Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1884-11-21
the American Boy.

The American Boy.
What shall be done with the
boy? is one Of the most important
questions that how confront the
American parent. The American
father is censured by every census
report for not raising more children,
and invidious comparisons are
made between his own and the
family of the fOreign-bOne citi-
zens across the street, while for
his own part he is at his wits end
to know what he shall do with the
two or three rollicking young fel-
lows already on his hands. If he
is wealthy, and would be glad to
see the boys go though college and
adopt some one Of the "learned
professions for "a livelihood, the
youngsters are either opposed to
it themselves on general principles,
or those polite callings are all so
full already that there is not room
even in the upper stories, where
Daniel Webster is quoted as say
ing there are always plenty Of
vacancies.
If he thinks of teaching them
trades he is met with still greater
opposition. He can find plenty Of
colleges and universities in the
land which will gladly undertake
the pleasing task Of graduating
his boys for a reasonable consid-
GRAFTON in ready cash, but if he
wishes to apprentice them to some
useful employment he finds oppo-
sition where he least expected it.
His plan is objected to, first, by the
family, who do not wish to have
them engage in service that is
classed manual labor, and while
the boys do not care to become
lawyers, doctors, or ministers they
would like something light and
respectable-the last term meaning
the kind of employment that in
wolves a good living, the wearing
of good clothes and the admis-
sion into good society on an equal
footing with the best of people. But
the American parent finds upon
investigation that all these pursuits
are Qnite as full as the "earned
professions" aud unless he can get
situations for his boys through
favOritism, or by reason of his own
social position, he is thrown back
upon the trades, or the young gentle
men grow up in idleness and are
wasting the formative and most
important period of their existence.
And if he settles down on a trade
that requires twOor three years Of
apprenticeship before the learner
is proficient in it and has mastered
all its details, the boy is destitute
of the required tenacity Of pur-
pose requisite to accomplish the
work, or perhaps the trades union
will interpose its objection, and It's
opposition often settles the matter.
Men who understand only one kind
of business and expect to do their
work in it have a natural repug-
nance to seeing it eyerdOne, and
are naturally jealous Of all sorts OF
competi;ionin it, and to keep others
from learning it is one Of the ways
in which they butter their own
bread The consequence is that
two results follow, namely, first
that there is a large number OF
American fathers who are still
puzzled with the conundrum, what
is to be done with our bOyl and,
secondly, the American manufac-
urer is compelled to go to Europe
for skilled workmen.
A gentleman who is engaged in
silk manufacture in this country
wrote to a New York paperin ex
planation of the employment Of SC
many foreign artisans in the silk
business, aud says it is one of the
necessities of the situation. lie
finds that young men and women
object to spending two or three
years in becoming expert in the
business. OF course every one
with common sense sees that We
are making a great mistake in not
preparing ourselves to fill the ranks
ofskiIed labor in every depart
ment where it is needed from thr
. ranks of our people, rather than t
be obliged to depend on our toe
F, willing neighbors across the sea-
Bearer Falls (PG.) Globe.