The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1893-10-12

velOpmentS of invention have caused
a demand for machinists, blacksmiths,
and mOulderS. These trades only have
machinery benefited; with the exception
of the afOre mentioned branches of the
the builders art, it has injured all
others. G. c.
***
When the wheel of providence re-
wolves and man finds himself bankrupt
every dollar swept away-a trade is a
good thing to fall back on. How easy
to take up your tools and 60 forth and
earn living for your starving family.
Then are you thankful for that provi
dence which called you to labor at the
bench, the anvil, or the lathe in your
younger days. Some men have eight,
or dozen trades at which they are eX-
perts. That expression, "Jack at all
trades, and good at none," is all bOsh.
Make up your mind to be good at all
you take up and you can do it. Some
men are just as capable of learning and
practicing dozen trades as one. Some
trades cannot be mastered without first
mastering several others. 1t is no dis
grace to have a trade. A trade will not
hinder you from being good man, a
great man, or Christian. A. B. M.
Being a Jack of-all-trades myself and
not having any particular affection for
any speciality, l am sincerely inclined
to believe man can live land right up
to the handle) without being a master
piece of drudgery. / will acknowledge
that trade is indispensable in the
older countries but upon this continent
it is an entirely different affair. A Jack
of-all-trades is the man that is in con-
stant demand. l prefer variety of la
Dor. One trade, profession or calling
to follow year after year, is too menot
OnOus entirely for me. Some say
trade causes regular, steady employ
ment and is less likely to develOpe Grim
inal inclinations. But that is all hum
bug as many of the inmates of this in
stitution can substantiate lean depend
on my own faculties to live in a free
country without trade that requires
life to learn. Jack-Of-all trades and
master of none is not bad thing to be
these changing times and l expect to
live as one in the future. P. A. F.
***
A trade is a good thing to have, but
you have to take that queer mixture of
good and evil-the trades union-along
with it. Thirty years ago man with
good trade was independent, he set
his own price, and named his own
hours. If the terms were not agreeable,
he went his way. Ifanyone has trade
now, he must join union or be called
'scab." Wages, and hours are named
for him by vote. His employers, and
his union impose conditions upon him.
He may have to quit work because
some one, hundreds of miles away, has
a little difference to settle. He must
learn his trade by apprenticeship, the
manual training school not being con-
sidered desirable place to get recruits
from. And as shop has only GER
tain number of apprentices allowed at
time, often he cannot learn it that
way, so he needs pull" as well as
skill "to get there The tendency
seems to be towards SpecialitieS in
most trades. The specialist makes the
dollar the all-rOund-man reputation.
Beginning with the year 1870, and for
period of Is years thereafter there ex-
listed sentiment in this country, that
trade was an occupation to be learned
only by those who had demonstrated
their unfitness for professional or
commercial career; and consequently
a person possessing trade was con-
sidered to be of limited intellectual
capacity. But during the past few
years there has been decided change
of public opinion in this matter; and
the value of trade is clearly recog-
nized. The very fact that man is
equipped to earn his own living and
maintain those who may be dependent
on him by the skill of his hands, should
the occasion arise, increases his value
as an individual to the community and