The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-12-13
THOUGHTS FROM THE PULPIT
Complaints of Clerks and Comments on
Their HardshipS by Rev. McCullOch
DR.. Cattell's Address to the Presbyterians on
the Work of the Board of Ministerial Re-
Jeffrey. Mitchell's Installation.
The Various Phases of the Vocation Dis
Cussed by Rev. 0. G. McCulloch.


incidents Of their vocations. Hereceived many
replies, and made them the basis of an address
to clerks at Plymouth Church. The audience
was not as large as usual the damp and rain
threatening weather having doubtless great
deal to do with it. Mr. McCulloch said
he had a keen sympathy with bust
ness life, for one of his early recollec-
tions was that of his washing bottles in
a drug store In time he became drug clerk,
and then one in dry-goods store, and finally a
merchant traveller. No doubt, after the address
tonight in the comfort of home, the wish would
come to him to be once more where he could see
the chips fly, instead Of being held to pounding
on the log without any appreciate results. He
was interested in the lives of business men. A
beautiful phrase, "who lived among men, was
lost to the Nicene creed, though it came near
being Incorporated in it. Who that has looked
into the kindly eyes Of the pictured Christ has
not seen through the deep humanity of His
nature. With attractive phrase in expressing
the deeds and sympathy of Christ with man, he
said it was the duty of the preacher to live
amongst men.
The seminary boy enters life with general
idea of humanity. To him all are either saints
or sinners. good or bad, sheep or goats But
there is NO perfect humanity. except with lovers,
and from them the illusion passes year or two
after marriage We are of mixed motives and
life is never easy. Therefore it is we'll for US to
live sympatheticalv with humanity. He claimed
that it was practical knowledge that gave us the
facts of what people really are. All theologies
are based on the studies of pen -and-ink men, all
political economy deals with people in the alb
stract and all governments are founded on the
living Of the good. Life is full of struggles.
He who enjoys an easy place and condition is
envied by his fellow men. Two Irish PAYERS
were once working in front of bishops resi-
dence. One stopped his work, and rising to his
feet, wiped the sweat from his brow. saying
81 wish had nice, easy place"
''Aud what would you 1ikel" asked his com
panion.
II would like to be bishop"
New England boys, bringing with them all the
old-time virtues, fill all leading positions in the
great houses of New York and Boston. They
establish the fact that business is the school of
character, until the business man becomes one
OF the utmost adaptability to the affairs of life
1t may be heresy, but the late war showed that
in many instances business men were better SOL
diers than they who were trained for war at
West Point. With introduction of this char
acter the speaker reached the point of his ad-
dress in reading few replies to the circulars
years at such work in London and New York
stores He objected to the vocation on ac-
count of some of it's requirements, to meet which
lessened the earnings. To dress we'll was de-
manded of a clerk, and for many of his class to
do this used up large amount of their wages.
A clerk, in this writer's estimation, was
not a man of resources, hence when
thrown out of employment, for the
work is irregular in many stores,
clerks being discharged in dull times and taken
on in busy seasons, he finds great difficulty in
doing anything else.
A saleswoman of eighteen years experience
said the life was monotonous, but employers
were lenient when they were not busy The
evenng-were not hard. Wages were pretty
good and altogether, her life was satisfactory.
She had one complaint, however and for this the
shopping woman was responsible. There is
class of ladies whose lives spent in boarding
houses, and, having nothing to do they affiict
the tired clerks -Four times week the same
women will come into a store and require goods
to be shown them for an hour more. Within
three months they will buy So worth of goods.
The waiting on these people require causes neg
lect of more valuable customers. AS if this was
not enough, many of these proftless shoppers
ask for extension of hours in the summer so
that they may inspect goods in the cool of the
evening.
Another clerk found the hours from 8 to
o'clock satisfactory. This limitation was OBJ
served four times week, but some employers
want to break the rule. He wanted Mr.. Nc
Culloch to ask his congregation to withhold Gus
"This is to be taken for what it is worth" said
the preacher Boycott is under cloud just
now The same clerk complained about the
Saturday crowds and he thought it would be
better to have the customers distributed through
out the week. This clerk was an earnest friend
of the Knights of Labor, and considered it to the
advantage of all clerks to belons, to that order
His wages enabled him to keep even with the
world.
clerk had no grievances of his own, but
tly0 % aokS s11AS
and the last reply Mr.. McCulloch read advised
him 'to preach the gospel, keep out of politics.
and remember Myron Reed" These responses
were sufficient for the speakers purpose in
teaching the lesson that life should not be all
work and no play. The early hour movement
is spreading, for there is desire of the many to
find time to enjoy life. They want hours i'll
which to study and think, not merely to work
and go to bed. Wages come under the present
law of supply and demand There are
always applicants for places whether the
wages be small or satisfactory En-
ployers are consderate or inconsiderate
and there is likely to be no change, but with
clerks, as it is in purchasing goods, the highest
priced are the best He spoke of what the av
erage wages were doing in supporting homes, for
many clerks lived at home There were boys en-
ployed in stores who were enabled by their wages
to not only care for their mothers and sisters,
but to provide the latter with education and the
means of refinement. The thing to do is to use
best Luxuries, costly dress and expensive hao-
its left no margin. He recently visited au at
tractive home. Said the lady 1--WE did not in
tend TO buy a parlor carpet so soon. but Charlie
saved the money out of his cigar money" Fol-
low the Wesleyan motto he said, "Save what You
can, earn what you can and give what you can
AS for the enjoyment of leisure hours he recon-
mended systematic reading. DR.. Buckley de-
voted an hour each day to reading fifty pages
This rule he had followed for twenty years.
Amusements should come within the limit of
time and money set apart for them. In closing
he referred to to the immoralites of trade in
cheating and lying One clerk left his church
because he could not do his work consistently
with his religion. while another did not want his
boys to become tradesmen, for when one lies and
cheats for his employer he will soon learn to lie
and cheat for himself. The speaker though, did
not believe old methods out of date Honesty,
truth and fidelity still gave life its character, and