Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-10-12

Some years since graduate Of New England
college called at my office with letter OF intro
young man to be seated, | asked him how could
serve him. He said he desired a cashiership In
bank and wished my assistance Have you ever
been in bank? No, sir. What are your quail
fications for 80 high a position? | have been
through college. That is we'll stood high In
mathematics. That is well, too, replied. What
more? To my astonishment, he said, can any
thing more be needed ? replied. Oh, yes. Go
ing through college is well enough, but 1t Is q
small part of the qualifications you need. then
told him he must have knowledge OF the busi-
ness How can get that. By beginning at the
bottom and working up. Do you mean, said he,
that shall go into bank and sweep and dust
replied that was not necessary-bu that In order
to establish his claim to a cashiership he must be-
gin with clerkship and work up through the
grades Of positions until his fitness was recognized
by your directors. Said |, II your father IL rich
man and desires 10 establish bank and make
do so--as he alone takes the rsk-but when
Board Of Directors, who are trustees Of the prop
erty Of stockholders, select cashier, the business
public would never Justify them In taking man
who was not educated to the business.
The young man left my office with a sorrowful
countenance, remarking that his college course
had been of no service to him and that four years
Of valuable life had been lost.
This Is by no means an isolated case Thou
sands Of young men, who are graduated from our
colleges fail to find out that text book knowledge
has not necessarily money value until brought
face TO face with the unwelcome discovery. .
1t Is too bad in this busy and practical world to
allow any young man to think for moment that
he has not his part Of the work 10 perform. Out
OF usefulness comes happiness. Not out OF money !
not out of education not out of an honored an
cestry, however noble or grand but out OF use
fulnessl Out Of real life work, In life industry,
by which the world will be made better, wiser
strongerl by which yokes will be lifted from bur-
dened necksl by which grief shall be assuaged
and life made more acceptable to the toilng
millions
The frequent failures of college graduates to
the attainment of ideal, is that their means of
obtaining the ideal not Of practical character
and the fault is largely in home neglect.
The technical school the agricultural college,
and TO an extent the scientific COURSE come In to
supply much needed help. an acre Of ground
10 plough and plant and hoe and harvest, is fully
equal to gymnasium for recreation and far better
for discipline.
What shall we do with our young men ? Ger
tainly the least we can do is to give them the
benefit OF our own experience and observation.
We know that intelligent industry and economy
have made the wealth and wisdom of men. That
il the productive forces stopped should destroy
| ourselves as a nation in space of time easily
measured by a generation.
That to grow and hold our present growth we
must have as active generations in the future as
| we have had in the past