Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-06-05
IN BEHALF OF JACK K-OF-ALL-TRADES
He Isn't Horrible Example After ALL At Least Not to Mrs
Jack-Though He's the Butt of Efficiency Experts
His Lot Is Happy One
BY WALTER PRICHARD EATON

THE Observation-Disclosures has always been
i the butt of the moralists and proverb-
makers-nowadays we should say of the effi-
| cheney experts, since efficiency seems to be
the new morality The Jack of -all-trades Is
supposed to be master of none, and to fur
nish a horrible example for all aspiring youth
who feel the Itch to do about 75 different and
equally fascinating things. But there are
two people whose ideas on the subject might
he somewhat different-the Jack-of-all-t trades
himself and his wife
Let us take up the latter first. Consider
the advantages from her point Of view, OF
being married to n man who can tend the
furnace, install new batteries in the doorbell,
put on the double doors, mend the screen
doors. hang the pictures, relay the stair
carpet raise all the family vegetables in the
back lot, repair the clock, thaw out the
plumbing, mend the wringer, help John with
his algebra, teach Sue to SPELL glue the
broken round into the dining room chair, fix
the sitting room table, hook her up before
the dance, put new hinges on the front gate
weed the pansy bed make a cement spill
way for the base of the water spout, con-
struct bird bath, suggest program for the
Thursday Morning Club make little William
a bow and arrows and a willow whistle and
the head on Sues doll, make a baby house
out of an old "commode," rig up a stand for
the geraniums in the window and so on and
so forth, including the driving, cleaning and
general care of the automobile.
A Great Comfort Is Jack
The Jack -all-trades doesn't earn as
much as other men He doesn't have to!
Think of all the money he saves his wife in
household expenses, to say nothing of tele-
phone tolls and the annoyance of waiting
for the men to comet A Jack all trades
must be a great comfort round the house.
But the person who is most unconsidered
in all this moralizing over the Jack-of-all-
trades is that person himself Has 1t ever
occurred to anybody that he may be quite
satisfied with his lot, and is getting some
thing out of it that the moralists never
dream! Nevertheless, he is You and l. who
II we can sell bonds couldn't mend a clock
to save our souls or if we can argue a case
in court couldn't grow sweet peas with 16-
inch stems If our lives depended on 1t, or II
we can keep books couldn't build a book
case, may be extraordinarily proficient each
in his line, but we have a very limited COM
mand over the whole of our environment
and If we are scornful of the Jack-of-all-
trades, way down deep in our hearts, per-
haps. that is rather due to a sneaking envy
of his superior attanments At any rate, he
Jack himself, is serene in his creative 10y
He is master of his environment. He is
artist In any medium, from mahogany to
manure He is not the helpless slave OF a
gardener, a carpenter. a plumber; he is gar
dener, carpenter, plumber,
do one thing We'll" says the efficiency
expert.
Rats" says Jack-of-alI- trades. do
dozen things we'll! Why stop with one? Is
my garden any less successful than my
neghbor's, which he has to hire titled? Isn't
the edging of the cement walk a good bit
neater than the work which is done by the
village mason? And you ought to see the
cedar chest I built for my wife"
but meanwhile what becomes of your
business?" asks the efficiency expert trI-
umphanty
Jack Explains Himself
Il might say that is none OF yours" re-
plies Jack, but l won't. 1t is getting on
very nicely, thank you, And right here I'll
tell you something which perhaps you never
guessed. When l come home from my busi-
ness forget It. l bury that side OF me. 1
bring out new side. l become an artist IN
caulihowers or l go TO my work bench and
SIeato NnlHeS win "pou ana Halls ana var
nish. l don't do this because It Is 'efielent'
"a horrid word, nearly as bad as 'dutyD, but
because / like to- like to feel that I'm not
a poor, helpless, one-sided ribbon clerk or
ticker-tape worm but a man with hands
and feet and brains who could have done
what Robinson Crusoe did. AS a matter OF
fact when I go back to my particular bread
winning job Monday morning, however l |
hnd I'm rather more efficient than some /
who've been worrying over IL all Saturday
and Sunday. Still. that has nothing really
to do with the case"
know very wise and famous medical
specialist who Is certainly highly success
ful az his trade. But IL you SO up into the
attic of bis house you WIN hnd 4 room nttsd