Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1906-05-03
The Experience of Old Age Versus

We are continually hearing that
this age of the young man and
woman, and that room should be
made for them by the elders whose
only fault is an accumulation of
years. We might believe it were we
not continually reminded of the fall
lacy of the theory by the achieve
ments of persons of both sexes, well
along in years, but active in brain and
body.
A man recently celebrated his hun
dredth birthday without withdrawing
from the board of management of the
bank of which he has been vice-presi-
dent for more than thirty years. His
position is honorary now, but his
name has much weight with the de-
positor's. Last summer he cultivated
garden of three thousand feet with
out assistance. / am accustomed to
seeing an active old gentleman of
eighty-five, working much later in the
day than the laws of labor unions al
low. He owns an extensive property
and has many tenants and he goes
from one piece of work to another
with an agility that bellies his years.
Why should such men give way to
youth? No young man can possibly
bring experience to mis- labors and ex-
perience counts in good round figures
When careful business firm wants
workers it searches for those who
can bring experience and pays for the
commodity. You have only to look
over the advertisements of newspa-
per to find the value placed upon mex
perienced youth. Remuneration be-
gins at two dollars a week-some-
times less-and scars very little
higher. Only work of an Indifferent
grade is expected, of courses but
what can the future be of toilers who
are not getting proper training?
Many of us might drop out and
never be missed A small proportion
would leave vacancies hard to fill.
But nobody is indispensable, and that
fact ought to keep us active long
after youth has departed. A few
: Nnths ago some excitement was
V.Sed by the rumor that age was to
play an important part in the business
world, that leading merchants had de-
clared in favor of youth, and that
there was to be a wholesale discharge
of people who had grown gray in the
SlApfces of employers who appreciated
faithfulness. / believe there was
some ground for the rumor as heard
of an occasional employer who made
sweeping changes and lost money by
them.
Young workers proved Indifferent to
the best interests of those who paid
them wages and continually left vacan-
cies by matrimonial ventures and
fickleness. Gradually the familiar
gray heads slipped into their places
and the incident was closed. | do
not believe that much beyond expert
ence, faithfulness and good health, of
course counts with those who hire
them--business enterprises are SO de
i pendent upon the workers. Those
who love work seldom take years into
account, and in the professions skill
is only attained after years of practice.
In the days when old age was a per-
petual rest in the chimney corner the
morrow was regarded with uncer-
tainty. New undertakings were not
dreamed of through fear that there
would be no time to finish them.
Queen Victoria astonished the world
by studying difficult languages at an
age when extra tasks are generally
summed But her enjoyment of life
was unquestionably increased by the
new interest. Active old ladies there
are in abundance now, and fancy the
majority of them would vigorously pro-
test at yielding the ground to young,
sters. Might is right in this case, at
least.