The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1900-03-19
HAVE CONDI-
TIONS CHANGED?
Is II Growing Harder for Young Men
to Succeed in Business
An Article IN the Youths Companion
Indicates Opportunities Are Les
sening in Cities.

From an article on Country Boys
Who Come to New York." contributed
by s.A. Nelson to the "Youth's Compan-
ion" we make the following extract,
touching the chances for success OF the
young man who goes to New York to
make his fortune. No one will accuse
the Youths Companion Of being an or
gan Of calamity howlers, or Of being pes
simistic in its views. Yet this article
bears out the assertion that it is con-
stantiy growing harder for the poor
but honest" young man to make start
in A business life. What is true OF New
York is true Of all other large cities
and, in fact, Of the whole business
world. Particular attention is called to
the last paragraph Of the article, which
is in part as follows:
BOYS in the second class Country boys)
are tremendously. handicapped, owing to
the immense changes business has
undergone in the last twenty-five years.
Their chance Of securing employment
that will enable them TO live decently is
small.
Difficulties confronting these boys are
many. Employers prefer boys who live
with their parents, for they are consider
ed to be more responsible, and as they live
at home, they will work for less money;
the demand for working boys is very
much less than the supply; the cost OF
living is high, exceeding in many cases
the wages paid; owing to the number Of
boys leaving college and school every
year, willing 10 accept low wages, and
sometimes none at all during the first
year, the places worth having are very
few, and clerks are drug on the
market.
The tendency Of the time is toward
specialization. II a boy comes to New
York and, for example, finds employ.
ment with newspaper or printing office,
he will find the workers divided in many
classes, each having particulas task, at
which each is supposed to excel. The
"all.round" boy or the lad who is ''jack
Of all trades" IL out Of place.
Successful business men agree that the
chances Of the boy Of today are smaller
than the chances Of the boy Of twenty or
forty years ago. Today there are more
boys, there is better standard Of pub.
lie school education, and II becomes
more difficult every year for man with.
out large capital TO engage in business.
Twenty and even ten years ago, many
boys came to New York for the purpose
Of going 10 sea. Today sailing vessels
are few, for the steamships have crowded
them out Of the great ocean carrying
trade. The shipping business then gave
TO thousands Of Americans.
Today shipping masters and mates are
,ut Of employment or engaged in other
work, after spending years acquiring the
iavigator's trade. With the sea cap.
aims passed the ship brokers and their
Jerks, shipchandlers, sailmakers and
Itevedores. What remains Of this once
wealthy trade is largely IN the hands
Il foreigners.
Another trade identified with that Of
hipping that has been almost obliter-
tied is that OF the cooper. Fifteen years
go, as this is the great oil producing
)untry Of the world the refined oil was
hipped TO foreign countries in barrels,
mi this condition gave employment TO
my army Of coopers. An inventive gen.
Gus evolved what Is known as the
tank" steamship, which carries oil in
'ulk after it is pumped into the
Of the hull. In year or
wo the cooperage industry suiiered
reat shrinkage.
We also hnd that the big department
torres have crowded many shopkeepers
D the wall, that the business Of the