The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1905-11-02
Learning . Trade.

For the boy VINO iptends 10 learr TOE
bricklsyer's trade, = cool head 10 ~ necep-
sary as skillfal hsnds. He will certainly
b called upon Al times TO work At consid.
cradle attitudes and on staging which will
Try his mel yes; and although the requisite
steAdiness can genersliy be acquired, there
are some who are never able to master
their fear Of that which Is high,
Such considerations As this, although
they may seem sbsurd to old woikn' n,
should u, vertheless be taken into account
In deciding upon ones future occupation.
The apprentice 10 this II sde must be sew
euteen or eighteen years old, aud will be
expected TO terve three years, His wages
he fret year will be one dollars day, the
second Y esr from one dollar and . half to
two dollars, the third year from two to
three dollars.
IL he begius bis term Of service In the
country, he may be called upon. as all sp-
prentices used to he, to carry the hod and
make himself generally useful to the Jour
ney man whom he assists but In most Of
the cities his position will be distinct from
that Of the "masons helper"
He will beg In almost az the start the &C.
u,l work Of bricklsy ing, usually by ''bsck.
Ing up" u wall; that IL, layiog up the brick
ou the back side, while an experienced
workman lays up the front, and shows him
what to do. This will give him bis first
experience In handling mortar with a
trowel, ard In working BY the plumb, the
line and the fquare.
The beginner must also learn early In bis
.ppreuti tice.hip the composition and chsrsc.
ttristics Of different kinda Of mortar, SO that
he will know which to use with each parti-
lar kir d Of brick and for each special sort
OF work, and how to mix them in the right
proportions Of lime, sand. cement and
water. This again, involves the study Of
different kinds Of cement,
lie should keep In mind from the begin.
ni z the fact that bis trade has to do with
the hAbi atlops and business homes Of men,
and that upon bis knowledge and thorough.
MSS may depend the safety Of lives. He
can learn much about the materials Of his
trade from books, and can get an excellent
preliminary knowledge Of the way to use
them from trsde-school, II there happens
to be one In bis vicinity.
From the backing up the walls the Young
bricklsyer will pass to thes building Of
rough piers and the laying up Of the lower
and unexposed parts Of chimneys, and 30
gradually will attain to the fner technical
tiles Of his craft, such as building arches,
corpices, fre-places, laying faced brick and
setting fancy tiles. Before he should be
satisfied to call himself i,urneyman be
should also master architt ctual drawing
sufficiently to enable him to work with
speed and confidence on new construction,
for which the only guide is the drawings
hich the builder provides.
Wages In the brlcklayers' trade are high.
In New York and Chicago Journey men re-
ceiv, five dollarss q day, In Boston four and
= tsli. Even in country places throughout
the East The day rate is seldom less than
4 ur dollars. 10 the West II is somewhat
lower. Foremen receive from Ave TO six
dollau.
The eight-hour day prevails throughout
he country. In the ci les the trsds 10
very clos ly unlob'z d, AID, indeed, q well
organz,d 10 many Of the large towns.
What Il there 10 the future for the skill.
ID workman
Whatever his ability can command. II
be 10 rapid - well ~ stillful workman,
he will be able to secure higher wages for
this 10 q trade where speed 10 valuable to an
employer. Ifte has business ability, and
has T. smilisrized himself with methods Of
6gurieg on confrsct work. he will secure
bis greatest r. wsrds - n contractor and
builder. Success IL this direction may lead
TO Independent fortune. Some Of the lar.
gest contractors In the United States began
Is common bricklsyer.
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