Year: 1877

Do American boys learn trades
any morei One would suppose not,
lif the multitude purposeless, aimless
young men out of employment is
any indication. There was time
when tho master mechanic had n
house filed with hearty young ap-
prentices, and when his iourneymen
went from under his roof to set up
in life for themselves. To men in
middle life, the recolleetions of those
far off tii1e5 when the macter, his
men and boys, formed strong pros
ductive industrial group, seems like
the memory Of primitive age. Sons
of rich aud educated men, did mol
think it beneath tbem to swing the
broad-axe in the ship-yard, or the
sledge hammer mt the anvil. Or
they went to sea before the mast,
and climbed tho quarter deck from
the forecastle.


In large fam lilies of boys one
would he sent to the college, one
might possibly go into mercantile
pursuits, and others would choose
their trades after many anxious but
CHEEKY family councils. Nowadays
the young lads shrink from tho irk-
some confno OF the mechanics s shop.
If they cannot go to college and so
while away their youth, they must
"go into q store"--anything but
work. We do not belittlo the voca.
ton Of clerk or salesman when we
say that to be in either one or tho oth-
er of these callings appears to most
young men the most comfortable
thing. OF all tho pursuits which
men follow, this seems to require the
least preparation. At any ratio tho
men who are willing to make them.
selves generally useful, moro natur-
ally turn to the shop of the retail
dealer than to any other source of
employment. They like TO wear
good clothes and keep their hands
soft and white. II thcy cannot stand
behind the counter or desk, or SO
cure political influence sufficient TO
push them into an Office of some sort,
they drift aimlessly about, looking
for the employment that never
comes.


False ideas of living and extrava-
giant notions, are responsible for
great deal of this hopeless misery.
Young lads are brought up to con
slider manual labor degrading, and
fond, foolish parents sometimes
seem to prefer that their children
should 60 out into the world helps
less, rather than that they should
learn n trade. But the seltishness of
mechanics and the outrageous ty-
ranny of their unions, have hand
in bringing to pass tho present state
of things. About twenty-five years
ago there began series of expert
ments in trades unions which has re-
suited disasirously. The times were
good, work plenty and wages fair.
10 maintain monopoly of these, as
soclations of mechanics began to
limit the number of apprentices
which might be employed in each
shop, factory or company OF work.
men.


Men who hdd sons TO equip for
life, actually voted to shut tho 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 command
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
boys7 Some OF them are in jails
and almshouses. Some will be
found lounging on the benches in
the public parks, vainly waiting for
something to turn mp. Others will
ing enough, are advertising for situa-
tions where they can make them
oalvao c,an aro liz, ncafuI