Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1892-11-12
CHOOSING A CAREER.
A TINsMrTH DISCUSSES THE oPPoR-
TuNlTIEs OF HIS TRADE.

A Practical Talk That should Interest 1
Thoughtful Parents-whst "a boy May
Expect iB work aud wages-Detaiis of !
the Apprenticeship.
Matthew Barr is the walking dele
gate Of the Tin and Sheet Iron Workers
union, and worked for many years as a
tinsmith in shop and in business for
himself "1he tinsmth trade" said
Mr.. Barr to reporter, lis split into sew
eral branches, and to be able TO do all
kinds of work in tin and sheet iron re-
quires considerable time spent in each
department. Sheet iron work, as it is
understood in this city, is carried ON in
what are known as furnace shops
while the manufacture of tin goods is
restricted to what are called assortment
shops. Apart from these there are the |
cornice makers and slate and metal /
roofers, which are included among the |
branches that tinsmiths must know to |
round out their knowledge.
THE best age for boy to begin the |
tinsmith trade is about sixteen. He
ought TO have picked up sufficient edu-
cation from the common schools at this
/ age to give him fair start in life. No
? boy is bound out as an apprentice to
A tinsmith in this country, but beginners
: are not looked upon as full hedged
Q journeymen until they reach the age Of
0 manhood, no matter how proficient they
y may be. ~ some shops boy has very
d little show, because there is a system of
employment which practically excludes
!. him.
This is the result of surplus of labor
II in other countries. Tiusmths land here
Il from other lands with but little knowl-
edge OF what the trade requires here
e, but with general knowledge of the
business and the use of tools. They APP
he ply for work in shops and they are taken
III on in preference to the native born boys
IS. who desire to learn the trade. These
in foreign mechanics can learn quicker
up than II boy generally, and while they are
1T hired for low wages, they in a short
er time are able 10 do almost as much work
to as an expert tinsmith. This system Is
N. against the American boy, but so long
Id as there is money in it for the bosses il
IL, will be kept up.
he This trade is not such a laboriou;
one that it requires an unusual amount
VI. OF strength. A tinsmith need not be a,
ret strong as a carpenter, blacksmith OF
ad bricklayer, but he must have plenty %
his endurance. He ought to DO versatile
ke intellectually, because no is not mer,
led machine, but is often required to maxi
el, entirely new things, which can only b
me done with n fair degree of inventive
skill. besides an expert knowledge o
air the use Of tools.
"A boy will never become good tin
he. smith IL he is not obedient and patient
his He will have to do some simple thin
lad over so many times that life will be
me come very weary in the shop before h
rs, IL set to work upon something that AZ
ed: pears TO be important TO him. In tn
Zen assortment shops a boy will first
sed taught how TO use the shears. He wi
try be given lot of old scraps to cut NJ
and before his muscles get used TO tn
or, movement he will think that his arr
ave will drop off He will receive abou
too three dollars week on the start
ster The foreman watches the boy car,
fully, and If he does not take hold of I'll
Ugh shears and other tools handily in
nice few days, he will probably remin
ing him that he has made mistake in b
free calling. Some boys are put at this an
ow, other trades by their parents who woul
end make good clerks and statesmen, bi
but, never will be good mechanics To a
felt custom the boy to the use of the mall,
!. he and hammer. he il kept straightenin
was old pipe. When he knows little abol
lite tools and shows the proper spirit
ion, doing his work, he is sent to the jou
,ked neyman's bench to hold things for hin
old and in this way gets an idea of the pra
t he teal use of tools. He may be kept
that this for long time, and this is Il
anne period that will test his patience.
III is always red letter day for Il
and beginner when the foreman gives him
piece of metal and tells him to make
lem drinking cup He has seen it done maj
ten times but when he comes TO cutting o
lie the tim and getting ii into shape his Fl
As gers seem to be all thumbs. He wan
ltral to make good cup, but his anxiety W
the knock it out of shape. When it is
brightly polished it is taken TO the foi
ora's man for inspection. Nine times out
ten the beginner is told TO take it hoT
But as a memento He feels very happ
IS in but he would not think so much of |
nile work il he knew that the real reas
the that II was not taken by the forem
was that it could not be sold.
rs. The boy will soon find this ont VIII
the the foreman keeps him making cups U
mar Til he gets perfect one. From q c
him he goes to other things Of minor imp'
nuel lance. which he is kept at until he gra
and ually acquires skill. 1t depends up
and the boy himself how much time he W
for waste before he becomes an expert.
ther he is civil an obliging the journeym
will teach him pattern drawing. and
true this way the boy will learn how 10 bio
little out the models Of every kind of We
5 in aud cut out patterns for himself.
During the last thirty years tins
have been many changes in the t
smiths trade. Machinery has taken |
hrst place of haul labor in the manufactt
stone Of nearly all utensils. but this has ma
laid no change In the tinsmith's conditii
row, Organized Ia Dor has protected the wo
ScepI man. The incipal machines in the
aud sortment shops are presses giving
rthe- general outlines of manufactured goo
who, and lathes. which are used 10 peri
hrs the lines of spinning, An imports
acct fact in the trade Is the wheeling II
went chine, which gives the bright polish a
COW puts on the finishing touches. The 4
M,r- ishiag used TO be done by hammers