Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-16

| brothers always managed to keep them al
| home. This. with his quiet, unpretentious
manner of saying it, was fresh cause for
| admirfng the fellow. He was truly an
| ideal character, according we'll with ones
| dreams Of what an American laborer might
| be-so much dignity, much strength Of
| purpose, such clear intelligence and proper
| skill. But in spite Of my approval, freely
expressed, the young man finished his job
| and left with my curiosity concerning
| him unsatisfied.
Subsequently, needing other carpentry
| done In my house, l sent for the same fell
| low. He came in the evening to arrange
about the work. and shorn of his working
| mans garb, In correct evening dress, he
| was so Enthusiastically a gentleman 1 blush
| ed to my ears to think of having offered
| him free lunches, and taken 1t for granted
| that because he worked at a trade his sis
| tiers must be servants. Oh, democracy
democracy! wherefore art thou most gen.
orally dam(n)ocracy when we of the United
| States construe social conditions of honest
| toll! had perceived at the first glance that
| my carpenter was morally and mentally
my peer, but forsooth, because he carried a
| kit of tools and served me at trade there
| had been no question in my mind of his
| social tnferiority, until now l saw him
J in gentleman's veneering. Alas! Alas!
Snob that l am-one among all you wretch
! ed snobs who, unmindful of the beam in
your own eyes, are grnning at this mote 1
| am showing you in mine-snob that l am,
| the young mans fine character had all
along commanded my admiration, but my
respect for him appeared only under the
influence Of his clothes!
On Better Terms.
I invited him into my parlor that even
ing, and. being at all times as honest as
1 am foolish, couldn't help finally telling
the young man how ashamed was of my
self This put us on good terms, and in
return he told me all had been wanting
to know.
When he mentioned his family connec-
tions. had a fresh spasm of modification,
which he kindly seemed not to notice. and
he was equally kind about replying to my
blunt, very personal question, How does it
come that you are working at a trade
when your brothers are so successful in
professions?"
TT was a matter of necessity" he said;
my father died leaving seven children.
The two boys older than myself were al
ready started in their professions. I had
just finished at the high school, and was
about to begin course of mechanical en-
cheering. when my fathers death made 1t
necessary that we three older ones should
earn bread and butter for the family. My
brothers had not begun to be prosperous
then. and 1 couldn't think of having any
further schooling. 1 had natural liking
for tools and machines. but because car
pentry offered the quickest means of earn
ing money l applied myself to that. The
carpenters union put fewer restrictions on
apprentices than most trade unions do
1T 8 easier Tor q IellOW TO learn the trade
too easy, in fact.
Learning the Trade.
"a carpenter can take as many appren-
tees as he likes. Fellows from the coun-
try come in, spend few months learning
how to drive a nail and saw straight
line, and then they buy a few tools and
set out journeyman carpenter. What's
that? Why, the name comes from the
times when youngsters were bound out to
a man to learn a trade. The man provided
for their keep during this apprenticeship,
his time of service expired the man gave
him a kit of tools and he set out with this
capital on journey to make his living.
So when fellow goes to work for himself
nowadays he is still called a journeyman
carpenter, or plasterer, or what not. l got
81 % a day as an apprentice, and l worked
for one man right along, who raised my
wages until after three years I was making
81 day. Now, after six years, / receive
$50 Il day. and that is about much
shall ever make at my trade. l am utterly
discouraged with it, and l think 1 shall
be driven to take uD some profession
law, medicine, or school teaching
This fairly intoxicated met was to me
such a deliciously new presentation of the
relation of professional and manual labor
in the choice of a livelihood. Here was ac-
tual experience to show that when a fellow
is hard up he takes to a trade. Then he
gets SO bad off at trade there Is nothing
left but a profession Instead of educated
fools. commonly fancy, oVercrowding
the professions, it is desperate working
men. Think of it-law. the last resort of a
carpenter; medicine. Hobson's choice of a
Dlasterer! At first this struck me as SIM
ply funny-rather a joke the men who
peacock in the world the mere warrant
of their professionalism. But on second
thought I dscerned serious error some
where. Under normal and legitimate con-
ditions a professional success is tardy; it
requires special ability. and its cost of pro-
duction is great, involving much expense
in education and the expense Of living
while waiting for business to develop.
Moreover, the demand for professional
labor is comparatively limited under nor
NAL conditions. and II in spite Of all these
natural drawbacks the conditions of labor
are such as to compel a man in despair to
turn from trade to a profession, there's
screw loose somewhere, and where it Is
endeavored to find out. I asked the car
penter what had discouraged him with his
trade.
1t Doesn't Pay.
MANY things. First and most important.
there is no money in it. I possess what
would appear to be exceptional advan-
tages. I have education; have been well
brought up, so that my moral principles
are absolutely to be relied upon.
Then in the matter of special preparation
| had manual training in school, 1 studied
draughtfng for two years and I served a
the best builders in town. I am healthy
in every way physically equal to the work
Yet with all this in my favor for six years
l have applied myself diligently to my trade
only to learn that at best there's nothing
ahead for me but bread and butter I
make $3.50 day now
The carpenters union demands $3.50
a day for eight hours work l can't al
ways get work at this price, and | can't
always get work at any price. I'm en-
pioyed in factory at present. The season
when work naturally falls off is approach
Ing, and l never know what night I'll be
told that l needn't come on next day. If
my education and that sort of thing give
me any advantage my associates 1t
Is perhaps In that when work Is slack l
am quicker to perceive ways of going about
getting employment. Still this does not
amount to much, for the wits of a working
man are always sharpened by his appe-
tite, and think 1t might be put down as
a principle Of the distribution OF employ
ment. 1t Is not the smartest but the hun
griest man who gets the job. This Is be-
cause his extremity compels him to take
the least wages, and ninety-nine times out
of q hundred, the man who hires labor
seeks not the best workman, but the
C heapest, and the tendency is therefore al
ways to keep the returns of labor down to
the earning capacity of the poorest work
man.
The Power Against Him.