Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-01-03
ADVICE 10 BOYS
Some ldsas That Are Wen Worth
Reproducing.
sensilsls Talk ~ JeornaiLss Regarding
GaasatIOn--sSns strsag Reasons Why
Trade l. More Dssir.bls Lh4a .
P1ofessLo1-


sducaEi0u. ka<- ns desire 20 learn trade but
have great desire % secure thorough edu
advantages bey pad ths common schools VIA
can you prescribe for my case1
The above letter comes from Wisconsin
It fails 60 give many points which ought to
have been covered, but presents sufficient
TO prove that the lad has an ambition which
should be encouraged.
First, anzwering him personally, what do
you wish 70 make OF yourselfI Yos have
no desire 10 learn trade, but You do not
say that you wish 10 enter upon a profess
sion You mnst take one or the other or
else be content as a Jaek-of- all trades and
master OF none.
PresuIning, however, that your desire
for a thorough education is born of the in
tentiOn TO pursue a profession, you are
just now ct the point to put in your time TO
the best advantage or throw it away.
With fair common school education TO
back you you must now study with an OBJ
ject in view. II you wish to become doc
tor you will Ger tainly have to attend coli
iege and pursue special studies. Ii you
wish TO take up the law and can secure
place in the office Of a lawyer at home for
year or two TO aoquaint yourself with
the forms OF law--draw up papers, study
various standard legal works, and get such
insights as you may-you can shorten
your college course very materially. In
deed, ii you can learn enough law in a
lawyers Office you may be admitted to the
bar without going TO college at all. You
can become a book-keeper, clerk or cash
ier without special study except for the
former tt f4tH4 ffft-
IL your parents are poor the chances are
against you as compared to a lad whose
father can afford him a collegiate educa-.
tion. Any move you may make towards
| profession will cost money. But, if you
have the true grit and are thoroughly in
earnest, pluck may stand you in place Of
| money. Dozens of the leading men of to-
day paid theic way through college by
manual labor. There are plenty of people
! of this generation who stand ready TO give
plucky boy lift up the ladder, and all
will at least encourage him.
II you have fair common school educa-
tion-wen up in arithmetic, grammar, or
biography, chirography and history-and
are only sixteen years Cd, you have many
chances of success. If you have selected a
| profession which requires collegiate
1
must rely on yourself entirely, quit school
and go to work at something which will
bring you in money. Even though your
wages are small you can save enough in
two years to pay your way through col
lege. During the interval do not throw
/ your evenings away. If you only will VOC
can advance yourself in every common
school study. You do not write as good
hand as most boys of your age. Half an
hours practice every evening for three
months will make you good penman. If
/ your father can not afford to give you
money he can surely afford to give you
some of his evenings to hear your lessons.
| Orthography and grammar should be
mastered as thoroughly as possible. Don't
throw away an hours time ON algebra un-
less you are studying to become teacher
or a civil engineer. Without being obli-
gated by the same reason do not weary
your brain over intricate mathematics.
There isn't a lawyer, doctor, editor or cler-
| gyInan in the country who has any use for
mathematics beyond the four simple tables
once in ten years. Retail merchants and
bankers have their printed tables showing
rates of interest and the quotient of all fig
ures in fractions likely to ever be called
for, and the head of wholesale house new
er meets with anything harder than finding
how much 15,430 yards of sheeting would
come to at six and quarter cents per
yard.
Do not sigh for ga thorough education,"
unless you have a target beyond it. There
are plenty of thoroughly educated men
who are heavy burden on their friends.
/ L Il
they rushed of to college, graduated with
the highest honors and walked out into the
world again TO find themselves worse Off
than before. Book-keepers are paid for be-
ing accurate, honest and reliable. The
merchant never asks 10 see any specimens
of their Greek translations or essays on
physiology. Cashiers may have spent
twenty years at college without receiving
dollar more salary than man who got
his schooling in a village. If the doctor is
thoroughly educated in medicine, and the
lawyer in law, and the clergyman in theol-
ogy. we demand no more. have heard it
said Of a man that be was a scholar, and !
hsve seen that sama man glad of an oppor-
tunity to take the position of traveller for
a wholesale house. He had been educated
without any aim beyond it.
Now. my boy, as it was you who broached
this matter. let me ask you to sit down and
Sc iouslT reflect | proved to you few
weeks ago that ell the professions were not
only overcrowded. but that none of them
had the money and the ease which were
commonly attributed. How do you know
you don't want TO learn trader Did you
ever give IL ten minutes serious thoughti
You can begin now and have any trade
known in this country finished by the day
Won reach manhood. Ask yourself III ft
Isn't possible that yon might make a poor
lawyer or doctor or teacher, when you
might make y success "a iswsler, carver,
joiner or tinsmithY
Thiuk well before you take the step. n
IL n serious hour IN hnv's lff~ when he
comes 20 decision On This matter. ft is
not for dsv. but FOE a lifetime The
world IL great beehive. Once IN a while
vcu sse drona. but the vast majority are
workers. Every one has sn object and an
a1n. pay after day. month after month,
year after year the iabor gues On. There
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