The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-09-30

- Electricity, says the
Standard Dictionary, is an
FTB imponderable and invisi-
N.Y. BILE agent producing various
g manifestations of energy.
and the Century Dictionary
says. "The true nature of electricity
Is as yet not at all understood" May
be it Is this very mystery, and the
knowledge that it is the most potent
Of known forces, that makes the sub
ject so attractive and also lures the
boy with taste for things mechan1-
cal.
Anyhow, it is the biggest thing in
mechanics nowadays, and offers the
most varied and most progressive field
for consideration by the man hunting
for an occupation for his son.
But to say that my son is going
to be an electrical engineer" conveys
nothing particular: for 1t might
mean anyone of a thousand almost to-
tally different lines of activity. For
instance, telephones would be impossi-
BILE without electricity, and to get into
the practical side of telephoning one
would be, in that sense, an electrical
engineer. The same with telegraphipg;
with. wireless telegraphy; with the con-
struction of electrical machines; with
storage batteries; with the construc-
ton of switchboards; with central sta
ton work at the big power houses;
with bell engineering, having to do
with low tension work, as telephones,
signals In houses. and other lines not
requiring much power,-and with an
almost endless number Of other branch
es, all distinct in themselves, with the
experts in all of them being known as
electrical engineers. Even the motor
men In subways or on trains operated
by electricity are known as electrical
engineers; yet they need to know moth
ing Of other departments OF the bust
ness.
There is one line, however, that
would seem to indicate more OF electr1-
cal management and use generally
than the others, and that shall be Ia
ken up In the present article for the
benefit of the father who has been
thinking about the wizardy Of Edison
and how Franklin brought the light
ming from the skies, and who believes
that his son has the elements Of an
electrical wizard In him.
This is the contract work on build
ings. 1t doesn't sound a bit romantic
when compared with the pictures
queness of whizzirg. sparkling dyna
mos In great powerhouses which move
long lines Of street cars and trains and
give the light to thousands of glarine
arc lamps or searchlights having mil
lioHs of candlepower. But it really
means q lot more, for the contractor
has to install these very plants and
string the wires, and knows a great
deal more than the one that merely
turns the switches OF these same mys
terious machines. He has to know
something abou! pretty nearly every
thing connected with wiring anything
and establishing machinery for cleo
trical purposes-and electricity with
! out wires or machinery is as yet I'm
harnessed.
To get down to business in most
places the boy who is to take up this
phase Of electrical engineering has tt
be O.K.d by labor union as appren
tice before he can get Job. This Is
rather easily done by getting in touch
with any electrical workers union ir
the city In which he wishes to make
his start. Then he applies to all thu
contractors he can find at work OK
buildings for his first Job. He viii
not have to wait long: for practically
every structure Of consequence goint
up nowadays Is wired for electricity
and this means tho employment Of {
great army Of men.
His first work, of course, will be a,
the veriest rudiments. He will be call
ed roustabout, or something equiva
lent, and will be assigned to assisting
regular wirers and other workmen ant
getting knowledge Of the materia
used, how 1t is put up, etc. For this b,
will receive from a dollar to dolla,
and half day.
But we shall say that this particular
boy-your boy. undoubtedly-has NOR,
ambition than to become q mere w1r<
stringer and wants to get out of thu