South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1882-11-03


South were studiously Instructed to ds,piss me-
chanicas smpioymenu. The grassy mechanic
OF 'bs North vas a object Of Southern scoru,
ana the true Sou,berner va, expected to thank
God that few that class were ever likely to
venture soolh Of Mason aud Dixou's line.
An amazing aud most encouraging change
has been wrought in the popular sentiment Of
the South on this score during recent ye.rs.
Factories are springing up-undeveloped rescur-
ces are beiag turned TO use and pro6t-aad AL
most every where the feeling IL coming TO be. IL
IL has not already become, one Of respec, Tor
and desire for rapid development OF Mechanic
arts Asan expression of this feeling We have
teen nothing more significant than recent ar
tic!e in the Atlanta (Ga.) Constitution, from
which The following 10 sninentiy quotabie. 1t
Isl lesson which young men of the North as
well MS OF the South may pro6tably take to heart:
I've have an over supply of clerks,
lawyers, and politicians, aud we always
will haze; but VIC are sadly deficient in
men whose hands are cultivated as we'll
as their brains. We lack intelligent
mechanics and civil engineers, and FORE
mon. and managers OF machinery. If
we gather enough money to start fac
tory, we have To send to other States TO
get men competent to guide the machin-
cry and conduct the inside operations of
tie factory. Ii we build railroad, we
must at the outset import engineers and
afterward men skilled in operating q
railroad.
This is all wrong. The young man
OF the future in the South the best in
the land should study, as soon as he
leaves school. some department of man
ufac,uring. He must first. Of course,
make himself skilled mechanic - learn
trade, in other words-and lie need
not and should not dislike tho phrase.
1t is certainly rs honorable aud as pleas
ant to set horses shoe rs to nettifoa
case in Justices court, or sell rib
bons in retail store, or serve in any
other half paid and precarious employ .
ment. We must get rid Of the sham
gentlity that despises labor, and espe.
ciallv labor in which brain and skill are
tremendously and effectively united. II
the South Is to become Independent =
her industrial interests are ever fully de
ve'oped. her young meO must abandon
old time notions OF labor, and prepare
themselves to take charge of matters
that are now necessarily the spoil Of
strangers. The best and most inviting
places in the southern country now 90
rs they do in Mexico AMI E!ypt, TO skill
ed men from other anI more sensible
States. The better the boy is educa-
ted, The better mechanic, or superinten-
dent, or engineer. lie vii! make Th.
high school is as useful TO the future
mechanic rs to the future lawyer OF
merchant. All boys need all the school
Ing they can get but, after they leave
school, let them turn to Industrial re-
tier than professional avenues.
10 effect this we need, as in all 9th.
er reforms, n change in public senti-
ment. We need sentiment that will
condemn the folly Of the past in thi
respect. We need sentiment that will
recognize The fact that the great indus
tries furnish the best field for tue Young
man who has career to make-that in
thom is to he found both good wages
and the most promising and desirable
employment that the land affords. If
we can once secure snca public senti-
ment, we can safely trust the remainder
of the problem to the courage and good
sense of the young men Of the South
-ScientGc american.