Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1904-10-07

Try ana we preSume In the CIVILIZED
world generally, though nowhere els<
are they SO marked as here, says the
Boston Transcript. The old basic oc
cupations have shown a shrinkage, al
least with respect to the number OF
persons engaged In them. This is true
to a larger, extent of agriculture than
of almost anything else, though the in
creased use Of machinery probably
more than offsets in the results the re-
duced personality. A comparison Of
the figures for 1880 and 1900 show
very interesting and significant changes
for the double decade. Domestic and
personal service has fallen off, indi-
eating a tendency toward contraction
of the home life. The professions have
increased normally, although the pro-
portion of lawyers is considerably
larger than that OF. doctors, which may
account for the fact that the average
Of individual rewards in the latter pro-
fession are larger than in the, former.
Women have taken a more promin-
ent place in the ranks of the worlds s
workers than ever before. The num-
Der engaged in various occupations has
increased from 2,647,15 in 1880 to
5,319,397 in 1900, or over 100 per cent.
The demand for entertainment and
amusement is reflected in the fact that
the number of actors and showmen
has increased in twenty years 367 SO
per cent, and literary pursuits 507.S7
per cent. though in the dramatic pro-
fession and in the literary world there
are no such shining lights as studded
the more contracted armament Of a
previous generation.
Artists have swollen their ranks by
1921 per cent and architects, design
ers and drafters by 36O.43. The den
lists show growth in numbers of
14O.9O per cent and journalists Of
144.O5. But the profession that leads
engineering, which has attained the
phenomenal growth of 1,OS7.34 per
cent. OF course, in some Of its now
prominent branches its showing was
compare lively small at the beginning
of that period and twenty years of its
history likewise covered the rapid de-
velopment of applied electricity for the
various purposes in which it is new
There is nothing surprising
in these figures when we consider them
in connection with a service which in
it's almost infinite ramiflcations Is hard
ly more than a quarter of a century
I'D.
These figures are enlightening. They
snow numerous departures and -tndi-
cate that the present generation must
adjust itself to different conditions
from those which furnished the goals
of endeavor for previous one. The
greatest increase in any one class of
employees is in the street railway ser
vice, amounting to 20.90 per cent, and
that can also be accounted for on sim
liar grounds. As the years go by other
new occupations, vital to our expand
ing civiliza ton, will, be added and the
largest successes await those who can
most clearly and practically anticipate
them. But while we admire the versa
dlity and. the mental force that have
covered: such a great expanse in that
comparatively brief period, it is the
exceptional man" whom we still
await in these several phases of newly
developed activity. There is splen-
lid mediocrity expanding everywhere,
)ut the fixed stars that shall hold their |
places for all--times are not yet visible
% the naked eye.