected,
cheated boys2 Some of them are in jails
and almshouses. Some will be found loung-
ing on the benches in the public parks, vain.
ly waiting for something to turn up. Others,
willing erough, are advertising for situations
where they can make themselves generally
useful.-New York Times.