Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-02-12
A WORD ABOUT eoYs
The Ned of Goosf ard ThoroGEh Bostne
or Professional TraiatnE-

| coupeuiiou in every department. o. olsE-
ness. aod scores Of weu-esuipped uen
ready 70 snap up every vscs1i F'oslilon tn@1
IL worth auy tang. if Is cr11e fer psren ;
70 turn their boys loose uPou tie Wor.a
without trade or professor Ine Ealn-
ing Of an honorable liTelEood y dirnc7ls
enough with the best preparatloo- olt 70
send q boT out from the paiernal roof VIA
nothing but his hands 70 depend upon = 70
consiZn hin % life Of toll, II not Of crIrne-
There are excepisons, but they are Few.
Greatness Of fntellect and moral rectItuoe
suflaeut % overcome natural oostacles are
90 rare az 70 be scarcely recognized wien
they appear. Men nke Henry Gay, Aors-
ham Lincoln and Henry Wilson, al poor
boys VINO worked their way from the loW-
est to the biggest positions in life, can oe
COUNTED on ones fingers without gong over
them twice.
One Of the Oldest and most CAPABLE bush
ness men in Pittsourgh expressed bis views
in regard 70 training boys for the duties OF
LIE Substantially as follows 70 reporter OF
the Dispatch: IF had boy would 10
more think Of sending him from home 70
earn bis living without the necessary train
ing 70 enable him TO make his way against
the strong opposition that be would be sure
( 70 encounter al every step than would
think Of flying. / would consider It a crime
against society TO do 80 What chance mas
boy got TO hold his own in the fierce strug-
gle for existence without skill Of some kind Z
None - al. The most he can hope for is a
lowly station and career Of drudgery at
manual labor Of the toughest kind. He
may start out with high hopes and NOBLE pur-
poses, but when he comes in contact
"A will
soon find that they are too COM
plicated and precise for his crude ideas
and methods. The result can not be doubt
full. He will drift from post 70 pillar and
finally bring up at the bottom Of the ladder,
where he will remain. He has been trled
ard found wanting. This is not his fault;
he may have done the best be could; but 1t
all comes from his parents neglectIng TO
give him that training OF brain and nsnd
which Is so necessary 70 success in this age
Of keen wits and sharp competition.
Business methods have changed wonder
fully since l was boy. Then it was con-
Quoted, for the most part, in crude, hap
hazard sort Of manner. Nearly every thing
was on a small scale, requiring no parucu-
lar training or experience. Some people
have the notion that it is the same now, put
they are sadly mistaken. Men who were
successful In business life forty or fifty
years ago could hardly fill clerKship now.
Business has been reduced 70 a science,
and its manifold complications are as nard
to understand as any other branch OF KnUwl-
edge. A good business man in these days
is competent 10 fill any position, public or
private. More tnan one President has
called men from the store or factory TO as
sist in carrying on the Government l
do not care how or where q boy is trained,
so that correct business principles are In
stilled into him. He may learn these at
home, in a store, factory or workshop; DO
not insist that he shall be highly educated in
the learnings Of schools, but do insist that
he shall be thoroughly grounded in some oc-
cupation, trade or profession. A business
half learned Is not learned at all. This is
the cause of so many jack-of-all- l-trades
which infest every community. They know
a little Of many things, but not much Of any.
They have 70 give way when they come in
competition with better trained hands and
brains.
The future glory and prosperity of this
country rests with the boys. They will in
due time be called upon TO take the places
OF the men who are now at the head of af-
fairs-who are filing the offices of the State
aud Nation and conducting the various
business enterprises for which we are so
greatly distinguished. How important it is,
then, that these boys be brought up so as
TO be competent TO discharge these great
duties. There is no excuse for neglect in
this matter. The country is tull Of public
schools where good education can be OBJ
tanned without money and without price.
Every city, town and village has its fac
tories, shops and stores where actual busi-
ness can be learned by the proper applica-
ton. Therefore, say there is no excuse
for parents allowing their boys to go forth
into the world and tie themselves down TO
life OF drudgery, which they must do if they
have neither trained minds nor skilled
nands. The dangerous classes of society
are composed of men who, when boys, left
home without knowing now TO do some
hing. Having no skill at any thing, they
seldom hnd employment, and then only
It the toughest and least remunerative
work. The result is that they first become
iissipated and then criminal. This pct
ire Is not overdrawn, IL is borne out by
and matter OF almost universal
and observation. have known
many naturally bright boys who, from this
'ause, have grown up 10 be drones IN SO:
'iety. They failed IN competition with men
'etter equipped than themselves, became
discouraged, and settleo down In poverty
md obscurlty.
These are facts which parents should
AXE home aud seriously ponder. II they
ave boys they should see to it that they
re brought up 70 some honorable occupa-
ion and not permitted 10 spend their time
n idleness, in which there IS neither dig
ity nor profit. II will serve as an anchor
0 keep them from drtftiLg with the wind,
nd give them far start in the race Of
fe. 1t will not only be Of lasting benefit
D the boys, but Will be source of comfort
D the parents, save some of them fro m 20.
lg down TO the grave with broken hearts,
nd be an element OF strength 10 the coun
ry which can be depended upon in time Of
eed. Nothing good comes from id..ness,
'hich is the parent OF evil; but intelAgent
ldustry is always honored and honorable.
o slightly paraphrase the sacred text:
Train up your boy IN the way no should
o, and when he Is old he wlll not depart
'om IT,"