Year: 1872

A young man, well dressed and of
prepossessing appearance, called at
our office recently and inquired in
great earnestness if we had employ
ment of any kind to give him for but
few days, if no longer, as he was a
stranger in the city, out Of money and
unable to pay for a few days board
and lodging. He further stated that
he was book keeper, but after dill
gent search, he had found no one who
wanted any help in that line, nor
could be obtain employment at any
thing that he felt competent to per-
form in q satifactory manner. The
positions of clerk and book keeper, he
said, were all filled, and applicants
for them far in excess of the demand.
81 am sorry" said he, that l did not
learn trade"


The appeals Of the young man ex-
cited our sympathy, but requiring no
further assistance in the office, we we're
compelled to reply to his eager ques-
tioning that we could not employ him.


The door closed after him, and he
again went out to continue what, in
all probability, proved to be fruitless
search for employment. But his words
fingered behind him, and, as we sat
musing on them, recalled to mind the
oft-repeated EXPRESSIONS of the mechan-
ic, in which he reproves himself for
want of foresight in selecting an occu-
patton. Here / am doomed, he says,
to toll in a shop, at work which is
hard, affording but poor pay. Like a
dog l must come at the call of a whistle,
or like a servant, obey the summons
of bell had l studied bookkeeping
or entered store as clerk, might
have been leading a much easier and
more pleasurable life.


In the cases cited, we find each one
dissatisfied with his selection, and wish
ing to exchange places. And the diff
ficulty at once presents itself, as to how
we shall decide for them and the class.
es they represent, so that the seeming
mistakes in selection may De remeGied.
We acknowledge we are unequal to the
task.


Food, clothing, tools. machinery,
houses, ships, and an almost endless
variety of other things are continually
in demand, which require the labor Of
farmers and mechanics; while that
class which makes exchanges (mer-
chants) is of necessity comparatively 3
few in number, and, therefore, needs
but small force of assistants. The
necessities of the millions of earth re-
quire by far the largest number of per-
sons to be employed in agriculture
and manufactures. Whenever then
through pride or any other motive,
parents disregard the law and encour-
age their sons in seeking after situa.
tions, as clerks, book keepers, ETC.,
rather than to engage in those pur-
suits for which there is always a natur'
! al demand, there must be correspond.
ing amount of suffering as penalty
Hence we find the so-called respecta
BILE occupations are glutted, while the
mechanical branches are suffering
through the lack of skilled laborers
An advertisement for q clerk will
quickly bring to the office door a small
army of applicants of all sizes and
ages, while the want column may
plead several days for a good mechan
ic, and fail to meet with a response.


"Sorry he did not learn a trade
Let apprentices and journeymen, who
may be bewailing their lot, at once re,
solve to thus iepine no longer, but by
hard study and close application mas
ter their trades, and having done So
demand fair compensation. Then
by adding to skill, honesty, punctuali.
ty and economy in expenditures, there
need be no fear that they shall be
compelled at any time to beg fol
sufficient employment to pay for a
days board and lodging COach
Makers Journal.