The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-10-03


out and shook up the dog, climbed into
her wagon, gathered up the reins and
drove off toward tho East CleUcland
Leader.
Seeking Work.
"There are fully five thousand men
now looking for positions as bookkeepers
in the city," said the manager of well,
established employment company, which
advertises almost daily fer men to fill
this or that position. They are men
of all ages, but mostly between twenty
five and thirty-five. But l should say
that fully ten per cent. of them are
men who are well on with or already
beyond the middle age. These are the
hardest to find places for. They ara
too much set in their own notions OF
business to adapt themselves readily to
others notions, and then those who
want bookkeepers prefer younger mon
who can grow with the business. These
elderly applicants have, as a general
thing, seen better times. Many Of them
have been in business for them selves
and failed, or have been by accident
thrown out of good positions in which
they failed to lay something by for the
rainy day. NV estimate of the number
of would-be bookkeepers is a careful
one, and is based upon long expert
ence in this line of business. There arc
twenty-three thousand bookkeepers en-
ployed in the city, and more than a
quarter as many more unemployed.
You would be astonished to learn the
number Of able-bodied men who could
work at a hundred different things if
they had mind to, but who will per-
sist in either keeping books or keep
ing idle. Young men, with lifetime
ahead of them and the whole range of
ordinary vocations TO chose from, will
hang around town for months, and run
into debt, while waiting chance to
keep hooks. The time has gone by
when good penmanship will nccessa-
rily secure man living. There are
too many good penmen now, and |
know for fact that there are some
business houses where expert penman-
ship is discounted, and where one who
is able to write too well is suspected of
incapacity in other respects. OF course
l don't pretend to indorse this, but it is
one of the factors which prevent clever
pcnmen from at once securing employ
ment. And what do you suppose a
good book-keeper gets week, any
how ?'
"Twcnty or twenty-five dollars" said
the reporter, at guess.
"Well, there arc very few book
keepers in New York who earn twenty
five dollars week-very few. There
are not many who make twenty dol
lars. The average pay of an ordinary
book-keeper is from fifteen to eighteen
dollars week. | will undertake to
furnish hundreds of good book keepcrs
at from twelve to fifteen dollars
week"
day."
Precisely, and there are not many
of the 5000 unemployed book-keepers
who would not take it. Yet it was only
three months ago that l read in the
public prints that it was not possible to
secure competent policemen on the
Brooklyn bridge at two dollars day."
"What is the condition of things in |
other lines of employment"
81 can't speak for the number of or
binary laborers, for we seldom have
for them. The other bust
ness men who want help send to us,
and we have continually on our books
q number of applicants who say that
they can do this thing or the other
thing, and If we cannot fill the bill
from those we have on hand we adyor-
tise. Our fee comes from the man en-
ployed. The fact is man must pay a
fec before going on our books. He
then has chance for certain length |
Of time for getting employment through
us. He may or he may not get it. 1t
does not pay him to say he can do a
certain kind of work unless he really
can do it. If he says he is bar-keeper
and pays lis fee for getting him such
, position, and is afterward discharged
or incompetency you can see that he
gains nothing by the operation except
and he will probably come
o us and say that he is willing to go
IS assistant bar-keeper and learn
he business. We have a great many
applicants and great many places to
i'll in the bar-keeping line. The appli-
ANTS are mostly Germans, and the en-
'loyers generally prefer Germans. A
ew years ago nearly all the bar-tend.
RS were Irish. We get "runs" on the
liiferent nationalities at times. During
he dynamite season few months ago
We found it was very hard thing to
ind berth of any kind for an Irish
nan, though I am not sure that dyna-
nite had anything to do with it. After
and bar-tenders we prob
bly, have most applicants for porter,;
ct there are ten times as many appll-
ants for the places as there are porters
'anted. Indeed, every line of employ
lent is overcrowded and has been for
wo years. IN. Y. Herald.