Smyrna times., 1886-07-14
For the Smyrna Times.
Choosing a Trade.

with those in provincial towns, who by
their advanced studies have secured
for themselves certificates of gradua-
ton. Fortunately for the girls their
learning is of the kind that will keep
without extra care or trouble since
they shOne for few brief hours amid
blaze of lights and heaping banks of
flowers, the observed" " of the best
and most critical people of the place,
and are willing now to rest and wait
" shelved." If this easy disposition
can be found practicable with the
girls it falls short of being applicable
to the boys for a number of reasons
some of which we will endeavor to |
dwell upon.
OF course with parents having ample !
means, the more learned professions
are at once refuge and a guarantee
for their sons to make at least re-
spectacle showing in, or else in man
aging their own estates. But for those
having limited means and who wish
to decide for the best advantage the
question "What shall be found for the
boy to dO?" involves an answer of the
utmost Importance not only to the
boys future, but to great extent his
happiness. 1t is with feeling of pride
now that the tired hands of the mother
stroke down the fair cheeks of her
hOnOred boy as this question is invest
ed with the achievements of glorious
future through his efforts, not caring
for at least this moment that out in the
great, heartless, thrObbing world, he
must soon take his place and which
will no more care for his certificate of
graduation than does a gale of wind at
sea for ship unless he brings special
training for whatever calling he should
settle in with it. Here, then, begins
the real commencement To ac-
quire this special training so necessary
to successfully prosecute the various
industrial callings, which, like the
lever of Archimedes, moves the world,
in no sense is the mere act of placing
youth at trade to be taken as the
best thing to do, since it may be entire
ly unsuited to develop those studies to
which have been devoted years of sac
ritice as well as of time, and of which
this special art takes no account.
Here then we are brought face to face
with matter in the hands of man."
for that is the outcome of all the in
| dustries, the finished product from the
raw material And Just here theoret-
rical education is made to confront
practical hand skill to its disadvantage
And why so? Simply because very
few of the producing trades take any
account of a theoretical training, al
though the craft is or may be found
ed on the most correct mathematical
principles; hence years of servitude
to learn hand skill to the almost COM
plete extinction of the youths literary
attainments during that time. Then,
has this been the best thing to do?
Here is where mistakes are made that
are not rectifed in a lifetime and
should as much as possible be guarded
against in making the choice of q
trade. If all labor of whatsO,
ever kind is brought within the in.
fiuence of either of the two great di
visions to which it more nearly be-
longs, a long and almost infalliblC
leap is made into the future in decid
ing this mOmentOus question of the
right choice to make. To the first o
these divisions belongs the prOducin
class of trades and composed of tex
tile, wood and metal workers, an(
includes agriculture only as producing
without the use of tools.
The second division recognizes
finance trade and the sciences, whicl
include such specialties as railroad
ing, civil and electrical engineering
and are of the producing class
That is, those callings that do business
without having to resort to eithe
tools or the raw material. Now il
will take but a cursOry glance to per
ceiVe that the labor troubles mt presen
affecting the whole country are, will
} the exception of agriculture, du'
mainly to the producing class of trade
resorting to strikes. A curious feature
of these troubles is to show the minut,
subdivisions that the most of the trade
have been brought to by the intrOduc
ton of special machinery for each pOr
ton of the finished product turned out
giving rise to wOrkmen with knowl
only as q part, and it becomes crimina
} for any parent to waste the best year
3 of a boys life, frittering away his tim
| feeding machinery and then to event
r ually rise no higher than a specials
, workman. 1t is no use for workman
I of this kind in any branch to- compel
with the trained wOrkmen that Europ
( pours into this country to fill thos
places where skill alone is needed. @
course there are exceptions, but as
too often happens, those living in pre-
vincial towns have not even the chOic
$ of an exception, but must needs tax
e what offers in this the producing elias
v of trades, with the years of servitud
t required to develop only skill in spec
: ial parts. Again, when they leav
n their towns to place their boys q
t trades they will find too that the cor
ditions as to servitude are regulate
by the trades unions of these same fol
eign skilled wOrkmen, so that at lea:
n for a considerable time in advance tn
!. odds in favor of youths advancemeI
I; in this country are with those of th
:. producing class of trades both in
" time and money value. Coupled wit
\ industry his school attainments are 9
It once brought into play for his financiG
advancement for in one view this
h the end of education. The others com
IS later when success is met with. TIL
4 L. 4