The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-09-04
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Short Talks With the BOYS.

"a am strong, healthy boy, Is years old,
and havea fair common sc hool education.
must make my own way III life. What
| trade would you advise me to learn"
Advice would do you no good. We
will give you some facts and figures re,
garding good MANY trades, and YOU
can see what they offer. In present.
ing these figures we are guided by
what is paid in Detroit. They may he
somewhat higher in Chicago or New
York and somewhat lower in other
cities. but, taking the country over, the
average will be about the same.
If you want 10 become II iutchcr YOU
must serve a three years apprcnIicc-
| ship. The rule is 20 board with Your
! employer, and the first year YOU may,
! if handy and willing. get SO or $50
above board. During the first year yuu
will drive cart and do the rough work
] After the 1hird year you will get all
. the way from 81 to S14 per week.
/ There is Ond-bulchcr in Detroit rcceiv-
/ ing $20 per week, but there are plenty
working for less than Tl4. In most
cases the apprentice sets up for him
self after his term has expired, and few
butchers travel on the trade.
! The apprentice 10 Il harness maker
must serve the same time. The best
boy will not get over IS per month the
first year. and the majority only So. 1t
is all shop work, and used to he con-
+ si,iered a good trade, but of late years
So many State prisons have gone into
the business. and machinery has had
SO much to do with it, that harness.
i makers are discouraged. In the aver
ace shops jOurneymcn can be hired for
! 50 to so per week. 1t is doubtful if
the very best men, working on fancy
harness. can make over Sl5 per week.
If you would be n shoemaker vou
must also serve three years. You
would get what is called board and
clothes" the first year, which means
board and about S25 in cash. The
second year you would get board and
about so, and third year board and
! 500. During this apprenticeship, if
you were the right kind of boy, you
would be allowed to earn considerable
change for yourself by odd jobs of
cobbling. The wages of good Journey
men shOemakers are from $l2 to SO
per week. and Il good man is never out
of work. There is no lost time, and
weather which is bad for other trades
is good for the shoemaker.
The timers apprentice serves the
same perio !. The wages given are $50,
SO and $100 per year, with board, but
ii your employer is the right kind of d
man he will allow you to earn a dime
occasionally by mending leak. Many
timers are also plum bers, but in cities
the two trades are kept separately. Any
one of them can, however, work more
L., sci, ID
shcet-iron work should go with the
trade. The wages of n good Journey
man are 50 per day, but more arc re-
ceiving SO per week than above it.
Labor-savlng machinery has sadly in
tcrfered with the journeyman during
the last six years. The pans, pie-tins,
cups and several other articles he used
to cut by pattern and solder together
are now stamped at blow without
seams.
The baker business takes no regular
apprentice. Boys are taken to work,
and arc allowed 10 learn how to bake,
but there is no agreement as to time.
The greater portion of the work can be
learned i'll Il year, but bakers who have
followed the trade for twenty years
can still learn something new. The
wages are from 81 to $12 per week. 1t
is q fancy baker who gets the latter
figure.
The apprenticeship to n plumber is
for three years. 4 boy will get about
So per week, without board. the first
year. and $5 to Sc the second. A
plumber who is also 81 stcam-ltter can
count on from So to $500 per day and
steady work. The wages paid to either
plumber or gas-titter will average
So per day.
The apprenticeship to a cabinct-mak-
er is for the same term, but, owing to
labor-saving machinery, penal labor
and other causes, it is perhaps the
poorest trade boy can learn. Good