Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1881-09-01
The Skilled Workman.

1l6 Ckllleu nOThD1dH-
What makes skilled workman
Some men follow a trade for a score of
years witho becoming ofici6fit in it,
while otlIers acquire the aptihide of ex-
perts in two or three years after passing
their apprenticeship. 1t is evident that
the qualifications of a skilled workman
do not necessarily come from long
term of shop practice The skilled work
man. it will be observed, exercises his
brains as well as his hands. The man
who acquires askill superior to that of
his fellow-workman andscommands bet
ter wages is the man who thinks. While
the t;.ke-it-easy mechanic, whose lead
ing ambition is to put in certain num-
Der of hours day and get away from
the shop, is bOthering the foreman for
instructions in Overcoming some difficult
ty, his thinking fellow worker contrives
plan of his own and accomplishes tue
desired object. The demand is for more
mechanics who think, not only in the
shop, but out of it-those who probe
outside sources of information in order
to advance themselves in those Qualifica-
items which are sure to command recog-
milton. Just here the question arises
whether mechanics are hired to think as
we'll as perform manual labor. Some
act upon the supposltion that hand
work is all they are expected to furnish.
This class of wOrkmen make progress
only at snail's pace.
Every workman, to hold position
among his fellows, and deserve the title
of workman in the fullest sense, must be
acquainted with approved methods in
his work, must understand both the de-
tail of the work on which he is engaged
and the design of which it may be
part. The old system, which relied much
on haphazard method and rule-of-thumb,
has now gone by, and men are demanded
who understand the rules, or rather the
science of, as well as the skill which in
sures excellence in their craft.
There is a too common prejudice
among American youth against learning
q trade. They prefer more genteel
occupation, which holds out greater pros
poets of making money with slight ex-
ertiOn, forgetting that very little money
is earned in this country without hard
work. and they think d clerkship is much
preferable To a trade. To all such mis-
guided youths we commend the follow
Ing iCuidl No VI q odihCo dl IOils tHc we'll
known writer: -s
Compare the mechanics in the Novel
ty. Works with the clerks in Stewards
store. The clerks are excellent fellows;
they look well; dress we'll; understand
their business, and are in every respect
worthy members OF society; but our best
mechanics have a certain hope of man
hood, "A weight of character and depth
of reflection rarely seen in those who
only buy, and sell. ss So @ I
81 should be sorry to say anything to
disparage our institutions of learning
Nevertheless, feel confident that an in
telligent youth, who remains at school
until he is sixteen or seventeen, and
then apprentices himself to good trade,
can get a better education out of his
shop with an hours study of principles
in the evening" than it is possible to get
in any college in existence that is to
say, better education for this new and
forming country, where, for fifty years
at least to come, no man can hope to play
leading part, except in welding mater
ial forces. ASS ~
81 say, then, lads of sixteen, if you
would lay a foundation for sure prosper
ity, begin by learning trade, If you
would escape the perdition of being
fool, learn trade. If you would do
a mans part for your country, begin the
work of preparation by learning "a
trade"
Some one has said that man should
never consider himself civil engineer
until he feels competent to undertake
the superintendent of everything that
would professionally fall to his lot in an
undeveloped country, including the get |
ting of minerals, the preparation of ma |
terials, and the construction of any works |
necessary for the well being of the in
habitants.
1t will not do to rest satisfiad with
such production rs that of the country
carpenter, who exclaimed whenfit was
Suggested that the table which he had
brought home completed did not appear
TO be quite square. "Oh. yes, it is within
of an inchF Nor may
we now rest satisfied with effects such
as were produced III the machine describ-
ed by Mr.. Boulton, of the great firm of
Boulton & Watt, who, when writing to
his partner, some forty yeare ago, said
"You will be pleased to hear that we
have perfected a boring apparatus, which
works so accurately that we cannot in
any place insert piece of metal thicker
than half a crown between the piston
and the cylinder. Sanitary Engineer.