Year: 1877

Do American boys learn trades any
more? One would suppose not, if the
multitude of purposeless, aimless young
men out of employment is any indica-
ton. There was a time when the mas
ter mechanic had his house filled with
hearty young apprentices, and when his
journeymen went from under his roof to
set up in life for themselves. To men
in middle life the recollections of those
far off times when the master, his men
and boys, formed strong productive
industrial group, seem like the memory
of primitive age. Sons of rich and
educated men did not think it beneath
them to swing THE broad-axe in the ship
yard, or the sledge hammer at the an
vii. Or they went to sea before the
mast, and climbed to the quarter deck
from the forecastle.


In large family of boys one would
be sent to college, one might possibly
60 into mercantile pursuits, and the 9th
ers would choose their trades after many
anxious but CHEEKY family councils.
Nowadays the young lads shrink from
the irksome confinement of the mechan-
ic's shop. If they cannot go to col
lege and SO while away their youth, they
must ego into a store anything but
work. We do not belittle the vocation
of clerk or statesmen when we say that
to be in either one or the other of these
callings appears to most young men the
most comfortable thing Of all the pur
suits which men follow, this seems to re-
quire the least preparation. At any rate
the men who are willing to make them
selves generally useful more naturally
turn to the shop of the retail dealer than
to any other source of employment
They have never learned trade. They
like to,year good clothes and keep their
hands soft and white. If they cannot
stand behind the counter or desk, or Sc
cure political influence sufficient to push
them into an Office of some sort, they
drift aimlessly about, looking for EN-
ployment which never comes.


False ideas of living and extravagant
notions are responsible for great deal
of this hopeless misery. Young lads
are brought up to consider manual labor
degrading, and fond, foolish parents
sometimes seem to prefer that their
children should go out into the world
helpless rather than they should learn a
trade. But the selfshnesS of mechan-
les and the outrageous tyranny of their
unions, have had hand in bringing to
pass the present state of things. About
twenty-five years ago there began Sc
ries of experiments in tradeS-unions
which has resulted disastrously. The
times were good, work plenty and wa
ges fair. To maintain monopoly of
these, associations of mechanics began
to limit the number of apprentices
which might be employed in each shop,
factory, or company of workmen.


Men who had sons to equip for life
actually voted to shut the trade against
their own offspring. The consequence
was that, the supply of skilled workmen
did not keep up with the expansion of
the country, and with the legitimate de-
mand. Employers were obliged to send
abroad for workmen, and it came to
pass that grown men from foreign parts
took the places in American workshops
for which American boys should have
been educated. Where now are those
neglected, cheated boys? Some of them
are in iails and aims houses. Some will
be found lounging on the benches in the
public parks, vainly waiting for some
thing to turn up. Others, willing
enough, are advertising for situations
where they can make themselves gener-
ally useful.-N y Times.