The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-10
Our BOYS.

The other day youth was heard to OBJ
serve: well, I've got a job but 1t does not
pay much, and guess l will give it up"
This youth, unfortunately. was not an ex-
ception, but a type. There are many like
him. They quit school without a profess
sion or a trade, depending upon commerce,
business or the. mechanical trades for
a living. They are not qualified to en-
gage in any especial line OF endeavor.
Necessarily. they must be taught, and it
,akes years of experience to create a val
liable knowledge OF almost any business
or trade that may be named. There are
no short cuts to proficiency; no short cuts
TO a commanding position from which one
may dictate wages or salary.
The youth of the type under considera- !
lion secures a position. His employer is
willing to teach him the business and to
pay him something for his time while he
is learning. But after a short while the
youth says "Well. I've got a job but It
does not pay much and guess I'll give
II up" And he does so. The time he has
spent upon his job Is thrown away, I'M
less by chance he gets another place at
similar employment. The chances are,
however, that he will try something else
after a long time, for jobs are not to
be picked up whenever one has a mind
10 stoop and grasp them. While he Is
waiting for his next job he becomes bur
den upon some other member Of the com
munity, if not upon the community itself
And when employment is secured again
there is the. probability that the youth.
rapidly becoming a man. will find wages
no better and again become dissatisfied
and quit work. The logical outcome of
such a youth is a man who is good for
nothing; who never amounts to anything
Employers are not looking out for
youths of that kind to take into their en-
poy. They want boys who are willing
to begin at the bottom and work up. and
whose work is characterized by fidelity.
punctuality, thoroughness and willing
ness. Employers want people In their
service who can be depended upon, under
any and all circumstances. When an en-
ployer finds that an employee makes the
business as careful study as If it belonged
to himself, it will not be long before the
employee will find his wages advanced.
And there will be other employers who
would be glad to secure his services. The
thoroughly honest, competent, faithful
worker is seldom if ever out
of a job. and one that pays
him fairly well for his services.
1t should be the care of every boy just
out of school and entering business. of
whatever kind, to make himself as nearly
indispensable to his employer as posi-
Bile. The absolutely indispensable indi-
vidual. however, does not live; and it is
a good thing that he does not But an
employee may become so nearly indispen-
sible that his employer will pay large
wages before he will part with him. The
time to lay the foundation for this hold
upon the employer is at the first, when
wages are low. Merit win tell, and thes
employer will be only too pleased to ac-i
knowledge it.
There Is another thing about the youth
who quits because the pay is small; he
usually spends all he makes, in many
cases even before he makes it. He goes
in debt for trifes that might be dispensed
Reviews is a sketch of the life of Mr..
II. Fl. Kohlsaat. one of the wealthy men
of Chicago, and undoubtedly the domi-
mating force In the journalism of that
city. According to that article, when MIR.
Kohlsaat was a little boy, selling papers
on the street for a living, he made it
rule to save something out of his earn
lngs every day. if even a penny. When he
secured employment as cash boy at 81
a week he kept saving; for he had con-
Guided that 1t was absolutely necessary
to have something ahead-some capital
or he would never be anything more than
an employe. The principle is excellent,
and should be adopted by every youth
starting out in life. Its practice will be-
get habits of economy, and result in in
dependence.
The youth, or man either, who throws
up job because the pay is small, unless
he has another immed .ately at hand at
better pay, does foolish thing. The pay
will not remain small If the services rem
dered warrant an increase.