THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES 

 
 4_w i *j2/p 
 
 «%*£ 
 
 UNIVERSITY of CALIFORNIA 
 
 AT 
 
 LOS AInGELES 
 
 r run a «V
 
 VOCATIONAL CIVICS
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 NEW YORK • BOSTON • CHICAGO • DALLAS 
 ATLANTA • SAN FRANCISCO 
 
 MACMILLAN & CO., Limited 
 
 LONDON • BOMBAY • CALCUTTA 
 MELBOURNE 
 
 THE MACMILLAN CO OF CANADA, Ltd. 
 
 TORONTO
 
 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 A STUDY OF OCCUPATIONS AS A BACKGROUND 
 FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF A LIFE-CAREER 
 
 BY 
 FREDERIC MAYOR GILES 
 
 Late Principal of The DeKalb Township High School, 
 DeKalb, 111. 
 
 AND 
 
 IMOGENE KEAN GILES 
 
 Teacher of Vocations, J. Sterling Morton High School, 
 
 Cicero, 111. 
 
 xfteto gorfe 
 
 THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 1920 
 
 All rights reserved 
 
 129824
 
 Copyright, 1919 
 By THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 
 
 Set up and electrotyped. Published April, 1919 
 

 
 HP 
 53<Sl 
 G33 
 
 TO 
 
 HARRY VICTOR CHURCH 
 MASTER COUNSELOR OF YOUTH 
 
 A
 
 i 
 
 V «
 
 \ 
 
 f 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 The need of vocational guidance for boys and girls has 
 increased many fold in the last year. Such alluring op- 
 portunities for the beginner have opened up, that it is 
 hard to prove to him the necessity of a more adequate 
 preparation. Every effort to broaden the youth's out- 
 look before he becomes a part of the occupational world 
 is needed at this time. Fundamental to this purpose are 
 text books that contain facts about employment conditions 
 and furnish data by which one may estimate the probable 
 future in a given business or profession. 
 
 The plan and the foundation of the present volume were 
 the result of an experiment in vocational guidance carried 
 on for a period of years by the Jate Mr. Giles while he 
 was a high school principal. A detailed account of Mr. 
 Giles' method of procedure may be found in Vocational 
 Guidance, U. S. Bureau of Education Bulletin, 1914, No. 
 14, pp. 52-59. Mr. Giles was constantly collecting in- 
 formation about vocations which he kept in a series of 
 scrap books. These, together with his outlines and notes, 
 form the nucleus from which this book has grown. 
 
 The new " community civics," which is being recognized 
 as one of the most vital of junior high school studies, 
 naturally includes a study of industries and occupations. 
 In many schools, the new course in citizenship gives civics 
 the first semester, and " vocations," the second. As one's 
 work in the world is so closely allied with his loyalty as a 
 citizen, it seems most natural to call this text book, " Vo- 
 cational Civics." 
 
 vii
 
 V1H PREFACE 
 
 I thank Mr. John M. Brewer, head of the department 
 of psychology and education, Los Angeles State Normal 
 School, for reading the manuscript and giving many ex- 
 cellent suggestions; and Mr. W. Carson Ryan, Jr., of 
 Washington, D. C, for valuable advice. Mr. W. L. 
 Mathews provided the questions and exercises for Chap- 
 ter V. 
 
 I am under obligations to Sears, Roebuck and Com- 
 pany, The International Harvester Company, and The 
 National Cash Register Company, for their courtesy in 
 lending photographs. 
 
 Imogene K. Giles. 
 
 October, 1918.
 
 TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I Finding Your Place in the World of Occupations 1 
 II Government Service . 18 
 
 III Earth Occupations 31 
 
 Agriculture 32 
 
 Forestry 46 
 
 Mining 50 
 
 Fisheries 55 
 
 IV Transferring Occupations . . 59 
 
 Transportation 59 
 
 Banking 80 
 
 V Manufacturing and the Building Trades ... 87 
 
 VI Commercial Occupations 121 
 
 Advertising • 139 
 
 VII The Professions 143 
 
 The Law 145 
 
 Medicine 152 
 
 Nursing . 162 
 
 VIII The Professions (Continued) 171 
 
 Teaching » 171 
 
 Journalism 177 
 
 Social Service 183 
 
 The Library 188 
 
 IX The Professions (Continued) 195 
 
 Engineering 195 
 
 The Chemist 203
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 X Personal Services and Professions for Enter- 
 tainment 209 
 
 Dressmaking, Millinery, and Tailoring .... 209 
 
 Hotels and Restaurants 218 
 
 Musicians, Artists, Actors 220 
 
 XI Personal Qualifications 225
 
 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE IN THE WORLD 
 OF OCCUPATIONS 
 
 A recent story, which lias its setting in the rural district 
 of a foreign land, pictures a little pastor of a country 
 church who hates his work. He cannot bear to have Sun- 
 day come around because he must preach on that day, he 
 feels that time spent in preparing his sermons and attend- 
 ing to his pastoral duties is just that much taken away 
 from what he would like to be doing ; and, in fact, his whole 
 work is absolutely contrary to his taste and interest. On 
 the other hand, a man who had gone into business, and had 
 succeeded in getting a splendid financial return for his 
 efforts, was just as unhappy and dissatisfied. The little 
 pastor was interested in agriculture ; he loved to experiment 
 with soils, and with his knowledge of chemistry and his 
 untiring industry during the hours when he could escape 
 from his professional duties, he was able to make his land, 
 which was situated in the midst of barrenness, fertile and 
 productive. The business man, when asked the cause of 
 his discontent in the face of prosperity, replied, " I wanted 
 to be a lawyer." 
 
 " Why," you ask, " did these two men spend their lives 
 in work that was naturally repugnant to them when each 
 knew perfectly well where his tastes and abilities really 
 
 lay?" The first case was in a foreign land where the 
 
 1
 
 2 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 son's vocation is usually planned out and decided upon by 
 his parents; the second case was in our own country, where 
 it was taken for granted by the family and all concerned 
 that the boy would follow in the footsteps of his father, 
 who was a successful business man; and the boy drifted 
 along the line of least resistance. 
 
 These are only two examples, but we are told that in the 
 business and professional world there are countless " mis- 
 fits," men who, though succeeding fairly well, are unhappy 
 in their work ; and there are far more tragic cases of those 
 who are so unadapted that they are failing entirely or 
 barely eking out a living. These incidents illustrate a 
 state of affairs for which you of the coming generation 
 must work out a remedy. This course of study that we are 
 entering upon is planned for the purpose of giving you a 
 view of things that may serve as a guide, that may help 
 you to avoid such unfortunate choices as those of the little 
 pastor or of the sturdy business man, both good choices in 
 themselves, but both unsuited to those particular persons. 
 
 But do not get the impression that every adult is doing 
 what he does not enjoy. If you will read a little book, 
 called The Romance of Labor, you will find short stories 
 of men doing their day's work happily and triumphantly. 
 They are not presidents or kings, but men who fortunately 
 have found the work to which something within them re- 
 sponds, and that makes them say day after day, " I am 
 where I belong. I am doing what I most want to do and 
 I love it." Some of these occupations are dangerous, some 
 are hard physically. One man, a glass blower, lived in 
 a city where it was against the law for an alien to engage 
 in that business. He had broken the law, and on being 
 brought to trial his only defense was that he loved his 
 work„ Read the story to see how he came out, and read 
 the rest of the book to get a picture of men who find their
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE o 
 
 day's work as appealing and. as stimulating as a foot- 
 ball game or a call to serve his country is to the high school 
 
 boy. 
 
 When you consider that by your choice of your life 
 work you are to decide how you will spend your time for 
 eight or nine hours a day during thirty or forty years, and 
 that it may mean that that time will be spent in the dead- 
 ening drudgery of the little pastor or in the satisfied joy 
 of the glass blower, does it not seem worth while to spend 
 some effort in working out a plan that will help in the 
 decision ? 
 
 But while we believe thoroughly that it is legitimate to 
 choose an occupation from the point of view of happiness, 
 and that our work may even be our " greatest source of 
 happiness," there is another basis of decision which is of 
 high and perhaps of first importance. I refer to the basis 
 of necessity. There are comparatively few men in the 
 United States who are not engaged in gainful occupations. 
 Even the sons of the wealthiest parents are as a rule 
 interested in their fathers' businesses and many are pre- 
 paring to step in and assume control of great financial un- 
 dertakings when the older men are obliged to give them up. 
 At the other extreme are the poor specimens of humanity 
 who tramp and beg their way through life. Probably 
 none of you belong to either of these classes ; you will not 
 work merely for the satisfaction of accomplishment, 
 neither will you be content to shamble along and obtain 
 your bread in the easiest possible way. On the other hand, 
 before many years you are going to realize that you must 
 work and work hard if you are to support yourselves and 
 those who are dependent upon you. 
 
 In a sense conditions for the young man without a defi- 
 nite purpose are becoming more complex and difficult. 
 Around us is a great big, buzzing world, filled with every
 
 4 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 conceivable kind of business and with men and women in 
 every degree of success or failure. Why is it that there are 
 so many men who are not able to save anything tor an emer- 
 gency or for their old age? The answer is, in part, that 
 there is such an immense and confusing field from which 
 to choose; in this field are certain occupations into which 
 it is very easy for boys and girls to drift, but which are 
 blind alley occupations, so called because they lead no- 
 where, and in ten years the young person finds himself just 
 about where he began. Again, even though the occupation 
 may be a good progressive one, the boy is often unsuccess- 
 ful, because he is a misfit; there is some other line to which 
 he really belonged, and where he could have dune satisfac- 
 tory work. 
 
 Competition is becoming so severe, business life so stren- 
 uous, and the balance between income and expenses so 
 hard to adjust, that now-a-days if one is able to support 
 his family and to save a little as he goes along he has 
 accomplished a task that is worthy the brains and the 
 strength of a man. The encouraging part of it all is 
 that while it may look like a hopelessly confusing problem, 
 and while the task is in reality a hard one, yet experienced 
 business men tell us that there never was a time when it 
 was so entirely possible for every capable young man to 
 make a success of his work. The important thing is out 
 of this entangled mass to choose the direction of your path 
 and then to learn how to proceed along it. And that is the 
 object of this course, to help you to make your choice so 
 that you may get into the work that will, on the one hand, 
 bring you the greatest happiness and satisfaction and, on 
 the other, enable you to earn your living in the best possible 
 way. 
 
 For the girls, too, this is equally important. More and 
 more, women are engaged in gainful occupations, not only
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE O 
 
 those who do not marry, but also that large majority of 
 women who spend a few years in some other work before 
 their marriage, and who after marriage arc often com- 
 pelled by circumstances to earn an income. Even the 
 woman whose life work is that of making a home for her 
 husband and family, should know as much as possible of 
 the great outside business world, because only in this way 
 can she know the problems of those who are facing these 
 things, only thus can she make her home the real vital 
 factor that it should be in backing up the work of the 
 world. In facing this problem, the first question that 
 naturally arises is: "What principles should guide me 
 in the choice of an occupation ? What help can I get in 
 milking a choice ? " 
 
 There are a few points to consider on the negative side. 
 First, do not drift into an occupation, that is, do not take 
 what lies near at hand without regard to vour fitness for 
 it. Drifting is the easiest way of getting into one's life 
 work, but it probably leads to more unhappiness than any 
 other one cause. Only a few days ago, a mechanical engi- 
 neer connected with a large iron works, told me of a serious 
 strike that was taking place among their workmen. lie 
 remarked, " One can't wonder at it. A man can't meet 
 expenses with the wages that these men make." When I 
 asked whether thev were foreigners, men who were handi- 
 capped and so couldn't get beyond the field of unskilled 
 labor, he replied, " Xo, they are Americans; they belong 
 to a large army of rather ambitious folks who drifted into 
 work that brought an immediate income, rather than wait 
 to learn a trade or at least to find work in which there 
 was a chance to grow." This is only one of many examples 
 of the bad results of drifting, the easy way that a large 
 percentage of people take, but that seldom brings satisfac- 
 tory results.
 
 G VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Second, do not choose a vocation because you have heard 
 a rumor that sonic one person has made money in it. 
 There is need of a much more thorough investigation than 
 this. Perhaps it was mere chance that brought the money 
 to this particular person; perhaps he was better fitted 
 for that line of work than you are ; or possibly the num- 
 ber of opportunities in that occupation is decreasing and 
 by the time you are ready there may be no place for 
 you. Rumor may be false, and if true there are often 
 many causes that may have led to the result in that partic- 
 ular case, so do not decide on that alone. 
 
 Third, do not choose an occupation for non-essentials, 
 that is, because you can wear clean clothes, because the 
 hours suit you or the tasks are easy. If the work does 
 not interest you enough to make you willing to sacrifice a 
 little comfort and convenience to it, it is bound in the 
 course of a few years to become mere drudgery. As we 
 study the different occupations, perhaps in some one of 
 them you will feel an interest and a response that will 
 make such details seem unimportant. 
 
 So much for what not to do. On the positive side, there 
 are, in general, three viewpoints from which to look in 
 making a decision. 
 
 First, you should consider your ability to do the work in 
 this line, that is, have you the power to do this work better 
 than the average person ? You want to know, then, 
 whether you have skill of hand or eye, whether you excel 
 in memory, quickness of decision, executive ability, and 
 the like. Your school work will show something about 
 these things; skill of hand in manual training and draw- 
 ing, mathematical ability in algebra, and quickness of 
 decision in foot-ball games. As we go on we shall see that 
 there are general abilities that seem to go with certain lines 
 of work, but at the same time the line is not drawn very
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE I 
 
 sharply; there are many occupations open to the boy with 
 manual skill, while the man with executive ability has 
 almost numberless opportunities. One capable business 
 man started work as a salesman, but he had not the abil- 
 ity to talk nor the push that is necessary in salesman- 
 ship, and consequently he was unsuccessful and unhappy 
 in his work. Finally he was transferred to another de- 
 partment, in which his work was to purchase supplies and 
 to decide how much and what was to be bought. This 
 took a certain clearness of thought and good judgment with 
 which he was well endowed, and it proved to be the place 
 for which his natural ability fitted him. 
 
 Second, your choice must rest somewhat upon the oppor- 
 tunities in the work; that is, (a) the number of places to 
 be filled in this line. This will depend somewhat upon the 
 location of the particular business, somewhat upon the de- 
 mand in general. For example, a young woman prepared 
 herself to be a teacher of Greek, but when she was ready 
 to teach she found that there were almost no schools offer- 
 ing Greek courses, consequently she was forced to get 
 ready for something else. Similarly since the wide use of 
 the motor truck, work in the wagon factories is becoming 
 noticeably less. 
 
 (b) The wages paid. Are they living wages? While 
 money is not the only return for work, and some people 
 think that their ideals alone should be considered, yet it is 
 every man's duty to support himself and those dependent 
 on him, and he cannot always disregard wages in order to 
 do the work that he prefers. 
 
 (c) The chances for advancement. Is there a future? 
 Some occupations pay fairly well at the start, but there is 
 no opportunity ahead. A young man was offered a posi- 
 tion in another city at the same salary which he was then 
 receiving. His employers offered him an increase of $400
 
 8 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 a year. But older men, whose advice he asked, urged him 
 to accept the new offer. Why I Simply because in the 
 new city there was an opportunity to go on until he would 
 have doubled his salary, while in the position he was then 
 holding, he would probably never get beyond the increased 
 salary lie was then offered. Your future success demands 
 that before deciding on your life work, you ask yourself 
 the question : " Ten years from now, where shall I be ? ' 
 
 (d) The conditions under which you will work. ^ Are 
 they healthy, moral, etc. ? Are the hours such that you 
 are left a margin of time and energy for development in 
 other directions ? These are legitimate and necessary 
 questions and as we take up the various occupations, we 
 shall examine them from this point of view. 
 
 Third, you must consider whether you can get the 
 preparation required for the particular work that you 
 would choose. As we study the occupations, we shall learn 
 that some of them require five or six years of preparation. 
 This means that in order to maintain yourself during the 
 period of training you must have a certain amount of 
 capital. If you are without a doubt that your work lies in 
 a particular direction, which demands a long period of 
 preparation, it might be worth your while to make consid- 
 erable sacrifice in order to attain it. If you have no money 
 to depend on during this period, you will have to do with- 
 out a great many comforts and take a longer time, earn- 
 ing your expenses as you go. Many men have accom- 
 plished much in this way but you should be very sure that 
 you have chosen a work in which you are likely to succeed. 
 
 Now as to the plan and purpose of these lessons ; it is to 
 give a sort of bird's-eye view of the different industries, 
 professions, and commercial businesses, with the idea of 
 letting you see what is the demand for people in the dif- 
 ferent lines of work and what sort of ability is required and
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE 9 
 
 also what are the opportunities for success. There are 
 so many occupations that we shall of course he able to get 
 only a casual acquaintance with them; but you will tind 
 references to material so that if you become interested in 
 any particular line, you may look it up more carefully. 
 For just as in our acquaintance with people, we do not 
 really know them until we have learned many details of 
 their daily lives, so we cannot be sure of an occupation, 
 our real interest in and fitness for it, until we have learned 
 its possibilities by thorough study. 
 
 As to the determination of your ability for a certain line 
 of work, this is a very difficult problem. We may say that 
 the majority of generally intelligent people could fit them- 
 selves for any one of many careers. Then there is the 
 comparatively small number of people who have a special 
 talent along some particular line, as for instance, in art or 
 music. These form a class by themselves in which it is 
 rather easy to discover whether or not you belong. Aside 
 from this there are certain broad characteristics from 
 which you might choose a class of occupations in which 
 you could probably succeed. For instance, consider your- 
 self in regard to the following points, and as you study 
 each occupation, try to decide whether by nature you 
 would fit in, and if so in what department you might do 
 the best work. Are you strong or weak physically ; more 
 skilled in mental or in manual work; fond of indoor or of 
 outdoor life; inclined to direct others or to follow direc- 
 tions; skilled in thinking out original ways of doing things 
 or in following what has been laid out ; able to concentrate 
 on one thing to the exclusion of others or to scatter your 
 attention over several things at the same time? * 
 
 As we look at each occupation we shall try to discover 
 what qualities in general are desirable: but it must not be 
 
 i Classification taken from Hollingworth, Vocational Psychology.
 
 10 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 thought that to enter any particular kind of work one must 
 have all of the qualities mentioned, though there may be 
 some without which it would be unwise to try it. Again, 
 certain qualities might lit a man for some special division 
 of that work. 
 
 In the matter of pay, conditions will differ much in vari- 
 ous parts of the country. The statements that are made 
 must be considered as only approximate, as, in the first 
 place, they are likely to change from year to year, and, in 
 the second, they are not uniform over the country. You 
 can get only a general idea of the businesses that have big 
 opportunities, of the professions that are limited as to in- 
 come, and of the degrees of pay according to advancement. 
 As you look more thoroughly into the work in which you are 
 particularly interested, you will be able to find out more 
 accurately about the remuneration. It will be compara- 
 tively easv to do this in the case of vour local industries. 
 
 As we discuss the opportunities, advantages, and disad- 
 vantages, you must bear in mind that there is no occupa- 
 tion which does not have both favorable and ui. favorable 
 aspects. While your study should help you find that which 
 will be interesting and satisfying to you, still you must 
 remember that in no work will you find everything rosy. 
 There will always be times when your life will seem 
 monotonous, on the one hand, or too strenuous, on the 
 other. You will perhaps look at the advantages of other 
 occupations and wish that you had chosen differently. 
 Many men who have succeeded well have done that. One 
 of the greatest surgeons longed for the specialized field of 
 medicine ; a renowned actor wished that he had gone into 
 business; while a kinsman of his who had grown rich in a 
 commercial position, pined for life on the stage. 
 
 How can we account for this all too common discontent ? 
 Before answering this, we should remember that there are
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE 11 
 
 a great many successful people who are contented and 
 satisfied with their work. And this fact with a little 
 thought may help us to see the reason. There is always a 
 price to pay for success, and discontent comes from keep- 
 ing one's mind on the price rather than on the reward. 
 Before making his choice, one should count the cost, that 
 is, should look the disadvantages squarely in the face and 
 decide whether the compensations and rewards would make 
 him willing to accept these. There is no harm in chang- 
 ing one's decision in the course of investigation, but when 
 once started in work it is well to make up one's mind that 
 unpleasantness is to be found everywhere, and that the 
 man who is worth anything is willing to put up with that 
 for the sake of what he is trying to accomplish. 
 
 As you study the occupations, you will feel how closely 
 they are all related, how not one could exist without the 
 help of many others ; and how when they are taken all 
 together they make up the life and progress of our country 
 and of the world. You will be confused, perhaps, when 
 you find the man of science saying that the most wonderful 
 thing in the world is science, that all our life is based on it, 
 and that even the horrors of war are merely crimes against 
 science; then the lawyer will tell you that the life of the 
 scientific man is narrow, that his own profession is the 
 one that holds the world together ; the business expert says 
 that were it not for commerce, there would be no progress, 
 no agriculture, no manufacturing, that commerce has in- 
 spired inventions, and has brought improvements within 
 the reach of many people ; and then comes the railway 
 magnate and declares that the most important business of 
 all is transportation, and that commerce, agriculture, and 
 manufacturing would cease without the railroads. 
 
 The following diagram will show you the relationships 
 of the various occupations. As you see, the underlying
 
 S 8 
 
 S en £ 9- _- 
 
 
 I 
 I 
 
 ^ 
 
 t 
 
 
 s" c - to O « ift 
 
 i 
 i 
 
 I 
 i 
 
 t 
 
 & 
 
 ■8 
 
 So 5 
 
 oo cb C 
 
 
 ~r 
 i 
 i 
 i 
 
 t 
 
 i 
 
 tf» 
 
 tig .2 "9 
 
 5- 
 
 i 
 
 * 
 
 i 
 I 
 I 
 
 ™ "S M iff 
 
 ►- » "5 " 
 
 I 
 
 8 
 58 
 
 i 
 i 
 i 
 
 c 
 
 e 
 
 
 CO 
 
 0) 
 
 o 
 
 V) 
 
 3 
 
 c 
 o 
 o 
 
 H is j r «> 
 
 a> to •- * 
 
 Si 5h 
 
 Eo * to 
 
 _ £ V • 
 
 u 
 
 < 
 
 I- 
 (/) 
 
 I 
 
 *53 
 
 2f- 
 
 > 
 (0 
 
 Z 
 
 > 
 
 E 
 
 k. 
 
 < 
 
 Ul 
 OS 
 
 ■o 
 
 3 
 
 "- = s 
 
 ii > 
 
 4- >- 
 
 j- a, 
 
 D CO 
 
 to 
 o 
 Q. 
 
 > 
 
 a oj 
 
 C Co 
 
 <U Co 
 
 s ® 
 
 a -5 
 
 T3 n 
 
 
 5 F 
 
 d 
 
 03 
 
 c 
 
 t>i 
 
 
 It 
 
 -. 
 
 •t 
 
 
 
 -»J 
 
 
 * 
 
 H 
 
 
 £ 
 
 O 
 
 Pc 
 
 
 01 
 
 a> 
 
 
 -.' 
 
 tf 
 
 
 
 
 
 Ph 
 
 t» 
 
 
 o 
 
 P 
 
 
 01 
 
 CO 
 
 
 p. 
 
 G 
 ai 
 
 
 S*H 
 
 CJ 
 
 
 o 
 
 CO CO 
 
 
 t- 
 
 3 s 
 
 
 a> 
 
 o -S 
 
 
 - ■ 
 £ 
 
 Si cs 
 
 
 ct Ifl 
 
 
 ™ 
 
 p. 
 
 
 B 
 
 S T3 
 
 C/i 
 
 
 o cu 
 
 y. 
 
 Oi 
 
 
 o 
 
 1— 1 
 
 +-< 
 
 H 
 
 — 
 
 «5 
 
 R 
 
 c ^ 
 
 P-. 
 
 
 s -^ 
 
 P 
 
 co 
 
 tl.<*- 
 
 Q 
 
 C 
 
 o 
 
 c 
 
 -t-> 
 
 - 
 
 T3 ^ 
 
 fr 
 
 Ph 
 
 
 u 
 
 o 
 
 S--^ 2 
 
 b-l 
 
 o 
 
 c"" 
 
 r*i 
 
 
 a- ,_, 
 
 -T 1 , 
 
 K 
 
 
 Cw cy 
 
 "I-' 
 
 CC -^ 
 
 O 
 
 
 "-B 
 
 i— < 
 
 o 
 
 
 P 
 
 Ol 
 
 oo 02 
 
 "a 
 
 
 
 
 a* ,* *-< 
 
 
 Oi 
 
 0) CO 
 
 
 1- 
 
 o> ^ 
 
 
 0, 
 
 ^= p 
 
 -f- 1 bo 
 
 
 • rH 
 
 &1 ^ 
 
 
 
 CV i I 
 
 
 
 rG 
 
 
 
 -*J 
 
 
 
 CU 
 
 
 fclj o 
 
 
 p 
 
 -l-> 
 
 
 
 
 
 c 
 
 .<J 
 
 
 ) 
 
 
 -c 
 
 
 oo^ 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 
 
 o> 
 
 12
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE 13 
 
 support of all is the government, federal, state, and munici- 
 pal, with its great mail service for the convenience of 
 business ; the army and navy for its protection ; for the 
 same purpose, firemen, detectives, police, lifesavers; judges 
 for the settling of difficulties; consuls to represent our in- 
 terests in foreign cities, and countless other civil service 
 employees. 
 
 Upon the foundation of the state is built a series of im- 
 portant businesses. Necessary to all the others are the 
 earth occupations, concerned with things that grow or that 
 are found in the earth. These include farming, forestry, 
 fisheries, and mining; there are over twelve million men 
 in America who are busy in this kind of work. But 
 not much would be gained from the productions of this 
 industry, were they not sent to the manufacturer, the 
 builder, and the packer ; these make the second great indus- 
 try, employing over ten million of skilled and unskilled 
 workmen. But these in turn must sell their products, and 
 so we have first the great wholesale business, and then the 
 numberless retail stores and salesmen, altogether keeping 
 over three million people busy. In order to get the raw 
 products of the earth occupations to the manufacturer, and 
 in turn to transfer his products to the wholesale ware- 
 houses, and from them to the retail stores, and finally to 
 the consumer, there has grown America's system of trans- 
 portation with over two million men to keep it in action. 
 There is moreover another line of connection between the 
 industries. Every undertaking must have a financial back- 
 ing, hence the great banking business, which offers occupa- 
 tion to over one hundred thousand people. 
 
 Thus we have what might be called the great funda- 
 mental industries, giving occupation to over thirty million 
 people. But to carry on these businesses, and also for the 
 help and comfort of these thirty million people and their
 
 14 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 families, there is needed much professional and personal 
 sendee. Consequently in the diagram you will see built 
 on these fundamental occupations, many professions, such 
 as the law, medicine, teaching, and engineering, etc. 
 Helping all of these we have hotel -keeping, journalism, 
 clerking, stenography, and more distinctively personal serv- 
 ice, such as hairdressing and hair-cutting. Then comes a 
 most necessary kind of occupation, that of supplying relax- 
 ation and enjoyment to those engaged in strenuous work. 
 Among those who render professional services for enter- 
 tainment are the artists and actors, the dramatists and 
 authors, the singers, pianists, violinists and all musicians. 
 
 While in general, this represents the great work of the 
 world, there is much overlapping and interweaving, so 
 that every occupation is dependent on many others. This 
 should make us feel that there is a dignity and importance 
 attached to all work, and that every one who chooses his 
 occupation well, and does his work successfully is not only 
 making the most of himself, but is serving his country 
 and humanity. 
 
 In this age of the world there is more or less of oppor- 
 tunity for girls and women in almost every line of work. 
 While in certain fields they have unusual opportunities, 
 and in a few seem to have no chance at all, yet on the 
 whole it is getting to be more nearly impossible to dis- 
 tinguish the work of men from that of women. Moreover 
 for the sake of a broad understanding of life, it is well 
 for both men and women to know all that they can about 
 every sort of work. 
 
 Before considering individual occupations, you can 
 probably make your initial choice between two great 
 groups; the first, those that wo think of particularly as 
 business and industries, including
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE 15 
 
 I. Commerce 
 Selling 
 Accounting 
 Clerical Work 
 Stenography 
 II. Manufacturing 
 Building 
 
 III. Railroading 
 
 IV. Agriculture 
 V. Banking 
 
 The second great group includes what we call the pro- 
 fessions : 
 
 I. 
 
 Law 
 
 II. 
 
 Medicine 
 
 III. 
 
 Teaching 
 
 IV. 
 
 Engineering 
 
 V. 
 
 Literary work 
 
 VI. 
 
 Scientific work 
 
 VII. 
 
 Artistic work 
 
 In general terms, most people choose between the busi- 
 ness world and the professional. In the former, there is 
 on the whole more opportunity to make money, in the lat- 
 ter, the love of study is a requirement, and devotion to 
 work must outweigh the desire for financial gain. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. Describe the case of someone you know who has seemingly 
 drifted into the wrong kind of work. Do you think this is merely 
 an instance of discontent, or can you give definite reasons for your 
 opinion? 
 
 2. Do the same in regard to someone who is in just the right 
 place. Why do you think this?
 
 16 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 3. Can you think of any rules, besides those given in this chapter, 
 by which one might be guided in choosing an occupation? 
 
 4. Give examples to illustrate the six principles of choice enu- 
 merated in the text. 
 
 o. Write as many arguments as you can to prove that every girl 
 should plan her life career. Are there any arguments against this? 
 
 G. Make a list of twenty occupations, telling in each case how 
 long you think it would take to get the necessary preparation. 
 
 7. Copy the list of characteristics on page 9 and after each 
 qualification mention work for which it would be useful. 
 
 8. The statement is often made that people in business have 
 larger incomes than those in the professions. Would you modify this 
 statement? Explain how. 
 
 9. In your note book, make a list of books and magazine articles 
 that you have come across which you think would help in consider- 
 ing an occupation. Leave two or three blank pages after this list so 
 that you can add to it from time to time through the year. 
 
 10. In what occupation do you think that you would be most 
 likely to succeed? Why do you think so? 
 
 Question for Debate: The manufacturing group of occupations is 
 more essential for the well being of the world than is the commercial 
 group. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Reid, Whitelaw. Careers for Coming Men. Saalfield Publishing 
 Co. 
 
 Alden, Cynthia. Women's Ways of Earning a Living. A. S. 
 Barnes Co., 1910. 
 
 Nearing, Scott. Wages in the United States. The Macmillan Com- 
 pany, N. Y., 1911. 
 
 Parsons, Frank. Choosing a Vocation. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 
 1909. 
 
 Statistical Abstract of the United States Census, 1916. 
 
 American Community Life Leaflets. Bureau of Education, Depart- 
 ment of the Interior, 1917, 18. 
 
 Bennett, Helen Marie. Women and Work. D. Appleton & Co., 
 1917 
 
 Reports of the United States Bureau of the Census. 
 
 Gowin and Wiieatley. Occupations. Ginn & Co, 1916. 
 
 LaSalle and Wiley. Vocations for Girls. Houghton, Mifflin & 
 Co., 1913.
 
 FINDING YOUR PLACE 17 
 
 Weaver, Em W. Profitable Vocations for Girls. A. S. Barnes Co., 
 
 1915. 
 Weaver and Byler. Profitable Vocations for Boys. A. S. Barnes 
 
 Co., 1015. 
 Leavitt, Frank M. and Bkown, Edith. Elementary Social Science. 
 
 The Macmillan Co. 
 Lutz, R. R. Wage Earning and Education. Cleveland Foundation, 
 
 1916. 
 Twombly, Frances D. and Dana, John C. The Romance of Labor. 
 
 The Maemillan Co., 1910 
 Lapp^ John A. Learning to Earn. Bobbs Merrill Co., 1915. 
 Martin, Eleanor. Vocations for the Trained Woman. Longmans 
 
 Green Co., 1914. 
 Employees' Welfare From Monthly Review of Bureau of Labor 
 
 Statistics. 1917.
 
 CHAPTER TI 
 GOVERNMENT SERVICE 
 
 Although this is a branch of work which is not often 
 thought of by boys and girls in high school, we shall dis- 
 cuss it first of all because, as you noticed in the diagram, 
 it is, in a way, the foundation upon which all the other 
 occupations are built. As we look at some of the details 
 it may not seem that this is so; for government service, 
 when we consider not only the nation but also the state and 
 the city, covers many kinds of work from that of the man 
 who drives the garbage cart to that of the President of 
 the United States. But between these two extremes, in 
 neither of which we are likely to find our life work, there 
 are positions of all sorts and grades, by means of which 
 our citizens and our industries are protected, business is 
 facilitated, and conditions generally are improved. Take, 
 for instance, the one item of the mail service, and in an 
 instant we get a glimpse of what it would mean if this one 
 department should be crippled. In this single branch, ac- 
 cording to the census of 1910, the government employed 
 119,551 people. 
 
 Let us glance at some other lines of government service 
 just to see how fundamental it is to all business. Take, 
 for instance, the policemen, the firemen, and health offi- 
 cers of all sorts. Immediately you see their usefulness in 
 the protection and welfare of every one. In quite an- 
 other field is the immense amount of construction work 
 
 that is done by the government. Then there is a large 
 
 18
 
 GOVERNMENT SERVICE 19 
 
 army of stenographers, typists, clerks, and secretaries, in 
 Washington, in the state capitals, and in fact in all parts 
 of the country. At first glance these may not all seem, 
 to be of such fundamental importance, but they are like 
 privates in the army, it would be impossible to carry on 
 the great business of government without them all. 
 
 Another group that might interest you is that of the 
 people who are making our money. Take the paper 
 money which is made by the bureau of engraving and 
 printing. This is a great printing house with its elec- 
 trical presses and other mechanical devices. The bills 
 are printed on large sheets with a certain number of bills 
 to a sheet. Many women are employed counting these 
 sheets ; for a very strict account must be kept of every one 
 printed. We are told that in one day enough paper 
 money is manufactured to cover a space of five acres, 
 enough postage stamps to cover six acres and enough 
 revenue stamps to cover eleven acres. In this one de- 
 partment there are 4,000 employees ; and of these there 
 are 200 more women than men. These statements refer of 
 course to normal times. When a special war revenue 
 must be raised, there is an increase of work ; but at such 
 times all industrial conditions are greatly changed. 
 
 Again, there are the people employed in the interests 
 of public justice; not merely the judges who must of 
 course have a legal training, but many other officers, as 
 for instance, probation officers, employees of the juvenile 
 courts, police matrons, detectives, and somewhat along 
 this line, superintendents for all sorts of public institu- 
 tions. Most of these serve the county or state rather than 
 the federal government. 
 
 Then there is the entire consular service, which offers 
 opportunities for boys to help in looking out for the 
 business of the United States in other lands. Young
 
 20 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 men who are going into this work usually take a special 
 course in some university. They must make up their 
 minds to a life in foreign lands, where conditions are quite 
 different from those at home, and where they will doubt- 
 less at first be very lonely. But there is an opportunity 
 here to see other countries and many men have become 
 much fascinated with the work. In accordance with a 
 recent bill, consuls are appointed to a certain grade of 
 service. When they have reached a higher point of ex- 
 perience and ability, they are advanced to a higher grade 
 of service; so that the consular field has become a desirable 
 one for the able and ambitious youth. 
 
 Along many lines of business the government employs 
 expert advisers. For instance, in the Department of Ag- 
 riculture are soil experts, dairy experts, forestry experts; 
 in the Department of Pure Foods, there is a demand for 
 men skilled in chemistry; in the Bureau of Standards, 
 for men trained in physics; in the Department of Ge- 
 ology, there is room for boys interested in that study, 
 while in many departments experts in mechanical and 
 architectural drawing will find a place. 
 
 We have not yet mentioned a most important division, 
 that of the army and navy. For these alone, a whole 
 book might be written on the qualifications, training, and 
 opportunities. The work in the ranks, especially in 
 time of peace, does not have the romance and glam- 
 our that many boys imagine. The training is hard 
 and the life monotonous. Manv who are attracted to the 
 service, prefer to enter by way of an officers' training 
 school. West Point for the army and Annapolis for the 
 navy, which means that they would start in with the rank 
 of second lieutenant. This statement of course refers 
 to times of peace. A state of war is so abnormal that all 
 occupations are on a different basis. The entrance to the
 
 GOVERNMENT SERVICE 21 
 
 military and the naval academies is through appointment; 
 and the best way to get information regarding possibilities 
 in your district is to get into communication with your 
 congressman. Besides the ordinary officers who must of 
 course be leaders of men, the army and navy both require 
 many sorts of engineers, builders, doctors and clerks. 
 This might be illustrated by the board of advisers ap- 
 pointed by Mr. Daniels, Secretary of the Navy. This 
 board was headed by Mr. Edison and is made up of elec- 
 trical experts, authorities in astronomy, in geography, in 
 mathematics, in physics ; of inventors ; and of men promi- 
 nent in the great business of manufacturing. This helps 
 to show what we shall learn more and more as we proceed, 
 that all the occupations are interwoven and dependent upon 
 each other; and that those who aspire to be leaders in any 
 of them, must be experts with long and severe training. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 The qualifications for government service differ as much 
 as do those needed in the whole field of occupations. 
 We may perhaps state certain general requirements, but 
 after that you must add to and modify these according 
 to the special line that you wish to enter. Government 
 employees who are not in the army or navy are included 
 in what is called Civil Service. About two-thirds of the 
 civil service positions are " classified," that is, they must 
 be entered by means of the examinations. The other po- 
 sitions are obtained either by election or appointment. 
 States and cities have systems similar to that of the fed- 
 eral government with, to some extent, parallel positions. 
 Now, let us consider one or two general characteristics be- 
 sides the ability to pass the examinations; for this de- 
 mands a rather definite preparation. 
 
 One characteristic that is required in almost all govern-
 
 22 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 ment work is that of exactness. It is the strict insistence 
 upon this point that has led to what is often complained of 
 as too much " red tape." But even exaggerated care 
 is necessary in order to keep definite records in such an im- 
 mense and complicated system. If you are impatient of 
 details, and are incapable of being - careful and painstak- 
 ing down to the minutest point, you would better seek 
 employment under some master other than the United 
 States Government. Short cuts to results are all right 
 in many places, but not in a government office. This 
 requirement comes to the front even before one is al- 
 lowed to take the examination; for an application that 
 fails to be in exact form is not considered, but is returned 
 for correction. 
 
 Two qualities are necessary as a means of accomplishing 
 a large amount of exact work in a given time. These are 
 concentration and quickness. One can do almost any 
 kind of work better if he has the power of keeping his 
 mind on that work to the exclusion of everything else; 
 but this is particularly true of statistical work, filing, and 
 bookkeeping; and much of the civil service work is of 
 this sort. A woman who has a well paying government 
 position is able to do highly efficient work because she 
 has trained herself to know nothing of what is going on 
 around her while she is working. The other quality, 
 quickness, is likely to come with concentration and it is 
 easy to see how necessary it is. 
 
 Also one must come up to certain standards before he 
 is eligible for examination. He must be in good physical 
 condition, and must not drink intoxicating liquors to 
 excess. More and more the character and habits of the 
 applicants are being considered. Some cities have ap- 
 pointed bureaus of investigation to find out whether the 
 person has lived a clean, honest, temperate life.
 
 GOVERNMENT SERVICE 23 
 
 Preparation 
 
 The preparation for the Civil Service examinations may 
 be described quite definitely. Here there are first of 
 all the "grade examinations." These are in the funda- 
 mental branches, such as arithmetic, spelling, grammar, 
 and geography, and their difficulty is scaled according 
 to the grade of the position you are seeking. Besides 
 these, there is an examination in the specialty in which 
 you want your position, i.e., stenography, medicine, sci- 
 ence, or engineering. A good authority says that for 
 many positions general information is an essential. This 
 should include current events, the organization of the gov- 
 ernment, important events and persons in history and lit- 
 erature, and information in regard to the geography of 
 the earth's surface. Preparation for the grade examina- 
 tions and this general information may be gained from 
 your high school course. For those who are planning to 
 work into the more responsible government positions, a 
 college course is most desirable. The majority of the con- 
 gressmen at present are college graduates, while almost 
 all of the appointive offices are given to men with at least 
 an equivalent education. Not the old-fashioned sort of a 
 college course, with much Latin and Greek, but the new, 
 broader, more practical work, with political science, gov- 
 ernment, history, and English, helps to fit a man for a 
 career connected with the government. Of course for 
 the many positions in scientific research or engineering, a 
 particular technical education is required. 
 
 If you are interested, write to the Civil Service Com- 
 mission at Washington, D. C, for the latest Manual of 
 Examinations, which is published semiannually. This 
 will give you minute information as to how to proceed if 
 vou wish to try any of the examinations. Examinations
 
 24 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 in all lilies for which there are vacancies are held twice a 
 year in every state in the union. After the examination 
 has been passed, the candidate is put on the eligible list, 
 and from this list appointments are made as there is a de- 
 mand. After the appointment, the employee is on pro- 
 bation for six months in order to prove his fitness. After 
 that the position is practically secure as long as lie is 
 capable of doing the work. Information in regard to the 
 state or city positions may be had by writing to the state 
 capitol or city hall respectively. 
 
 Opportunities axd Advantages 
 
 First, if vou are interested in government service, vou 
 would like to know how much chance there is of your get- 
 ting into it. In the last manual of examinations two and 
 a half pages are filled with a list of the examinations to be 
 given. The following table taken from the same book 
 will also show something about the number of people em- 
 ployed by the government. 
 
 In -Tune, 11)15, there were the following number of 
 people working for the United States Government: 
 
 In Washington, D. C 34.430 
 
 Outside of Washington 421,259 
 
 In Isthmian Canal region 20,674 
 
 Total 476,363 
 
 From July 1st, 1013, to June 30th, 1014, there were 
 
 215,587 people examined; 
 147,256 people passed; 
 
 68.4 per cent, of those examined passed; 
 
 41,935 people appointed to positions; 
 
 28.4 per cent, of those who passed were appointed. 
 
 Take then the year for which the figures w 7 ere given 
 here: It would seem that 215,587 people wanted to get
 
 GOVERNMENT SERVICE 25 
 
 positions, only 08.4 per cent, of these were able to pass 
 the necessary examinations; and of these only 28.4 per 
 cent, were appointed to positions. Ability to do well in 
 the examinations is a large factor in the matter of ap- 
 pointment; for when there is a vacancy, eligibles are se- 
 lected largely in the order of the grade they have made. 
 So if you will think over once more what we have said in 
 regard to preparation, it may help you to decide whether 
 you can bring yourself up to the required standard. As 
 you will see if you look over the manual, other considera- 
 tions come in, but. on the whole, appointment depends upon 
 merit. The best plan is to study the various departments 
 and decide what goal you would like to reach. Then be- 
 gin to plan and to prepare for the position that you would 
 like to hold years from now. 
 
 Second, what pay might you expect to receive ? In gen- 
 eral, one does not go into government service because he 
 will receive better pay than elsewhere. There must be 
 then other inducements, and these we shall consider soon. 
 Again, the manual will give you a list of the minimum and 
 maximum entrance salaries paid to the appointees in each 
 sort of position filled in a given year. In the list given 
 in the spring of 1917, the salaries ran from $000 to $2000 
 a year. 
 
 The following table, taken partly from the list and 
 partly from Mr. Foltz's book on Civil Service, will give 
 you an idea of the salaries paid in just a few of the po- 
 sitions: 
 
 Minimum Maximum 
 Position salary salary 
 
 Library assistant $ 720.00 $ 1,000.00 
 
 Physicians 480.00 1,800.00 
 
 Stenographers (men ) 900.00 1,000.00 
 
 Stenographers (women) 720.00
 
 26 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 (The foregoing are entrance salaries, the following in- 
 clude those paid after promotion.) 
 
 Railway mail clerk $ 800.00 $ 1,600.00 
 
 P. O. clerks and carriers 600.00 1,200.00 
 
 Clerks with library duties.... 1,200.00 1,800.00 
 
 Statisticians 1 ,200.00 3,000.00 
 
 Consular service 2,000.00 12,000.00 
 
 Patent investigation 1,500.00 2,700.00 
 
 For clerical positions, the salaries rim from $900, that 
 of the beginner, to $3000, that of chief clerk. Now, a very 
 successful business man may make $25,000 a year, and 
 such a man may look down upon civil service positions. 
 For scientific work in the Department of Agriculture, men 
 are paid from $3000 to $4000 a year, while for similar 
 work outside of the government, they may get from $6000 
 to $10,000. Superintendents of large farms and ranches 
 are paid from $2000 to $10,000 a year, while for a simi- 
 lar grade of work for the government they would receive 
 $4000. These last statements refer to men whose work 
 and pay are above the average. The ordinary man gets 
 rather more from the government than elsewhere. For 
 instance a man who does good, faithful, and not particu- 
 larly original work will get under the government, about 
 $1800 a year, while the same man in business will prob- 
 ably earn about $1200. 
 
 One more thing may be said about government pay, it 
 is sure and steady. While wages in the industrial world 
 fluctuate from time to time according to the conditions of 
 business, the government keeps a steady even rate, and 
 one has the advantage of a feeling of security. 
 
 Third, what about the question of the future ? To what 
 can a boy or girl going into this kind of work look for- 
 ward in the coming years ? First, civil service is a 
 most excellent stepping stone for certain kinds of occupa-
 
 GOVERNMENT SERVICE 
 
 27 
 
 tions. Scientifically trained young men will sometimes 
 take positions at a very low pay, merely for the sake of 
 the experience. As we shall learn later, a splendid field 
 is opening up everywhere for the scientist. Especially is 
 this true of the expert in agriculture. After graduating 
 from an agricultural college a young man may go into 
 government service where he will have excellent training 
 at no expense and be ready for a good position in con- 
 nection with the farming interests of the country. 
 
 The patent department is every year losing men who 
 are offered positions in the firms of patent attorneys. 
 With a law education and some scientific training, a young 
 man has every chance of a most excellent opening. 
 
 For a political career there is nothing better than to be 
 able to study the government at first hand. After a the- 
 oretical education, much can be learned in a practical 
 way, and many a young man, after a clerkship in one' of 
 the departments, has gone home and run for a political 
 position, and has thus found a way to do larger and more 
 responsible work in the affairs of the nation. 
 
 There is one very decided advantage for the young 
 man who plans to go into a profession but who cannot 
 afford to get the necessary education. This refers to those 
 working in the city of Washington. The hours are short, 
 closing at 4:30, and every year there are thirty days of 
 vacation with pay, so that there is ample time for study 
 for one's future work. Because of this condition, several 
 colleges, which are situated in and near Washington, 
 have arranged their courses so that work may be taken 
 after office hours, and a young man may, while earning his 
 living and enough for his tuition, take a law or medical 
 course and even get a start in his practice. 
 
 On the other hand, one who has made up his mind to 
 go into the commercial work of business, would better not
 
 28 VOCATIONAL, CIVICS 
 
 start with civil service. The business methods used by 
 the government arc quite different from those used in the 
 business world, and it is generally conceded that a govern- 
 ment employee becomes unfit for a purely business career. 
 Now as to the permanent values of this work aside from 
 the money values. While financially it cannot be said 
 to offer great inducements, from the point of view of 
 service and reputation the returns are great. As we 
 said at the beginning, the government is the foundation 
 and support of all other business; it is quite worth while 
 to feel that one has his hand in such a big affair. Every 
 cog in the wheel, every bit of the machinery of govern- 
 ment is essential to the safe conduct of the whole na- 
 tion. And one does not need to be a mere bit of machin- 
 ery. Good suggestions for new systems are welcome here 
 as in other lines of business, and when it comes to the 
 scientific experimental laboratories, there is a use for 
 any amount of knowledge and ingenuity. From the de- 
 partment of agriculture advice is given freely to all parts 
 of the country, and thus blights have been destroyed and 
 crops increased. 
 
 The greatest inspiration comes from this definite op- 
 portunity to be of service to the world, but there are in 
 government service other advantages especially to a cer- 
 tain type of men. To those who care more about living 
 than making great wealth, there comes the chance to make 
 a comfortable and sure income with short hours, and long 
 vacations, so that there is time to live and to pursue an 
 avocation, something that in the long run brings more 
 happiness than great wealth and what is generally called 
 success. 
 
 But before we stop we must also face the disadvantages. 
 In an ordinary position, one is in great danger of losing 
 his individuality; in a sense he is just a part of a big
 
 GOVERNMENT SERVICE 29 
 
 machine, and no matter how well lie does his work he is 
 likely to stay just where lie begins unless he makes a defi- 
 nite effort to advance. The very nature of the routine 
 work is likely to kill the desire to advance, hut it is en- 
 tirely possible to overcome this tendency and by the use of 
 initiative to work oneself into a desirable position. 
 
 ^*ow as to the opportunities for women. Women are 
 eligible to less than 10 per cent, of the civil service posi- 
 tions ; but when they are once appointed, they have the 
 same chance as do the men. Their work is largclv in the 
 following lines: stenographer, typist, departmental clerk, 
 expert counter, statistician, translator, librarian, fore- 
 woman, superintendent, inspector. Pay for women is al- 
 most always more than for similar work elsewhere. The 
 following table will give you some idea of the difference: 
 
 Positions of 
 
 manual skill Clerical Executive 
 
 Government . . $9.00 to $15.00 to $1,600 to 
 
 $18.00 a week. $30.00 a week. $2,000 a year. 
 
 Elsewhere $(5.00 to $10.00 to $1,200 to 
 
 $10.00 a week. $15.00 a week. $1,500 a year. 
 
 The hours for women are good, they are well treated, and 
 work under pleasant conditions. 
 
 To sum up, much of the government service demands 
 the sort of skill and training that is demanded in other 
 occupations. These requirements will be discussed as 
 we go on with our course. Full information along any 
 particular line may be obtained by writing to headquar- 
 ters. Civil service laws have done much to make sta- 
 bility of pay and tenure of office secure. The lines that 
 are particularly different from other businesses are the 
 army, the navy, and the consular service. Hut all lines 
 of service for the state, whether they be the post-office, civil
 
 30 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 service, the army and navy, judgeship, or the consular serv- 
 ice, make in a way a foundation upon which all the great 
 occupations are built and because of which they are pos- 
 sible. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. a. Make a list of as many positions in government service as 
 you can think of. b. Check tliose in which you think you might 
 succeed, c. Check those which you think help out in the work of 
 your community. 
 
 2. Give three illustrations of the statement that persons in govern- 
 ment service must be exact. 
 
 3. Why are examinations required before one may have a civil 
 service position? What is this system of appointment called? On 
 what basis were positions filled before it was adopted? 
 
 4 Study a Manual of Examinations, and then write an account 
 of the proceedings of a boy who has determined to be a post-office 
 clerk. 
 
 5. From the same manual and also from the notices posted in your 
 local post-office, decide for what sort of positions there is the greatest 
 demand. 
 
 6. What is meant by a political career? How do men usually en- 
 ter it? Do women ever do anything of this sort? 
 
 7. Find out about some special work that the Department of Agri- 
 culture does for the country, and be ready to tell about it in class. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Leupp, Francis E. Hoic to Prepare for a Civil Service Examination. 
 Hinds, Noble, and Eldridge, 1899. 
 
 Foltz, E. B. K. The Federal Civil Service as a Career. G. P. Put- 
 nam's Sons, 1000. 
 
 Manual of Examinations. United States Civil Service Commission. 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 Report of United States Civil Service Commission, Washington, D. C.
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 
 
 Now that we have had a glance at the great machinery 
 of government that protects and backs our industries, let 
 us look at a series of fundamental occupations that seem 
 necessary to the very existence of any people. First of 
 all, we shall consider the one group that is absolutely in- 
 dispensable, namely, the earth occupations. The name 
 defines itself; it refers to those occupations in which the 
 products, though given to us generously from the earth, are 
 obtained and vastly improved by man's hands and brains. 
 These include agriculture, forestry, mining, and fisheries. 
 This group employs more people than any other; the 1910 
 census report tells us that there are engaged in agriculture, 
 forestry, and mining over thirteen and a half million peo- 
 ple. This means over a third of those engaged in gainful 
 occupations. So judging from the number of people that 
 it takes to obtain and perfect these earth materials, this 
 group of occupations is of vast importance. It would 
 seem almost fair to call it the main business of the 
 American people. Of its four branches, agriculture in- 
 cluding forestry, is the most important. Even under the 
 term, agriculture, we include many specialties, such as 
 farming, dairying, floriculture, stock-raising, poultry rais- 
 ing, market gardening, and fruit growing. So impor- 
 tant is the scientific development of this industry consid- 
 ered, that the President of the United States has in his 
 cabinet a Secretary of Agriculture, a dignity that is en- 
 joyed by no other occupation. 
 
 31
 
 32 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 AGRICULTURE 
 
 Why, aside from the number of people that it employs, 
 is the business of farming so important? In the patri- 
 otic appeal of 1!»17 when we entered the war, we heard 
 as much about the call to farms as of the call to arms. 
 People were urged to have miniature farms in their own 
 yards, schools used vacant fields, and railways gave land 
 near their tracks, all to increase this tremendous occu- 
 pation. But when we consider that it means the feed- 
 ing of over a hundred million of our own people, the 
 production of material from which our clothing and 
 dwellings are made, the supplying of much of the raw 
 material for the manufacturer and of products which keep 
 alive the business of transportation, when we consider 
 these things, the earth occupations seem to us almost colos- 
 sal. Take the agricultural branch of this industry, and 
 let us consider what sort of people could well go into it for 
 a life work, what opportunities it offers both for the pres- 
 ent and for the future, and what arc the advantages and 
 disadvantages experienced by those who have tried it. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 In general, we might say that one going into agricul- 
 tural life should have the following tendencies: 
 
 1. He should be of an active and practical temperament, 
 and should belong with those people who can do things 
 with their hands. On the farm, man meets problems at 
 first hand. En spite of the recent scientific discoveries, 
 he is in reality wrestling with nature and must be able to 
 manage situations that he will not find described in 
 books. 
 
 2. He should enjoy working with nature, particularly in 
 such matters as tilling the soil and caring for crops; lie 
 should have a liking for animals and be able to get the
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 33 
 
 best results from them; and, a quality that goes with both 
 of these, he should love out-of-door life. The whole type 
 of life is so entirely different from that lived in the cities, 
 in offices, and in factories, that one who has not been 
 brought up on a farm should be very sure that he would 
 fit into the actual outdoor work before he undertakes it. 
 A boy who lived in Chicago and helped to support himself 
 by selling newspapers, had an opportunity to work on a 
 ranch in the West. It seemed to him that it would be 
 bliss; he was strong and could stand the work; had manual 
 skill and surpassed all on the ranch in building sheds and 
 making fences. He was, however, lacking in one impor- 
 tant point; he did not know how 7 to manage animals, he 
 lost his temper and beat and injured so many of the 
 cattle and poultry that he finally was dismissed and had 
 to go into some other sort of work. 
 
 3. He should be able to do hard physical work. While 
 outdoor life is healthful, vet one who is not accustomed to 
 this sort of work is likely to find it too much for him. The 
 boy who has been raised on the farm and who wishes to 
 remain in that occupation doubtless has naturally these 
 three characteristics; but the city or town boy must give 
 conscious attention to them, and must be quite sure before 
 undertaking this entirely new life. One town bred boy 
 was so much interested in the high school courses in agri- 
 culture, that he went to the state university to prepare 
 to be a farmer. Circumstances forced him to leave col- 
 lege in the spring so he got work on a farm in order to 
 try out his adaptability. Before the summer was over 
 he had decided that farm life was not for him, so he went 
 into quite a different line of work. 
 
 So much for the qualifications that are distinct from 
 those required by other occupations. In common with 
 certain others he should have also the following:
 
 34 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 4. He should be interested in machinery and, to a cer- 
 tain extent, in engineering. On account of the use of 
 machinery there has been a decrease in the amount of 
 farm labor demanded. But the fewer men employed must 
 be better able to understand and use farm implements and 
 machinery. It is said that in the last fifty years, particu- 
 larly in the production of grain, the saving in the cost 
 of labor per year has reached $681,000,000. Moreover the 
 number of people engaged in agricultural pursuits is likely 
 to decrease still more. Men who would succeed must un- 
 derstand many mechanical problems. While professional 
 engineers will put in systems of irrigation, will plan silos, 
 machinery, smudging outfits, these things must be main- 
 tained and improved upon by the farmer himself, and so a 
 mechanical turn will stand him in good stead. 
 
 5. If he is to own or operate a farm himself, he must 
 have the ability to manage men. We shall find in every 
 occupation that this is a necessary quality for the man at 
 the top. Perhaps it is a quality that it is not so neces- 
 sary to decide upon at the outset ; for into whatever busi- 
 ness you enter, you will start as one who obeys orders, and 
 it is only thus that you will learn whether you have the 
 ability to direct others. However, while in other lines, 
 one rises rather slowly until he is appointed or elected to 
 an executive position, in farming, it is a matter of get- 
 ting enough capital together to own or rent a farm. The 
 farmer is thus likely to be obliged to manage men sooner 
 than those engaged in other lines of work. 
 
 6. lie must be a good business manager, for he must 
 find out the best way of selling his crops, taking into ac- 
 count his access to the market. Indeed, the farmer must 
 be a sort of cost accountant, who is able to figure what it 
 costs him to raise a certain commodity, including labor, 
 machinery, taxes, improvements, seed, and transportation
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 35 
 
 to the market. In this day of cooperation, farmers are 
 organizing' for the transportation and sale of their pro- 
 ducts. For example, in the towns of Southern California, 
 yon will see orange packing houses to which the orange 
 men send their fruit and where it is washed, sorted, 
 packed, and shipped. The profit is divided pro rata, and 
 the hnsiness is conducted in a better way than it possibly 
 could he by one man. No matter what phenomenal success 
 a farmer may have, if he has access to a poor market only 
 he has wasted time and money. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 In going into this work today, a scientific training is 
 decidedly needed. If possible one should get a college 
 training in scientific agriculture, horticulture, stock rais- 
 ing, or in the particular line which one desires to enter. 
 This is the day of scientific farming and one needs the 
 best training before he can hope to succeed. A great ad- 
 vantage of a college training is that by living and working 
 where many branches of agriculture are taught, one may 
 find out whether or not he is inclined to any specialized 
 form. 
 
 Although the college training is by far the best prepara- 
 tion, one who cannot afford that can gain much by read- 
 ing the agricultural papers, attending Farmers' Institutes, 
 and attending the short courses that are given for the bene- 
 fit of farmers in all state agricultural schools. 
 
 It is sometimes said that farmers are naturally con- 
 servative and that many of long experience scorn what 
 they call the book learning of the schools. But the day 
 has come when most farmers realize that the one who 
 gets ahead must have a scientific training, and those who 
 do not realize it are falling behind in the race. It is the 
 men with training whose hens lay the most eggs, whose
 
 36 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 beets yield the most sugar, whose plants and trees are 
 saved from blight and pests, whose corn yields the most 
 to the acre. Some authorities say that besides scientific 
 training a farmer should have manual training. Certain 
 it is that there are a thousand and one things that he must 
 be able to do with his hands and he will find that a natural 
 and developed manual skill is a great asset. 
 
 Opportunities and Advantages 
 
 There seems to be ample opportunity at least to get 
 started in farming. At many seasons " extra men " are 
 wanted, and farmers are glad to employ even inexperi- 
 enced laborers. Then a man who could prove his worth 
 would have no trouble in getting permanent work in some 
 kind of farming, in some part of the country. In talking 
 to a number of the farmers of Illinois, we have learned the 
 following in regard to the w T ages in that part of the coun- 
 try. The average farmer pays to boys at the beginning 
 about $25.00 per month; this is increased each year at the 
 rate of $2.50 per month. This pay is not so low as it 
 seems when we consider that it includes the regular living 
 expenses. Young men starting out are tempted to spend 
 this amount for amusements and luxuries, but if they are 
 willing to save, in five or six years they could lay aside 
 $1000 or more. With that amount if a young man had 
 established a good reputation, he might be able to start 
 on a farm of his own. This is what some farmers say; 
 others think that he would better wait ten years longer 
 or until he had accumulated a capital of about $4000, 
 when he could start rather comfortably on a farm of eighty 
 acres. One man added to his list of necessary require- 
 ments: " A good wife and good health." 
 
 From the report of the agricultural survey of Tomp- 
 kins Co., New York, it appears that the college graduates
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 
 
 37 
 
 working on farms receive higher wages than the high school 
 graduates, and high school graduates higher than those 
 from the grammar school. Experience in other places is 
 consistent with this report, so that ii' possible to do so, it 
 would seem to pay financially to get a thorough prepara- 
 tion before starting. 
 
 You can see that working on a farm as a laborer for 
 wages would not pay for any great length of time. It is 
 merely a way for a young man to get a start. With the 
 necessary training and a little capital, the average man 
 will make a good living at farming, even if he does not lay 
 up a great sum besides. The specially able farmer will 
 reap a rich return from his labors. A great deal depends 
 upon raising the right crop in the right place. There is a 
 famous apple orchard on a ridge in Virginia which was 
 planted fifty years ago. iSTo one had thought that this 
 particular place was good for raising apples, but this or- 
 chard grew and flourished, until now it has brought in 
 many thousands of dollars. When the success of this one 
 was seen, other farmers began planting orchards, and 
 that part of the country has become famous for its apples. 
 
 Again, the successful farmer must know how to use every 
 acre to the best advantage, and how best to dispose of his 
 products. For instance, much of the grain, particularly 
 the corn, that is raised is sold not as grain but as meat. 
 The farmer has learned that he can make more by raising 
 cattle, feeding them well on his grain, and then selling 
 them as live stock to the packers. 
 
 A good deal of money has been made from raising poul- 
 try. But seldom does a farmer go into that business ex- 
 clusively. Only in the last few years, are they begin- 
 ning to realize that much money can be made by paying 
 especial attention to this industry. In 1911, the eggs and 
 poultry raised in the United States were w r orth $750,000,- 
 
 129824
 
 38 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 000. To quote ,T. Russell Smith : " Hence the output of 
 the poultry yard is more: valuable than all the gold and iron 
 produced in the United States. . . . The application of 
 the laws of animal breeding and feeding causes large in- 
 crease in the average egg output. The average egg pro- 
 duction from our 300,000,000 hens is about 80 per hen 
 per year. Test pens of fowls given special care have 
 averaged 240.'' This will give some idea of the oppor- 
 tunity in just this one line for the trained farmer. 
 
 But aside from owning his farm, there is another open- 
 ing for the trained agriculturist. .Many experts are em- 
 ployed as managers of creameries or of farms or ranches 
 belonging to wealthy persons. These are paid well, often 
 from $2000 to $10,000 a year. A young man just grad- 
 uating from a college of agriculture was put in charge of 
 a large stock farm, which he managed excellently. In a 
 few years he was able to own a farm, well stocked with a 
 fine breed of cattle. 
 
 Again, there are many specialties connected with farm 
 life, and one going into general farming can often find 
 out for what particular line he is fitted. For instance, 
 one young man after receiving his training started out 
 on a large cattle ranch. There he soon learned that he 
 was especially interested in veterinary surgery, and that 
 with adequate preparation, he would have no difficulty in 
 getting all the work that he could do. Accordingly he 
 went to the city and took a three years' course in that 
 line. After that he moved to a small town within reach 
 of several ranches and has now developed a large prac- 
 tice. 
 
 Already in connection with government service, we 
 have spoken of the demand for scientific experts in agri- 
 culture. The Department of Agriculture is constantly 
 distributing information in regard to new devices and
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 39 
 
 methods in farming, and farmers in all parts of the 
 country may write for and obtain advice free of charge. 
 There are in many parts of the country experimental 
 farms, managed and developed by experts. In some states, 
 a whole county will employ an expert, wdio has an office in 
 one of the larger towns, and gives his entire time to ad- 
 vising and furthering the interests of the farmers of that 
 district. 
 
 So to sum up, agriculture offers many openings for the 
 active, practical, healthy hoy who enjoys outdoor life, and 
 has a liking for growing things. 
 
 But aside from the point of making a living and even 
 more than a living, what inducements does this country 
 life hold forth ? 
 
 First, as it is an outdoor, active life, it gives the basis 
 for good health. Indeed, some of the lighter occupations, 
 such as fruit or poultry raising, are recommended for 
 those who are not in the best physical condition, for those, 
 for instance, who would not thrive in offices. The out- 
 door exercise gives a good appetite, and the farmer is 
 almost free from the nervous tension and confinement of 
 the city. 
 
 Second, in a sense, the farmer is the most independent 
 of men. lie is his own master and mav work according 
 to his own rules and plans. He is not tied down to the 
 direction of others, but has full scope for the expression 
 of his individuality. He may experiment and use new 
 methods just as far as he himself thinks best. 
 
 Third, he alternates periods of long and strenuous work 
 with periods of light work, so that at intervals he has 
 time for outside interests, for reading, and recreation. 
 And even in the heavy season, there is a great variety in 
 his work so that he need never complain of monotony. 
 
 Fourth, farming by no means belongs to the enervating
 
 40 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 occupations. The man who gets ahead must use his brains 
 and thus he is bound to grow. Agriculture is a growing 
 profession and there seems no limit to the improvements 
 that are ahead and to the experimenting in which every 
 farmer may have his share. Some one has spoken of 
 farming as " the challenge of the difficult " and another 
 calls it the "moral equivalent of war." There is a great 
 advantage in having work that gives much to overcome 
 and conquer, and the many problems that arise are stimu- 
 lating to the intellect. But not every farmer has the 
 energy or the ability to take advantage of these opportuni- 
 ties, and that is the reason that so many do not keep up 
 with the procession, and that their farms are run down and 
 their methods out of date. James J. Hill said that only 
 1 per cent, of the farmers of the Middle West kept in 
 touch with progressive ideas. Tf this is true, how much 
 opportunity must there be for the man who is able and 
 willing to use his mind. 
 
 Suppose we look at a few examples of what science has 
 done for agriculture. Almost every one knows of Luther 
 Burbank and his experiments in plant life; how he has 
 made a new potato, a new berry, new oranges and many 
 other unexpected fruits. Mr. John Drydcn, Chief of 
 the Department of Agriculture in Canada, has made a new 
 breed of hogs for the purpose of getting more and better 
 bacon. 
 
 Let me quote a paragraph from a good authority to 
 show how brains are conquering pests: "The history of 
 peach growing in the Michigan district gives an excellent 
 example of the dependence of industry upon science. A 
 mysterious, incurable, and fatal disease called ' the yel- 
 lows ' spread from tree to tree. Unchecked it worked 
 destruction in the west Michigan peach belt and reduced 
 the number of trees in one county from 600,000 in 1870
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 41 
 
 to 30,000 in 1884. This reduced the value of land to 
 $10 or $20 per acre when it had been worth from $50 to 
 $100, and brought communities to the verge of bank- 
 ruptcy. At this point it was discovered at the State 
 Agricultural Experiment Station that if every tree hav- 
 ing the yellows was removed when the disease was first 
 discovered, only 1 or 2 per cent, of the trees per year would 
 be killed, and the peach industry could thrive. After 
 the adoption of this precaution the county that had but 
 30,000 trees in 1884 had over a million in 1906, and 
 throughout the peach belt prosperity again prevailed." l 
 
 In Illinois, a contest was held to see what difference 
 it made when the farmers carefully selected the. seed for 
 their corn. It was found that the field where that care 
 was not taken, produced 48 bushels to the acre, while the 
 one with the selected seed produced 70 bushels to the acre. 
 
 One has but to ride on the train through Southern 
 Arizona to get a glimpse of what irrigation has done. 
 For miles one sees desert sands on which practically noth- 
 ing can grow, relieved only by the mirage in the distance. 
 Suddenly he is in a most fertile country with flourishing 
 fields of grain and orchards of fruit trees. Cattle are 
 grazing and there are acres of truck gardens. This mir- 
 acle has all been wrought by irrigation. Just out of the 
 city is a beautiful ranch, a veritable fairy land, where all 
 sorts of rare fruits and vegetables are growing. A man 
 who has made his fortune in big cities but who felt the 
 lure of the country, is using his brains and his wealth 
 to show what can be overcome and accomplished on a 
 farm. 
 
 Fifth, besides the stimulus of overcoming difficulties 
 and discovering new methods, the farmer may have the in- 
 spiration of feeling that he is a part of a great movement. 
 
 i From J. Russell Smith, Commerce and Industry.
 
 42 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Koosevelt in his administration appointed a Commission 
 on Country Life, which has made many valuable recom- 
 mendations to Congress. G. VV. Fiske in his Challenge 
 of the Country mentions no less than forty institutions for 
 the advantage of the farmer. At present, about one-third 
 of our people are farmers ; and even though with the in- 
 creased use of machinery, this proportion should decrease, 
 yet those who remain will he of weightier importance 
 because they must of necessity be more skillful and better 
 trained. 
 
 Disadvantages 
 
 We learned at first that every occupation had its un- 
 desirable side, so we must expect to find that this is also 
 true of farm life. 
 
 One point you have probably thought of already. That 
 is the loneliness of country life, especially on the larger 
 farms and stock ranches. Perhaps the farmer's wife and 
 family, who are not directly concerned with the farm 
 work, feel this more than the man himself. From the 
 point of view of growth this is a great drawback; for 
 we need much contact with other people for the sake of 
 our mental development. And this isolation keeps one 
 away from many means of culture and entertainment found 
 in the cities. But you are already prepared to answer 
 that this objection is being more and more overcome by the 
 modern conveniences which the farmer is using. Many 
 farmers now have their automobiles and telephones; 
 roads are being built and improved, rural delivery and 
 farm machinery are great helps. Forty-five per cent, of 
 the students in the Agricultural College in the University 
 of Illinois are from towns of over 5000 inhabitants, which 
 looks as if the town boy must have a good deal of confi- 
 dence in the improved comforts of farm life. 
 
 Although farming had always been considered more'
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 43 
 
 healthful than city life, yet recent statistics show a better 
 physical condition in the towns than in the country, and 
 this too in the very diseases that, fresh air would seem to 
 overcome. What does this mean!' In all probability, 
 simply that the cities have found that they must combat 
 illness bv making conditions more sanitary, bv making a 
 conscious effort to get fresh air, sunshine and good food; 
 while the country folk have not all learned to take ad- 
 vantage of what is within their reach, and often sleep 
 with their windows closed and expose themselves un- 
 necessarily to disease. So this second objection can also 
 be overcome. 
 
 Next, there are several things that seem beyond his 
 control upon which the farmer's success is dependent. 
 Often the condition of the weather will mean a big loss in 
 certain years. Too little rain, a frost too late in the spring, 
 or too early in the fall, an untimely hail or wind storm, too 
 much rain, and many other causes may mean a total or a 
 large loss. 
 
 Then, too, his success depends upon the demand for 
 his produce. A somewhat remote but interesting example 
 of this is that of the esparto trade in North Africa. Es- 
 parto is a tough grass which for years was used to make 
 a large part of the world's paper. About fifty years ago, 
 we began in this country to make paper from wood pulp, 
 and now trees furnish most of the material needed. This 
 discovery of course ruined the esparto trade and left the 
 Arabs who had raised it without any means of support. 
 This is a remote case, but it, is true that new discover- 
 ies are constantly affecting the market for certain com- 
 modities. Perishable foods may be produced beyond the 
 demand. In some years tomatoes, apples, oranges, po- 
 tatoes have spoiled in immense amounts because the neigh- 
 boring market was overstocked. Then the price obtained
 
 44 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 also depends upon the demand. For instance, potatoes 
 may bring to the grower anything from 10 cents to $1.50 a 
 bushel. So that with all these possibilities, it is small 
 wonder that the farmer often worries over the uncertain- 
 ties of his business. 
 
 However, we shall find that there are also remedies and 
 compensations for these misfortunes. In the California 
 orange groves, smudge pots are used to combat the frosts. 
 Then, while there is a possibility of two or even three 
 bad years in succession, it is almost never more than 
 this and if judgment is used in planting those crops that 
 are suitable to the climate, the chances are very -favorable 
 that the good years will outweigh the bad years. Indeed, 
 there are farmers who have become wealthy in a very few 
 years because of unusually good crops and good prices. 
 As to the overstocking of the local markets, that is being 
 balanced by the use of refrigerator cars, which makes pos- 
 sible the transportation of products to greater distances. 
 Also the development in canning and drying processes is 
 helping to overcome the waste. 
 
 Another drawback that often hinders boys from con- 
 sidering the farming business is the need of capital. 
 The farm laborer's job is not one that the ambitious boy 
 would care to consider as permanent. If he plans beyond 
 this he must in some way get money to invest. We spoke 
 before of the possibility of saving an amount. But to do 
 this a boy must realize that he will go a long time without 
 ready money to spend. Even after he is started he will 
 have to invest a large share of his earnings in improve- 
 ments and machinery. The boy who is going into perma- 
 nent farming should either be ambitious and thrifty enough 
 to save his own capital or, if his father is a farmer, should 
 have prospects of stepping into his business before many
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 45 
 
 years, or should have some other menus of getting capital. 
 
 These disadvantages are real and should be faced before 
 deciding on a life work, hut on the other hand, as we have 
 seen, they are not insuperable. 
 
 Xow as to the opportunity for women in this work. 
 Many women have made good in specialized lines, such 
 as poultry raising, market gardening, flower culture. One 
 woman made a good living by raising violets; another 
 devoted her attention to cultivating large and fine varieties 
 of certain vegetables, such as tomatoes, potatoes, and peas ; 
 while still another went to California and had good success 
 with an orange grove. While women seem best adapted 
 to such specialized lines, they have also shown themselves 
 capable of larger farming. One young woman just out 
 of college recently took up a land claim in Montana. She 
 built a little shack and showed great courage in starting 
 out on her own responsibility. Most of the time she was 
 able to hire one or two helpers, but she herself superin- 
 tended the breaking of her land, and the planting and 
 harvesting of her wheat. In the second year, she had a 
 large harvest, and is now making a good success. So it 
 looks as if the women with courage could start out and 
 do things in this line as well as in the many others which 
 they are undertaking in these days. 
 
 To sum up : there is no occupation more important than 
 farming. A young man with the natural inclination and 
 energy needed for that sort of work, with the instincts of 
 a manager, and with good courage, one who is willing to 
 sacrifice a few comforts and to wait for the necessary edu- 
 cation, will find agriculture an inspiring, healthful occu- 
 pation. Here he will meet nature at first hand, and will 
 help to solve perhaps the most vital problem of the nation, 
 that of its food supply.
 
 46 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 FORESTRY 
 
 An earth occupation closely allied to agriculture is for- 
 estry. There is this difference: that nature gave us a 
 big start in the matter of forests and our part of the 
 problem is only just beginning. If you should drive 
 through some of our great western wooded country, you 
 might be surprised to see the stumps of many immense 
 trees and the thick but extremely slender second growth. 
 This is one of the signs of the careless lumbering work 
 that was done in early days. It was not until about the 
 year 1900 that we began to realize that this wasteful 
 process could not go on indefinitely. Since that time we 
 have begun to see that we must learn from the experience 
 of Europe, where, years ago, lumber became scarce and 
 expensive, and every effort had to be made to preserve 
 and increase it. There is a big problem before us now in 
 finding the economical way of cutting the trees so as not 
 to harm the young growth. The forests must be preserved 
 from fire and blight and the depleted places must be re- 
 forested. Private owners, even though four fifths of 
 the timber lands is in their hands, have not yet waked 
 up to this necessity. There are exceptions to this in the 
 cases of certain industries that are dependent upon a 
 continued supply of wood from a particular district. For 
 instance, paper mills which cannot be moved from place 
 to place must see to it that their forests are preserved in 
 order that their supply of wood pulp may not fail. 
 
 Here again is one of the many places in which we shall 
 learn how the work of the government does underlie every- 
 thing else. For it is the government that up to this time 
 has done most of the work in technical forestry. As trees 
 will grow in almost any kind of soil and temperature, so
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 47 
 
 long- as they have a good supply of moisture, the govern- 
 ment has planted forests in places that are unsuitable for 
 agriculture. In California alone, (hose national forests 
 cover 43,000 square miles. Ninety-five per cent, of the 
 trained foresters at the present time have been in the em- 
 ploy of the government. Let us see just briefly what sort 
 of men are wanted for this work. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. They must be men who are willing to endure physical 
 hardships, for a large proportion of their time must be 
 spent literally in the woods and away from the comforts 
 of home. For this reason the forester must have good 
 health. As he advances in his profession, he will prob- 
 ably spend more time in his office, but he will always be 
 obliged to live at a distance from the big cities. 
 
 2. The forester must also have a good intellect. While 
 there may *be times when physical work is necessary, that 
 is not the technical man's main business. He will have 
 problems to work out for the particular section for which 
 he is responsible and there will be many questions which 
 he will have to decide. 
 
 3. As in many other lines of work, the man who wants 
 to rise must have executive ability. He will have for- 
 esters working under him whom he must be able to man- 
 age; and he must be able to look after all the details and 
 see that they work together to his great end of preserving 
 the forests and getting the greatest possible production 
 from them. 
 
 4. In the present state of development, he must also 
 be able to give to the public what he has learned. As 
 a government employee, he may be called upon to make 
 addresses or to write articles for + he purpose of stirring
 
 48 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 up public sentiment. For this purpose he should be able 
 to express in clear and concise English what he has 
 worked out in his private investigations. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 This occupation does not differ from all the others in 
 demanding more and more training as time goes on. 
 Less than twenty years ago, there was only one school 
 of forestry in the country; now there are twenty-two 
 which give a degree and forty others which include for- 
 estry in the course of study. It is desirable to have four 
 years' technical training in college and of course this de- 
 mands for entrance a four years' high school course. 
 Some particularly ambitious foresters take post graduate 
 work in Europe where somewhat different theories have 
 been worked out. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 As was said at first, the majority of these positions are 
 with the government. These are entered through the civil 
 service examinations. There is a practical examination 
 given for the forest rangers. These are guards employed 
 to protect the forest against fire and other damages. Their 
 salaries run from $000 to $1500 a year. 
 
 There are next the technical examinations from which 
 are filled the following positions. The government owns 
 over 162,000,000 acres of forest land. Over this entire 
 problem there are administrative officers who receive from 
 $2000 to $3750 a year. The forest land is divided into 
 districts over each of which is a supervisor who receives 
 from $1400 to $2700 a year. Then there are the techni- 
 cally trained men or forest examiners who are paid from 
 $1100 to $2200. 
 
 In the federal work there is likely to be room for
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 49 
 
 about twenty new men a year; in the state work, less 
 has been done and there is a greater opportunity; while 
 in private lands there are likely to be still more open- 
 ings. The big lumber companies, paper companies, rail- 
 ways, and water companies, all own large forest dis- 
 tricts. As trained foresters show their ability and what 
 they can accomplish by their methods there will be more 
 and more demand for them. 
 
 There is also a field on the government land in Indian 
 reservations and in National Parks. As the consulting 
 engineer has been found necessary, so there is likely to be 
 a future for the expert as consulting forester. Work for 
 the preservation and cultivation of forests will probably 
 increase as the years go by. For although steel, cement, 
 and other building materials are supplanting wood in cer- 
 tain lines, yet there are constantly new inventions for 
 which it is used. Besides the uses that we ordinarily con- 
 sider, there are also by-products ; such as, turpentine, resin, 
 tan-bark, and paper. Here again we see another way in 
 which our forests have been wasted. The careless process 
 by which turpentine and resin have been secured has left 
 many trees with such a large opening by which the sap 
 might escape that they have " bled to death " in a few 
 years. Also this drying process has left them an easy prey 
 to fire and wind. So here is another bit of work for those 
 interested in the conservation of our forests. 
 
 There is connected with forestry another line of work 
 that might appeal to the young man starting out in life. 
 I refer to the work that is called " logging " in the lumber 
 camps. This is strenuous physical work, and with it are 
 joined many hardships; but it develops sturdy charac- 
 teristics in those who can endure the strain. Men who 
 are employed on farms in the busy seasons, often get work 
 in these lumber camps in the winter. One of our citizens
 
 50 VOCATIONAL, CIVICS 
 
 of large achievement worked when a young man for several 
 winters at logging because his health demanded a change 
 from indoor confinement. The men who make this their 
 habitual work are likely to become very independent and 
 rather hard to control. This indicates another opening 
 for the man who is peculiarly gifted in managing men. 
 
 MINING 
 
 Aside from the work of unskilled laborers, mining 
 might properly be discussed under the head of engineer- 
 ing, for it is the mining engineer who tests the metal 
 and decides whether the mine is worth working. From 
 that time on he is needed to the end of the process. We 
 take up the subject here because it is one of the earth 
 occupations. Just as the farmer and the forester are 
 cultivating our natural resources and sending their pro- 
 ducts to the factory, to the dealer and finally to the people, 
 so the miner is delving into the earth and finding ma- 
 terials that are increasing the wealth of the nation. Ac- 
 cording to the census of 1910, there were 964,824 people 
 in the United States engaged in this industry. You may 
 be surprised to learn that 1094 of these were women. 
 Valuable, however, as the products of the mine are, the 
 farmer still holds a higher place than the miner in the 
 worth of his output. We are told that the result of the 
 mining industry in the whole world is worth only one-half 
 of the production of the farms in the United States alone. 
 Perhaps the ease with which the " forty-niners " obtained 
 gold in California or the hordes that went to the Klon- 
 dike about the beginning of this century panned it out, 
 has made the chances to make money from mines seem more 
 than they are. The trouble is that when the or| from the 
 mine is gone there is no way of replenishing it, while the
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 51 
 
 farmer with his many resources can bring forth crops al- 
 most without limit. 
 
 And yet there is a tremendous value in our mines and 
 in the industries that are dependent upon them. Without 
 iron, which is found in deposits of iron ore, and steel, 
 which is made from iron, there would be little left of the 
 manufacturing business ; for the manufacturers depend 
 upon these for their very machinery with which they 
 work, and many of their products are made from this ma- 
 terial. Copper, lead, aluminum, silver, gold all have 
 their very important places in our industrial world, while 
 in this discussion we shall have to include stone quar- 
 ries and lime pits. The earth gives us countless materi- 
 als with which to work. You do not need to be told how 
 important a product of our mines coal is. Here as in 
 the case of the forests, it has taken us a long time to learn 
 the lesson of conservation. For example when anthra- 
 cite coal was first mined, only the best was used and about 
 70 per cent, was wasted. jSTow we have waked up to the 
 extent of learning how r to save 60 per cent. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 One who is going into the business of mining in al- 
 most any capacity must be willing to do hard work in 
 lonely places where it is impossible to keep his face and 
 hands clean. Even the engineer who has had college 
 training may be obliged to do hard manual work at certain 
 seasons. Mines are necessarily situated in lonely places, 
 far off in the mountains or perhaps in the cold regions 
 like Alaska. If you cannot stand the loneliness or the 
 dirt, do not undertake it. In a large mine there is division 
 of labor; such as the laboratory work, work with machin- 
 ery, and much underground work down in the mine. A 
 few chemists may never be obliged to go into the mine
 
 52 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 itself; but the successful engineer with courage and 
 energy will want to experience every phase of the work. 
 One young Harvard graduate came to the coal mines of 
 Illinois and began literally at the bottom that he might 
 learn the whole business thoroughly. He began 400 feet 
 below the surface of the earth loading ore into the cars 
 with his shovel, working in dangerous places, with for- 
 eigners who could not speak English for his companions. 
 In this case the miners did what was called piece work 
 and a good workman could get about $2.25 a day. The 
 story of this man's experience gives a good idea of the 
 qualities desirable in a miner. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 As we have implied, if he is going to do more than the 
 hardest unskilled manual labor, the boy interested in 
 mines must have a thorough training in a technical school. 
 These schools are of the same grade as any college and re- 
 quire a four-year high school course for entrance. The 
 course itself takes four years and in it there are several dif- 
 ferent phases of mining from which one can choose his 
 specialty. Some of the subjects in which a mining en- 
 gineer is supposed to specialize are: mechanics, physics, 
 mineralogy, chemistry, metallurgy, mathematics, and ge- 
 ology. There is much and varied machinery connected 
 with a mine. This includes steam shovels, hoists, and 
 even railroads, besides all the machinery connected with 
 the concentration plants. These are dependent upon a 
 knowledge of physics and mechanics, and are responsible 
 for the increased output in minerals. Take the following 
 as an example of what machinery has done. In 18-40 there 
 were 125,000 tons of iron mined in the United States ; in 
 1908, these had increased to 17,000,000. At the begin- 
 ning of this industry, iron was produced by individuals
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 
 
 53 
 
 with smalJ blast furnaces ; for you must know that iron ore 
 is frequently found so near the surface of the earth that 
 there is little difficulty in obtaining it. But today the 
 small furnace of the individual must give place to the big 
 machinery and the result is that whereas at that time it 
 took six days to produce one ton of pig iron, today four 
 and a half tons are produced by one man in one day. 
 
 Opportunities and Advantages 
 
 There is excellent opportunity for the young mining 
 engineer to get started and to rise in his work. Most boys 
 who are brought up in a country remote from mines do 
 not feel particularly drawn to them. One boy, however, 
 who had lived in a prairie country but who when he was 
 quite young had spent one summer with his parents in 
 the mountains, made up his mind then and there that he 
 would study mining. After he had had his high school 
 course, he went to a school of mines, specialized in metal- 
 lurgy, and loved the work from the beginning. Even in 
 summer he did not care to take vacations but obtained work 
 as a laborer in some mine. When he had finished his 
 course he had no trouble in getting a position, and even 
 though he has lived in out-of-the-way places amid rough 
 people and great dangers, he has never regretted his 
 choice. 
 
 A disadvantage is that this is a dangerous occupation. 
 As in the case of factories, many devices have been in- 
 vented to make mining safer, but it is impossible for all 
 the dangers to be eliminated. There is danger from gas, 
 from explosions, from caving in, and from fires. A woman 
 whose two sons were miners and who herself lived in the 
 mining town where they were working, said that she 
 never saw one of them go down into the mine that she did 
 not feel that he might not come up alive. But in spite
 
 54 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 of this even she was fascinated with the life and did not 
 want them to give it up. She said that it seemed like real 
 living; that they were not being coddled and pampered 
 but were facing real dangers and hardships in order to 
 accomplish their work. The satisfaction is perhaps some- 
 thing like that which comes to the soldier or the explorer. 
 
 The mining engineer has an interesting task in work- 
 ing out the best methods of extracting the metal from 
 the ore, constructing the machinery used at the mines, and 
 making the work as safe and expeditions as possible. 
 For example, by new processes of extracting aluminum, 
 the price was reduced from $10.00 to $0.22 a pound. 
 Gold and silver are produced at a much lower price than 
 formerly. Many processes of combining metals and mak- 
 ing new materials have been discovered. The field for 
 the mining engineer is large and absorbing. 
 
 So much for the man who is working in a mine at a 
 salary. It is quite another thing to start out prospecting 
 or to think that you can make money from a mine that 
 has not been proved profitable. Every one who has had 
 experience advises keeping away from that sort of min- 
 ing unless you happen to have capital that you can afford 
 to lose. The many deserted mines in the mountains of 
 our great western country are pathetic evidence of the peo- 
 ple who have lost out on what they thought would bring 
 them a fortune. The reason that some have become im- 
 mensely rich in these undertakings is because they hap- 
 pened to be lucky in striking a rich vein of ore. But be- 
 fore they could be certain of this, it was necessary to 
 risk large sums of money, and this, after all, reduces this 
 sort of business more or less to a species of gambling. 
 Many people who went to Alaska after gold was discovered 
 there, made large fortunes, but many of these same people 
 lost all that they had made.
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 
 
 FISHERIES 
 
 55 
 
 Another of the earth occupations, or as wo might say 
 perhaps a little more accurately, those concerned with nat- 
 ural products, is that of fisheries. Hugh M. Smith, the 
 United States Commissioner of Fisheries, telb us that 
 since the United States has included Alaska it has be- 
 come the leading nation in this industry. Even though 
 some of us do not live very near the actual field of opera- 
 tion, we ought to know something of this important oc- 
 cupation, and, in view of the predicted developments, 
 those who are interested in agriculture may be brought 
 very near to it. For on account of a probable depletion 
 in the supply, caused by over-fishing the streams, and In- 
 obstructing and polluting many of the inland waters 
 through other uses, there is a movement on foot to stock 
 the ponds and streams on the island farms with fish sup- 
 plied from the government hatcheries. It is predicted 
 that in this way an acre of water might be more profitable 
 to the farmer than an acre of land. So you see that 
 the fishing industry is of great immediate interest to 
 every one. In the National Geographic Magazine for 
 June, 1010, Commissioner Smith tells in an interesting 
 way of our remarkable resources in fishes. There arc in 
 the deep seas mammals as well as fish which in general 
 belong to the same industry. For instance we lead the 
 world in the production of seal. These are found in great 
 numbers in Bering Sea, though by a terrible and useless 
 waste, their number has been greatly decreased. 
 Again we find the government at work, this time protect- 
 ing the seal from the careless and selfish methods of indi- 
 viduals. 
 
 Then as we circle around the country we see what im- 
 mense fishinc; "-rounds we have. In the Atlantic and the
 
 5G VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Pacific, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the fresh waters of 
 the Great Lakes, not to mention the innumerable inland 
 streams and ponds, are found almost endless varieties and 
 supplies of fishes. Take for example just two varieties: 
 first, the oyster. In one year there were sold 35,000,000 
 bushels of these. So great is the demand and so imminent 
 the danger of the supply being exhausted, that the business 
 of "planting" and of cultivating oysters has grown up. 
 Another great fish industry is that of the salmon. 
 These are caught in certain seasons when the fish in great 
 swarms migrate to the place of their birth. A large pro- 
 portion of them are canned, so that for a short season 
 that industry is very flourishing. Commissioner Smith 
 tells us that in 1915, so many salmon were caught in 
 Alaska that if they were put into two-hundred-pound bar- 
 rels, and these were piled on end one on top of the other, 
 they would reach a height of twelve hundred miles; and 
 that if they were put into ordinary freight cars, it would 
 take ten thousand cars which would stretch over a dis- 
 tance of one hundred miles. 
 
 .While the actual fishing is a trying life and full of 
 danger, and demands courage in the men who undertake 
 it, there is also the phase of it that calls for good mental 
 work and scientific training. The federal government 
 and about twenty of the states have established hatcheries. 
 Here many fish are hatched by means of incubators, and 
 from these places they are shipped all over the country to 
 supply ponds and streams. It takes special cars and ex- 
 pert train crews to manage the shipping part of the busi- 
 ness. So far most of this sort of work has been done by 
 the government, but in order to keep up the supply of fish 
 for inland places, there is need of private enterprise; 
 particularly in the culture of fish in streams and ponds. 
 Perhaps some of you who go into the business of agricul-
 
 EARTH OCCUPATIONS 57 
 
 ture may be interested in specializing in this line. In 
 preparation, there is need of a thorough training in bi- 
 ology. 
 
 But this is not entirely a food industry. We have 
 already spoken of the seal industry which is supplying 
 us with furs; and you know of the pearl industry, and 
 of the making of buttons from the shells of certain mus- 
 sels. There are by-products here as in other places. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. Make a list of fifty articles in your home. Upon what " earth 
 occupation" are you dependent for each one? 
 
 2. Write a short imaginary account of the experiences of a city 
 boy who gets a job on a farm for the summer. 
 
 3. Discuss the following question either for or against: There 
 are so many dangers of failure in agriculture that only a man with 
 a larije capital should aim to own a farm. 
 
 4. Tell the story of some woman of your acquaintance who has 
 gone into agricultural work. If you do not know of one personally, 
 try to get information from some friend or from a book or magazine. 
 
 5. Find out what is meant by the farm loan system. What is the 
 Federal Farm Loan board ? 
 
 6. What is a mortgaged farm? Why do so many men have their 
 farms mortgaged? Is this good business? Can it be avoided? 
 
 7. Imagine a business man in a large city, and a farmer. In 
 what ways does each depend upon the other? 
 
 8. How is the farmer dependent upon the government? 
 
 9. Take any one branch of agriculture, and discuss the oppor- 
 tunities for a man or woman without executive ability. Do the same 
 in another branch for the one with executive ability. 
 
 10. Take any one branch of agriculture, and tell just how you 
 would go to work to prepare for that occupation. 
 
 11. Find all that you can about the life and work of the lumber- 
 man. What is attractive or unattractive in it? Describe the kind 
 of person that you think would make a leader of these men. 
 
 12. If a boy was interested in forestry as a profession, how would 
 he go about it to get into that kind of work? What kind of prepara- 
 tion would he need and where would he get it? 
 
 13. Name as many products as you can of the fishing industry.
 
 58 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 14. In the actual work of fishing either on the high seas or inland 
 on streams and lakes, men seem to be either extremely fascinated, or 
 to feel no interest or a real repugnance. Give reasons to explain 
 this. 
 
 15. Describe some part of the country in which a boy who intended 
 to go into the occupation of mining would be likely to live. 
 
 10. Send for the catalogue of some Mining School, like that, for in- 
 stance, at Golden, Colorado. What preparation is necessary for en- 
 trance? What sort of studies would be pursued in a course there? 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Fiske, G. W. The Challenge of the Country. 
 
 Burkett, Stevens, and Hill. Agriculture for Beginners. Ginn & 
 Co. 
 
 Hunt, T. F. The Young Farmer. Orange Judd Co. 
 
 Williams, Archibald. The Romance of Modern Mining. Seeley & 
 Co., 1907. 
 
 Bailey, L. H. The Country-Life Movement in the United States. 
 The Macmillan Co. 
 
 Bailey, L. IT. The Outlook to Nature. 
 
 Graves, Henry S. The Profession of Forestry. United States De- 
 partment of Agriculture. Forest Service — Circular 207. 
 
 Smith, Hugh M ., United States Commissioner of Fisheries. Article 
 in National Geographic Magazine. June, 1010. 
 
 Husband, Joseph A Year in a Coal Mine. 
 
 Smith, J. Russell. Commerce and Industry. Henry Holt & Co., 
 1910.
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 
 
 The third group we have called "transferring occupa- 
 tions," because, as the name implies, they " carry across ' : 
 products, people, and money from one occupation to 
 another. As we have seen in our diagram, transporta- 
 tion and banking form connecting links between the other 
 big divisions of occupations. It is by means of banking 
 that the great undertakings are backed financially; and 
 by means of transportation, that the products of the farm, 
 the forest, and the mine reach either the merchant or the 
 great factories; and again that the finished product of 
 the factory finds its way to the dealer and the consumer. 
 
 Transportation may be considered under three heads: 
 (1) railroading, (2) water transportation, (3) street 
 railways. By far the most important of these, and in 
 fact one of the greatest single industries in the United 
 States, is railroading. It employs almost two-thirds of 
 the people employed in all transportation in our country, 
 the number of whom according to the 1010 census was 
 2,037,071. 
 
 The more we learn about this remarkable organization, 
 the complicated systems in adjusting the business side of its 
 work, and the expert skill demanded in various phases of 
 its construction and its operation, the more we admire the 
 mind and character of the men who make this wonder- 
 ful system possible. The history of railroads reads like 
 a veritable romance. Starting in our country with the 
 
 59 '
 
 60 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 old canals and turnpikes, the latter being the road-bed for 
 the picturesque stage-coach of early days, we have come 
 to such a degree of luxury that we can travel from one 
 ocean to the other with all the comforts of our modern home 
 life; while from the humblest citizen to the most impor- 
 tant manufacturer, we may ship our goods, small or bulky, 
 cheap or expensive, from any place to any other place, 
 with pretty well assured safety and expedition. 
 
 In connection with the history of railroads, it is in- 
 teresting to note that they owe their beginning to the earth 
 occupations that we have just been considering; for the 
 first suggestion to use steam for transportation came about 
 three centuries ago in England, when it was suggested 
 that agricultural products be carried across the country 
 in this way. The first railroad in the United States was 
 built in 1827 in order to carry granite from the quar- 
 ries for the building of Bunker Hill Monument. This 
 carrying of material for the industries and for business is 
 still the main purpose of transportation. We may well 
 ask : " Do the earth occupations and manufacturing de- 
 pend upon transportation; or does transportation depend 
 upon these productive occupations ; or again do they both 
 depend upon commerce, or does commerce depend upon 
 both of them ? " To all these questions, we may answer, 
 yes ; for, on the one hand, the producers must have some 
 means of transportation, and on the other, the railroads de- 
 pend for their profit upon the freight business, while we 
 can easily see how commerce and both of these occupations 
 are interdependent. Again the government is back of 
 this group, and sometimes has to step in to adjust mat- 
 ters between the great army of workmen and their leaders. 
 Some of the states have railroad commissions and others 
 are likely to have them soon. During the war, the gov- 
 ernment assumed complete control of the railroads, and
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 61 
 
 there is a question as to whether this system will become 
 permanent. 
 
 We are not surprised, therefore, to learn that in this 
 immense machinery, there is a place for every conceivable 
 sort of ability, and that many kinds of preparation are 
 demanded. Let us take a bird's-eye view of its various 
 departments and try to see of what sort of men they are 
 made up. 
 
 The business of railroading may be divided into three 
 great divisions : 
 
 First. The operating department. This department 
 has charge of the tracks and of the moving of freight and 
 passenger trains. In order to make this department ef- 
 fective, first of all roads must be built, rebuilt, and kept 
 in repair. In charge of this part of the work is an 
 Engineer-Maintenance-of-Way. Under him in each di- 
 vision is a Chief Engineer; and working under him are 
 civil engineers, surveyors, and a host of unskilled labor- 
 ers over sections of whom are foremen and supervisors. 
 
 So much for keeping the road in order. Next we 
 must have the men who actually operate in moving the 
 trains. There is in each division a train master, whose 
 duty it is to assign the men to their work and to see that 
 the work is well done. The beginners in this department 
 are boys who start working in the yards, running errands 
 and calling crews. Later they are made hostlers with 
 somewhat more responsible duties, helping to get the en- 
 gines ready to start out on their trips. Finally, the capa- 
 ble boy becomes the fireman on a freight train, then is 
 transferred to a passenger train ; is next appointed to run a 
 freight train as engineman and at last gets the coveted 
 position of engineman of a passenger train. Or on the 
 other hand, the hostler might have started in as brakeman 
 on a freight train, from this he would become brakeman on
 
 62 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 a passenger train, then conductor on a freight train, and 
 finally conductor on a passenger train. 
 
 Besides keeping the track in order and actually moving 
 the trains, it takes another group of men to maneuver the 
 operating department. These are the telegraph and signal 
 men. Here there is a divisional operator in charge, and 
 under him the train-dispatcher with station operators and 
 tower-men working under him. 
 
 Besides these there are a great many men working in 
 the freight yards in charge of the yard master, who in him- 
 self is a general. 
 
 Second. The shops. It is here that the thousands of 
 cars are constructed, repaired, and kept in good condition. 
 A number of locomotives are also built here, though most 
 of these are bought from a manufacturer. It is said that 
 half of those used in the United States are made in Penn- 
 sylvania, while a fourth of them are made in New York 
 state. But the shops owned and operated by the railroad 
 companies are used for the building and repairing of 
 freight and passenger cars. These are really great ma- 
 chine shops and the ability required is of the mechanical 
 sort, such as is required in the manufacturing business. 
 So although we shall not consider this division in detail 
 here, we might mention what men are employed in the 
 work. There will be a Superintendent of Motive Power 
 to whom two sets of men are responsible. First, the 
 train-men, that is, the enginemen and firemen, are work- 
 ing under this department on the side of equipment. This 
 means the seeing that everything is in perfect working or- 
 der; for it is to the shops that the engine and train must 
 be sent for repairs. We have already seen that on the side 
 of running the trains, these men are responsible to the 
 train-master. The second set of men responsible to the 
 Superintendent of Motive Power are : the Master Mechanic,
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 03 
 
 who is the bead of the shop itself, and under him skilled 
 mechanics and laborers, with their foremen. Here there 
 is also a large clerical force. 
 
 Third. The general offices. It is here that the tre- 
 mendous details of freight and passenger business and the 
 accounting are handled. We have mentioned the force 
 that builds, equips, and maintains the road, and those 
 that keep the trains in motion ; now comes the more purely 
 business end of it all. Here there are many sub-depart- 
 ments ; there are the auditors who must keep account of all 
 the earnings of the company, i.e., from passenger tickets, 
 freight charges, and other sources of income. There is 
 the purchasing agent to whom all requests for supplies 
 and equipment must go. There is the statistician who 
 analyzes the revenue and costs so that the former may be 
 kept ahead of the latter. To be sure, most of the railroads 
 are making money, and yet it might surprise you to learn 
 something about their tremendous expenses. Just to take 
 two or three comparatively small items; in one year, in a 
 certain road, the cost of lead pencils was $4000 and the bill 
 for printing tickets was $40,000, that for printing folders 
 was $50,000. There are also men who figure out the 
 freight and passenger rates, those in the legal department, 
 the claim department, and many others. 
 
 On the side of sales and advertising, we find men that 
 correspond to these departments in other lines of business. 
 What sort of men these should be, Ave shall find when we 
 come to the studv of commerce. What success thev have 
 made is suggested by the remark of an Englishman who 
 has made a study of our railway systems: "What the 
 American railroad manager does not know about adver- 
 tising methods is scarcely worth knowing." To carry on 
 this end of the business, we have the General Passenger 
 Agent, and under him the station-masters, station-agents,
 
 p 
 
 I— I 
 GO 
 
 « 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 t- 
 
 . 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 QJ 
 
 re a) 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -» 
 
 .2 ° 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 O) 
 
 > 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 +3 
 
 qj 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 Ku- 0? 
 
 • 
 
 c 
 
 
 
 
 09 
 
 t-H 
 
 Road Fo 
 
 man 
 
 Engine 
 
 
 qj 
 
 £ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 <4-t 
 
 ■ O 
 
 — fcf- S 
 
 c e 
 
 0) 
 
 
 
 
 
 41 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 T3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 33 
 
 
 
 u •- 
 qj C 
 
 _ IS 5 
 
 tX 
 
 s: 
 .S re 
 
 s 
 
 01 
 
 0, 
 
 — 
 
 
 
 
 qj 
 
 re -3 
 
 v 7 
 
 cy 
 
 
 
 
 Oh 
 CO 
 
 3 K 
 
 CO jl 
 
 O 
 
 oS 
 
 1—! 
 
 
 
 
 
 CO 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 rr. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5 43 
 
 0) 
 
 C -3 
 
 C c 
 
 1 
 
 s- _ 
 
 
 
 
 
 tj 
 
 •— CJ 
 
 .~ +- 
 
 <u C 
 
 
 
 
 
 — -co i- 1 
 
 .»* QJ 
 
 03 -w 
 
 -*-» cc 
 
 > a. 
 
 
 
 
 
 !- re 
 to 
 
 ■4-1 O 
 
 CO P- 
 
 O 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 3 C 
 
 s 
 
 C 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Uj 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 s3 
 
 Sh 
 
 C 
 
 
 
 
 
 — 5 CO 
 
 a- 
 
 E 
 •_ 
 
 — en 
 
 
 
 a; 
 
 c 
 
 i 
 03 
 C 
 
 QJ 
 
 E 
 '/ 
 
 
 
 CO 
 QJ 
 01 
 
 
 h- 1 
 
 C 
 
 re t* 
 C c 
 
 to 
 
 0) 
 
 CO 
 
 _ S 
 
 .s 
 
 're 
 
 1 
 
 Conductors 
 Passenger ) 
 
 a- — . 
 
 _5 "3 
 
 it 
 
 
 
 re oi 
 
 »- re 
 
 E"H1.: 
 
 QJ .-H 
 
 
 
 ■> 
 
 
 CCh 
 
 pq s^ 
 
 
 
 *-* 
 Si 
 
 S 
 
 ' — " 
 
 
 " — ' 
 
 
 
 
 e —> 
 
 S3 
 
 ^-. 
 
 
 
 
 
 QJ i- 
 
 » be 
 
 O ■ — 
 
 
 C kJ 
 
 
 
 <~ 
 
 
 6 ,s 
 
 E c 
 
 QJ r- 
 
 bp 
 
 
 
 e 
 
 
 0> G 
 
 i t( 
 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 .S CO 
 
 g*3 
 
 O) OJ 
 tj CO 
 
 S"g 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 *p£ 
 
 .— CO 
 
 ft, re 
 
 • 1— 1 ■— 
 
 
 
 "■- 
 
 
 w^ 
 
 £ - 
 
 Ph 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CO 
 
 
 
 
 
 QJ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 c 
 
 i— QJ 
 
 
 
 c 
 
 4-« 
 
 CO 
 
 
 
 
 cj 
 
 
 
 
 E 
 
 •l-H fc- 
 
 
 
 « 
 
 ' ^ 
 
 
 — m 
 
 — ^ c 
 
 
 
 a> 
 
 QJ 
 
 QJ 
 
 j- 
 
 01 „£ 
 
 
 
 a >. 
 
 * "to 
 S3 ■£« 
 
 =3 
 
 c 
 
 c re 
 
 
 
 
 CO 
 
 
 
 
 
 CO 
 
 01 
 
 
 
 QJ C 
 
 «*- "3 
 
 s- 
 
 >- 
 
 
 
 0) 
 
 QJ jH, 
 
 - flj 
 
 
 
 
 
 c 
 To 
 
 SB 
 
 
 
 > p 
 
 >> 
 
 
 
 a 
 
 
 CJ bx 
 
 >-l 
 
 
 
 w 
 
 
 c 
 
 S 
 
 
 
 
 
 H 
 
 CO 
 
 
 
 
 64
 
 Eh 
 
 O 
 
 i— i 
 
 W 
 PS 
 Pu 
 
 02 
 
 w 
 o 
 
 h-3 
 02 
 
 oq 
 
 
 
 
 •- «-. 
 
 i 
 
 
 
 
 
 O) Ol "J 
 
 
 
 
 
 bo !> » 
 
 
 
 2 -u 
 
 03 
 
 si O 
 
 
 
 3 ? 
 
 .-. OJ 
 
 OS bo 
 
 — ■ OJ 
 
 man 
 ients 
 their 
 
 
 
 5^ 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 
 
 ' — ' .Z* r* 
 
 
 
 
 
 03 0} aj 
 
 
 
 
 
 S- 0) .-, 
 
 
 
 so 
 
 a 
 
 03 
 
 gene 
 ce-pr 
 ts w 
 
 
 
 S e 
 
 '/ 
 
 •r- S 
 
 
 
 * S3 
 ^3 to 
 
 3 
 
 — 3 
 O 
 
 and 
 . e., \ 
 tende 
 
 
 
 Oh 
 
 
 c -S • 
 S3 ■ * s- ^ 
 
 
 
 M 
 
 
 ■cti jj fi 
 
 
 
 *3 
 
 
 .- OJ &, o 
 
 
 
 03 
 
 
 03 03 — •-■ 
 
 
 
 "o 
 
 OJ 
 
 t 3 S.2 
 
 
 
 03 
 
 ' 01 
 
 & 03 .,.5 
 
 
 
 
 c3 
 
 Oj 03 
 
 
 
 rJl 
 
 
 ing 
 two 
 tmen 
 ver t 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 u 
 
 o 
 
 -3 
 
 03 
 
 y 
 o> 
 
 \ssist 
 e are 
 depar 
 nts o 
 
 
 cc 
 
 1— ' 
 
 u 
 
 i S i 
 
 
 53 
 
 
 
 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 +3n'J 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 JO 
 
 
 -LJ 
 
 
 
 
 50 
 
 -t-> 
 
 zi 
 
 
 
 
 » 
 
 c 
 
 OJ 
 
 
 
 
 g 
 
 0) 
 
 bo 
 
 
 
 
 Co 
 
 to 
 
 <J 
 
 i- 
 
 -m 
 
 03 
 
 
 <1 
 
 43 
 
 03 
 
 -P 
 
 s= 
 
 ^ 
 
 as 
 
 -u 
 
 
 03 
 
 03 
 
 OJ 
 
 bo 
 
 OJ 
 
 
 |bC 
 
 _to 
 
 OJ 
 
 
 < 
 
 5 
 
 
 °o> 
 
 pR 
 
 OJ 
 
 OJ 
 
 bo 
 
 e3 
 
 bo 
 to 
 
 To 
 
 
 "3 
 
 03 
 
 B 
 
 §£ 
 
 OJ 
 1- 
 
 
 OJ 
 
 o 
 
 *03 
 
 03 
 
 PQ 
 
 po 
 
 fa 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 OJ 
 
 > 
 
 
 
 
 
 o 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 -4-3 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 OJ 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 — ■+-> 
 
 
 
 
 ■p 
 
 -u 
 
 .2 = 
 
 tj o 
 
 - H bo 
 
 ►»< 
 
 +- 1 
 
 03 
 
 
 
 o> 
 
 33 
 
 M 
 
 
 
 bo 
 <1 
 
 bo 
 
 OJ 
 
 Q 
 
 
 
 •- 
 
 u 
 
 
 
 
 
 aj 
 
 Ol 
 
 O 
 
 
 
 
 bfi 
 
 bJD 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 oo 
 
 
 V 
 
 Q^ 
 
 S- 
 
 
 u 
 
 
 09 
 
 03 
 
 OJ 
 
 +j 
 
 ±- o> 
 
 
 05 
 
 03 
 
 -^> 
 
 c 
 
 ■ aj c 
 
 
 03 
 
 OS 
 
 aj 
 
 0) 
 
 -* '3 
 
 
 Oh 
 
 0- 
 
 bj 
 
 .s a 
 
 
 
 4-2 
 
 r^ 
 
 < 
 
 fH 03 
 
 
 "3 
 
 o 
 
 (3 
 O 
 
 — e 
 
 Ed 
 
 
 a 
 
 03 
 
 +2 
 
 j_j en 
 
 
 a> 
 
 
 '-U 
 
 oi 
 
 OJ «- 
 
 
 o 
 
 Q 
 
 03 
 IT. 
 
 CO 
 
 1 
 
 Tick 
 Relle 
 
 65
 
 OG VOCATIONAL, CIVICS 
 
 agents in the city ticket offices. On the freight side, there 
 is the general freight agent, with the baggage master, 
 baggage agents, and freight clerks. 
 
 This brief summary dues not bv any means include all 
 the people who are working for the railroads, but in outline 
 as it is, it will give yon some idea of the empire that a great 
 railway system really is. Over all these people: the engi- 
 neer-ma intenance-of -way, the superintendent of motive 
 power, the train-master, the division operator, the purchas- 
 ing agent, is the general manager ; and finally over all is the 
 president. Later we shall have more to say about these 
 different men. We should add that in different roads the 
 organization varies somewhat, but that in the main the 
 outline will hold. 1 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 In railroading, the variety of work is so great that in 
 some department or other, there is room for almost every 
 sort of ability. As von see, in both the maintenance of 
 way and the shops department, there are employed bands 
 of unskilled laborers, who must have the same sort of 
 ability in this as in other occupations. For the depart- 
 ments which require more skill, let us look at some of the 
 qualities that have been enumerated by an authority in 
 railroads. 
 
 First, there must be a rather high grade of mental ca- 
 pacity. The railroad man must be able to understand 
 the complicated signal code, the mechanism of his engine, 
 or, as a conductor, he must be able to handle the tickets 
 and keep the necessary accounts. It takes a man of in- 
 telligence to make a good railroader. 
 
 Second, he must have a good physique. As a brakeman 
 or a fireman he will be obliged to do hard physical work. 
 
 i See diagrams on pages G4 and 65.
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 67 
 
 As an engineman, lie must face exposure to all sorts of 
 weather. 
 
 Third, he must have strength of character so that he 
 will not flinch under a responsibility which entails the 
 safety and lives of many people. 
 
 Fourth, he must be punctual ; lack of this means not 
 only inconvenience but positive danger to the patrons of 
 the road. 
 
 Fifth, he must be observant ; if he does not see a signal 
 or a fault in his machinery the result may be disastrous. 
 
 Sixth, he must be attentive; neglect or forgetfulness 
 may mean the loss of human life. 
 
 Seventh, he must be temperate. In one division of a 
 certain railway there were innumerable accidents. It was 
 found that the train men were doing an excessive amount 
 of drinking and it was necessary to appoint a superinten- 
 dent who was a particularly good disciplinarian to over- 
 come this. However, now, employers of all sorts are wak- 
 ing up to the fact that the grade of efficiency is greatly 
 lowered by drink, and it is largely duo to this fact that 
 so many states are passing laws prohibiting the sale of 
 liquors. The recent bill passed by Congress shows what 
 our government thinks on this point. 
 
 These requirements refer particularly to the operating 
 department and you can see that they are fundamental 
 qualities for all of these employees. Beyond these points, 
 what are some of the qualities that might be helpful for 
 one who would gain the great advantage of railroading; 
 namely, the opportunity to rise ; for there is probably no 
 line of business in which there have been so many instances 
 of this. 
 
 In all departments, the chief requisite for those who 
 would hold superior positions, is executive ability. In the 
 operating department, one must be able to handle men, and
 
 68 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 to look after the practical details that go with the opera- 
 tion of trains. In the shops, there are many men to 
 manage, and in the offices, executive ability is required in 
 handling office details. 
 
 ]S T ow since executive ability is so important not only in 
 all departments of railroading but for those at the head 
 of every occupation, it might be helpful to discuss what 
 we mean by it. An executive position is one which as- 
 sumes the responsibility of seeing that things are done. 
 It may mean the handling of men, that is, the ability to 
 see that many other people do their work and get satisfac- 
 tory results. Your natural ability in this line may be 
 observed in school days by seeing how much of a leader 
 you are. In the literary societies and the athletic teams, 
 can you persuade the other boys to do what you believe 
 to be the best thing? This power to handle men is 
 largely an inborn characteristic. A young man,' whose 
 father is a wealthy and successful engineer, went west to 
 help him in superintending the building of a railroad. 
 Because of his quiet strength and tact, he had no diffi- 
 culty in getting all the work he thought necessary out of 
 the gangs of workmen. In fact, when he himself was 
 transferred to a section of the country a thousand miles 
 away, several hundred foreigners refused to go on with 
 the work unless they could be transferred with him. 
 From this experience the young man could have no doubt 
 that he was a horn leader and that his work must include 
 the handling of men. 
 
 Or executive ability may mean looking after details of 
 work. It is quite a different quality from that required 
 to do a certain definite piece of work that has been assigned 
 to you. In an office or shop, it means responsibility for 
 every detail, so that the big result which is made up of 
 numberless parts shall be complete. Men usually have
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS G9 
 
 to work up to executive positions, and so their powers can 
 be tried out as they go along. 
 
 Second, the power of absolute concentration is an asset. 
 A young man who worked in the general offices of a rail- 
 road forged ahead of older, more experienced men, chiefly 
 because of a wonderful power of concentration. When 
 he sat down to work at his desk, he knew absolutely nothing 
 of what was going on around him, and the result was 
 that he accomplished much more than the other men. 
 You have an excellent opportunity to cultivate the power 
 of concentration when you are studying your lessons. 
 Sit down with your books and see if you can be dead 
 to everything around you until you have your task com- 
 pleted. 
 
 Perhaps as important as anything else is the willingness 
 to do unpleasant work; for most of those who have risen 
 in railroading have begun with hard, disagreeable, often 
 dirty work. 
 
 To sum up the requirements once more: Work in 
 the operating department demands practical ability, cour- 
 age, and the power to handle men ; in the shops, mechani- 
 cal skill, and in the offices, clerical ability, i.e., neatness, 
 accuracy, and power of concentration. In all departments 
 if one would attain a position of leadership there must be 
 executive ability besides a willingness to do unpleasant 
 work. Besides all this, railroading is such an inclusive 
 business that it also uses all sorts of engineering, legal, 
 other professional, and commercial ability; but these will 
 be discussed in connection with other occupations. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 The man who has set his goal in the higher ranks of 
 railroading must make up his mind to a stiff course of 
 preparation. He must learn the details sufficiently to
 
 70 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 pass judgment on the maintenance of way and the equip- 
 ment; he should know something of civil, mechanical, and 
 electrical engineering, and of building. Then when he 
 has had a thorough training in the intricacies of railroad 
 management and schedules, he is in line for a position 
 of importance. Is it surprising that -railroading is re- 
 garded as a profession ? This preparation, needless to 
 say, implies a college course. And along with this train- 
 ing, he should have experience in handling men; and after 
 that he should he willing to begin low in the ranks. In 
 the state of Illinois about 3 per cent, of the entire popu- 
 lation are employed in some sort of railroad work. Realiz- 
 ing this, in 1910, the University of Illinois established 
 a School of Kail way Engineering and Administration. 
 They have a splendid equipment for this training, one 
 building especially constructed for the testing of loco- 
 motives, test cars, besides other apparatus. Here there 
 is a thorough training in mathematics and science and 
 in railway, civil, mechanical, and electrical engineer- 
 ing. On the more purely business side, courses are given, 
 one for those interested in the traffic and accounting; de- 
 partments, and one for those interested in transportation. 
 These courses bring the degree of B. S. and are equivalent 
 to any college course, requiring for entrance four years 
 of preliminary work in a good high school. 
 
 Or instead of this, the prospective railroader may 
 enter one of the railway schools. The Scientific American 
 has published an article describing these. The following 
 is taken directly or indirectly from this article: A fellow 
 may enter as " regular " or " special " — the former need 
 have only a public school education, hut the latter must be a 
 college graduate and can qualify for the higher positions. 
 When he starts his training, he is put into repair work, 
 then sent from one shop to another, — planing, machine
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 
 
 71 
 
 work, black-smithing', boiler shop. In all of this, his 
 work is very strenuous, ten hours a day amid all sorts 
 of noise and dirt. Then he goes to the car-shop and learns 
 about building all kinds of cars from a hand-car to a 
 Pullman, and next he must spend three months as fireman 
 on the road. Then comes the final year which is spent in 
 the business departments, and the testing room where the 
 railroad chemist tests the steel alloy used in various ways 
 in the construction of a locomotive ; and last comes the 
 drawing room. After these three vears, he receives a 
 diploma, and is ready to work into the best things in 
 railroading. 
 
 The Pennsylvania, Santa Fc, New York Central, and 
 a half do/.on others have schools of this sort. So an ex- 
 cellent 'opportunity is offered for a young fellow who has 
 mechanical ability and the courage and perseverance to 
 stick to the work. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 In genera], in the railroad business there are excellent 
 opportunities if one has the ability to do the work. The 
 salaries paid the higher officials are excellent, and promo- 
 tion from road to road is often given to men of exceptional 
 ability. Wage? or salaries range all the way from $500 
 to $50,000 a year. 
 
 Beginning then with the most unskilled, the laborers 
 in the construction gang get from $10 to $12 a week, while 
 the foreman gets from $15 to $25. If one starts operating 
 as a freight brakeman, he may be paid two cents a mile. 
 In from five to fifteen years, he may be appointed as 
 freight conductor with a wage of three cents a mile. Pas- 
 senger conductors get $125 a month with extra pay for 
 Sundays. Passenger brakcmen may be promoted to col- 
 lectors at $70 a month.
 
 72 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 In the shops, one may start in as helper to a machinist 
 and may work up according to his ability. The superin- 
 tendent of the Chicago eV Northwestern shops gets $12,000 
 a year because of his ability to handle men. 
 
 The pay of the men in the offices varies greatly. Some 
 young men who have gained the reputation for superior 
 excellence have been called by other roads, and have been 
 offered much larger salaries than they would have re- 
 ceived, had they remained. 
 
 When we think of railroading it is usually of the 
 operating and maintaining departments; probably because 
 these departments differ more from other businesses. In 
 these departments are 96 per cent, of all the railway em- 
 ployees, and it is from these departments that most of the 
 high officials have risen. All along the line above the grade 
 where uneducated, unskilled laborers are employed, there 
 are numberless fascinating phases of the work, work that 
 takes intellect, skill, and executive ability, and such work 
 always brings satisfaction in its efficient accomplishment. 
 Take the one item of the building of bridges, which has 
 been a big problem in the construction of railways. In 
 the early days these were built of wood, later of stone, then 
 iron was used, and just when that was found to be inade- 
 quate, Bessemer in England found the new process for 
 making steel. Do vou see here again how all the occu- 
 pat ions are interwoven ? It is of course the engineer 
 who builds the bridges, and it took an inventor with a 
 knowledge of chemistry to find the material. Again, 
 when the railroads were first built it seemed necessary 
 to complete their construction as quickly as possible, so 
 that in their operation much power and money were wasted 
 in pulling the trains over grades and around obstacles. 
 This is the cause of the constant work in reconstruction. 
 Grades are lowered, tunnels are built, and roads are
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 73 
 
 straightened. This, in time, saves expense and it keeps 
 an army of engineers and laborers busy. 
 
 Another big matter is the building of terminals. This 
 is the work of master engineers and architects. Just con- 
 sider for a moment that in one year in Boston there 
 passed through one terminal 31,831,390 passengers, and 
 2,500,000 trunks. Daily there were 800 trains. Besides 
 arranging for these, there must be storage and cleaning 
 rooms for cars and engines. The ticket offices, baggage 
 rooms, check rooms, gates and doors to trains and street, 
 must be planned for convenience of approach and avoid- 
 ance of confusion. 
 
 Next consider the freight yards, especially those in the 
 big cities. Besides the main yards, the great manufac- 
 turing concerns have their private sidings to which the 
 railroads must send their trains. There are also separate 
 yards for coal and other commodities. In one of these 
 main yards there are two hundred miles of tracks and 
 two thousand switches. Think of the generalship that 
 it takes to manage this! The night yard master can be 
 no ordinary man ; for while the freight is being sent in 
 for shipment all day, it is usually at night that the great 
 work of sorting, arranging and inspecting is done. One 
 yard master said that during a space of twenty-four hours 
 he had seven thousand cars to dispose of. 
 
 Again, consider the train dispatcher. While the office 
 force has accomplished the difficult task of making the 
 train schedule, it is impossible in such an immense system 
 for everything to go without a hitch. If there is the slight- 
 est change the train dispatcher must get word to every 
 engineman and conductor in his division so they will 
 know just what trains they are expected to meet or pass 
 and just where and when. This is done with the aid of 
 the station operator.
 
 74 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Over all this organization is the president. Among 
 the greatest railway presidents have been Hill, Ilarri- 
 nian, Brown, and MeCrea. It is said that nine out of 
 ten of all the presidents have come out of the operating 
 department. And that is not surprising when we con- 
 sider that that kind of work is most likely to develop 
 executives. While many railway presidents in the past 
 have risen from the lowest ranks, the organization of in- 
 dustry has become such that in the future this is not likely 
 to be the case. One does not, however, need to be the 
 president in order to have a responsible, satisfactory posi- 
 tion. 
 
 Below the president is the general manager. While 
 these responsible positions are the goal of many young men 
 not only from the point of view of salary, but from that 
 of the satisfaction that conies from handling big situations, 
 they carry with them an immense amount of care and 
 work. One general manager said that it was a common 
 thing for him to work eighteen hours a day. He has a 
 constant line of requests asking for extra trains, new 
 stations, elevated crossings, etc., and he must have the 
 fullest information and the clearest judgment, in order 
 to deeide what is to be done in justice both to the road 
 and to the public. 
 
 Then there is the superintendent, who also must be a 
 man of no small measure, lie must attend to numerous 
 complaints and must see that the train schedule works 
 as accurately as possible. A first class superintendent is 
 in demand. One branch of a road in the Middle West 
 was in a very much run down condition. A search was 
 made all over the country for superintendents, but the 
 right one was not found. Finally a man from the East 
 applied and asked for a salary of $50,000. The direc- 
 tors were staggered, but the man knew what his own
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 75 
 
 services were worth and would come for no less; so be- 
 cause of the emergency they took him and in one year he 
 had saved the road more than the amount of the salary that 
 they had hesitated to pay. ' 
 
 There are hundreds of eases of railroad men rising from 
 the ranks. This, however, does not mean that every one 
 who becomes a station agent or conductor will finally be- 
 come president. Sometimes when the man is not big 
 enough for his job the march is in the opposite direction; 
 and so one man who had been a superintendent became a 
 station agent in a small town. Then even though a man 
 has the qualities for rising he may not go to the top; for 
 it is evident that there could not be room there for all. 
 Always remember that a top implies a base which must 
 needs be much broader than the top. A man may go to 
 the end of his days as superintendent and never become 
 manager simply because there are no vacancies ahead. 
 But the fact still remains that railroading offers a splendid 
 chance for advance to the really capable man; and that 
 even many degrees below the top there; are very desirable 
 positions. 
 
 It is hard to say which occupation does the most for 
 the welfare of the country, but in so far as any work eon- 
 tributes toward this, it may bring satisfaction to«all hav- 
 ing a part in it. Agriculture, we have seen, is not only im- 
 portant, but is absolutely essential, and yet from the earli- 
 est colonial days to the present time, transportation of 
 some sort has been a most powerful factor in the develop- 
 ment of every phase of our life. 
 
 Let me quote to you a few sentences from a talk given 
 by the editor of a railway magazine. " I know of no 
 business which better offers to merit the chance both to 
 accumulate a competency and to acquire and use influence 
 for the public weal than does the railway industry in
 
 76 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 the United States. . . . Men of really big minds and great 
 souls do not work for money alone. . . . Xo one has a 
 better chance to render valuable service to the public than 
 the railway officer. On the dne hand he must be an ex- 
 ecutive of the highest order. Xo meaner talent can op- 
 erate efficiently a great modern railway. On the other 
 hand, he must be a statesman. He must devise and carry 
 out policies that will inure to the good of the public; and 
 he must also convince the public that he is doing so; and 
 to devise, carry out, and, in the forum of public discussion, 
 vindicate beneficial public policies is the very definition 
 of statesmanship. 
 
 " Changing conditions will ever present new and ad- 
 ditional requirements that must be met. So, no matter 
 how well the railway officers of today do their duty, there 
 will be plenty of opportunity for work, for advancement, 
 and for public service for those who come after them." 
 
 Disadvantages 
 
 Immediately, T am sure, you are thinking of one great 
 disadvantage. Railroading is certainly a dangerous oc- 
 cupation. The United States Statistical Abstract gives 
 for the year 1915, 2152 employees of the railways killed 
 and 138,092 injured. Three things might be said to off- 
 set this fact. First, according to their own testimony, 
 many of the accidents are due to the carelessness of the 
 men themselves, a fact which, of course, suggests a rem- 
 edy. Second, a good life insurance system has been 
 worked out for railway employees. Third, the same thing 
 may be said here that is true of the miner and the soldier, 
 namely, that when a thing is worth the doing, it may be 
 worth incurring a good deal of danger. All this should 
 be taken into consideration before one decides to take up 
 railroading as a vocation.
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 77 
 
 Another disadvantage is that for one who starts at the 
 bottom without a special education, there is not quite the 
 chance to rise to the top that there used to be. This is 
 on account of the regulations made and enforced by the 
 Bailway Brotherhoods, by which promotion is based upon 
 seniority rather than " pull," or even merit. However 
 this does not apply to such employees as clerks, stenog- 
 raphers, station agents, telephone operators. It is, in- 
 deed, from this side of the operating department that most 
 of the high officials have come. Following are some of 
 the positions from which the present railway presidents 
 have risen ; clerk, telegraph operator, section laborer, water 
 boy on track work, stenographer. So although the rise 
 along one line may not be so rapid as formerly, there is 
 still excellent opportunity for the efficient man. 
 
 What about the chances for women in railroading? 
 The United States census report of 1910 gives 106,596 
 women among the 2,637,671 people engaged in the work 
 of transportation. I need not mention the positions which 
 it is certain that women do not fill ; but many are employed 
 in the offices and in various clerical positions. They are 
 also employed as telegraph and telephone operators. But 
 in the work that belongs distinctively to railroads, they 
 seldom find a place. One notable exception is that women 
 have made good as station agents in small places ; and an- 
 other, that in war time, there has been found scarcely a 
 position that women cannot fill unless it be that of engine- 
 man or fireman. However, on the whole, there are many 
 kinds of business that will appeal to girls more than rail- 
 roading. 
 
 But transportation refers not only to steam railways, 
 but to navigation, street railways, trucking, the taxi busi- 
 ness, etc. The former two are organized and run in very 
 much the same way as the steam railways. The traffic
 
 78 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 on our navigable rivers, the Great Lakes, and the coast^ 
 wise routes, makes a bigger business than those of us who 
 live inland realize. Many of us have an opportunity to 
 see something of what is done by the electric street rail- 
 ways, the elevated, and possibly the subways. But gen- 
 erally speaking, in both of these, the opportunities and 
 lines of advance arc very like those in the railroad busi- 
 ness. 
 
 We have spoken of the fact that many high officials of 
 the railways have risen from the ranks, and of the quali- 
 ties that help towards success. Here are two examples 
 of men who have achieved this success. The following ac- 
 count of W. C. Brown, the former president of the New 
 York Central Railway , is quoted from an article in Leslie's 
 Weekly. 
 
 " Many a king rules over less of an empire than that 
 over which Mr. Brown holds sway. The New York Cen- 
 tral system has a peaceful standing army of 150,000 em- 
 ployees. Its expenditures were no less than $150,000,000 
 annually. There are few offices of state that compare in 
 dignity and in power with the headship of such a sys- 
 tem. 
 
 "'The little man unafraid,' he has been called. It is 
 astonishing, when you recall his small stature; and youth- 
 ful, even jaunty, appearance, how he can handle men so 
 well. 
 
 " Mr. Brown began his railway career at the age of six- 
 teen, when he entered the service of the St. Paul Railroad 
 in the capacity of a section-hand and wooder for the old- 
 style engines. In his leisure moments, which were few in- 
 deed in those days, he studied telegraphy. He set for 
 himself no definite goal, but in nine months had qualified 
 as a telegraph operator, and in two years became a train 
 dispateher on the Illinois Central, and later held the same
 
 TEANSFEEEING OCCUPATIONS 
 
 79 
 
 position for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. At one 
 time when a great snow storm had blocked the trains on his 
 road, he had finished his duty as train dispatcher, and 
 might have gone home, but instead, because he discovered 
 that three or four hundred cars of stock were in the yards 
 and that the superintendent was at his wits' end as to how 
 to get them to a safe place, Mr. Brown helped all night 
 and the cattle were saved. The president of the road was 
 so impressed that a train dispatcher had actually volun- 
 teered to work outside of his particular line for a full 
 night, that he kept him in mind and before many years 
 had passed, W. 0. Brown was made General Manager of 
 the Iowa lines of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy. 
 
 "As an authority on railroading, William C. Brown 
 stands foremost among the railway men of the United 
 States. His knowledge of the industry is intimate — he 
 has served in almost every capacity under the system, and 
 has learned by experience the intricate workings of each 
 separate department; and besides this knowledge he has 
 a wonderful organizing and executive ability." 
 
 The other example is that of John C. Stubbs, who at 
 sixty-five years of age retired as director in charge of all 
 traffic of the Union and Southern Pacific railroads. He 
 began his work by checking freight for the government 
 at Nashville, Tcnn. At the age of twenty-three, he went 
 to Sacramento as chief clerk of the general freight 
 agent of the Central Pacific Railroad. At twenty-four, 
 he was assistant general freight agent; at twenty-six, 
 general freight agent; at thirty-four, freight traffic man- 
 ager; and later, general traffic manager. At forty-one, 
 he was vice-president of the railroad and at forty-three, 
 director of traffic for the Union Pacific and Southern 
 • Pacific lines, and vice-president of the Union Pacific and 
 Oregon Short Line. He received the largest salary ever
 
 80 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 paid a traffic director. It is said that the secret of his 
 success was his power of doing a tremendous amount of 
 work. 
 
 BANKING 
 
 Transportation has to do with the carrying of goods 
 and people; banking with the transferring of money, or 
 of credit which answers all the purposes of money. In 
 our earliest colonial days, money was not so much needed, 
 because the goods themselves were exchanged. But busi- 
 ness soon developed so that both money and banks were 
 essential, and the importance of these banks has grown 
 until now they are back of almost all commercial undertak- 
 ings. For instance, imagine a man in business who has 
 given a good deal of credit to his customers. He may 
 know that a certain amount of money will come in to him 
 in the future but he needs that money now in his business. 
 He goes to the bank which knows his standing in the 
 business world and gets " credit " and so is able to carry 
 on his projects before his actual money comes in. Or 
 another man may have given him a note which he knows 
 is good but which he would like to collect before it is due. 
 He takes this note to the bank, and if the bankers can prove 
 that it is good, he is paid whatever it is worth at that 
 time. 
 
 In order to carry on this system of credit the bank 
 must have its own capital, and besides this it adds to its 
 funds by taking charge of money for other people with 
 the privilege of lending it at interest. By means of 
 checks, notes, and orders, much credit is exchanged without 
 actual money, but the bank must be ready to pay money 
 for these whenever asked. Here we see how banking is 
 really a connecting link between the occupations ; it stands 
 back of the farmer, the merchant, the manufacturer.
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 81 
 
 There are many different kinds of banks, such as 
 national banks, state banks, commercial banks and trust 
 companies ; but all perform essentially the same serv- 
 ice. 
 
 Bank work is for the majority of the clerks a good deal 
 like that of a bookkeeper. The tellers, however, are en- 
 gaged largely in the handling of money. The officers 
 have executive positions with more responsibility. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. One of the first essentials put by all bankers is char- 
 acter. One who applies for a position must first of all 
 be upright and without bad habits. Although the expert 
 examination of books and government inspection has de- 
 veloped to such an extent that it is getting more and more 
 difficult for a bank clerk to be dishonest, yet the banker 
 will run no risks by taking any one of uncertain character. 
 The fact that bank clerks are put under bonds shows that 
 there is a strong temptation to dishonesty. Some banks 
 will not take a man unless they feel sure that he can sup- 
 port those dependent upon him — for instance, they will 
 take no married men in the positions below a certain sal- 
 ary — so that they may not be tempted to get money dis- 
 honestly. 
 
 2. He must be intelligent and skillful in handling fig- 
 ures. The new adding machines and interest tables have 
 almost eliminated the long adding and multiplying pro- 
 cesses that bank clerks had to go through. However, there 
 is still the complicated system of bank bookkeeping which 
 demands a good clear head. 
 
 3. He must have a special taste for this sort of busi- 
 ness. The bank is primarily a place where things are 
 done in a routine way and there is not much room for 
 originality. It appeals to a boy of just the opposite typv
 
 82 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 from the one who goes into manufacturing or engineering. 
 It, requires intelligence but not inventiveness. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 -ivfany boys start when young as messenger boys and learn 
 the business in the bank, with, at first, very small pay. 
 But a certain amount of schooling is now considered a 
 great advantage. The schools of commerce, especially 
 those connected with the universities, have courses in bank- 
 ing and young men with this training may begin with a 
 better position and have a much surer foundation. Bank- 
 ers and business men all around are learning to have more 
 and more confidence in these schools. 
 
 O 
 
 PrOKTUNITIES 
 
 Here as elsewhere there are employees who do not re- 
 quire special training and therefore do not have the chance 
 to rise. These are janitors and attendants of various kinds. 
 But we shall consider the places that are in the line of 
 advancement. There is usually a rather regular but slow 
 promotion, although every bank does not have the same 
 system. In large? cities, boys ordinarily start in as mes- 
 sengers at $25 or $30 a month. After this, they may be- 
 come collectors, clerks, tellers, bookkeepers, and cashiers, 
 with their assistants. The difference between clerks and 
 tellers may be defined somewhat by their original meaning; 
 a clerk being a writer and a teller a counter. The clerk's 
 work has to do with the keeping of accounts while the 
 teller has more to do with the actual handling of money. 
 The order of advancement is somewhat as follows: collec- 
 tor — assistant to clerk — assistant to teller — assistant 
 to bookkeeper — collection, coupon, or corresponding clerk 
 — note, receiving, or paying teller — bookkeeper — as- 
 sistant cashier — cashier. Bookkeepers may receive from
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 
 
 83 
 
 $1200 to $1500 a year. The advancement is rather slow 
 but the work is secure; while in most banks there is an 
 excellent opportunity to work to a competence. The offi- 
 cers usually command very good salaries. 
 
 A great satisfaction that comes from banking is that of 
 feeling that one's work is done in an accurate, clean-cut, 
 business-like way. Then, too, many young men are will- 
 ing to work in a bank at a smaller salary than elsewhere, 
 because of the clean and pleasant surroundings and be- 
 cause of a certain respectability that seems to go with it. 
 The hours, also, are short and the work usually not unduly 
 hard. 
 
 One young man thought that he had the qualifications 
 of an architect and set out to prepare for that profession. 
 He did have the required talent and liked the work, but 
 one day he came to his father and said, "I can't do it. 
 I see plainly that before T can make my reputation, I 
 shall have years of soliciting work, and T shall be obliged 
 to spend much time on cheap barns, sheds, and other in- 
 artistic work." This he felt that he could not do as he 
 had not the confidence necessary to force his way. So he 
 tried one or two other things and finally obtained work in a 
 bank. Here he began near the bottom but he soon found 
 that he had discovered the work in which he could be happy. 
 He made himself so useful that the banker took pains to 
 hunt his father up and tell him how pleased he was. With 
 the boy's temperament, in spite of his love for architecture, 
 he never could have stood that work ; but he was happy in 
 the bank where he had plenty of work to do but did not have 
 to go outside to solicit it. 
 
 Again the banker may have the satisfaction of feeling 
 that he is doing a work that is necessary to almost every 
 business. A great many undertakings would never have 
 started had they not had the banks back of them. Amos
 
 84 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 K. Fiske, in The Modern Bank, says, " The bank is the 
 most important instrumentality in the modern system of 
 industry and trade. Without it this system could never 
 have developed, and without it, could not now be main- 
 tained." 
 
 Disadvantages 
 
 As to the disadvantages, the work is entirely indoors 
 and sedentary in its character, so that a boy of active tem- 
 permanent or one whose health is not good, should not un- 
 dertake it. Also, bank bookkeeping is said to be pecu- 
 liarly hard on the eyes, and very often boys find after sev- 
 eral years that their eyes will not stand the strain. 
 
 Women in Banking 
 
 Many women are attracted to banking and we find them 
 in very good positions. They may start in as stenogra- 
 phers or secretaries and may become clerks and even tellers. 
 One young woman worked in her father's bank for a num- 
 ber of years and finally became cashier. At her father's 
 death, she became a large shareholder and was elected as 
 president. This is of course an extreme case, but many 
 women hold positions in banks with good salaries and 
 agreeable surroundings. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. Mention the companies in your part of the country that repre- 
 sent the business of transportation. Make a list of the other occupa- 
 tions that are in any way dependent upon these. 
 
 2. What new means of transportation is likely to be very import- 
 ant in the future? What qualifications do you think a man should 
 have for this sort of work? Is it suitable for a woman? Why? 
 
 3. Have you ever seen men working in the Maintenance-of-Way 
 Department? Write a theme on the conditions and the importance 
 of their work.
 
 TRANSFERRING OCCUPATIONS 85 
 
 4. Can you think of any incidents that have demanded the same 
 qualities in railroad employees that are required in the soldier? 
 
 5. Make a list of the qualities required by a telegraph operator. 
 Could a woman do this work? 
 
 6. Why might the yard master be called a "general"? Write 
 an imaginary story of the work of a night yard master. 
 
 7. Make a list of all the positions in railroading that you think a 
 woman might fill. 
 
 8. A railroad passenger brakeman said he had twice lost his 
 chance of promotion, because he had failed to give the proper signal 
 with his lantern. He remarked, moreover, that he did not wish to 
 become a conductor because he dreaded the responsibility. Write a 
 character sketch of this young man. 
 
 9. Examine the list of qualifications given in this chapter as 
 requisite for men in the railroad business. For each one think of 
 an illustration to show its value. 
 
 10. In Kipling's poem, " The 'Eathen," occurs this line, 
 
 " But the backbone of the Army is the non-commissioned man ! " 
 Do you believe that this same principle applies to the railroad busi- 
 ness? Defend your opinion. 
 
 11. If a boy has executive ability or the power of leadership, what 
 line of procedure would you advise in order that he might attain in 
 railroading the best position of which he is capable? 
 
 12. In what ways does a bank make its profits? Does it run any 
 risk of losing money? How does the government stand back of the 
 banks? 
 
 13. Make a diagram similar to the one showing the organization 
 of railroads, doing the same thing for the organization of the banking 
 business. 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Fleming, Ralph D. Railroad and Street Transportation. Cleve- 
 land foundation. 1916. 
 
 Hungerford. The Modern Railroad. 
 
 McPherson, L. C. The Working of the Railroads. Henry Holt & 
 Co., 1907. 
 
 Willliams, Archibald. The Romance of Modern Locomotion. J. 
 B. Lippincott Co., 1904. 
 
 Willson, Beckles. The Story of Rapid Transit. D. Appleton & 
 Co., 1903.
 
 86 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Fiske, Amos K. The Modern Bank. D. Appleton & Co., 1904. 
 
 Eaton, J. S. Education for Efficiency in Railroad Service. United 
 States Department of Education, Washington, D. C. Bulletin 
 No. 420. 
 
 Johnson, Emory K. Americai Railway Transportation. D. Apple- 
 ton & Co., 1903 
 
 Fag an, J. The Confessions of a Railroad Signalman. Houghton, 
 Mifflin Co., 1908.
 
 CHAPTER V 
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING 
 
 TRADES 
 
 Alter our earth occupations have done their work in 
 extracting the materials of our natural resources, and 
 after transportation has carried these materials to the 
 big plants, and our hanking system has demonstrated its 
 ability to stand back of business enterprises, then comes 
 the work of the great manufacturing and building con- 
 cerns which take this raw material and transform it for us 
 into a usable form. This occupation has far more branches 
 than any that we have yet studied. Any one of the com- 
 modities produced in the earth occupations represents the 
 possibility of many industries. Take the wood from 
 our forests, and we have lumber mills, paper mills, furni- 
 ture factories, building trades, wagon works; take the 
 stock farms, and we have packing houses, with their im- 
 mense manufacture of by-products besides the leather 
 business, the great shoe and glove industry and many 
 others; take the mines, and we have gigantic iron works 
 and steel mills with all that come from them, the making 
 of machines of an infinite variety, besides steel rails, farm- 
 ing implements, automobiles, steel cars, and so on and on 
 we might go until we had spent much time in merely enu- 
 merating the products of our tremendous industrial system. 
 
 Unlike agriculture and even transportation in certain 
 forms, manufacturing did not begin with the earliest his- 
 tory of our country. Such articles as were produced in 
 
 87
 
 88 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 the colonies were made almost entirely by hand and in 
 the home. One exception to this is the shipbuilding in- 
 dustry, which began and reached importance rather early. 
 By slow degrees this business of making things left the 
 home, found lodgment in small shops, then in larger shops, 
 until now we have an industrial system far beyond the 
 wildest imagination of our forefathers. 
 
 Think for a moment of just one or two examples of the 
 amount of work that is being dune and of the marvelous 
 growth in manufacturing trades. Charles M. Schwab tells 
 us that the amount of steel produced in this country has 
 increased since 1880 from less than a million tons in one 
 year to over forty million tons, which is the amount that 
 was produced in 1917. In 188G the first steel girder for 
 a skyscraper was rolled ; to-day more than five million 
 tons of steel a year are used for buildings. And so we 
 might go on telling of the manufacture of many compara- 
 tively new articles, of steel cars, of automobiles — it is not 
 many years since the first of these appeared, and now we 
 need no figures in order to realize the increase in output — 
 of bicycles, tireless cookers, typewriters, and so on almost 
 without end. Or take an article that is not new, but the 
 amount of production of which has increased greatly in 
 the last twenty years. There are in this country almost 
 2000 shoe factories with an aggregate capital of over 
 $200,000,000. If these figures do not seem large enough, 
 look in the reports of the United States Bureau of the 
 Census, and you can find the statistics of many other in- 
 dustries, so large and so numerous that you will be amazed 
 at the wonders of our American industrial system. 
 
 Now, when one looks at this occupation of manufac- 
 turing, with its many intricacies of work of every con- 
 ceivable kind, how is it in any way possible for him to 
 decide whether or not he will choose it as his vocation ?
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 89 
 
 How have the successful manufacturers found their places? 
 Have they set definite goals and worked toward and at- 
 tained them, or has the opportunity come to them unex- 
 pectedly ? Sometimes, to be sure, men attain positions 
 of importance in certain lines, because they have achieved 
 success in some other business, and are sought out on this 
 account through no definite effort of their own. Two 
 great "steel kings'' are examples of this: Andrew Car- 
 negie, who was first a railroad man, and Judge Gary, 
 who was a prominent lawyer. But these are exceptions 
 and it is becoming more and more important for the young 
 man to decide on what sort of position he will make his 
 goal. Manufacturing is too broad a term. He must 
 narrow it down before he can decide whether he has the 
 necessary qualities and how he will get his preparation. 
 He might be a mechanic or a machinist and be able to 
 work his way to his proper place along that line; or 
 he might have the type of mind that finds its expression 
 in the sciences and so he would fit into the work of in- 
 dustrial chemist; or again he might be the more purely 
 active business sort of person and would prefer the office 
 and salesmen side of the concern. Moreover with anv of 
 these tendencies he might have a special executive abil- 
 ity or gift in handling men that would urge him 011 to 
 attain the leadership in some department. The work 
 of the chemist we shall discuss later when we come to 
 speak of the professions. The business side of manufactur- 
 ing is really not manufacturing, and will be treated under 
 the commercial occupations, while many other branches, 
 such as engineering, social service work, or library man- 
 agement, all belong to other groups as well as to manufac- 
 turing. In this place we shall try to discuss the charac- 
 teristics of manufacturing that distinguish it from other 
 groups.
 
 90 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 Since this occupation has to do primarily with the mak- 
 ing of things, let us first of all consider the qualities that 
 are desirable for those actually working in the shops or 
 connected with them. 
 
 1. One should have manual skill. This means the abil- 
 ity to handle materials deftly and to make things that are 
 workman-like. Whether your ability is of the sort to 
 keep you always as a wage earner, or whether you have the 
 capacity that will put you in line for advancement, this 
 skill is the first requisite. You will start out dealing with 
 things rather than with people and your success will de- 
 pend upon your ability to use your hands quickly and 
 accurately. Not only success in your work but your 
 very safety will often depend upon this ; for there is still 
 danger in slow movements in spite of the fact that many 
 new safety appliances have been invented and installed. 
 Then too, although machinery has been improved for the 
 purpose of doing accurate work, there is still room for in- 
 dividual care, both in certain kinds of work that must be 
 done by hand, and in the manipulation of machines. Fac- 
 tories are beginning now to increase the income of work- 
 men beyond their wages by giving bonuses for work ex- 
 ceeding the standard requirements in quality and quantity. 
 This improved work depends, they say, largely upon man- 
 ual dexterity. Possibly the variety of skill that was nec- 
 essary when one man made the entire article is not needed 
 now, but in the part of the work to which he is assigned he 
 must be even quicker and more exact. 
 
 Most boys are constantly undertaking, both in work 
 and play, things that will help to test their manual skill. 
 A man who has attained a prominent place in a profes- 
 sion that requires chiefly mental ability, says that he has
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 91 
 
 all his life been handicapped by an utter lack of manual 
 skill. He would have made a serious mistake had he 
 started out for a place in the manufacturing business. 
 In contrast to him, let me quote from the Scientific Ameri- 
 can an account of how a sixteen-year-old high school boy 
 built a motor invalid chair. What a mistake it would be 
 for a boy of this sort to go into work where he could not 
 use his hands ! Here is the story of what he did. ' He 
 built this chair out of discarded dishpans, brass fenders, 
 window sash chains, gas pipe, part of an old bedstead and 
 various other wornont articles. In an amateur shop, lo- 
 cated in his mother's kitchen, the boy first repaired the 
 framework of a broken-down invalid chair. A heavier 
 axle was turned upon his lathe. He had a smashed 
 motor cycle, the wheels of which he rebuilt, cutting them 
 from 30 to 28 inches. Pneumatic tires were the only 
 new thing about the whole chair. A gasoline tank was 
 made from the dishpan, and incased in a box made from 
 the thin cherry paneling of the headboard of an old bed. 
 Stop cocks from an old gas stove were used to regulate the 
 flow of gasoline. A belt drive being found inadequate, the 
 boy substituted a chain drive. A band brake on the left 
 side of the motor chair, made from the iron hoop of an 
 old wash tub, works on a drum cut from a casting. The 
 same lever that throws out the clutch applies the brake. 
 The tire of the front wheel is wrapped with a brass 
 window chain to prevent skidding, the rear wheels being 
 equipped with antiskid tires. The lever controlling the 
 supply of gas feeding into the carbureter is made from an 
 old file. The cut-off valve is made from a one half inch 
 gas pipe " T," a brass curtain rod and a clock spring. 
 The steering lever is made from a length of gas pipe and 
 the end of a mop handle. The 2% horse-power motor is 
 air-cooled, the fan being made from an old brass fender,
 
 92 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 and the blower-case from a tin can which at one time held 
 a gallon of apple butter. The blower-ease is covered with 
 asbestos to deaden the sound. The boy constructed the 
 entire oiling system from brass tubing and a little solder. 
 A tiny bicycle lamp to comply with the city ordinance com- 
 pletes the outfit." You can see, indeed, that it would take 
 qualities other than manual skill to accomplish this, but 
 the ingenuity required is one great asset for one hoping to 
 be a success in the manufacturing business. 
 
 2. It required the very quality that we would men- 
 tion next, namely, inventiveness. That is, if one meets 
 a difficulty, he should be able to find for himself some 
 way of getting around it. It is probably to some extent 
 the lack of this ability that caused one manufacturer to 
 say that certain men with the very best training failed in 
 his business: they knew what was in the books, but when a 
 new problem arose they seemed helpless. In these days of 
 keen competition, every one in a factory must be on the 
 alert to see ways to decrease the cost or time of production, 
 and the man with a little inventiveness can often suggest 
 something of value. A young man, whose duty it was to 
 load boxes of the finished product on to trucks, invented 
 a means of loading five or six times as many at once as 
 before. It is needless to say that he did not stay long 
 doing that hard manual work. By this quality we do not 
 mean a real genius for invention. That is a gift that very 
 few possess, but there is a sort of minor inventiveness, an 
 orii>inalitv that sees how things can be done, not a rare 
 quality but one that all persons do not possess. Another 
 man who had this ability, while working in a glove factory, 
 invented a way of finishing the fingers of heavy working 
 gloves so that they would not rip so easily; one in an 
 envelop factory, thought out a fastener that would close 
 but not seal envelopes containing second class mail. Fred-
 
 MANUFACTURING' AND THE BUILDING TRADES 93 
 
 erick J. Allen in his book on The Shoe Industry tells us 
 that most of the machines for making shoes have been in- 
 vented by shoe workers themselves, often after long toil 
 and study of particular processes. " Inventive genius 
 and mechanical skill have been granted about '7,000 patents 
 on shoe machinery since the establishment of the United 
 States Patent Office in 1836." So you can see how one 
 engaged in the making of things has an opportunity to 
 use what inventiveness he has so as to make his machine 
 more productive or his product more valuable. In your 
 everyday life, you can tell to some extent whether or not 
 you have any ability of this sort. Can you figure out how 
 to put up shelves, how to make a refractory window work, 
 or to mend an electric bell ? If you are constantly obliged 
 to turn to some one else for this sort of work, it is likely 
 that your interest will not be in this branch of occupations. 
 But if your ability is along mechanical lines, and you are 
 interested in the work of men like Edison, Tesla, Marconi, 
 Steinmetz, and Westinghouse ; or if you are fascinated 
 with the idea of seeing things grow, w T hether they be ma- 
 chines or buildings or great manufacturing plants, it 
 would be well for you to think seriously about going into 
 one of these industries. 
 
 3. One should have a liking for machinery, power, and 
 tools. He should like to work around engines, must be 
 able to understand how pulleys are put up, how belts are 
 placed, and must not object to getting his hands dirty. 
 In many factories he will have a complicated machine to 
 operate, and in some must be able to make his own adjust- 
 ments and repairs. Always he will be more successful if 
 he can do this, for it is by fully understanding the parts 
 of a machine that he can do the best work with it and can 
 make it last longer. 
 
 4. The individual who would succeed in this sort of
 
 94 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 work must be interested in his occupation enough to learn 
 the trade and be proud of his mastery of it. If he is am- 
 bitious to rise to the position of foreman or higher, he 
 should be able at any time to show the workmen how to 
 do a particular piece of work. While the beginner does 
 just one thing and may learn to do that well enough to 
 hold his job, he must be interested beyond that if he would 
 go ahead. 
 
 5. He should have some skill in mechanical drawing, 
 that is, the ability to make and to read drawings. One 
 superintendent of a factory said that he was willing to 
 hire boys with no further equipment than that of English, 
 mathematics, and the ability to understand mechanical 
 drawings. 
 
 6. As a rule there must be the willingness to do heavy 
 work, though of course this depends upon the kind of 
 factory and one's position in it. 
 
 7. He should have the power of concentration. In 
 many factories, under the new efficiency regime, it has 
 been calculated just how much work can be done by each 
 machine each minute. To accomplish this maximum, the 
 man at the machine must not relax his attention once. 
 One employer said that he was obliged to dismiss many 
 girls from his factory because of their inability to keep 
 from looking up from their work. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 Now suppose that this great industry of getting natural 
 products ready for use attracts you, and suppose that you 
 have decided that you have the qualities necessary for such 
 work, how will you go to work to prepare yourself for 
 this vocation? To state what should be the preparation 
 of the manufacturer is by no means so simple as to state 
 that of the professional man, the civil service employee, or
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 95 
 
 the farmer. According to many men who have reached 
 the top in these lines the best preparation is to learn a 
 trade. There are schools for this purpose. Also in many 
 factories and machine shops the apprentice system is still 
 in use. Efforts are being made to improve the apprentice 
 system so that it may be more educative than it has been 
 in recent years. 
 
 To repeat, — in almost every trade you will find the 
 divisions of unskilled and of skilled workmen. The 
 former may easily learn in the factory how to perform 
 his task, and moreover his time for learning will prob- 
 ably be only a matter of days. People connected with 
 different sorts of factories say that boys and girls come 
 there with little preparation or education of any sort, 
 and that they soon learn to perform some simple task 
 at a machine or in hand work, and can earn a living; 
 but it often takes years for these people to get into the 
 class of skilled workmen. In the largest factories, this 
 promotion is very difficult, as a workman is likely to be 
 kept in the place where he is doing satisfactory work. 
 In the smaller factories of certain trades, inexperienced 
 persons have a better chance to learn a variety of processes. 
 It is rather common for people who have learned in this 
 way to enter the large factories as skilled workmen. 
 Trade schools are to be found in large cities and public 
 schools are more and more giving trade courses. Employ- 
 ers see the value of these to such an extent that in some 
 cases they are willing to give the boys working for them 
 two or three hours every day for the purpose of getting 
 this training. 
 
 The higher the position for which you aim the more 
 thorough the preparation that you will require. While a 
 technical education gives what can be gained in no other 
 way, the prospective manager or superintendent needs more
 
 9G VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 than this. It is well for a boy who aspires to such a posi- 
 tion to have, first of all, a good general training. He 
 should know, accounting, bookkeeping, and general busi- 
 ness methods. In his days of preparation he should take 
 part in activities that will develop his executive ability; 
 and he should gain as much' all-round information as pos- 
 sible ; for the more he knows of general problems, the bet- 
 ter able he will be to give judgment in his own department 
 of work. Andrew Carnegie tells how he w 7 as once asked 
 by President Edgar Thomson of the Pennsylvania Railway 
 to take the position of Master of Machinery. When Car- 
 negie told him that he knew nothing about machinery, the 
 president replied that that was why he wanted him, that 
 specially trained mechanics, because of their lack of all 
 round education, lacked the good judgment necessary in a 
 manager. This does not mean that special training is a 
 detriment, but that something more is needed by those at 
 the top. 
 
 One other kind of training is at the present time pre- 
 paring men for these industries. It means almost as long 
 a period as that for the learned professions. Many young 
 men in the universities who are working for an advanced 
 degree are doing research work in the laboratories of sci- 
 ence. Here have been made discoveries that have been 
 found of value in the industries that we are considering; 
 for instance, in the making of steel, and of cement, in the 
 tanning of leather, and the prevention of smoke. One of 
 the best of these is the laboratory in the University of 
 Pittsburgh, and here manufacturers often bring problems 
 to be solved. Many young men who by working in these 
 laboratories are helping to attain their degree, go from 
 this work into the industries and so are prepared for impor- 
 tant positions.
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 97 
 
 But even with an extensive technical training a young 
 man must not think that he is ready to take a leading posi- 
 tion in a manufacturing business. You may be surprised 
 to learn that some concerns offer apprenticeship courses to 
 college graduates. They pay a small wage while they are 
 giving practical experience in every kind of factory work 
 from the most unskilled labor to the highest skilled me- 
 chanic; besides work in repairs and in building construc- 
 tion. Men working in the factory may take this same 
 course provided that they take a certain amount of night 
 school work first. The object is preparation for work at 
 the top of the ladder. This system is described in Indus- 
 trial Management for May, 1917, by D wight T. Farnham. 
 He emphasizes the advantages of a college training — sixty 
 per cent, of the executives in his particular business are 
 college men — but he reminds us that " college does not 
 make wise men — it develops them." While he himself 
 within eighteen months had helped four technical school 
 graduates to executive positions, it was not only their col- 
 lege training that helped them to rise but their enthusiasm, 
 and their eagerness to learn the business. 
 
 Then there is still another kind of preparation, namely, 
 the continual learning by observation, reading, and study. 
 You may say that many a skilled mechanic has kept his 
 position without this, but you will agree that a sugges- 
 tion given by no less a person than Andrew Carnegie is 
 worth listening to. In a message to his workmen, he 
 urges much reading in connection with their work, and 
 for this purpose, he has established libraries with material 
 for this sort of study. For example he suggests that if 
 a man whose work is connected with the blast furnace, 
 should read and learn everything that had been done 
 everywhere in this line, provided that he is at all inventive,
 
 98 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 he would undoubtedly see some chance for improved meth- 
 ods, and so would be started on the road for advance in 
 position. 
 
 Now, with these various sources of preparation, how 
 will you choose the best method ? In the first place if 
 you are interested in the manufacturing business, it would 
 be well to read up the details of the requirements of many 
 trades. In the meantime take the work in high school 
 that will help to develop your manual skill and knowledge 
 of machinery. When you have finished high school, if 
 you can afford it, take a technical course in your chosen 
 line, always with the idea that this is the foundation and 
 that you must learn much by practical experience later. 
 Constantly get all of the general information possible. 
 Then be willing to begin at the bottom, work up and learn 
 all of the business that there is to learn. But if after 
 your high school course you cannot afford to take more 
 time or money for training, try to get work in some fac- 
 tory that has the apprentice system, and be willing to work 
 hard and long to learn your trade. Perhaps you could 
 find work in one of the large manufacturing establishments, 
 which have adopted the plan of taking boys for a period 
 of five years' apprenticeship with small pay. Here a 
 very definite and systematic record is kept in their files 
 and while the boy is sent from one department to another, 
 his personality, his habits, his punctuality, his ability with 
 machinery, his loyalty, his thoroughness, are carefully 
 observed, so that whether or not he gets a permanent posi- 
 tion at the end of that period is not a matter of mere 
 chance. 
 
 Oppoktunities 
 
 When we consider that in this country an army of over 
 ten million is employed in the occupations of manufactur-
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TEADES 99 
 
 ing and building, it seems that there must be room for 
 all who are at all interested in that sort of work. And, 
 except in times of unusual business depression, this is 
 practically true. There is ample room, in the first place, 
 for the totally unskilled workman; but his pay is neces- 
 sarily very small — in some places not more than $3.50 
 per week — and his work is monotonous, consisting per- 
 haps of constantly pulling the lever of a machine, or 
 pouring molten metal, or carrying away the finished pro- 
 duct. Again it may be hard physical work, such as lift- 
 ing heavy material. It is true that, as he improves, he 
 may be given a little more agreeable work, and his wages 
 may increase to something over $8.00 per week. The 
 carrying on of almost every trade needs a large number 
 of this class of workers ; and there are in the world many 
 people whose abilities and ambitions are such as to keep 
 them at just this sort of work. Besides these, as we have 
 learned, there will be found among the unskilled workers, 
 boys who are starting out to learn the trade and who 
 will not long be kept in this class. One difference between 
 the trades and the professions is that, whereas in the lat- 
 ter, one needs a long preparation and good intelligence 
 even to start on the journey, here the beginner may do 
 without either. If, however, he would grow, he has great 
 need of the qualifications we have mentioned. 
 
 The next division of this great army is made up of 
 skilled workmen. If a boy is starting out to learn the 
 trade and is capable, he will have no difficulty in being ad- 
 vanced to this class. If he has had the desirable technical 
 education, he may even start here, and at any rate he will 
 be able to go ahead much more quickly than his untrained 
 companion. As a skilled laborer his wages will increase 
 and there is a possibility of his getting as high as $25.00 
 per week.
 
 100 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 The following figures taken from the reports made by the 
 Department of Labor will show something of the recent 
 wages in different lines : 
 
 Trade Wages per week 
 
 Metal Trades. 
 
 Machinists From $13.00 to $30.00 
 
 Molders From 16.00 to 24.00 
 
 Printing Trades. 
 
 Machine tenders From 19.00 to 31.00 
 
 Machine operators From 21.00 to 35.00 
 
 Press feeders From 7.00 to 25.00 
 
 Building Trades. 
 
 Bricklayers From 25.00 to 55.00 
 
 Laborers From 10.00 to 25.00 
 
 Carpenters From 19.00 to 33.00 
 
 Cement workers From 21.00 to 30.00 
 
 Helpers From 14.00 to 27.00 
 
 Laborers From 15.00 to 24.00 
 
 Inside wiremen From 16.00 to 33.00 
 
 Plumbers From 15.00 to 33.00 
 
 Painters From 12.00 to 33.00 
 
 Inside lathers From 18.00 to 33.00 
 
 Engineers (Portable and 
 
 hoisting) From 21.00 to 38.00 
 
 From Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 15, 1916. Wages and Hours 
 of Labor Series, No. 24. 
 
 These figures are about 4 per cent, higher than those of 
 1915. In 1918 they rose by a much larger per cent. 
 
 From the skilled workman, the next steps are fore- 
 man, manager, superintendent, and partner. What chance 
 has the ambitious workman to gain these promotions, and 
 what is his part in the struggle? Those who have had 
 long and successful experience tell us that it is easy for 
 the right man to rise. If this is so, how are we to explain 
 the stories of many who have tried and failed ? Perhaps
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 101 
 
 you have heard Jack London's account of how he at- 
 tempted to try out this theory. He applied for work in 
 a large concern and was put at shoveling coal. He did 
 his best and shoveled coal so much faster than any other 
 workman, that the manager decided he could get along with 
 fewer men, and London was given twice as much coal to 
 shovel. The better he did, the more valuable he was found 
 in that particular place, until the work became unbearable 
 and he thought he had discovered that the theory of a 
 chance to rise was a fallacy. Now was he right and if 
 not where did the trouble come in ? 
 
 Andrew Carnegie very clearly explains the secret, and 
 we find that his judgment is agreed with by many manufac- 
 turers. They say that if a man merely discharges his 
 duty conscientiously and well, he will be rewarded by 
 being allowed to hold his job as long as he does satisfac- 
 tory work. This is a good ideal for bookkeepers, stenog- 
 raphers, and bank clerks who are satisfied with their po- 
 sitions. And so long as it gives an opportunity of earning 
 one's living with agreeable work, it is by no means to be 
 despised. But in the manufacturing business if a boy 
 would advance, he must do more than the sort of work we 
 have just described. As Carnegie says, he must " attract 
 attention." If he looks around, he will see many oppor- 
 tunities of taking responsibilities outside of his regular 
 routine. The skilled mechanic with a talent for invention 
 may see that by some little change his machine can do 
 quicker or better work. This is his opportunity to make 
 a suggestion to the foreman. Refer again to the illus- 
 trations given under the quality " inventiveness," and 
 you will understand what is meant here. 
 
 When we were discussing " preparation ' ' we spoke of 
 the necessity of continual reading and study. It is here 
 that the advantage of such reading comes in. The more
 
 102 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 a workman knows of what has been and can be done with 
 his particular sort of machine, the more will he be able 
 to suggest in regard to trying new experiments. One man- 
 ufacturer said that his business had lost thousands of dol- 
 lars because there was no one who had done this sort of 
 thing; and that a man who had been ready with suggestions 
 would have been advanced to a responsible position. Such 
 a man need have no fear of not being recognized. The 
 men over him, in turn, know that they will be judged by 
 their ability to choose the right man for promotion and the 
 bigger the man at the top, the more eager he is for sugges- 
 tions that will bring improvements. 
 
 To show the scarcity of really efficient men, — the pres- 
 ident of a manufacturing concern says that he has in his 
 files six requests for recommendations of men who are to 
 be paid salaries of from $150 to $250 a month. But he 
 adds that men capable to fill the positions are not to be 
 found. Of course the higher one mounts, the more ability 
 he must have for the next promotion, and you have already 
 learned how the manager or the superintendent must be a 
 man with executive ability and the power of leadership. 
 He must be able to lay out plans of work and to calculate 
 how much can be done in a certain length of time, and must 
 have the power to manage men and see that they do the 
 work well. He should be a man who can decide just what 
 he wants done and with few words make it clearly under- 
 stood. He must know the business thoroughly, the ma- 
 terials used, the tools, and machinerv and the men who do 
 the work. The salaries for executives are usually high, 
 though they cover a wide range. Those at the top have 
 an opportunity to make almost an unlimited amount of 
 money. 
 
 Under the present conditions there is not much chance 
 for a man to own a small shop of his own ; for it not only
 
 Courtesy National Cash Register Company 
 Men at work in the tool making department 
 
 Courtesy National Cash Register Company 
 Men at work in the polishing room. Suction fans carry off particles 
 
 of dust and brass.
 
 Courtesy National Cash Register Company 
 Boy at work on drill press 
 
 Courtesy National Cash Register Company 
 This picture shows guards for protecting women's hair. One of the 
 many inventions that make factory work safer.
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 103 
 
 takes a great deal of capital to start a business, but there is 
 a growing tendency for all manufacturing to be done by the 
 big concerns. And so the road to success lies in working 
 up in a big plant. 
 
 As an example of one man who worked up in the manu- 
 facturing business, Mr. Schwab, of the Bethlehem Steel 
 Works, tells the following story. Mr. Grace, Mr. Schwab 
 says, began by switching engines in the yards, then he 
 operated an electric crane, and then was transferred to the 
 open hearth department where he made fifteen dollars a 
 week. After that he was yard foreman, yard superintend- 
 ent, assistant superintendent to the general manager, then 
 general superintendent and later general manager. This 
 all took place within eight years. Not every one can do 
 this just as not every boy can be President of the United 
 States, but it helps to show the possibility of getting to the 
 place for which you are fitted. 
 
 Many factories today increase the income of their em- 
 ployees by means of the profit-sharing system, and a still 
 later scheme is that of giving bonuses. For instance a 
 skilled workman is paid so much for so many hours in 
 which time a certain amount of work is supposed to be 
 accomplished. Beyond this, he is paid proportionately for 
 whatever he does over that amount. In departments where 
 the quality of the work is more important than its quantity, 
 bonuses are paid on that basis. In other departments 
 bonuses are given to the men who can handle their ma- 
 chines with the greatest efficiency. Every one from man- 
 ager and superintendent down has a chance to increase his 
 income in this way. Many of the skilled workmen double 
 their wages. 
 
 Aside from making a living or, perchance, a fortune, 
 what satisfaction does this division of work bring? First, 
 there is the fascination that comes from using one's brains.
 
 104 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Carnegie speaks of the difference between building up a big 
 business and speculating. The latter depends largely upon 
 chance, while the former depends upon brains, upon the 
 ability to use every opportunity to the best advantage. 
 Progress depends upon knowledge, inventiveness, and judg- 
 ment. In this every workman may contribute his part. 
 And in this connection we might also mention the new pro- 
 fession, that of scientific manager. There are men who 
 give their time entirely to this work. They are employed 
 by factories to study their plan of work, the object being to 
 save every possible penny and every possible minute. The 
 workmen must not make one unnecessary movement ; every 
 bit of material must be utilized, and in all departments, 
 brains must take the place of brawn. There is wonder- 
 ful fascination in the possibilities of devising new plans 
 of work in the industries. 
 
 Dwight T. Farnham, whom we have quoted before, says 
 that manufacturing is not work with the genteel hours nor 
 respectable environment of the banks, but that it is work 
 that requires moral courage to do battle vigorously. He 
 adds, " It is the most fascinating profession in the world, 
 that of causing things to grow, with our own head and our 
 own hand." 
 
 As in the case of the other occupations, we must look the 
 disadvantages squarely in the face before coming to a de- 
 cision. There is no doubt that manufacturing is a dan- 
 gerous occupation ; many large plants have their emergency 
 hospitals, many have their own surgeons, and the fact that 
 these are kept busy, shows that the workman runs some 
 risk. Indeed reports show that great numbers are injured 
 or killed every year. Some young men have started in 
 this business and have changed for this very reason. Then 
 besides the risk of accidents, there is the possibility of 
 weakening of one's health by breathing air that is not al-
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 105 
 
 ways the best ; and in certain kinds of factories, a more di- 
 rect injury to health comes from the fine particles of steel 
 in file-cutting, or in steel grinding, and from poison in the 
 manufacture of white lead. Other special industries bring 
 their own particular risks ; and so it would be wise for 
 us to see whether there is anything to offset this disad- 
 vantage. 
 
 First, the conditions of factory life have changed much 
 in recent years. The majority of modern plants are im- 
 proving the conditions of heat, light, and ventilation, so 
 that the workman is in a much more hygienic atmosphere. 
 Devices have been invented for his protection so that fac- 
 tory life is not so dangerous as it once was. For ex- 
 ample, there has been invented for presses a lattice-work 
 gate which lets down while the machine is operating, but 
 which the operator can see through so that it does not in- 
 terfere with his work. Treadles and steps are made with 
 rough surfaces to prevent slipping, which is the cause of 
 many casualties ; and in numerous other ways efforts are 
 being made to lessen the number of accidents. 
 
 Then, the workman, himself, may help much in this di- 
 rection. A large number of the accidents are said to be 
 due to carelessness. In one factory where the workmen's 
 hands are frequently injured by their machines, the acci- 
 dent is said to be largely due to trying to adjust something 
 while the machine is in motion. This the employees are 
 strictly warned not to do, but human nature soon gets used 
 to danger and becomes careless. The workman is also per- 
 sonally responsible in that he should be sure that he is 
 physically fit before he undertakes factory work. In Ger- 
 many boys have been carefully examined after completing 
 their training, and if found to have weak lungs, they have 
 not been allowed to undertake any work that would keep 
 them indoors. In our more democratic country, boys and
 
 106 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 girls should take that responsibility upon themselves. 
 Again much work, such as that at the blast furnace, lifting 
 heavy material, etc., is a tremendous physical strain, and 
 it is only an unusually strong man who can stand it for 
 more than a short time. So if you choose to go into this 
 work, you must first be sure that you are " fit " and 
 then take every precaution to keep yourself in good con- 
 dition. 
 
 Another disadvantage is the sensitiveness of many trades 
 to business depression. This is something that cannot 
 usually be foreseen or at any rate avoided, and is the re- 
 spect in which government service has the advantage over 
 the industries. At such times often the hours and there- 
 fore the wages are cut down, or again many workmen may 
 be turned out. In at least one large concern, the records 
 of all the employees are carefully kept, and when such a 
 time comes the dismissals begin with the incompetent. 
 But this is not the case in all factories, and so every work- 
 man must at least consider this disadvantage. 
 
 Fortunately the objections of long hours and small pay 
 that have been very real in the industries, are being gradu- 
 ally overcome by agreements between the unions and the 
 corporations and by legislation in many states. 
 
 Chances for Women 
 
 Among the employees in factories in the United States 
 there are 1,820,980 women. It would look as if this 
 were a large opening for the girls, but we must first con- 
 sider the sort of work in which they find their place. First 
 many of these are girls and women working for rather low 
 wages. They do a great deal of simple machine work 
 and much hand work. One investigator tells us that while 
 men are usually given the work that requires the most 
 physical strength women are given that which requires the
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 107 
 
 most dexterity. The clothing factories are a favorite place 
 for women workers, and here the girl who has skill in de- 
 signing has a good opportunity. In the making of pianos, 
 gloves, shoes, corsets, boxes, envelopes, and candy, there 
 are numerous places for girls. But what is the prospect 
 for the future for one going into factory work ? If she is 
 quick with her hands, she may make fairly good wages 
 under the piecework system which is used in many places. 
 If she is intelligent and trained, she may work up to the 
 position of forewoman, where she will receive good pay, 
 in the best places amounting to $20 or $25 a week. 
 Women who have the ability to handle girls find desir- 
 able and attractive positions of this sort. Factory work 
 varies greatly according to the factory, but in general the 
 pay is not enough to warrant a girl's leaving her home 
 town or city for the sake of earning her living in this way. 
 If she is interested in the factories near at hand she would 
 better inquire into the opportunities of learning the trade 
 and advancing in that particular line, and unless she sees 
 a chance of becoming a forewoman in time, or of gaining a 
 highly skilled position that brings good wages, she would 
 better seek her work in some other occupation, for the 
 majority of girls and women doing the actual factory work 
 are uneducated and have not the opportunity for promo- 
 tion that boys and men in that industry have. 
 
 PRINTING 
 
 In 1909, there were 35,000 printing establishments in 
 this country with 400,000 people employed. Printing 
 includes no less than fifty different trades, so you can see 
 that it is a very large business. It assists all the trades 
 in the matter of advertising; the journalist and writer 
 would make little progress without the printer; while all
 
 108 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 the professions need bis help in making permanent the 
 results of their work. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 This being a phase of manufacturing, the requirements 
 are very much the same and need not be repeated. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 Printers must have thorough training in punctuation 
 and in writing clear and satisfactory English. All high 
 schools offer this training, and, besides, many now have 
 special courses in printing. A course in drawing will be of 
 value in the matter of lettering, designing and color-har- 
 mony. Since the printer's task is concerned with ma- 
 chinery, he should have not only direct training in ma- 
 chine shop work, but also some knowledge of the sciences 
 of physics and chemistry. A boy who is interested in 
 printing may plan a high school course that will be an ex- 
 cellent foundation for this occupation. 
 
 In this industry, particularly in the compositors' de- 
 partment, more apprentices are taken than in any other 
 trade. After three years, these boys take a two years' 
 course in the trade union night school. They are then 
 ready to make $15.00 a week wages. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 Printing has the advantage of being the least seasonal 
 of all the trades, so that a workman is not likely to lose 
 much time. There is some chance for women, especially 
 in the bindery department. They receive, however, 
 smaller wages than men do for the same work. The high- 
 est wages are received in the pressroom. Here the ma- 
 chine men earn more than in other trades. Of these the 
 web pressman has the most complicated machine. The
 
 Courtesy Sears, Roebuck and Company 
 Men who work on the monotype and linotype machines 
 
 Courtesy Sears, Roebuck and Company 
 
 — --.-... v ,.1, m I ■ - • u t jure f-r tA-K /V ' I I < M \sfjlttjfllll 
 
 Here men are making plates from the type forms that come from the 
 
 composing room
 
 Courtesy Sears, Roebuck and Company 
 Men working on the color presses, in the printing department 
 
 Courtesy National Cash Register Company 
 Making metal register cabinets in the brass foundry
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 109 
 
 foreman, while he oversees other machines, has one of 
 his own to run. He receives over $6.00 a day, while a 
 web pressman gets over $4.00, and his assistant, about 
 $3.00. These men have machines made up of 50,000 
 parts, and are responsible not only for the work put out but 
 for keeping the machines in perfect repair. Besides this 
 there are the cylinder press, the platen press, and others, 
 for all of which there must be pressmen, who get from three 
 to four dollars a day; floormen serve for four years be- 
 fore they are made pressmen and are paid a little less than 
 three dollars a day. Pressfeeders, cutters, and flyboys do 
 whatever they are called on to do and get about $1.50 a 
 day. The foremen in these departments get about $4.75 
 a day. 
 
 If yon should visit the compositors' department, you 
 would see many interesting processes, and would probably 
 understand why such a long apprenticeship is required. 
 You would not see much of the old-fashioned typesetting 
 but instead, linotype men and stereotype men, engaged in 
 easting, in one sheet of metal, forms that will print a 
 page at a time. Then you would see proof-readers, many 
 of whom are women. These receive from 4 to 5 dollars a 
 day, and it is here that education is of advantage. 
 
 THE BUILDING TRADES 
 
 Closely allied with the manufacturer who is busied in 
 making things is the builder with whom the " things 
 made " reach rather larger measurements. Many a small 
 boy and not a few of larger growth feel a strong instinct 
 towards building of some sort. But the building trades 
 include a number of occupations, though in general they 
 are helping towards the completion of the finished product, 
 a dwelling house, an apartment building, an office building,
 
 110 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 the largest public edifice or the smallest shed. Doubtless 
 many boys who are interested in this occupation have 
 their eyes on the business of the contractor. So let us 
 first consider what his work is like, and who are the men 
 working under him; for it is probable that he himself be- 
 gan as a subordinate workman. By some people the ar- 
 chitect is considered even more important than the con- 
 tractor, and it is true that it is his name that is mentioned 
 most frequently in connection with especially beautiful 
 or unusual buildings. His work, however, belongs more 
 properly with that of the professions, and we shall, there- 
 fore, not consider it at this time. The architect's plans 
 are generally submitted to several contractors, who make 
 bids for the work, and the one that is accepted then 
 has charge of the entire construction. He may hire all the 
 workmen himself, or he may in turn let out contracts for 
 various parts of the work. 
 
 Now, when a contractor takes upon himself the respon- 
 sibility of putting up a building, who are the workmen 
 that he must have in his crew of helpers ? Of course, as 
 in other occupations, there are the unskilled laborers, next 
 come the tradesmen or skilled mechanics, such as carpen- 
 ters, bricklayers, plasterers, painters, plumbers, and elec- 
 tricians. There are almost a score of special groups that 
 may be engaged in the building of a house. The con- 
 tractor must know enough about all these trades so as to 
 pick the very best workmen possible ; because he is re- 
 sponsible for results in every one of these lines. Usually 
 he himself has started out in one of these capacities, in 
 most cases in that of the carpenter, who until the recent 
 wide use of materials other than wood has been the most 
 important man in the putting up of a building. 
 
 The contractor may, however, reach his goal along a dif- 
 ferent route. For instance, one young fellow who had been
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES HI 
 
 trained as a civil engineer obtained a position with a 
 railroad to oversee the erection of some of their build- 
 ings. That is, while a contractor had charge of the work, 
 he was hired as a sort of inspector to see that all work in 
 iron, rivets, etc., was perfectly secure and well done. In 
 this work he had the opportunity to make himself ac- 
 quainted with almost every phase of the art of building. 
 He was wide awake, alert and energetic, and after two or 
 three years started into business on his own responsibility 
 as a contractor. The pride and joy that a young man has 
 in actually causing the growth of a good looking house, in 
 seeing that every part of it is well done, and in using all 
 sorts of new and improved methods, more than repaid 
 this youth for not making a large income in the first years 
 of his undertaking. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 The requirements necessary for success in any one of 
 the building trades are a good deal the same as those in 
 the business of manufacturing. In almost all of the 
 trades that go towards the building of a house the workman 
 should be quick and skillful in the use of his hands. If 
 you should watch a bricklayer for an hour or so, you could 
 not help admiring the skill and dispatch with which he 
 does his work. On the other hand, if you will notice the 
 poor work that is often done in the brick work around 
 fire places, outside steps, or chimneys, you will see the pos- 
 sibilities of lack of skill and the opportunity for an exact 
 careful workman to make himself felt. Again you will 
 often hear of new buildings that, while they have all the 
 desired attractiveness in appearance, are poorly constructed 
 and cannot last. This may be due to poor material but it 
 may also be due to poor workmanship, and is another illus- 
 tration of the need of ability.
 
 11*5 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 The painter is another workman whose task, especially 
 in the inside of the house, demands skill. Indeed in his 
 case, to manual dexterity must be added an artistic sense. 
 The same man who is employed as house painter or deco- 
 rator may also be called upon when the building sea- 
 son is slack for a rather different sort of work, such as 
 sign painting, that demands a true eye and well-directed 
 hand. 
 
 Again, you have often seen the highly skilled work of 
 the carpenter, of the man who takes pride in finishing his 
 work at every turn in a truly artistic way. And we can 
 contrast all of these well done performances with the care- 
 less work that we see in many cheap buildings. All of 
 which furnishes a bit of inspiration as it shows the man 
 who is interested in any phase of building that he may do 
 his work " with a difference." 
 
 2. In accordance with the advice we have been getting 
 in many lines in this country lately, it is well for the 
 builder, also, to have the quality of thrift. The final loss 
 from wastefulness will come upon the contractor, since, 
 when he makes a bid for a building, he agrees to put it up 
 for a certain sum. Material and wages are both so high 
 nowadays that he must needs select workmen who do not 
 have the great American fault or their extravagance may 
 greatly increase the price of production. 
 
 3. If one would get beyond certain mechanical work, 
 inventiveness is necessary in building just as it is in man- 
 ufacturing. This is the age for improvements and the 
 contractor especially must be on the lookout for new meth- 
 ods and equipments. Take for example the convenience 
 devices of modern apartment buildings: the new doors by 
 which groceries and meat may be slipped into compart- 
 ments locked from the outside; the in-a-door beds; wall 
 safes ; garbage chutes. The men who are actually doing
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 113 
 
 the work have the opportunity to see the possibility of such 
 things. 
 
 4. Every mechanic must have the quality of accuracy. 
 We all know that work trued and squared according to ex- 
 act measurements is absolutely necessary. Some people 
 think that the expert builder is certain to be an honest 
 man because he learns that varying from the true mark is 
 bound to bring bad results, but whether this is true or not 
 it shows that accuracy of eye and hand is essential to his 
 business. 
 
 5. Adaptability or the ability to interpret in the struc- 
 ture the wishes of the designer is an asset to the contrac- 
 tor. Indeed, in regard to most of the workmen on a build- 
 ing it may be said that once having learned how to per- 
 form a certain process is by no means enough. In the 
 case of private dwellings, club houses, churches, and many 
 buildings other than purely business blocks, the planner is 
 often an amateur and the contractor and his men must ad- 
 just their work to the ideas of the owner. In some towns, 
 for instance, there is almost unlimited variety and indi- 
 viduality in the houses, and it is not at all certain that the 
 man who has worked on one will be able to do the same 
 class of work on another without added instruction. 
 
 6. While the contractor should understand the varioiis 
 parts of construction, even the knowing of all the details 
 would not be sufficient to insure his success. For he is 
 the head of the business and must first of all be a good 
 business manager. He has in fact great need to be a 
 cost accountant. lie must do an immense amount of fig- 
 uring: before he makes his bid for the construction of a 
 building. He must know the cost of materials, the price 
 of labor, and how long the work will take, before he can 
 tell for how much he can afford to undertake the building 
 and at the same time make a fair profit. The lowest bid-
 
 114 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 der, provided that he has the reputation for good work, is 
 very likely to get the contract, so the contractor tries to 
 make his estimate as low as possible, and in this way, there 
 is danger that he may underestimate the cost and that 
 instead of making a profit he may actually lose on the 
 undertaking. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 Usually an opportunity is given the beginner to secure 
 an apprenticeship in the various lines. If before start- 
 ing he has learned to use a number of tools, this will 
 help to shorten his period of training. As in the case of 
 factories, one can learn more processes by beginning in a 
 small place or on a small job. The larger the building 
 the more specialized becomes the work, and the beginner 
 will have to be alert indeed to get beyond the simplest 
 labor. At the same time his training will be better if 
 he begins with a well-reputed firm ; for there will be used 
 the most improved methods and tools. The young man 
 who wants to go beyond the work of an actual mechanic 
 should know some elementary mathematics. Higher 
 mathematics and elementary surveying would also be help- 
 ful. The carpenter should learn how to use as many dif- 
 ferent kinds of tools as possible and should know how to 
 read blueprints. In these days of careful sanitation a 
 certain amount of science is almost necessary for the 
 plumber. Again in any of the building trades, it would be 
 well to learn as much as possible as to industrial conditions 
 before starting; for these change so with business de- 
 pression or prosperity, that a knowledge of their present 
 condition at any time is quite important. If a boy is not 
 attracted by the system of learning his trade through ap- 
 prenticeship, he may enter one of the schools run by the 
 various trade unions, or one of the public technical high
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 115 
 
 schools or technical night schools. The ambitious youth 
 will if possible take advantage of some one of these op- 
 portunities. 
 
 Now with these suggestions as to training, what should 
 the boy who wants to become a builder do ? First while he 
 is in school he should take the work suggested according to 
 the special line that he wants to enter. Then if he can 
 afford it he should take further training in some technical 
 school; but if that is not possible he should start as ap- 
 prentice in the line in which he is the most interested. 
 If he aims to be a contractor he should by all means take 
 a course in cost accounting. 
 
 Opportunities and Advantages 
 
 During the working season the pay for the building 
 tradesman is good, and his hours are short. The unions 
 demand for him an eight-hour day. If he is capable, well 
 trained, and knows how to handle men, he has good oppor- 
 tunity for advancement to foreman, and, particularly if 
 his training includes a technical course, to superintendent. 
 Again, with business ability he may often be successful as 
 a small contractor. 
 
 Then the building trades with the possible exception of 
 plumbing and painting offer healthful employment. The 
 work is out of doors and active, with regular hours for 
 meals, and is conducive to the building up of strength. 
 Even in the case of the two lines of work that have been 
 supposed to be unhealthful, precautions have been taken 
 so that they are not the menace that they once were. Re- 
 pair work on unsanitary plumbing and lead poisoning from 
 paints were the principal causes of disease ; but a little sci- 
 entific training teaches plumbers to be more careful and 
 precautions are taken in the making of paints. 
 
 Another condition that might help the technically trained
 
 116 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 boy to successful work is that there are few boys iu the 
 building trades who have been beyond the grades in school. 
 This has been found to be absolutely true in a survey made 
 of these trades in Cleveland and it seems to be generally 
 true in other places. That being the case a boy who is 
 interested in this work, has the required qualities, and 
 besides this a high school training, with the mathematics, 
 science, and business methods that would be helpful, would 
 have a good chance to make efficient work count. A col- 
 lege boy who has tried it says that there is nothing so fasci- 
 nating as watching a building grow and feeling that you 
 are really responsible for the results. Two high school 
 boys who undertook electrical contracting, and in connec- 
 tion with it started an electrical supply and work-shop 
 of their own, have had all the work that they could pos- 
 sibly do. Another high school boy, who had unusual ar- 
 tistic skill, started in a photographer's shop but in a year 
 or two decided that the painter's trade would be better for 
 him financially and physically, and now after several 
 years has opened his own shop and is successful. 
 
 So much for individual satisfaction. There is also the 
 feeling that good, conscientious, substantial building helps 
 to make one of the assets of a nation. In matters of com- 
 fort, convenience, and art the builder has a chance to help 
 in the present and even to build for the future. 
 
 Disadvantages 
 
 The work of the builder depends upon the prosperity of 
 the country and is affected by business depression almost 
 before any other. Not only that, but a good deal of it is 
 seasonal work, and except in warm climates not much can 
 be done in the winter months. At these slack times 
 workmen are necessarily turned off and, of course, the 
 pay stops. One thing, however, may be said, the foremen
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 117 
 
 and the more highly skilled workmen are tbe last ones to 
 go, and therefore there is decided advantage in working up 
 in the trade. 
 
 Again, there is some danger in the work of building, 
 principally from falling off of scaffolding and high places, 
 or from being injured by the falling of heavy material. 
 However, the accidents are not so many as in railroading 
 and with sufficient care most of them can be avoided. 
 
 This is one of the lines of work in which there is prac- 
 tically no opportunity for women. On the architectural 
 side women have done a good deal and are doing still more, 
 but we shall discuss that later. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. How many of the professional persons in your community, do 
 you suppose, have readied their present goal heeause of an aim which 
 they had at the beginning of their careers? In the building trades 
 would a similar answer apply? If not, why? 
 
 2. What is the importance of manipulative skill in manufactur- 
 ing? 
 
 3. What is the value of technical training in either manufactur- 
 ing or the building trades? 
 
 4. Study some industry of your community, to determine if pos- 
 sible what the particular qualifications of workers must be to enable 
 them to succeed in it. 
 
 5. What effect does the paying of bonuses have upon the point of 
 view of the employee toward his work? 
 
 G. If you know nothing about tools, machines, or manufacturing 
 processes what would be the advantage to you of going into a shop, 
 for, say, a summer vacation? 
 
 7. Pick a trade or hand occupation and show the possibilities of 
 advancement through reading and study. 
 
 8. If a young man, who is learning a trade, expects to be em- 
 ployed in small shops or factories what would be the advantage in 
 changing factories from time to time during the course of his appren- 
 ticeship? 
 
 9. Why would this not be necessary in a large factory where an 
 apprentice system was supported?
 
 118 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 10. Which of the two (8 and U) would make the journeyman more 
 independent as a worker? 
 
 11. A careful study of the tradesmen, merchants, and men of the 
 professions from your city or community will reveal the fact that 
 the leaders in civic problems will also be leaders in their respective 
 occupations. Can you explain this? 
 
 12. In your own community what manufacturing concerns have an 
 apprentice system? What opportunities are open to boys taking an 
 apprentice course over those who do not take one? 
 
 13. What are the advantages of a skilled worker over an unskilled 
 one other than the difference in wages? 
 
 14. Summarize under the headings, advantages and disadvantages, 
 what seem to you to be the essential points to consider in choosing a 
 vocation from the building trades and also from manufacturing. 
 
 15. Select from this list some occupation in which you are espe- 
 cially interested, or with which you are familiar, and determine 
 answers to the following points. It will be best to select an occupa- 
 tion from which local first hand information can be obtained. 
 
 a. Importance of occupation (trade) ? 
 
 b. What are the conditions of employment? 
 
 1. Is physical and nervous strain involved? 
 
 2. Does work tend toward stimulating intelligence of worker 
 or the reverse? 
 
 3 What are the sanitary conditions? 
 
 4. Is there, danger of accident or occupational disease? 
 
 c. What are the wages? 
 
 1. During apprenticeship. 
 
 2. To journeymen. 
 
 3. What is the union scale? 
 
 d. What are the hours of labor? 
 
 e. Is the work seasonal? 
 
 f. If the occupation is a trade, is it organized? 
 
 g. What is the entrance age to the trade? 
 
 h. Length of time required to learn the trade? 
 
 i. Is the supply of labor equal to the demand? 
 
 j. Is the demand of labor increasing or decreasing? 
 
 k. What is the source of the supply of labor? i.e., through appren- 
 ticeship, or from a technical school. 
 
 1. If more than grammar school education is necessary to reach 
 the best positions what is the nature of the special education 
 needed?
 
 MANUFACTURING AND THE BUILDING TRADES 119 
 
 m. If specific education is needed, and one enters the industry re- 
 gardless of this fact, what are the chances of success? 
 n, What is the age of maximum productivity? 
 o. What subjects in your high school offer the greatest value as 
 training for the trade that you are studying? 
 
 16. By inquiry of tradesmen and contractors, discover the quali- 
 fications and specific preparation that a man should possess who 
 would become a contractor by way of working up through some one 
 or more of the related trades. Each member of the class should sup- 
 ply at least one fact toward an answer to this problem. 
 
 17. Of what value will a working knowledge of design be to a 
 buildinjr trades man? Will a similar answer be made for the ma- 
 chine trades or manufacturing? 
 
 18. Look up the plans that Bryn Mawr College has made for the 
 training of women for executive positions in factories. Why is this 
 necessary at this time? 
 
 19. Name as many positions in the manufacturing business as you 
 can in which women might succeed. 
 
 20. Is there any work in the building trades tnat women might do? 
 
 21. Is there any work in factories or in building that women ought 
 not to do? Why do you think this? 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Bureau of Labor Statistics. United States Bulletin, Wages and 
 
 Hours of Labor Series. 
 Addresses printed by the Educational Committee of the Winnipeg 
 
 Industrial Bureau. 
 Taylor, Frederick W. The Principles of Scientific Management. 
 
 Harper and Brothers, 1911. 
 Carlton, Frank Tracy. The Industrial Situation. The Fleming 
 
 Revel 1 Co. 
 Kelly, R. M. Hiring the Worker. Ronald Press Co., 1917. 
 Irwin, Will. The Floating Laborer. Articles in The Saturday 
 
 Evening Post. July 4, 1914. May 9, 1914. 
 Abbott, Edith. Women in Industry. D. Appleton Co., 1910. 
 Allen, Frederick J. The Shoe Industry. The Vocation Bureau 
 
 of Boston, 1916. 
 Windsor, H. H. The Boy Mechanic. Popular Mechanics Publishing 
 
 Co. 
 Hodgson, Fred T. Modern Carpentry. Hodgson Book Co.
 
 120 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Gilbreth, Frank B. Primer of Scientific Management. D. Van 
 
 Nostrand Co., 1912. 
 Carnegie, Andrew. The Empire of Business. Doubleday, Page & 
 
 Co., 1002 
 Lutz, R. R. The Metal Trades. Cleveland Foundation, 1916. 
 Shaw, Frank L. The Building Trades. Cleveland Foundation, 1916. 
 Siiaw, Frank L. The Printing Trades. Cleveland Foundation, 1016. 
 Bbyner, Edna. The Garment Trades. Cleveland Foundation, 1916.
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 
 
 Now we come to the last of what we have called the great 
 fundamental groups; the following chapters will deal with 
 those that are, in a way, helpers either to these great occu- 
 pations, or to the people engaged in them. We have dis- 
 cussed the extraction of our natural resources, the sending 
 of them to the manufacturer to be made into more usable 
 form, the manufacturing itself, and the financing of these 
 different operations. But now the manufacturer must 
 dispose of these goods. They will be transferred from him 
 to the wholesaler and the retailer and finally will reach 
 the consumer, that is, the great mass of people who use 
 these innumerable products. The great world of com- 
 merce is busy with the transferring of these goods from 
 one to another. This, of course, does not refer merely to 
 manufactured articles : sometimes the farm products go 
 directly to the dealer, or the thing traded may be real es- 
 tate, life insurance, stocks and bonds, or indeed anything 
 that one person or group of persons may supply to another. 
 
 Not long ago the sales manager of a large business con- 
 cern said to a group of students that commerce was the 
 most important of all the occupations. This superlative 
 statement may have come because it referred to his own 
 chief interest, but at the same time we realize its element 
 of truth when we consider that without commerce it would 
 be impossible for manufacturing, agriculture, and many 
 
 121
 
 122 VOCATIONAL, CIVICS 
 
 other businesses to thrive. Indeed we shall find out that 
 the successful farmer must have some of the elements of 
 a good salesman, that the manufacturer must have his reg- 
 ularly organized sales department, that the banker, the 
 hotel keeper, the publisher, the photographer, the dress- 
 maker, and, indeed, practically all business people must be 
 in a sense salesmen. We shall consider first those busi- 
 nesses that are concerned primarily in the work of selling. 
 Here we ordinarily think of the wholesale stores, retail 
 stores, mailorder houses, chain stores, and traveling sales- 
 men. We ji re told that there is about twenty billion dol- 
 lars' worth of retail business transacted in this country 
 every year. Of this amount of business, only three per 
 cent, is done by the great department stores, the mail-order 
 houses, and the big systems of chain stores. This means 
 that 97 per cent, of the twenty billion dollar business is 
 handled by the small retail stores. We are sometimes in- 
 clined to think that the more prominent concerns have 
 almost a monopoly of the selling business; but with these 
 facts in mind, it would seem that the consideration of the 
 small retail business might be worth while for many 
 capable people. 
 
 We shall learn that, besides salesmen, the specialized 
 selling business has many employees in other departments. 
 We shall find, for instance, the accountant, bookkeeper, 
 stenographer, private secretary, and advertiser, besides 
 many who belong distinctively with other groups, such as, 
 the welfare worker, the artist, and the telephone oper- 
 ator. And so since this group includes workers in other 
 groups, and since others must draw from this, we see again 
 how all work is interrelated, how necessary is all legitimate 
 human business, and how each individual who does his 
 work well is helping towards the progress of his country 
 and of the world.
 
 commercial occupations 123 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 Now let us consider the qualities that are desirable in 
 the boy or girl who would set out to make commerce his 
 vocation. The salesman, no matter what department of 
 commerce he enters, the wholesale house, the department 
 store, the small retail store, the army of commercial trav- 
 elers, the railroad, as passenger agent, or the place of mid- 
 dleman between the manufacturer and the dealer, would 
 do well to cultivate certain qualities, which we shall con- 
 sider somewhat carefully. A possible exception is the 
 man who sells by correspondence; if he is an advertiser, 
 he needs additional abilities, if he is a clerk in a mail- 
 order house, he deals with things rather than with people, 
 and his characteristics differ from those of the salesman. 
 What then are these qualities that make a successful sales- 
 man ? 
 
 1. One must be a ready talker. He must be at no loss 
 for words and he must be able to put up a convincing argu- 
 ment, and not only to argue but to persuade. For this pur- 
 pose he must know how to use forceful English, and should 
 have the backing of a good general education. One man 
 who had reached a place of importance in salesmanship, 
 felt the need of this ability, and so took a " furlough " with 
 the special purpose of going to Harvard University to make 
 a study of the use of good English. A specialist who is 
 hired by several large concerns to test the ability of men 
 as salesmen makes a point of the sales talk which the can- 
 didates must make individually to a number of judges. 
 This quality is not so important when the prospective buyer 
 knows exactly what he wants, and has set out to find it. 
 The selling in this case is a comparatively easy matter. 
 A salesman need then only display his wares. But 
 its value comes when the purchaser is aimless and in-
 
 124 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 different, and the salesman must attract and hold his at- 
 tention, and influence his decision. 
 
 2. A good salesman must have a pleasant personality. 
 He should be likable, approachable, even-tempered, and 
 accommodating. That is, he must not be cranky or 
 grouchy, otherwise he will drive away trade in spite of 
 other good qualifications. He must take pains to please 
 the customer and not consider his own feelings. An in- 
 cident is told of a young clerk in a department store on a 
 rainy day when there were few customers and when the 
 clerks felt more like chatting together than like taking 
 the pains to be courteous to inconsiderate intruders. 
 A bedraggled woman came in and this young man was 
 the only one to leave his friends and give pleasant atten- 
 tion to her every want. It was only an incident in good 
 salesmanship which nine times out of ten would pass un- 
 noticed. In this case, it happened that the customer was 
 a wealthy and influential woman and that the courtesy of 
 the young man brought him a position of great importance 
 and reward. 
 
 3. He must be observant and a judge of human nature. 
 He must size people up correctly as to the kind of goods 
 they would probably buy, and must offer those suited to 
 their pursue and tastes. Customers sometimes leave a store 
 feeling disgusted because a salesman has very evidently 
 made too low an estimate of their income, and is seemingly 
 afraid to offer more expensive goods, or has urged on them 
 articles inconsistent with their taste. On the other hand, 
 some are forced to try another place because nothing is of- 
 fered that is within their means. A salesman should learn 
 what kind of argument will appeal to each person. Some 
 clerks feel that it is not worth while to take this trouble, 
 they think that the whims of many customers are unreason- 
 able and they are too independent to consider them. But
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 125 
 
 as a matter of fact, we are all dependent upon one another 
 and cannot get through this world without catering to the 
 wishes of others. Here is an example of a salesman who 
 understood human nature. A man went into a store to 
 buy a Victrola for his wife. He intended to buy one at a 
 certain price because he had been told by a friend that that 
 kind was very satisfactory. The salesman said: "I 
 know what an exquisite ear for music your wife has; and 
 while this machine is good, I should like to have her enjoy 
 this more expensive one which has a tone much better 
 suited to her taste." After that, it didn't take much argu- 
 ing to persuade him to buy the better instrument. This 
 was not insincere flattery, something that seldom works, 
 but it was using a fact that according to the laws of human 
 nature was pretty sure to make its appeal. 
 
 4. He must be systematic and patient in giving his at- 
 tention to details. He must be particular about the ar- 
 rangement of his stock, and must be able to put his hand 
 in an instant on any article that is called for. A mer- 
 chant who had, in respect to location and the quality of 
 goods carried, the best store of its kind in his town, lost 
 an immense amount of trade and all but went into bank- 
 ruptcy because often neither he nor his clerks were able 
 to find the things called for. People would have to wait 
 so long while an old-fashioned search was made for the 
 desired article, that they preferred going to another store. 
 Attention to details jyould have made an immense dif- 
 ference in that "business. Not only in the handling of 
 goods but in the keeping of accounts and the making out 
 of sales slips, this same quality is necessary. 
 
 5. He must take an active interest in the goods which 
 he sells, and know them thoroughly in all their parts. He 
 must know how they are made and what they are made of; 
 what their good qualities are, and what they are used for.
 
 126 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 This means being willing to work hard so as to learn one's 
 goods from every point of view. A woman remarked re- 
 cently that she thought that girls who sold cooking utensils 
 should have a course in domestic science so that they would 
 be sure to know the uses of different pots and pans, and to 
 tell customers why certain shapes, materials, and sizes 
 were better for certain purposes. Dry goods clerks are 
 sometimes given definite courses in textiles and styles, and 
 it is easy to see the need of this. It is sometimes even 
 laughable to see the dependence of the buying public upon 
 the opinions and information of the salesmen ; but at the 
 same time this shows the importance of the salesman's get- 
 ting reliable information. 
 
 6. And this leads us directly to our next quality, namely, 
 a habit of absolute honesty of statement. Charles M. 
 Schwab makes the following statement: " Integrity, inci- 
 dentally, is one of the mightiest factors in salesmanship. 
 If you have a reputation for stating facts exactly, for never 
 attempting to gain momentary advantage through exagger- 
 ation, you possess the basis of all successful salesmanship." 
 
 7. The successful man in the commercial occupations 
 should know something of accounting. Business is based 
 on the making of profit, and goods must be sold not only 
 for a greater amount than that paid for that particular 
 article, but all the overhead expenses, such as store rent, 
 taxes, salaries, equipment, and advertising, must be taken 
 into account. Nothing is gained by selling an article with- 
 out a reasonable profit. Since, as we said before, the small 
 store represents so large a part of the retail business, there 
 is a possibility of the capable salesman's coming to have a 
 store of his own. In such a case it is absolutely essential 
 that he have a thorough understanding of cost accounting. 
 A business man says that there are more failures from a
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 127 
 
 lack of " counting the cost " than from any other one 
 cause. 
 
 So if you are going to be a salesman, you must first of 
 all be able to talk readily so as to present your proposition 
 well ; next, you must cultivate a pleasant personality with a 
 habit of being gracious to all sorts of people; you must 
 understand people well enough to know how to appeal to 
 them; you must be carefully systematic in every detail 
 of your work ; you must be willing to work hard to learn 
 both your particular business and general methods of ac- 
 counting, and must have the quality of absolute integrity. 
 You can see the differences between this and the other busi- 
 nesses we have talked about. You are dealing with people 
 more than with things so that manual skill and dexterity 
 do not. count so much as the qualities that aid in influencing 
 men and women. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 If you decide that this is your work, you will at once 
 set about getting the necessary preparation. More and 
 more the demand is for trained salesmen. Paul Nystrom, 
 in his Retail Selling and Store Management, makes this 
 prophecy, " Salesmen will be recruited from the ranks of 
 graduates of high school and college courses in commerce, 
 and salesmen will be taught in a manner similar to the 
 present teaching of other vocations in industrial schools." 
 Already some stores demand that their salesmen have a 
 high school education, and some of the largest stores are 
 trying to get college men. The use of good English is 
 important: sometimes a sale has been lost because of a 
 poor command of English. Some of the department stores 
 have found this lack so great that courses in business 
 English are given to the clerks. Salesmanship is an oc-
 
 128 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 cupation in which the high school boy or girl has the ad- 
 vantage. Then a salesman should have a good training in 
 arithmetic so that he can make change quickly and ac- 
 curately. A young man progressed rapidly as ticket seller 
 in a railway terminal because of his unusual ability to 
 make change quickly. You may be surprised to learn 
 that a number of storekeepers who were questioned re- 
 garding the school training of boys mentioned this par- 
 ticular thing. 
 
 Where is the boy or girl to get the necessary training? 
 Courses in salesmanship may be taken in many high 
 schools and colleges and there are special schools in sales- 
 manship, the best known, perhaps, being in Boston. In 
 the schools of commerce not only salesmanship, but cost 
 accounting, business methods, advertising, and stenogra- 
 phy, are taught. If you are not able to get this training 
 there is another chance open to you if you can secure em- 
 ployment in some of the large department stores. Here 
 a sort of secretary is hired who has charge of regular 
 classes and courses of training for the employees. Those 
 who are eager to advance may take a three years' course. 
 They are instructed in the store's system, have demonstra- 
 tion sales, study textiles, have experience in the marking 
 room, adjustment bureau, at the cashier's desk, in the 
 millinery, drapery, art-goods, alteration, mail-order, in- 
 voicing departments, and the bureau of accounts. After 
 a period of such instruction they are given actual exper- 
 ience in selling and are ready for promotions. We are 
 told that the high school graduate will make much more 
 rapid progress in this course than the boy or girl without 
 that amount of school work. 
 
 Moreover, no matter what his preliminary training, the 
 salesman must be continually educating himself. We have 
 spoken of the necessity of his knowing all he possibly can
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 129 
 
 about the goods be has to sell. He cannot learn this once 
 for all, but must be constantly reading and studying so as 
 to keep informed about new materials and new articles 
 that will be introduced from time to time. There are 
 trade papers from which the salesman can learn much. 
 These contain consultations on various subjects and he may 
 write to them for advice when he is perplexed. We said 
 in talking of qualifications that a pleasant personality was 
 an important point. Usually we think of personality as 
 a sort of mysterious thing with which people either are or 
 are not naturally gifted and which is beyond their con- 
 trol. Mr. Nystrom, in the book from which we just 
 quoted, says that " a complete knowledge of his goods will 
 often take the place of personality." Rather, it seems to 
 me, a complete knowledge of his goods, together with a 
 courteous way of using that knowledge, goes a long way 
 towards creating a pleasing personality. Imagine for 
 instance a young woman who is trying to sell a high class 
 sewing machine. We may say that the buyer does not 
 know the advantages of one machine over another. The 
 saleswoman knows in just what respects hers is preferable 
 to each machine that the buyer may mention. This abso- 
 lute knowledge gives her a poise and a calm way of talking 
 that adds to the charm of her personality. In a helpful 
 way she can tell how the machine may be kept in running 
 order, why certain parts are durable, and just how and 
 for what purpose to use each patent attachment. If she 
 has a thorough knowledge of her machine and has culti- 
 vated the habit of being interested in the problems of her 
 purchaser, she has gone a long way towards gaining a 
 pleasing personality, and in this manner she is getting a 
 certain preparation for her work. 
 
 So if you are interested in salesmanship, first of all take 
 all the commercial work possible in high school; then if
 
 130 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 you can afford it, go to a school of commerce, preferably 
 one connected with some university. But when you begin 
 to work, no matter what the position with which you start, 
 take advantage of every possible bit of instruction that you 
 can get, and never stop trying to grow in your work. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 In general there is always a demand for a good sales- 
 man. The selling end of the business determines its suc- 
 cess, and the man who can sell goods is pretty sure to find 
 a place. But in this, as in other lines, the most room is 
 at the top. Mr. Chalmers of Detroit, a noted automo- 
 bile manufacturer, is the authority for the statement that 
 there are very few $10,000 salesmen. He can get plenty 
 of men whom he would pay from $3000 to $5000, but 
 $10,000 men are scarce. 
 
 This may give you a wrong idea as to the financial re- 
 turns of the salesman, but the truth is they vary so 
 that it is hard to get any standard. At least Mr. Chal- 
 mers' statement shows us that the most successful sales- 
 men, those holding the best positions in the best firms, 
 command very good salaries, and that the selling of goods 
 is such an important part of all business that a company 
 can afford to pay a big amount to the man who can really 
 bring results. So there is a goal at which to aim. For 
 the average young boy and girl, however, wages are very 
 low; and those who leave school to clerk in a store before 
 they have graduated from high school, have not much 
 chance of advancing far. For instance, in some stores, be- 
 ginners are paid $4.00 per week, and may in time advance 
 to $8.00. On the other hand, in many stores, the nomi- 
 nal wages do not show the actual pay. Some give an 
 extra amount for selling certain goods, some pay more dur- 
 ing the holidays, others allow employees to buy their goods
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 131 
 
 at a discount, while the traveling salesman lias a big oppor- 
 tunity to make money on the commission basis. 
 
 As to hours, the law has adjusted them pretty well. 
 Most stores in the large cities close on Saturday 'after- 
 noon during the summer, while in the smaller towns they 
 usually keep open on Saturday night. However, it is sel- 
 dom that the hours are excessively long, and conditions 
 as to ventilation and other comforts are all the time get- 
 ting better. 
 
 As in other occupations, opportunity comes to the one 
 who can suggest and work out new and useful ideas. He is 
 the one who rises to the higher positions, such as sales man- 
 ager, manager, or even proprietor of a store. For him 
 there is the widest opportunity to make use of judgment 
 and executive ability. How much depends upon the con- 
 struction and equipment of his store, upon the choice and 
 treatment of his employees, upon a careful system of cost 
 accounting, upon buying the right goods, — goods that are 
 in demand in one locality are often useless in another, for 
 instance, it is said that ready-made garments of a size 
 that will sell in the West are too large for the average 
 woman in New York, — upon, in fact, numberless schemes 
 and calculations which, taken altogether, form a most fas- 
 cinating proposition. 
 
 The following is a point of attack that is being used by 
 sales managers a good deal of late. Instead of trusting 
 entirely to the skill of the salesman, who, we used to be 
 told, should be able to sell anything to any one whether or 
 not he wanted it or could afford it, now many managers 
 are of the opinion that a thorough canvass should be made 
 to learn just what sort of things are needed in certain local- 
 ities. They then offer a grade of those things at a price 
 that the people can afford to pay. For instance, a dealer 
 in motor trucks for farmers made a study to discover
 
 132 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 how many trucks a certain farmer would need in order 
 to carry on his business in the best way. He calculated 
 that while this particular man had only one truck he 
 needed exactly three. So he went to him with this propo- 
 sition and proved to him that he needed two more 
 trueks. He made his sale, whereas without this method 
 and with only the powers of persuasion he might or might 
 not have sold one. An instructor in a school of commerce 
 was employed by a large commercial house to organize its 
 business on this basis. He did very thorough work simply 
 planning the sales territory so that goods were offered just 
 where they would be of use and so that just the right 
 amount was offered. The business increased so rapidly 
 that the young instructor was offered a permanent position 
 at a much larger salary than he was then making. So 
 much for the value of having a thorough training and of 
 keeping awake for new methods. On the other hand, as 
 an illustration of the fact that bright men sometimes think 
 that there are other allurements more valuable than money, 
 we might add that this particular man preferred the satis- 
 faction of teaching to the larger salary in the business 
 world. But besides the interest in management and the 
 financial return, there is an interest in salesmanship that 
 probably most people do not think of. This point can be 
 best expressed by quoting again from Mr. Nystrom's book : 
 " The present standards of living and of comfort are due 
 largely to the salesman. The vast number of people who 
 are carrying life insurance, and who own sewing machines, 
 is due largely to salesmen. While this is not the usual 
 motive, the result is the same, and the salesman has the op- 
 portunity of feeling that he is helping the progress of his 
 age." 
 
 You will have no trouble in calling to mind the names of 
 many men who have been preeminently successful in the
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 133 
 
 commercial business. Before taking up some other lines 
 of work belonging to this group, it might be interesting to 
 see what some of these men have said about salesmanship. 
 While more business in the aggregate is done by the small 
 retail stores, yet the largest establishments and those of 
 which the founders are best known are the department 
 store, the mail-order house, and the chain store. As an 
 example of the ideas of a great department store, here are 
 a few sentences quoted from a little book that is prepared 
 by Marshall Field & Company for their employees. 
 
 " Older employees are expected to set a proper example 
 of courtesy, energy, cheerfulness, and enthusiasm to those 
 around them." 
 
 " The habitual making of mistakes will be considered 
 cause for dismissal." 
 
 " You will have patience in serving customers, showing 
 goods willingly and pleasantly, without asking too many 
 questions as to price, width, size or color. See that every 
 customer in every transaction is the chief point of interest 
 in your mind at that time." 
 
 " Inasmuch as the expansion of this business necessitates 
 continual additions to our force of employees, applications 
 from capable persons are always welcome." 
 
 " More and more we wish you to he intelligent, loyal, and 
 progressive. We propose that this great store shall be even 
 more than ever a field for employment in which ' merit 
 shall win,' and we desire that the possible careless, tempo- 
 rary overlooking of any employee shall never prevent that 
 person from obtaining the fair recognition which has been 
 earned." 
 
 Mr. Sears, of Sears. Roebuck & Company, built up one 
 of the largest mail-order houses in the country. He him- 
 self said that he worked on the basis of finding out what a 
 great many people wanted and where these people were,
 
 134 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 and then of offering them these goods at a reasonable price. 
 This, you see, is much like the new method in salesmanship. 
 
 The president of a system of chain stores issued a series 
 of rules for his clerks. Here are just one or two out of 
 his many suggestions : " A customer asking for some- 
 thing not in stock should never be told in so many words 
 that there is a substitute ' just as good.' Cut out that 
 phrase. Earnestly recommend as possibly acceptable 
 whatever you think will satisfy, but leave the impression 
 always that the customer better knows what he wants than 
 you do." 
 
 "' Try to remember just what your customer wants. He 
 will appreciate the fact that his preferences are kept in 
 mind." 
 
 " Know your stock as you know your way home." 
 
 " Eead the trade journals at home and keep yourself 
 posted in the details of your business. A man who suc- 
 ceeds in this or any other business is the man who realizes 
 that he does not know it all, but takes advantage of every 
 opportunity to acquire useful information." 
 
 This president himself started as a clerk, and has de- 
 veloped this great system of chain stores. 
 
 Notice how every one of these opinions of the three men 
 quoted illustrates some one of the qualities we have been 
 discussing. 
 
 THE OFFICE FORCE 
 
 We have talked of the selling side because it is the side 
 that actually brings in returns, and because after all sell- 
 ing is the business of commerce. But just as we found in 
 railroading that, while the transporting of passengers and 
 freight is its main business, it needs a big office force to 
 keep the organization in working order, so in commerce, 
 there are endless details aside from the actual buying and
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 135 
 
 selling that demand a good corps of workers. This office 
 force, indeed, is found in almost every industry. It is 
 made up of stenographers, bookkeepers, secretaries, clerks, 
 credit men, cashiers, telephone and telegraph operators, 
 office managers, filing clerks, and many others. Many 
 people who do not have the " knack " of selling things, 
 can make good in this other side of commercial work. 
 What, then, are the requirements for these office posi- 
 tions ? 
 
 Many young men and women start as stenographers 
 and typists. To succeed here they must be quick in 
 their movements, have good memories, and the power of 
 long continued concentration. The quick and accurate 
 movements must be gained by training and much prac- 
 tice. Even when a stenographer has completed a course 
 in school she has not always reached her greatest effi- 
 ciency. There is at present a tendency to reduce all 
 power to actual measurements, and this, certain business 
 houses have tried to do with stenography. In February, 
 1916, the magazine, System, told of an experiment of 
 this sort. In a certain office a stenographer who was mak- 
 ing $15 a week told her employer that she thought she 
 was worth more than that. He replied that they would 
 test her efficiency, which they did by means of a schedule 
 that had been worked out. By this definite test they 
 found that she was worth not $15 a week but $9. She 
 herself was surprised at the result and set out to work up 
 to a higher efficiency, and it was not long before the same 
 test showed her worth $18 a week. The following is 
 the standard that was set at that time. For work that 
 was considered 100 per cent, efficient $18 a week was 
 paid. This meant that the typist could write at the rate 
 of sixty words a minute for fifteen consecutive minutes. 
 This would be about five minutes for the ordinary type-
 
 136 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 written page. This at least gives a standard by which one 
 might judge what lie could do and what that work was 
 worth. The use of steuotypy, a sort of machine short- 
 hand, instead of the usual stenography is coming more 
 and more into demand. The writing has the advantage 
 of being much more easily deciphered. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 A typist who can spell, use good English, and has a 
 fair amount of general information, is rather rare and in 
 demand. A business man appreciates a stenographer who 
 can write a creditable letter after having been given the 
 main points, without having it dictated word for word. 
 A thorough preparation for such high grade work may be 
 had in many of the public schools. This has an advan- 
 tage over the course that is given in the distinctively busi- 
 ness schools, in that there is opportunity for a general all 
 round education. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 Many boys and girls take a short course in stenography 
 and typewriting and feel that they are then ready to 
 earn their living. This makes a goud deal of competi- 
 tion among the beginners; but those who have a broad 
 general education, and become expert in their work, have 
 no trouble in getting good positions. A stenographer 
 who becomes a private secretary has a chance to learn the 
 inner workings of a business, and so if he has ability is in 
 line for a position of importance. Many successful men 
 started in this way. But one hard and fast rule, the 
 private secretary must remember: he is in a position where 
 strict loyalty must be observed, where all the information 
 which he gains about the business is to be considered abso- 
 lutely confidential. If he can not do this all the ability
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 137 
 
 that lie may have will not help him to rise. Besides posi- 
 tions in offices of ;ill sorts, there arc other openings for 
 stenographers. Sometimes a young man or woman will 
 rent desk space and advertise as a public stenographer. 
 There is especial chance for this in or near hotels which are 
 patronized by commercial travelers. Again, another posi- 
 tion to which the most expert aspire is that of court 
 stenographer which is well paid but rather trying work. 
 
 Another common office position is that of bookkeeper. 
 Here the chief requirements are neatness and accuracy, 
 and here, as in stenography, one must be able to concen- 
 trate so as to be able to accomplish his work amid the 
 noises and distractions of a busy office. Although it is 
 said that " every house has its own system of bookkeep- 
 ing," still it is necessary for a bookkeeper to learn the 
 general theory of accounts. Often a bright young man 
 is able to devise new schemes for the particular busi- 
 ness for which he may be working, lie may get fun- 
 damental training in bookkeeping in his high school 
 course or he may attend a business school, or, better 
 still, if he should take the commercial course in a uni- 
 versity, he would have a thorough, well grounded course 
 that would enable him to start out as a bookkeeper and 
 to attain a more responsible position. Frequently a suc- 
 cessful bookkeeper will become a public accountant or 
 auditor, and will be engaged by a business house to exam- 
 ine the books of its bookkeepers. The cost accountant of 
 large firms was in most cases first a bookkeeper. 
 
 Office work calls also for clerks to perform many dif- 
 ferent kinds of work. The chief requisites for success as 
 a clerk are quickness and accuracy. In most large offices 
 are found filing clerks. These, as the name implies, have 
 charge of the files and must be able to classify any paper 
 so that they may be able to lay their hands upon it at a
 
 138 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 moment's notice. There are shipping clerks, clerks in 
 charge of adjustments and complaints, and numerous 
 others needed to keep the business going. There are 
 " credit " men who deal with the people who wish to have 
 goods charged. 
 
 However, if one has the desire to go into commercial 
 work, he is not so likely to choose some one of these office 
 positions, but to start wherever an opening is offered, 
 and then gradually, if he is eager to learn, both he and 
 his employer will find out for what he is best fitted. If 
 you are inclined toward the commercial life in distinction 
 from manufacturing, agriculture, or the professions, you 
 will probably get all the training possible in the high 
 school, and in the university if you can afford it, then you 
 will start either in a business office or as a salesman, and 
 by keeping your eyes open and continuing the process 
 of education, you will have a pretty good opportunity of 
 rising to the place for which you are fitted and in which 
 you can do the b?st work. 
 
 Disadvantages 
 
 The work is so various that it is hard to say what these 
 are. In general it may be said that the business world 
 is strenuous, indeed, exceedingly hard on those in respon- 
 sible positions. Competition is keen, and the rush and 
 tumult are hard on nervous natures. However, many of- 
 fices are pleasant places in which to work, and for one 
 who has the sort of constitution to stand confining, steady 
 work, there are many advantages. 
 
 Chances for Women 
 
 This is a branch of work in which women have a good 
 opportunity. You don't need to be told of the sales- 
 women in the stores, many of whom rise to better paying
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 139 
 
 and pleasanter positions as heads of departments and buy- 
 ers. The report of the United States Census for 1910 
 showed 209,937 more women than men employed as ste- 
 nographers. These figures go to show that this is a place 
 where there is a pretty good opportunity for girls. 
 Women are also filling practically all the other kinds of 
 office positions with good success. And it is not very rare 
 for women to become managers and even partners in a busi- 
 ness. Mrs. Letcher, of the Boston Store in Chicago, is an 
 example of a woman who has achieved a remarkable suc- 
 cess in this line. Many other women have managed 
 stores and shops of their own. In fact, there is practically 
 no kind of position in the commercial world that is not 
 somewhere filled by a woman. 
 
 ADVERTISING 
 
 Advertising has come to be a business in itself. The big 
 commercial establishments have their advertising depart- 
 ments which are made up of several divisions, such as, 
 newspaper advertising, art department, sign department, 
 circular and announcement departments, and window 
 decorating. Then besides the advertisers connected with 
 any special business house, there are companies whese 
 business it is to advertise other people's products by dis- 
 play on sign boards or in the street cars. Newspapers 
 often prefer to negotiate for advertisements with an adver- 
 tising company rather than directly with the advertiser. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 There should be a nimble wit to know what will attract 
 attention and how. There should be skill to put this in 
 an appealing form, either skill in using words, or artistic 
 skill in sketching illustrations, or in designing a beautiful 
 arrangement for dressing windows.
 
 140 vocational civics 
 
 Preparation 
 
 There are courses in advertising in the business schools. 
 Even though one lias the natural ability to pick out what 
 is important, he must be trained so that he can say it in 
 the fewest possible words, and still get the desired result. 
 This takes training and much practice. Then one at the 
 head of such a department must be trained in business 
 management. It is necessary for him to find out from the 
 various departments what is to be advertised; to keep filed 
 all the advertisements from his store and from others that 
 deal in similar goods ; to keep account of all costs, and to 
 know the space allotted to the various departments. It 
 is readilv seen that all this takes some training:. It can 
 also be seen that training for certain other lines of busi- 
 ness would also help here. In fact, it is usually a man 
 trained in newspaper work who is selected as an advertiser. 
 Sometimes, also, he is selected from the store, where per- 
 haps he has shown as a salesman, by his suggestions, that 
 he has the instinct for advertising. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 There are a good many openings in the advertising field. 
 In a commercial house, this department is usually organ- 
 ized in the following way. At the top is the chief execu- 
 tive, the advertising manager, and next his assistant, and 
 the office assistant. Then there is the head of the art 
 department and the artists under him, all of whom we 
 shall study, under " the artist in commercial work." Then 
 comes the head window dresser and his assistants. This 
 man is a sort of practical artist. More and more the 
 stores are aiming at artistic effects in their windows. 
 The window dresser has somewhat the same ability as 
 the designer and draper in the dressmakers' trade.
 
 COMMERCIAL OCCUPATIONS 141 
 
 A boy who wants to go into this business may start as 
 an errand boy at $3.50 or $4.00 a week. Then if he 
 could prove that he had the ability, he might begin to 
 write advertisements, at $12.00 a week. From that point 
 the salary increases to $30.00 a week. Then he might 
 work up through assistant manager to manager at a sal- 
 ary ranging from $30.00 to $50.00 a week. Some of 
 the best positions pay a salary of $10,000 a year. How- 
 ever, it is the educated boy who has taken time for spe- 
 cial preparation who will rise to these higher positions. 
 The girls also have a chance here. One young woman is 
 drawing a large salary as editor of the advertising maga- 
 zine for a wholesale millinery establishment. Another 
 young woman who has just graduated from college is em- 
 ployed as advertiser by a medium sized retail store. A 
 young man, a college graduate, who tried teaching and 
 found that he did not fit, obtained a position as an agent 
 for the owner of a system of sign boards. This, of course, 
 calls chiefly for the ability of the salesman; but here he 
 found himself and is doing very successful work. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. Explain in what way the farmer must be a salesman. Men- 
 tion some of the people to whom he may sell his produce. 
 
 2. Is it possible for a salesman to spoil a sale by talking too much? 
 
 3. How can one improve his English if unable to attend school? 
 
 4. In some businesses there are sales talks and arguments printed 
 by the company and given to the salesmen. These they are expected 
 to memorize. Do you think this a good plan or not? Give your 
 reasons. 
 
 5. When you go into a store to make a purchase, do you prefer a 
 salesman who is interested in your wants or one who seems indif- 
 ferent? Why? 
 
 6. Is a salesman always aide to tell by appearances whether to of- 
 fer expensive or inexpensive goods to his customers? What can he 
 do in such a case?
 
 142 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 7. Is a large credit department a profitable way to manage a re- 
 tail business? Give your reasons. How often should bills be sent? 
 
 8. Will a shoe clerk be a more successful salesman if he knows 
 about the preparation of leather and the making of shoes? 
 
 9. At the beginning of the war there was a sudden rise in the 
 price of almost all lines of merchandise. Was it good business to 
 sell the goods on hand at the old price or should they have been sold 
 at an advance? 
 
 10. The day has passed when a man must be a "good sport" to be 
 a successful salesman. What has caused this? 
 
 11. Is it wise for a young salesman to work all day and attend 
 school in the evening? 
 
 12. Is it better for a beginner to be in a small office where he has 
 many different kinds of work to do or in a large office where he does 
 just one particular thing? Would the latter become monotonous? 
 
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Gilbert, Eleanor. The Ambitious Woman in Business. Funk & 
 Wagnalls, 1016. 
 
 Stevens, Bertha M. Boys and Girls in Commercial Work. Cleve- 
 land Foundation, 1910. 
 
 Lloyd, John F. The Boy in Business. J. Long, 1916. 
 
 O'Leary, Iris P. Department Store Occupations. Cleveland Foun- 
 dation, 191G. 
 
 Nystrom, Paul H. Retail Selling and Store Management. 
 
 Article in System, Feb., 1916. "How much is your Stenographer 
 Worth ? " 
 
 Reed. Salesmanship. 
 
 SiiEi.noN, A. F. The Art of Selling. Sheldon University Press, 
 1911. 
 
 Calkins. The Business of Advertising. 
 
 Scott, Waiter Dill. Influencing Men in Business. Roland Press 
 Co., 1911. 
 
 Scott, Walter Dill. The Scientific Selection of Salesmen. Article 
 in The Advertising and Selling Magazine, Oct. and Nov., 1905. 
 
 Lorimer, George H. letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son. 
 Small, Maynard & Co., 1904. 
 
 Eaton, Jeannette and Stevens, Bertha M. Commercial Work and 
 Training for Girls. The Macmillan Co. 
 
 Allen, Frederick J. Business Employments. Ginn & Co., 1916.
 
 CHAPTER VII 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 Referring once more to our diagram, let us see how the 
 professions tit into the complicated scheme of occupa- 
 tions. Built upon the four or five groups of fundamental 
 occupations, just discussed, are what we have called pro- 
 fessional services. As we go on, you will see that these 
 serve as helpers, in most cases as indispensable helpers, 
 in the various groups of occupations we have studied. 
 With every profession, we shall try to discover how it helps 
 each occupation. 
 
 Under the professions, I would include the occupations 
 of the lawyer, the physician, the teacher, the dentist, the 
 engineer, the minister, the professional chemist, and many 
 others. There are in all these lines certain conditions 
 that require characteristics somewhat distinct from those 
 of the farmer, the business man, and the manufacturer. 
 For instance, if one chooses a profession, it should be for 
 some reason other than the hope of making a great deal of 
 money in it. It is possible that from our study of the pro- 
 fessions, some of you will feel that you are especially quali- 
 fied for one of them ; or the actual work and ideals may 
 appeal to you more than those of some more lucrative busi- 
 ness. Then the choice should be made for these reasons ; 
 for the money rewards, in most cases, are not comparable 
 with those to be obtained in business. A banker said of a 
 
 professional man in his town, " S. has the best business 
 
 143
 
 144 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 head of anyone I know. Why didn't he go into business ? 
 He could have made a great deal of money." The banker 
 did not realize that there are ideals other than the mak- 
 ing of money that sometimes determine a man's career. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 The qualifications are different for different professions 
 and will be taken up in detail later. But at least one 
 trait is necessary for all. A professional man must be a 
 student. Not only is this necessary during the years of 
 preparation, but it must be a perennial process, in order 
 that he may keep up with the progress of his profession. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 One cannot enter a profession unless he has enough 
 capital to get the necessary education. In nearly every 
 instance, a long period of training is required, — from four 
 to eight years beyond the high school. The person with- 
 out this training is seriously handicapped, and in some 
 cases cannot enter upon the work at all because of legal 
 prohibition. Of course there have been exceptions in 
 the cases of boys without money, — and of girls too, for 
 that matter, — who have been particularly eager to en- 
 ter a certain profession ; and have earned their prepara- 
 tion by working in vacations and late at night, but two 
 things must be considered before undertaking such a 
 course. One must allow a much longer time to complete 
 the preparation, and one must have an unusually good con- 
 stitution. 
 
 Disadvantages and Opportunities 
 
 1. In some lines, as, for example, in the work of the 
 physician and engineer, there is a good deal of physical 
 risk, while in that of the lawyer, or journalist, if one
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 145 
 
 stands for what he believes to be right, he often loses out 
 financially or in popularity. 
 
 2. Then, there is nearly always a " starvation period ' : 
 when the young professional man begins his work, for no 
 one wishes to entrust important responsibilities to the 
 inexperienced practitioner. 
 
 3. Most professions, especially law, medicine, and en- 
 gineering, are greatly overcrowded ; and, in all, the progress 
 is slow and the competition severe. 
 
 4. On the other hand, the professions offer an unusual 
 opportunity for a life of honor and dignity; the oppor- 
 tunity to be of service to one's community, and to live 
 up to one's ideals. 
 
 With this much of a general introduction, let us con- 
 sider a few of the professions in detail. 
 
 THE LAW 
 
 When most boys think of being lawyers, they picture 
 themselves in court, pleading a case and by their eloquence 
 and logic winning the jury over to their way of thinking. 
 But that is only one phase of the lawyer's work, and some 
 lawyers never have any such experience at all. More and 
 more of the lawyer's work is being done in his office, in the 
 settling of estates, in determining legal points concerning 
 real estate, making wills, drawing up legal papers, and 
 giving advice on countless matters. Indeed, many cases 
 that formerly were decided definitely in court, are today 
 settled by lawyers submitting their evidence to the judge, 
 without public trial. 
 
 There are two main branches of legal practice, that of 
 the bar, or the practising attorney, and that of the bench, 
 or the judge. Then there are also the divisions of crim- 
 inal law and civil law. An attorney may specialize in
 
 14G VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 the law of corporations, in damage suits, in the laws re- 
 garding real estate, in patent laws, or the legal side of 
 the bond business. And so there is another way of 
 dividing the lawyer's work; namely, into office work, and 
 court work. 
 
 Thus we may see that in the profession of law, there 
 may be many kinds of work calling for many types of 
 mind and it lias included in its ranks many of the strong- 
 est minds of our nation. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. A quality that we are likely to think of first is the love 
 for debate. The lawyer must be interested in the logical 
 rather than the emotional side of a question. He must 
 be able to pick out essential points and to connect them 
 with other cases, and at the same time to catch all small 
 points that have a bearing on his case. He should have 
 the habit of holding to facts rather than theories. A 
 lawyer gets real joy out of a sort of mental battle. He 
 is, indeed, such a good fighter that he can take his enemy's 
 blows gracefully. He delights in a fair fight. 
 
 2. Not only is it necessary for a lawyer to be capable in 
 argument, he must also be able to give clear, forceful ex- 
 pression to his thoughts. For this he needs a rich vo- 
 cabulary, and the native ability to utter directly and to 
 the point what he has in mind. A good use of words will 
 make his arguments more forceful. Have you noticed 
 that even in ordinary conversation some people seem to 
 have the ability of impressing others with what they say. 
 There is a commanding, clear-cut manner that takes hold, 
 while others may say practically the same thing and make 
 no impression. Watch yourself and watch other people 
 to see what is meant by this ability and how far you have 
 it. Do you have the power of speaking convincingly?
 
 THE PKOFESSIONS 147 
 
 3. As has been said in regard to all professions, the 
 lawyer must have a studious attitude of mind. The con- 
 sultation with a lawyer presupposes on his part a vast 
 amount of legal knowledge. Frequently he must be able 
 to cite authorities. The most successful lawyers have been 
 learned men devoted to their books. Not only must there 
 be a large general knowledge, but in almost every par- 
 ticular case the success depends upon the thoroughness of 
 preparation, so that the lawyer must keep right at his 
 studies and should be primarily an intellectual man. He 
 spends much time in the law libraries, delving into the 
 rather heavy looking volumes there. Are you naturally 
 a student, and would you be willing to pore over books for 
 much of your life ? 
 
 4. He must have a knowledge of human nature. He is 
 dealing largely with people, and must be able to judge 
 what they are likely to say or do. He should be able to 
 handle men, not as the foreman who must be able to make 
 men work, but rather as a leader who makes men think and 
 feel and see things as he thinks and feels and sees things. 
 
 5. The best lawyer will have a strong desire for jus- 
 tice. All acknowledge the necessity of this in the judge, 
 but it is also essential in the attorney. While he should 
 be interested in his client, and call up all his energies and 
 knowledge to help his case, the highest type of lawyer will 
 see and work for what he really believes to be just. 
 
 6. As was implied in the first point, a lawyer must be 
 bold and courageous. In the lives of the greatest lawyers, 
 this quality is almost always emphasized. Not only is 
 this necessary in standing for decisions that he really be- 
 lieves are just, but the business of the lawyer is of neces- 
 sity a sort of fighting business. He must be ready to 
 meet opposition ; for much of his work concerns the set- 
 tling of disputes and the winning out against strong odds.
 
 148 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Even a woman lawyer has been known to fight and win a 
 case against a big corporation, a case of such importance 
 as to put the corporation out of business. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 The first class lawyer will have a three-year course in 
 a law school, usually preceded by a college course. Young 
 men used to prepare by reading and working in some 
 lawyer's office, or by reading law at night while they 
 worked in the daytime in some other line. These meth- 
 ods are sometimes used now, but a course in a law school, 
 with its opportunities of instruction from eminent men, 
 and of practice in type cases, is almost essential to the 
 highest success. In either case, the state bar examination 
 must be passed before the lawyer is allowed to practise. 
 
 The lawyer must have a vast amount of general in- 
 formation; he must know the history and principles of 
 law, and must be acquainted with economic and social 
 conditions. He should study the lives of great lawyers 
 to learn where their power lay; and should have much 
 training in order to develop skill in debate, and in pick- 
 ing out essential points. When we consider that the study 
 of law includes civil, criminal, constitutional, and in- 
 ternational law, and court procedure, we can easily see 
 why all this means years of preparation. Many lawyers 
 today are specialists, and must know all the intricacies of 
 their particular branch. For instance, the patent attorney 
 must be prepared to consider the principles of mechanics, 
 and electricity, besides the purely legal side of the question. 
 
 Opportunities and Disadvantages 
 
 The advantages and disadvantages of practicing law are 
 so closely related that we shall consider them together. 
 1. After the expense of preparation, one must still have
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 149 
 
 capital enough to invest in the necessary books. These 
 are high priced and must be considered an expense in 
 addition to the office rent which will seem heavy before 
 the practice is fairly begun. Both of these expenses may 
 be lessened if one is fortunate enough to get into an office 
 with an older lawyer. 
 
 2. Then it is generally admitted that the profession is 
 very much overcrowded. In almost every city there are 
 many former lawyers engaged in some other business, 
 particularly in real estate or insurance. The start is a 
 hard struggle and if for any reason one drops out for a 
 time it is almost impossible to get back in line. It is nat- 
 ural for a lawyer to turn to real estate; first, because his 
 legal training has made him familiar with the laws con- 
 corning property, and second, because it is a business which 
 he can enter without much capital. But the fact that so 
 many lawyers have given up practicing shows that their 
 prospects were not exceedingly good. Again, in connec- 
 tion with this same point, many who have specialized 
 have found that there is not the opening in their line 
 that they had expected. For instance, most of the bond 
 companies have come to attend to many details them- 
 selves and to turn over the work demanding a final legal 
 opinion to some specialized company organized for this 
 purpose. The Title and Trust Companies do a great 
 deal of the business that the individual lawyers nsed to 
 do. So that now the independent lawyer who has spe- 
 cialized in the law relating to stocks and bonds finds very 
 little to do. The testimony of lawyers, successful and 
 unsuccessful, bears out the idea that the struggle is hard 
 and the opportunities comparatively few. 
 
 3. But there is another side to the disadvantage just 
 mentioned. Success in law does not depend entirely upon 
 private practice. The fact that much law business is
 
 150 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 done by the law firms and that the corporations are inclined 
 to hire their own lawyers in permanent positions, shows 
 that right there is an opportunity for the exceptionally 
 capable man. To be sure he must first prove his ability 
 in some way and the number of these positions is limited. 
 We have already learned in studying the opportunities in 
 government service, that many young 'lawyers who have 
 started working there in connection with the patent office, 
 have stepped into very fine positions in law firms of 
 this sort. Probably the best thing for a young man is to 
 get his start in the office of some good lawyer, and then 
 to keep his eyes open for every possible opportunity. 
 Sometimes he can tide over the hard period by getting 
 work with some law publishing company. One young 
 man who had had the advantage of a splendid education 
 and introduction, made a good reputation and in a com- 
 paratively short time was appointed as a lawyer on a 
 railroad commission with a salary of $8000 a year. There 
 are always opportunities for the best equipped men. 
 
 4. Many boys are attracted to the law because of the 
 belief that it leads to political position. This is partly 
 true although success in politics depends much upon 
 diplomacy. However, the knowledge of national insti- 
 tutions and the training of the lawyer tend to fit him for 
 political life and for statesmanship. Many of our sena- 
 tors and governors come from the ranks of lawyers. 
 
 5. One of the greatest drawbacks is the temptation to 
 give up one's ideals for the sake of position or money. A 
 prominent judge in Chicago said that he did not want his 
 son to be a lawyer, because the struggle against this 
 temptation was too great. On the other hand, this very 
 condition makes it possible for the lawyer to stand by 
 the highest ideals. If his motives are unselfish, he may 
 look upon himself as the defender of justice, and of the
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 151 
 
 very foundations of the state. He has an unusual op- 
 portunity to take part in public affairs. He becomes a 
 leader, one of those on whom the reputation of the state 
 depends. If you read the careers of our greatest lawyers, 
 particularly of the judges of the Supreme bench, you will 
 tind many instances where a clear insight into the justice 
 of the case, and a willingness to stand by conclusions has, 
 indeed, brought lawyers through deep waters, but has 
 accomplished much in the great cause of bringing justice 
 between man and man. 
 
 6. "While there is much drudgery in this as in all work, 
 it is not of the sort that wears a man out before his time. 
 A lawyer's term of service is longer than that of many 
 other men. If he has had successful experience, he will 
 be able to give clear-headed advice beyond the years of 
 many men's active work. 
 
 Women in the Law 
 
 Of more than 114,000 lawyers in the United States, it is 
 estimated that over 1000 are women. Practically all the 
 states admit women to the bar on examination, and those 
 that do not must recognize the diplomas of those who have 
 been accepted in other states. Certain law schools will not 
 admit women students, but there are so many in the 
 country that will do so that women have ample chance 
 for preparation. But a woman lawyer has even a harder 
 struggle than a man, and she should be sure that she 
 has exceptional ability and courage before undertaking 
 this profession. There are certain lines in which women 
 lawyers may be of great value, especially in cases relat- 
 ing to children and women. Judge Ben Lindsey says that 
 women's work is needed in court where the troubles of chil- 
 dren are dealt with. Tn the Good Housekeeping Magazine 
 for October, 1915, Dean Ashley, of the New York Uni-
 
 152 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 versity Law School, to which women students are admitted, 
 is reported as saying that he " finds no difference between 
 men and women as to legal aptitude." So with this testi- 
 mony as to opportunity and ability, there seems no reason 
 why the woman who feels that she has it in her to succeed 
 should not undertake the study of law. And now that 
 women are being granted the right of suffrage, there will 
 be more and more opportunity for women in public life 
 and along with that a somewhat wider plaee in the prac- 
 tice of law. There is still a good deal of prejudice against 
 women lawyers, although this is growing less and less every 
 
 year. 
 
 MEDICINE 
 
 Robert Louis Stevenson said, " The physician is the 
 flower of our civilization." After we have studied his 
 achievements and possibilities, 1 think you will agree 
 that this is, at least, often the ease. All kinds of people 
 go into this profession, from the disreputable quack to the 
 man who combines the highest specialized training with 
 the broadest altruism ; but of the one who lives up to an 
 ideal, we may say that Stevenson's estimate is true. Cer- 
 tain it is that the object of the profession is the service 
 of humanity. We shall examine the characteristics that 
 tend to qualify a man for this high type of medical work; 
 but always we must remember that there is great variety in 
 the many divisions of work to be considered here. One 
 might go into general medicine, into surgery, research 
 work, consultations, or specialties of countless sorts. 
 What, then, are the qualifications that belong to the physi- 
 cian's work in general or to the various divisions ? 
 
 Qualifications 
 '1. The physician should have a studious mind. As 
 in law, so here, one must study to keep up to date; and
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 153 
 
 perhaps it is even more important in medicine, as this sci- 
 ence is making very rapid progress. If a man is not 
 willing to study constantly, he would better not be a doctor. 
 Here is one example of what this constant study may 
 mean. A splendid young physician chose his office in a 
 building apart from the other doctors so that he might 
 spend his free moments in reading and study rather than 
 be tempted to waste them in gossip. This was his re- 
 ward. Another doctor's patient who had been at the 
 point of death was recovering when very serious and 
 baffling complications set in. The young doctor was called 
 for consultation. In his recent study he had learned what 
 none of the others knew, that a discovery of the cause and 
 treatment of this verv trouble had just been made; and 
 by means of this knowledge he was able to save the man's 
 life. Constantly discoveries are being made, and a wide 
 awake doctor will not be a week or a day behind the 
 times. 
 
 2. He should have high ideals. Most people do not 
 care to trust their physical well being to a man who has 
 not the highest standards of morals. The doctor is per- 
 haps tempted more than most other men to use drugs and 
 strong liquors; he can obtain these when others are pro- 
 hibited, and the strain of his work makes him wish for 
 the quieting and pleasing effects that come at first. But 
 it is particularly necessary that he should not yield to 
 this temptation, as he must constantly advise others 
 against it and advice without example is w r eak. Again 
 he is often tempted to make light of or at least not to con- 
 demn certain evils for the sake of getting more practice. 
 His ideals should be strong enough to tide him over these 
 times and to make him feel always that high standards are 
 worth more than money. 
 
 3. He should have a pleasant, cheerful personality. Dr.
 
 154 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 William Osier says, " The basis of the entire profession of 
 medicine is faith in the doctor." Certain it is that if he 
 cannot inspire confidence, all the scientific equipment of 
 the physician will not much avail. The cheerful person- 
 ality that comes partly from self-confidence is essential to 
 this. Men are learning more and more the importance of 
 mental influence, and many a patient has been brought to 
 recovery by. the sympathetic optimism of the doctor. 
 
 4. Skill in manipulation is also necessary. We think 
 of this as being particularly useful to the surgeon and it 
 is. He must be able to do the most delicate work carefully 
 and quickly. So important is this that it is said that the 
 expert surgeon's term of service is comparatively short; for 
 it takes a period of years to develop the highest skill, and 
 after a rather short term of years the hand begins to 
 lose its steadiness and his efficiency begins to wane. But 
 during his working period he is able to do such marvelous 
 things that it is worth all that it costs. Besides this a 
 certain skill of hand is needed by every physician. It 
 is necessary in giving examination and in various kinds of 
 treatment. 
 
 6. He must have courage. While knowledge and care 
 can protect a doctor generally from contagious disease, he 
 must still run a good deal of risk. The American Medical 
 Society has laid down certain principles for its members, 
 among which is the following: " When an epidemic pre- 
 vails, a physician must continue his labors for the allevia- 
 tion of suffering people, without regard to the risk to his 
 own health or life or to financial return." You have 
 probably read how bravely in the great war, the American 
 doctors have faced death in the typhus camps in Europe; 
 and how many sacrifices were made in the work of ex- 
 terminating yellow fever during the building of the Pan- 
 ama Canal.
 
 THE PEOFESSIONS 155 
 
 7. He should have health, a good store of it, to with- 
 stand the strain of hard work, hard hours, and exposure 
 to all sorts of weather and to infection. 
 
 PREPARATION 
 
 The best medical schools now require at least two years 
 of college work for entrance. The four year college 
 course is recommended, but in that case, with proper 
 choice of subjects the medical course may be completed 
 in three years. Otherwise the medical course is four 
 years and after that it is most desirable for the young 
 doctor to have at least two years as an interne in a good 
 hospital. But no matter what his training, before he 
 has a license to practise, the physician must pass a rigid 
 state examination. So unless a young man can afford to 
 give about eight years after he graduates from high school, 
 he cannot hope for the greatest success as a doctor. In 
 preparation for his specific medical training, he should 
 have thorough work in English, biology, chemistry, and 
 physics, besides having had some Latin, German, and 
 French. jNTot only must knowledge be gained but skill 
 must be developed. The scientific training gives the 
 power of accurate observation, and of classification of Je- 
 suits ; and it trains the hand to steady, delicate work. 
 
 In medicine perhaps more than in any other line it is 
 important to choose the right school. Medical schools 
 are ranked according to their teaching force, equipment, 
 and standards, and a doctor's reputation depends a good 
 deal upon the place of his preparation. 
 
 Hospital training is being more emphasized, physicians 
 now spending from one to three or more years as hospital 
 interne or as visiting surgeon. In Pennsylvania a doctor 
 is required to have one year of hospital training before he 
 is allowed to take the state examination for a license to
 
 150 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 practise. After the hospital work is completed, a large pro 
 portion of the doctors prefer to go into specialized work. 
 It is somewhat less of a strain physically and also it 
 brings larger and quicker financial returns. lint it re- 
 quires not only special training, but also a few years' 
 experience as general practitioner before narrowing one's 
 work down to a particular line. In the last few years in 
 this country there have grown up very many free dis- 
 pensaries which furnish doctors the opportunity of much 
 general experience in a short time. But, however it is 
 managed, this profession requires a longer and harder 
 preparation than does any other line of work. 
 
 The tendency of the medical profession is to put more 
 and more emphasis upon the prevention of sickness, to 
 educate the public in medical matters, and to influence 
 sanitary commissions and sanitary legislation. For this 
 reason a broad cultural training is essential. While this 
 is preliminary to actual practice, as in other professions, 
 the preparation is never ceasing. A physician should ally 
 himself with medical societies, should read the medical 
 journals, and should keep up in every way with the 
 progress of his profession. 
 
 Opportunities and Disadvantages 
 
 Like that of law, the profession of medicine is over- 
 crowded. For our population of 100,000,000, we have 
 151,132 doctors, making one for about every 061 people. 
 If these were distributed evenly, and the number of gen- 
 eral practitioners and specialists were proportioned to the 
 population, there might still be too many, but this is not 
 the case. A very important point for the young doctor 
 is to select a locality where his services are needed. 
 
 In general the income of the physician is low, especially 
 when compared with the capital that he must invest for
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 157 
 
 his education. Various figures are given for the income 
 of the average American physician, varying from $660 to 
 $900 a year. But this takes into account the most un- 
 successful and those who have had very meager prepara- 
 tion. Taking it for granted that if you start out in this 
 line you will get the best training, it might be fairer 
 to look at the report made by Professor Emmons of the 
 Harvard Medical School. In a table showing the aver- 
 age incomes of 253 Harvard Medical School graduates for 
 thirteen years, we find $900 given at the end of the sec- 
 ond year. By the end of the thirteenth year, the average 
 annual income is $4680. This is much better, although 
 it is nothing like the income of the very successful busi- 
 ness man. According to these same statistics, it is even 
 considerably less than that of the lawyer. For the ex- 
 pert specialist, there are occasionally very high fees, but 
 we must balance with this the fact that a great deal of 
 absolutely free work is done and the cost of the necessary 
 instruments, drugs, and office equipment and other ex- 
 penses is exceedingly high. In most cases the physician 
 will find it very hard to collect a good deal of his money, 
 and unless he has unusual business ability, he will probably 
 run very short. 
 
 Another disadvantage from the financial point of view 
 is that the more successful he is in his legitimate work, 
 the fewer patients the physician will have. The tendency 
 of the medical profession at present is to put the emphasis 
 on the prevention of disease. If a doctor conscientiously 
 works toward this end and succeeds in preventing sickness 
 his work will be likely to decrease. On the other hand, 
 some authorities think that as this new tendency gains more 
 influence, people will be regularly examined and physi- 
 cians will be paid for preventive as well as curative serv- 
 ices. Perhaps part of the doctor's work will be to create a
 
 158 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 sentiment for such examinations. In one of our largest 
 state universities this idea has been put into practice. 
 Students may go to the infirmary for free examination at 
 any time, and they are greatly encouraged to go at the 
 indication of the most insignificant symptom. This has 
 already lessened illness in the university. The recent 
 examination of young men for service in the army and 
 navy has brought to light many beginnings of serious 
 troubles that otherwise would probably not have been dis- 
 covered until they had gone beyond the hope of cure. So 
 that while this phase of the physician's duty may at first 
 seem to cut down his source of income, it certainly opens 
 up to him a wide field of usefulness. 
 
 A very trying and exasperating condition is the neces- 
 sity of competing with fakes and quacks of all kinds. 
 A reliable physician is often obliged to see others who are 
 not playing the game fairly, win over him ; and he is 
 bound to stand by his honest, thorough-going course what- 
 ever it may mean to him. 
 
 If the difficulties of private practice seem too great to 
 the really capable physician, he may turn to the many 
 salaried positions that are open to him. lie may be 
 employed by a life-insurance company, a mining company, 
 a railroad, by one of the numerous industrial concerns, 
 or he may undertake a civil service or public health posi- 
 tion. If in addition to his scientific ability he is a good 
 organizer, he might do well in institutional work. All of 
 these lines have the advantage of the fixed income. 
 
 But the one opportunity that to the high class doctor 
 outweighs all the disadvantages is that he is in a position 
 to give the highest kind of service to mankind. Sick- 
 ness is a great drawback to progress, and countless num- 
 bers of our most useful citizens are cut off before their 
 work is finished. In this country, 80 per cent, of the
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 159 
 
 deaths are from preventable causes. Wonderful progress 
 has been made in medicine in the last thirty years ; and to 
 the open-minded, able, aggressive physician there is a 
 chance to help in the fight. In this time, the horror of 
 diphtheria, yellow fever, small pox, and typhoid has been 
 much abated. Methods of avoiding and conquering the 
 first intrusion of tuberculosis have been discovered. But 
 there are still almost incurable deadly diseases to be over- 
 come and some one by careful research work is going to 
 discover the method. Even with the present knowledge, 
 much suffering could be eliminated, if the public senti- 
 ment were aroused and the right legislation induced. 
 The following statements by Irving Fisher, the economist, 
 quoted from The Profession of Medicine, by Arthur B. 
 Emmons, M.D., may help to emphasize this opportunity. 
 
 " The great preventable wastes in this world are, I be- 
 lieve, wastes which can be prevented only, or chiefly, by 
 hygiene. Crime, vice, insanity, disease, death, and pov- 
 erty could be wonderfully reduced by applying hygienic 
 knowledge, even the little already available. 
 
 " The medical profession is, naturally, the body of men 
 through whom this waste is to be checked. With the in- 
 creased knowledge concerning hygiene and the rapidly in- 
 creasing interest in it, the medical profession has an op- 
 portunity greater than ever before. Their art is being se- 
 curely based today on exact science." 
 
 Another great field that is opening up is that of the 
 orthopaedic surgeon through whose skill many helpless, 
 crippled children have had their backs and limbs straight- 
 ened, so that they are now able to walk. Before the United 
 States entered the war, there were in our country less than 
 two hundred of these surgeons. Within a year there was 
 an urgent call for seven hundred, and the need will doubt- 
 less grow. It was the orthopaedic surgeons who made it
 
 160 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 possible for such a large percentage of wounded soldiers 
 to get back to the trenches, while many who could not 
 get back were still made fit to live useful lives. 
 
 Weigh this opportunity with the fact that the average 
 doctor does not make much money, and the pecuniary 
 disadvantage almost disappears. There is no doubt that 
 the doctor's reward is in general very slow in coming, and 
 not exceedingly large when it does come, but the real re- 
 ward comes from the interest and satisfaction in his work. 
 To refer again to Dr. Emmons' pamphlet, which is a col- 
 lection of letters from graduates of the Harvard Medical 
 School, the testimony of these graduates agrees in that 
 those who enter medicine for the sake of making money are 
 seldom satisfied. 
 
 So if you are considering entering the profession of 
 medicine, it is not any more necessary to consider the 
 question of your fundamental qualifications than it is to 
 ask yourself whether you have the patience and can obtain 
 the necessary money for the long preparation, and whether 
 you have the spirit to work hard and long because of your 
 interest in the problem and in humanity without much 
 thought of the financial returns. 
 
 Women in Medicine 
 
 There is a good field in this work for women and already 
 there have been many remarkable women physicians. 
 You may read of a good many of them in an article by 
 Rose Young in the Good Housekeeping Magazine for 
 August, 1915. One of the most interesting is Dr. Rosalie 
 Slaughter Morton, of New York, who is a surgeon on 
 the staff of a large hospital, and besides has organized 
 and conducted a wide campaign for the purpose of in- 
 creasing the public health. 
 
 It has been said that women have not the health, the
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 161 
 
 skill, the personality necessary for a physician, but of 
 late years they have proved by the results of their work 
 that this is not the case. It is true that women have had 
 great difficulties in the matter of preparation and they 
 have been compelled to go great distances and to be con- 
 tent with training short of the best. And even after mak- 
 ing the effort and finishing the medical course, there have 
 been very few hospitals that would take them as internes. 
 However, these conditions are changing, the doors of the 
 medical schools and the hospitals are opening more and 
 more. In New York and in Chicago, woman is gaining 
 a place in hospital work. But if she has the qualities 
 and can get the preparation, what about her opportunities ? 
 It is needless to say that they are not so good as are those 
 of her brother. There has been much prejudice against 
 her both on the part of the men physicians and on the 
 part of patients, both men and women. But this preju- 
 dice is fast growing less and less, and many women prefer 
 the services of a woman for themselves and for their 
 children. In almost all lines, women have the reputation 
 of being less professional than men, and it is the women 
 themselves who will have to prove that this accusation is 
 not true. 
 
 Besides private practice, women doctors find good op- 
 portunities as school physicians, in child welfare work, 
 in women's hospitals, in prisons, and other institutions. 
 So that if a woman is especially interested in medicine 
 or surgery, and has reason to think that she is qualified 
 for the work, there is no cause why she should not start 
 out and devote herself to it. If she really has the ability, 
 she will probably make a good living, and more than this, 
 she may find opportunity to do special work with 
 women and children more successfully than the man 
 physician.
 
 162 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 NURSING 
 
 Nursing is an occupation in which there are many 
 times more women than men. According to the Census 
 Report of 1910, there were in the United States 82,327 
 nurses and of these 76,508 were women. We are 
 sometimes inclined to think that this is entirely women's 
 work, but the 5819 men engaged in it cannot be over- 
 looked. There are cases that demand more physical 
 strength than the average woman has, and many men 
 prefer to have a man nurse. Especially is this true in 
 institutions that are particularly for men, and in the 
 case of men who must travel for their health and need a 
 nurse companion. But ordinarily it is the woman who 
 has the nurse's instinct and we are accustomed to think 
 that this is her special field. It is hard work and should 
 not be undertaken unless she is sure that it is her sphere, 
 but once sure, she has a tremendously fascinating and in- 
 spiring field ahead of her. 
 
 The prospective nurse is confronted by a more definite 
 set of qualifications than a beginner in most other fields. 
 She must have splendid health before she can enter the 
 hospital for training. Her work is hard and a nervous 
 strain, but she has the advantage of knowing just how 
 to conserve her strength and to take care of her health. 
 Also, especially now that laws regulating the hours have 
 been passed, her very training is conducive to health, and 
 most girls leave the hospital in a better physical condition 
 than that with which they entered. A nurse who has not 
 her nerves under perfect control is very hard on her 
 patients, but a nervous temperament may help her in that 
 quick feeling and seeing what to do which is a valuable as- 
 set. 
 
 Her other qualities are on trial during her six months
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 163 
 
 of probation ; for she is not really accepted until she has 
 taken that time to show what she is. She must be tactful 
 and patient and yet masterful, for sick people are very 
 trying and unreasonable, and while they must not be irri- 
 tated it takes a firm hand to give them the required care. 
 The nurse should have the imagination to put herself in 
 the patient's place and see his point of view, and at the 
 same time should realize that not only has she been taught 
 how to care for him, but that she is well and the patient 
 sick, and so her judgment is probably better than his. 
 To be able to adjust herself takes a fine poise which is 
 partly natural, partly acquired by training, but the girl 
 must be sure that she is willing to forget herself and her 
 own feelings enough to learn it. 
 
 To enter the best hospitals for training one must have 
 been graduated from high school, and be at least twenty, 
 in some twenty -three, years of age. It pays to go to the 
 best hospital because there one will observe the work of the 
 highest grade surgeons and physicians, besides being as- 
 sociated with the best superintendents and nurses. The 
 course generally takes three years, after which a nurse goes 
 forth full fledged, and on her own responsibility. The 
 usual hospital custom is that the nurse while in training 
 gets her room and board, and a small amount of money 
 for her books and incidental expenses. 
 
 After graduation, she may do private nursing for which 
 wshe will receive about thirty dollars a week with room 
 and board. It must be remembered, however, that when 
 she is not " on a case," her pay stops, that she must of 
 necessity take vacations without pay, and she may have to 
 keep a room and pay rent for it all the time. On the other 
 hand a good nurse is in demand and she is not likely to 
 be obliged to have many idle weeks. 
 
 If she does not care for private nursing there are many
 
 164 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 other positions that she may get. In the cities are 
 visiting nurses who are called to homes where there is 
 sickness, in order to show the other members of the 
 family how to care for the patient, and to give suggestions 
 as to diet, fresh air, and sanitary conditions. Nurses are 
 employed by many large industrial concerns, and in every 
 good sized town there is the school nurse. Public and 
 private institutions have their nurses and here there is 
 often the opportunity to work up to an executive position. 
 Also many appointments in hospitals are given to grad- 
 uate nurses. So perhaps here, more than in any other 
 line, a capable girl may be sure of a good opportun 
 ity. 
 
 It would be trite to emphasize the satisfactions of her 
 work aside from the financial reward ; in very few places 
 are there such good opportunities for serving and for 
 seeing the results of one's service. For the girls who 
 will earn their living only a few years before devoting 
 themselves to homes of their own, this work is a most ex- 
 cellent preparation. They learn the first principles of a 
 healthful diet/much about sanitation, not to mention their 
 more specialized work of caring for the sick and injured. 
 They learn to work quickly and quietly, to keep their 
 poise in emergencies, and on many occasions to use what 
 originality and inventiveness they may have. In times of 
 catastrophe or in periods of war, the woman trained in 
 nursing finds many opportunities for service and may be 
 able to help vitally in the world's great need. 
 
 DENTISTRY 
 
 We have said that the professional people serve as help- 
 ers; and from our. discussion so far we can see that they 
 are not only helpers of individuals, but that all the funda- 
 mental industries are dependent on their services. Most
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 165 
 
 industrial concerns, railroads, and institutions have not 
 only their own lawyers but also their own doctors and 
 nurses. The dentist's services are given more on an indi- 
 vidual basis, but we shall discuss his work next because 
 it is really a specialized form of the profession of medi- 
 cine, though involving slightly different qualifications, 
 preparation, and opportunities. Again the report of the 
 United States Census will show us how the number of 
 dentists is increasing. In 1890 there were 17,498 den- 
 tists; in 1900, 29,683; and in 1910, 39,997. Plainly, it 
 is becoming one of the big professions. In the early part 
 of the nineteenth century, dentistry meant simply the 
 extracting of teeth, just as in early times the physician 
 was the barber and cured all diseases by bleeding the pa- 
 tient. Dentistry has made great progress since that 
 time. As in medicine, there is much specializing. Be- 
 sides the regular dentist who does the mechanical work 
 of filling teeth, there is in the big cities the man who does 
 nothing but extract teeth, the man who in his laboratory 
 makes false teeth and plates, and the man who devotes his 
 attention to treating mouth diseases, such as pyorrhea. 
 Diseases of the teeth and mouth have been found to ac- 
 count for much suffering in all parts of the body; and 
 the dentist is very often the one who discovers the trouble. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. First of all the dentist must have mechanical skill, 
 that is, he must be deft in using his hands. After all, the 
 work of the dentist is largely mechanical. It seldom, like 
 that of the physician, depends upon giving the right pre- 
 scription, but rather upon doing a neat, careful, efficient 
 piece of handiwork. 
 
 2. Along with this he should be somewhat inventive; 
 for there will be unusual cases that would be baffling to
 
 166 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 a man with 110 ingenuity. A successful young dentist 
 came upon a puzzling condition in his work; lie was inven- 
 tive enough to figure a way out of the difficulty. When 
 he had completed the task, he said to his patient, "Well, 
 that was hard, hut. it is working out the hard problems that 
 makes the easy things easy." This man had inventive- 
 ness, manual skill, and was headed in the right direction 
 for unusual success. 
 
 3. lie and his office must be immaculate. Many den- 
 tists, in order to emphasize this point, dress entirely in 
 spotless white even to their shoes. His hands must he 
 kept perfectly and all his instruments and surroundings 
 absolutely clean, otherwise refined and particular people 
 will not patronize him. And not only that; back of 
 this appearance is the principle of antiseptic methods. 
 Dentistry is in line with many other departments of 
 work today in fighting bacteria which bring infection and 
 much trouble. 
 
 4. He should have a certain amount of money to draw on 
 when he begins; for a dentist's equipment is expensive. 
 In fitting up his office, he must have an electrical machine, 
 a dental chair, besides his instruments and other furni- 
 ture. It is estimated that this will cost him about $500 
 or $1000 according to the standard which he must main- 
 tain. His success may depend a good deal upon the 
 appearance of his office. One young man was fortunate 
 in having a suite of rooms furnished and equipped for him 
 by his father, and was thus able to get a good start in a 
 larger city and more prosperous neighborhood than would 
 otherwise have been possible. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 The dentist, must have a three or four years' course 
 in a dental school. These do not have such high entrance
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 167 
 
 requirements as do the medical schools. A high school 
 education is expected, but a college course is not required. 
 Chemistry, physics, and manual training taken in the 
 high school would be a help. More and more a certain 
 amount of medical work is required; but this instruction 
 is usually given while in the dental school. Even now 
 in obscure neighborhoods or among ignorant people, a 
 purely mechanical dentist may make a living, but an 
 ambitious man will want a good scientific training in 
 order to keep up with the leaders of his profession. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 There is no doubt that the work of the dentist is in- 
 creasing. People are waking up to the necessity of car- 
 ing for their teeth. The most careful people go to the 
 dentist twice a year so that the trouble may be caught 
 in time to save their teeth. Besides this doctors are- 
 sending their patients to the dentists, because they are con- 
 tinually finding troubles that are caused by the teeth. 
 Practically every one visits the dentist sooner or later. 
 Even those people who refuse to consult, the regular physi- 
 cian on account of some opposing system or cult, have not 
 yet rejected the dentist or found a substitute for him. 
 Tn many places dentists are hired to examine all school 
 children. And so while his work is increasing, it seems 
 likely that it will increase for some time to come. 
 
 As to remuneration, it is said that within five years a 
 dentist should be making $1200 a year. Of course this 
 depends largely upon his choice of location. One young 
 man who went to a town in the Canadian Northwest, where 
 he had little competition, had in that length of time built 
 up a practice of $10,000 a year. 
 
 The dentist has the advantage of numberless inventions 
 that help him to perfect his work, so much so that some
 
 1G8 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 people think that the limit of possibilities in that line has 
 been reached. Whether or not this be so it looks as if the 
 future development of the dentist would be more along the 
 line of a more thorough scientific basis for his work. And 
 in this way another disadvantage may be overcome. It 
 must be confessed that in general a dentist has not quite the 
 same standing as that enjoyed by the men in the other pro- 
 fessions, a condition that is probably due to the fact that 
 he is allowed to practise with less preparation. His sta- 
 tus is already improving and is likely to become steadily 
 better. 
 
 While the boy with mechanical ability might go into a 
 trade, dentistry would appeal to the one who wanted to 
 come into more personal contact with people. Along w T ith 
 medicine, it appeals to the desire to relieve human suf- 
 fering while it escapes the disadvantage of irregular hours 
 and being called out at night, and as one dentist said it 
 does not bring the responsibility of life or death, a thing 
 that some people are not willing to face. 
 
 As to the opportunities for women in this work, they 
 are fairly promising. A woman would require the same 
 qualities, preparation, and equipment as would a man. 
 There are a great many women dentists who are doing suc- 
 cessful work ; but they must remember that it is necessary 
 for them to keep a steady nerve and hand. Dentistry does 
 not offer much of the specialized work particularly adapted 
 to women. However, women seem usually more than men 
 to be fitted for work with children, and more and more 
 attention is being given to the teeth of children before they 
 begin to " ache," in order to avoid real trouble later. In 
 this line a good many women have specialized.
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 169. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. What is the distinction between a professional and an amateur? 
 What do we mean by saying that a certain occupation has become a 
 profession? What do we mean by saying that certain people have a 
 professional attitude toward their work, while others have not? 
 
 2. What do you understand by a "starvation period"? 
 
 3. Both doctors and lawyers have an opportunity either to do 
 much to help the immigrants during their first years in this country, 
 or to take unfair advantage of them. Explain how. 
 
 4. Mention ten circumstances in which a man might need a law- 
 yer's advice. 
 
 5. What do you understand by " economic and social " conditions? 
 G. Explain why lawyers generally have large libraries. 
 
 7. What is the work of a patent attorney? 
 
 8. Write a theme on the following subject: "Why Lawyer 
 Jones should have tried some other occupation." 
 
 9. Find out about the work of Dr. Wilfred Grenfell. 
 
 10. What is meant by research work ? Where is that sort of work 
 going on? What are some of the things that the doctors are trying 
 to learn? What is vivisection? Give arguments for and against it. 
 
 11. Give instances in which doctors have shown the elements of 
 heroism. 
 
 12. Make a list of medical schools. Find out about the require- 
 ment for entrance to any one of them. The requirements for gradua- 
 tion. What is its standing in the medical world? 
 
 13. Find out about the new military training schools for nurses. 
 
 14. Which do you think make better nurses, men or women? Why? 
 
 15. Send for the bulletins of five training schools for nurses. Com- 
 pare the entrance requirements and the expense of training. 
 
 16. Describe a girl who you think would make an ideal nurse. 
 
 17. What materials that the dentist uses were hard to get after the 
 war began? 
 
 18. Take one of the four professions; law, medicine, nursing, or 
 dentistry, and discuss the qualities and preparation necessary in the 
 boy or girl who plans to undertake it. Be specific as to the school 
 to be attended, and the qualifications of one particular individual. 
 
 19. Explain how each one of the professions is useful in war time. 
 
 20. Is there any reason why a girl should not undertake any one 
 of these?
 
 170 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Emmons, Arthur B The Profession of Medicine. Harvard Uni- 
 versity Press, 1017 
 
 Allex, Frederick J. The Law as a Vocation. Tlie Vocation Bu- 
 reau of Boston. 1015. 
 
 Principles of Medical Ethics. American Medical Association Press, 
 1912. 
 
 Morely, Edith. Women Workers in Seven Professions. 
 
 Lewis, William Draper. Great American Lawyers. 
 
 Medical Education in the United States and Canada. Carnegie Foun- 
 dation for the Advancement of Teaching.
 
 CHAPTER VIII 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 (Continued) 
 TEACHING 
 
 Another large professional field with which you are all- 
 familiar is that of teaching. In fact, in numbers, it is 
 the largest of the professions. The Census Report shows 
 478,027 women and 121,210 men engaged in the work of 
 teaching; and this is besides the 15,008 college professors. 
 Teaching is gaining more and more of professional dignity, 
 and we can see how it is very vitally necessary in every 
 line. In each occupation we have discussed the necessity 
 of preparation, and this depends upon teaching of some 
 sortr While this instruction has in the past been given 
 —-largely by older men in the business, more and more it is 
 being taken into public schools, special schools, and the 
 universities A good teacher requires special abilities 
 and training, and some of the best informed people are not 
 able to impart their knowledge. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. As in the other professions, an inclination towards 
 study is essential. It is essential because a large part of 
 the teacher's work consists in inspiring others to study, 
 and to do this, lie must have enthusiasm for it himself. 
 Again, study is essential because in teaching, as in other 
 lines of work in these days, there is continued progress. A 
 
 171
 
 172 • VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 good teacher will be constantly reading and studying to 
 keep pace with the advance that is being made all over the 
 country. And third, this love of study is essential be- 
 cause perhaps the first requisite of a teacher is that he 
 should know everything possible concerning the subject 
 matter that he is to teach. He should have a far wider 
 knowledge than merely that which he wishes to impart to 
 his pupils. The day is past when the teacher can prepare 
 in one evening what he intends to teach the next day. So 
 consider this side of the question carefully before you de- 
 cide that you will teach because teaching is a " snap " 
 with short hours and little work. 
 
 2. In teaching one deals with people rather than with 
 things and one must be able to get along easily with others, 
 especially with children or young people. He must be 
 interested enough in young people so that he will not be 
 annoyed by the traits that are characteristic of youth. 
 Without this interest no one has a right to teach ; but per- 
 haps you cannot test yourself for this until you yourself 
 are older. If, however, you should decide to teach, and 
 at any subsequent time find that you are losing sympa- 
 thy with youth, you cannot change your profession too 
 soon. 
 
 3. One must be able to impart knowledge to others. 
 How often we hear the statement, " So and so knows his 
 subject perfectly, but he does not know how to explain 
 it or make it interesting." This power may be a natural 
 gift and to a great extent it may be learned and culti- 
 vated. 
 
 4. There should be the power to control people reason- 
 ably; that is, to be what we ordinarily call a good dis- 
 ciplinarian. The teacher should be able to get people 
 to do the right thing without the use of force. A fine 
 young man who had all the other qualifications of a good
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 173 
 
 teacher, failed utterly because lie could not make the boys 
 in his class do what he told them to do. This is largely an 
 inherent quality ; but much is learned by experience. 
 
 5. It is of the utmost importance that a teacher live up 
 to a high moral standard. Not only will the community 
 demand this, but in his position his influence is so im- 
 portant that he will have to be willing to be even stricter 
 with himself than he might otherwise deem necessary. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 The standard of the necessary preparation for a teacher 
 is ccttins; higher everv vear. Requirements differ, but 
 in most states now the minimum is a high school and nor- 
 mal school training for the grade teacher, college training 
 for the high school teacher and two or three years beyond 
 that for the normal school or college teacher. For public 
 school work, one must obtain a certificate according to 
 the law of his particular state. In many states, this is 
 secured by taking an examination, in others it is given on 
 the basis of adequate preparation, but a certain amount 
 of reading must be done in order to hold it from year to 
 year. 
 
 There is much specializing in school work and that 
 often means special training. There are teachers of do- 
 mestic science, manual-training, drawing, music, physical 
 training, and public speaking, and these should each have 
 two or three years in his particular line. In the better 
 high schools teachers usually have just one subject to teach, 
 so that while in college, one should discover, if possible, 
 his particular interest and should select as many courses as 
 possible along that line. Besides this, all teachers must 
 have a certain amount of work in the science, methods, and 
 history of education. 
 
 If you intend to be a college professor, you will work
 
 174 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 for three years after graduation on your specialty and 
 get the degree of doctor of philosophy. 
 
 In addition to all this preliminary study a teacher 
 must necessarily devote much time throughout his career 
 to independent reading and study in order to keep up-to- 
 date. He must read professional hooks recommended by 
 his " reading-circle," as well as the educational periodicals. 
 He must attend teachers' institutes and summer schools, 
 and he should plan, if possible, to spend some period in 
 study abroad. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 The income of teachers is not large. In many states 
 men are paid more than women because there are fewer of 
 the desired type to be had. If a man is successful, he can 
 be reasonably sure of getting a salary of $1500 or $1800 
 in a few years. A woman, on the other hand, will work 
 much longer before she gets $1000, while positions that 
 pay more than that are very few outside of the large 
 cities. The states of California and Xew York furnish 
 notable exceptions to this statement in regard to differ- 
 ences in salaries. In both cases, the state laws forbid dis- 
 crimination in favor of men. If one has more executive 
 ability, and becomes a principal or superintendent, he may 
 get from $2000 to $5000 according to the size of the city 
 where he works. A college professor usually begins as 
 an instructor at about $1000 or $1200. His rise is slow, 
 but as head of a department in a university he may get 
 $3000 or $4000 or more. For this position he must be es- 
 sentially a scholarly person. The highest paid positions 
 are president of a university, superintendent of schools in a 
 large city, state superintendent of schools, commissioner of 
 education. A number of the states and large cities have 
 provisions by which teachers who have served for twenty-
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 175 
 
 five or thirty years may receive a pension of $400 or more 
 a year for the rest of their lives. 
 
 You can see that the average man teacher of ability 
 gets a much smaller income than the business man. Fre- 
 quently one hears a business man say : " T am sorry for 
 Mr. S. How can he support his family on such a salary \ ' 
 And Mr. S. is probably a college professor or a super- 
 intendent receiving a salary of from two to three thou- 
 sand dollars. So according to the general point of view, 
 a man must go into teaching from some motive other than 
 that of making money. What other motives and what 
 other rewards are there ? If he is the intellectual type 
 of man he has here the best possible chance of satisfying 
 his inclinations. His daily duty consists largely of read- 
 ing and study, the things that he likes most to do. And 
 there can be no greater privilege than having one's duty 
 and pleasure coincide. 
 
 Then there is the pleasure of being constantly in con- 
 tact with children and young people. This keeps one 
 young and alive and prevents him from getting sour. 
 
 But perhaps the greatest advantage is that of social 
 service. The right kind of teacher is likely to influence 
 for good many young people, and he also has the oppor- 
 tunity to help the community to higher standards. Ideals 
 of education are constantly changing and the teacher may 
 have his part in working out the best system for the com- 
 ing generation. In this there is both the fascination of 
 grappling with a big problem that is worth solving and 
 the joy of feeling that vour work is of some benefit to the 
 country. 
 
 As to the room in this field, the following is quoted from 
 the president of a normal school. " Good teachers are 
 scarce. j\Jeu especially are wanted as principals and sup- 
 erintendents, as instructors in high schools in natural
 
 176 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 science, mathematics, history, economics, and commercial 
 branches, and especially to teach manual training and agri- 
 culture in our new agricultural high schools." The war 
 lias caused a scarcity of teachers so that for ten years or 
 more there will be unusual openings. Inexperienced 
 teachers have filled positions for which they would not have 
 been accepted before this need came, while teachers who 
 had retired have been urged to return to the work. 
 
 In this day of special education for almost every line 
 of work, there is an increased demand for instructors. For 
 one well trained in one of the occupations and gifted in 
 the art of instruction, there is a great opportunity. When 
 we consider the army and navy training schools, the 
 schools of agriculture, of mining, and of commerce, the 
 technical schools for the builder, the architect, and the en- 
 gineer; the law, medical, and theological schools, not to 
 mention library, physical culture, musical, and innumer- 
 able other courses, we see what a broad field there is for 
 those who are interested in this side of an occupation. 
 
 A great disadvantage is that teaching is nervous work 
 and more wearing than it would seem. Though the hours 
 are seemingly short, the work is, nevertheless, hard and 
 statistics show that many teachers break down under the 
 strain of discipline. Again, a successful teacher will do 
 a good deal of night work which, after a day in school, is 
 hard. This side of teaching should be considered before 
 one decides to undertake it. 
 
 The standard of teaching as a profession has unfor- 
 tunately been lowered to some extent by men who have 
 gone into it as a stepping stone to some other profession or 
 because they considered it an easy task. But the standard 
 is rising every year, and the realization of the importance 
 of making teaching a high grade profession is an incentive 
 to many first class men. The necessity for schools must
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 177 
 
 increase as our country grows. A teacher has the satis- 
 faction of feeling that he is engaged in a vital, growing 
 occupation. 
 
 As to the women, we have already spoken of the number 
 who go into this work. They will always be needed, espe- 
 cially in teaching the younger children. Many women of 
 executive ability become principals especially of the grade 
 schools. In the larger cities there is a tendency to have 
 a woman dean for the girls in each high school. One field 
 for women teachers is rapidly growing — the work in 
 domestic arts and science. Besides the mere teaching 
 there is here much allied work. For instance, after we 
 entered the world war, the domestic science teachers in 
 the state universities, in the normal schools, and in the 
 high schools, were called upon to help in the great prob- 
 lems of food conservation. That special work leads into 
 many avenues of usefulness. Then there are college posi- 
 tions of an advisory and executive sort for women of abil- 
 ity. Many women also are engaged in private teaching of 
 one sort or another. On the whole, there is scarcely any 
 work for women in which the surroundings are pleasanter, 
 or which demands higher pay. 
 
 JOURNALISM 
 
 We shall consider, in this division, journalism, and al- 
 lied professions, the daily newspaper, magazine writing, 
 and the authorship of books. The development in these 
 lines has kept pace with that of other occupations in mod- 
 ern times. A newspaper establishment has all the ele- 
 ments of a great manufacturing plant ; there is the commer- 
 cial department with its business manager, salesmen, and 
 office force ; there is the mechanical side with its composi- 
 tors, its machine operators, its stereotypers, its pressmen,
 
 1*8 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 machinists, foremen, and superintendent; and lastly there 
 is the editorial department. The printing side belongs to 
 the manufacturing groups, the business side to the com- 
 mercial group, but the editorial department does work that 
 is particularly professional. When we consider that the 
 success of many enterprises depends upon the attitude of 
 the newspapers, that many occupations have their own 
 trade magazines, and that a large part of instruction must 
 come from books, we see how important journalism and 
 writing are to our fundamental industries. 
 
 There is at the head of the organization of any news- 
 paper the editor-in-chief and under him, editorial writers, 
 the managing editor, the city editor, the night city editor, 
 the telegraph editor, besides many special editors for the 
 sporting, dramatic, society news. Besides these, there are 
 a great number of reporters, correspondents, and copy- 
 readers. This does not include all the people engaged in 
 the newspaper business, but it may give you some idea of 
 the immensity of it. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. One should have the ability to write, to express what 
 he sees and hears in words so that it will be clear and 
 interesting to others. While training and practice help 
 much in the form and ease with which one writes, there 
 is a great difference in natural ability. The boy or girl 
 who has great difficulty in expressing his thoughts, who 
 hates to write and can never find the right word, probably 
 has not this native ability, and any amount of interest 
 in the excitement of newspaper work will not make up 
 for the lack. 
 
 2. He should be a quick thinker and quick in his move- 
 ments. Very shortly after the reporter finds his news, 
 he must have his report or " story ' : ready to be pre-
 
 THE PKOFESSIONS 
 
 179 
 
 pared for the press. There is no time for laborious plan- 
 ning or slow work. After it leaves his hands, the editor 
 and the copy-reader must be just as quick. It is neces- 
 sary to see at a glance just what corrections should be 
 made, what should be omitted, changed, or emphasized. 
 Sometimes important news for the morning paper comes in 
 at about midnight, and then there is a masterful rushing 
 of operations, in which there is room only for the quick- 
 est worker. In writing for magazines and books, this 
 quality is not so important. 
 
 3. Along with quickness there is need for absolute 
 accuracy. This is a trait that may be cultivated if you 
 are interested enough to feel its importance. The re- 
 porter's work should be free from mistakes in spelling, 
 punctuation, and grammar, but the copy-reader must be 
 ready to correct any errors that the writer has made, and 
 the proof reader to see all slips made in the printing. 
 Then the reporter must be accurate in his stories, as 
 they are called. He may make serious trouble by get- 
 ting some one's initials wrong, or by mistaking dates, or 
 figures. His superiors are not likely to have long con- 
 tinued patience with inaccuracies. This may not seem 
 so necessary when you consider the exaggerations often 
 found in papers, but it is demanded of the reporter that 
 he state facts. Embellishments sometimes come later. 
 
 4. One who is in the reporting side of the business 
 must be able to meet people tactfully. He is obliged to 
 talk with people of all positions and of all dispositions. 
 His object is to gain information from these people, and 
 he must be able to approach them so as not to antagonize 
 them, and to ask questions that will elicit the facts that he 
 is after, no matter how confused or uninterested the per- 
 son is. 
 
 5. The journalist must be courageous. We shall dis-
 
 180 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 cuss later how he often is tempted to cater to business or 
 individual interests to the detriment of the community 
 and how such adjustments require a man of good judg- 
 ment and courage. This matter lies largely with the edi- 
 tors, although the reporter has some minor questions to 
 decide. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 We are finding out that almost every line of business is 
 demanding trained men. In just recent years this has 
 been true of journalism. In mcst universities, courses 
 are now given in newspaper writing and editing. The 
 technical marks for proof reading and the regulation form 
 for the reporter's story must be learned. After the 
 technical form has been mastered, even gifted writers 
 need much practice in order to bring their style to its 
 best. The help of experienced teachers in giving cor- 
 rections and suggestions is most valuable. 
 
 Then besides the special journalistic courses, the 
 broader the education that a man has the better the work 
 that he will do. Journalism is becoming a profession 
 and those who go into it would do well to have a college 
 education. 
 
 Students sometimes earn their way through college by 
 reporting, and the rapidity with which their class work in 
 composition improves, shows what a large part practice has 
 in training. There is likely to be a constant improvement 
 in the literary style of one who is doing much writing. 
 Newspaper work gives training particularly in writing that 
 is clear-cut, brief, and to the point. Magazine work calls 
 for writing of a more finished sort, but in all waiting for 
 publication improvement comes through practice. 
 
 Many eminent writers have recommended reading much 
 from the works of standard authors so as to become accus-
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 181 
 
 turned to good style and thus influence one's own manner 
 of writing. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 Journalism is a growing business. Every one reads the 
 newspapers. The daily editions of many are in the hun- 
 dred thousands. That means that in every city and town 
 there is newspaper work for many people. Reporters, 
 after they beeome established, are paid well. They 
 usually begin by getting so much a column for acceptable 
 copy. The better pay comes when they are accepted on 
 the staff and work for a salary. Good men may be sent 
 to all parts of the world to write up important occur- 
 rences. Richard Harding Davis, George Kennan, and 
 John McCuteheon have made reputations in this way, but 
 practically all great newspaper men began as " cub " re- 
 porters, and young men who have the necessary qualities 
 and energy are likely to succeed. 
 
 Newspapers have the opportunity of exerting a tre- 
 mendous influence on the community. This is no longer 
 accomplished through long preaching editorials, for the 
 day of the personal editor is past. To be sure, every 
 paper lias its editorial page, and there the attitude of the 
 paper is briefly shown. But r°aders do not spend much 
 time on this page, and the bulk of the paper is taken up 
 with news. Nowadays a paper exerts its influence by 
 simply reporting facts. The newspaper really belongs to 
 the people. It is an important means of their education. 
 It tells people what is happening politically, industrially, 
 and socially and enables them to form their own opinions 
 regarding public affairs, especially in the matter of elec- 
 tions. If the facts are not reported accurately and with- 
 out bias the reader does not have a chance to learn wliat is 
 happening and to make his own decisions.
 
 182 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 There frequently arise mural reasons why the news 
 should be reported accurately, and sometimes a paper is 
 tempted to fall below its responsibility and fails to report 
 accurately events that reflect unfavorably on certain indi- 
 viduals or business houses. An honest newspaper not only 
 reports such conditions but suggests public action to com- 
 bat illegal or vicious conditions. 
 
 The standards that a newspaper sets for itself are de- 
 termined in many ways. There are questions of the sort 
 of news reported, the sort of things advertised, the atti- 
 tude taken on public questions that are to be decided by 
 popular vote, by state legislatures, by city councils. All 
 of these points suggest the possibilities for public service 
 that newspaper work offers. 
 
 We have spoken particularly of the daily paper, though 
 what has been said is pretty generally true of magazine 
 writing also. Here the work must be a little more finished 
 in style and complete in substance. It takes real talent to 
 succeed, and it is hard to get a start, but when one has 
 once made a name for himself, his struggling period is 
 over. 
 
 As for women, there are many of them in this sort of 
 work. They are as likely to have the talent for writing 
 as are men, and in many departments of newspaper work 
 we find women reporters. A big daily paper with its 
 rush methods seems to be a man's sphere, but even here, 
 you will see many departments under the direction of 
 women. They may be responsible for the society news, 
 theatrical, music, and art reports, book reviews, and even 
 occasionally correspondence concerning vital national sit- 
 uations. Magazine writing is open to women as much as 
 to men. They have merely to prove their talent. Miss 
 Rose Young, who has held some of the best positions in 
 the newspaper world, gives us the following points about
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 183 
 
 opportunities for women in this line. It takes a good deal 
 of effort and pushing for women to get a start, and in 
 starting they get less money than men. For instance, a 
 man " cub " reporter gets about twenty dollars a week, 
 while a woman gets about seventeen. But there may be 
 chances for her to work into better positions. The aver- 
 age woman reporter may get $30 a week; if she becomes 
 editor of the women's news department she will be paid 
 from $35 to $60. Miss Young tells of one woman with 
 a responsible position who received $125 a week, but this, 
 like many other positions at the top, was exceptional. She 
 feels that there is a place in editorial work for women in 
 that they can get the women's point of view better than 
 men, and that as women's interests are growing, women's, 
 newspaper work is bound to grow. 
 
 SOCIAL SERVICE 
 
 Under social service we include the distinctly religious 
 leaders in the churches and synagogues, Young Men's and 
 Young Women's Christian Association workers, as well 
 as those who are engaged in what is technically called 
 social service. It is surprising to learn how many activ- 
 ities are covered under this last group. It includes su- 
 perintendents, officers, directors, and investigators of recre- 
 ation parks, juvenile courts, social settlements, organized 
 charity, special work for unfortunate children, prison and 
 housing reform, public health and sanitation, immigra- 
 tion problems, and other industrial questions. You can 
 see the reason for including all of these in one group. All 
 those who are interested in going into any work of this 
 kind are probably influenced by the same motive; namely, 
 the desire to do something positive to help make condi- 
 tions in this world better; the determination to put their
 
 184 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 energies in a place where help is most needed. It is taken 
 for granted that these are the reasons for going into so- 
 cial work, and therefore, perhaps unconsciously, the public 
 expects high standards of conduct and character in those 
 engaged in it. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. Some of the qualifications can he seen immediately. 
 This sort of work is not carried on for the sake of mak- 
 ing money. There has been an effort made to pay ade- 
 quate salaries, and those who give all of their time to it 
 may be reasonably certain of supporting themselves and 
 their families, but they cannot hope for much besides this. 
 So unless you are sufficiently interested in it to work for a 
 moderate salary, this is not the work for you. 
 
 2. There should be a willingness to forget yourself and 
 yonr comfort in a great many ways. Certain phases of 
 this work would involve living in undesirable neighbor- 
 hoods ; or working with people who are not particularly con- 
 genial ; or, in times of an emergency, giving your time and 
 strength when it is very difficult to do so. For example, 
 a young woman, who had been accustomed to every com- 
 fort and had had every advantage, undertook the in- 
 vestigation of laundry conditions in a big city. In order 
 to do this, she went as a worker in a laundry, where she 
 had to stand all day in a steaming hot room, and went 
 home every night worn out and with wet, swollen feet. 
 From her investigations she learned many things about 
 the conditions of working girls, and through her influence 
 laws were passed so that never again will the working con- 
 ditions in this trade be so difficult. Xot that this method 
 must alwavs be used, but it is illustrative of the fact that 
 social betterment is often accomplished through the self- 
 sacrificing devotion of the worker.
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 1&5 
 
 3. The third quality may naturally be inferred from 
 the second, for self -forget-f illness leads to courage. In- 
 deed, Donald llankey felt that in the great war it was the 
 very secret of bravery. This is perhaps the most essential 
 quality of all. Much of social service work consists in 
 investigating conditions and then in influencing legisla- 
 tion to better them. Until the whole world learns, as 
 it is gradually learning, that it is really profitable for the 
 bii>' business interests to have decent living conditions for 
 its employees, such enterprise will take a good deal of 
 courage in working for what seems right. And the mat- 
 ter of legislation, although it gets at fundamentals, is only 
 a part of this work. There are countless problems com- 
 ing up every day, in all lines that require courage and self- 
 reliance. 
 
 4. There must he a willingness to take responsibilities. 
 If you are a follower and want always to be told exactly 
 what to do and how to do it, you would better not under- 
 take this sort of work. Social service workers are essen- 
 tially leaders. 
 
 There are many qualities which are desirable in par- 
 ticular branches of this work; but if you have those al- 
 ready mentioned and are eager to undertake it, you can 
 in the course of your preparation, pick out the particular 
 line for which you are fitted. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 For all of this work it is better to have a whole or at 
 least a part of a college course. For most ministers this 
 is expected before they begin their special training. As 
 these requirements differ in the various sects, it would be 
 well to investigate for yourself if you are interested. In 
 one way it differs from the long preparation for law or 
 medicine; one can usually begin his work before finishing
 
 186 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 his course and thus does not need so much capital ahead. 
 But you can probably see for yourself that in the entire 
 field of social work a very broad point of view would be 
 necessary. For this reason a broad foundation is desir- 
 able and if one can afford it, a full college course is not 
 too much. The Christian Associations have special 
 courses for their secretaries. Schools are being established 
 for training in social work. For entrance to these schools, 
 students are supposed to be mature, and to have the 
 general education of a college graduate. These schools 
 are situated in New York, in Boston, in Philadelphia, in 
 Chicago, and in St. Louis. Many universities now give 
 courses for social service work, and by selecting the right 
 work in college, you might be ready to start in at your 
 graduation. In a large city like New York or Chicago, 
 it is desirable to have the ability to speak a foreign lan- 
 guage, especially would Bohemian or some of the lan- 
 guages of Southern Europe be valuable. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 In general it may be said that there is a very wide op- 
 portunity in this line of work, for both men and women, 
 all over the country. In The Field of Social Service, 
 by Philip Davis, there is in the supplement a discussion 
 of about forty-five types of positions of this sort. As to 
 salaries they range all the way from $500 a year up to 
 $5000. The average seems to run from $1000 to $3000. 
 
 A good many industrial concerns are employing men 
 or women for what is called social service. The person 
 in charge looks out for the welfare of the employees of 
 the establishment. This may mean organizing clubs, ad- 
 vising in the matter of health, amusements, education, or 
 helping in any way that may be necessary. Salaries are 
 generally higher than those in other social work.
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 187 
 
 But here again, as in teaching and, in general, in most 
 professions, financial remuneration is not the chief thing 
 sought. In spite of the discouragements, in spite of the 
 criticism of influential people, in spite of being some- 
 times misunderstood by the very people you are trying 
 to help, and living with smaller income and fewer com- 
 forts than might come .in other work, there is here an 
 opportunity for the very deepest and most lasting sort of 
 happiness, that which comes from giving and forgetting 
 oneself for the sake of others. But we do not mean to 
 imply that those who go into other occupations go with 
 a selfish motive. One may feel that he is particularly 
 fitted for some entirely different line of work, and he may 
 there become a man of such influence that there will be 
 no limit to the good he can do. But if you feel interested 
 in social service and after counting the cost are willing 
 to undertake it, you may be sure of a lasting satisfaction 
 in your work. 
 
 After you have decided whether your interest and nat- 
 ural abilities lie in this work, there is ample opportunity 
 for trying out in a practical way. In the larger towns 
 and cities, there are almost always social settlements, 
 where they are likely to need helpers in looking after 
 girls' clubs, boys' clubs, and libraries, or in teaching vari- 
 ous sorts of classes. College students often do this sort of 
 thing in vacations. Then there are boys' and girls' sum- 
 mer camps and vacation schools that need volunteer help. 
 You may be able to help the probation officer or the 
 Woman's Club or the Red Cross work in your town. 
 Many churches do this kind of work and would give you 
 a chance to help or you might do something with the Boy 
 Scouts or Campfire Girls or Young Men's Christian Associ- 
 ation. If you will keep your eyes open you will find many 
 chances to volunteer for unpaid work and in this way you
 
 188 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 can tell whether it is really the sort of work you are best 
 fitted to undertake. 
 
 . Here for a third time we come to a line of work in 
 which there are more women than men. The census re- 
 port of 1910 shows a majority of about a thousand. Often 
 women doctors and nurses use their professional training 
 in this way. There are many women probation officers, 
 truant officers, settlement workers. Efficient women are 
 greatly needed in Young Women's Christian Association 
 work. Competent women are being recruited from the 
 ranks of teachers, librarians, and other lines, and given 
 responsible work, even without special training, because 
 there is such a dearth of workers. For educational and 
 welfare work in the big stores and industrial plants, many 
 women are employed. 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 Men and women both find a field here, although there 
 are perhaps more women, especially as assistants. Public 
 libraries have come to be a most necessary and usual thing 
 in this country, and we find all types from the small library 
 composed of a few books collected by some public spirited 
 person and presented to a small town, to the Congressional 
 Library in Washington. Indeed they have become so gen- 
 eral, that many people of the class who used to own large 
 libraries, do not now buy many books, but depend almost 
 entirely upon the public libraries for their reading matter. 
 There is no question, then, that this is a growing field, and 
 after we have studied it. we shall see why it may be classed 
 as a profession. Many of the great industries have their 
 libraries, and the professions are all dependent upon the 
 librarian.
 
 the professions 189 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. First of all a librarian is business-like. The head 
 librarian will have much responsibility in buying books 
 and other equipment, and should be able to do this to the 
 best advantage. He must have the ability to keep things 
 right up to date, else he will be hopelessly swamped. In 
 short the head of the library, just as the head of any other 
 institution, is its executive and should be able to run it in 
 a smooth, business-like, up-to-date way. 
 
 2. He should be accurate and systematic. There is in 
 a library an endless amount of detailed, methodical work, 
 and one who is impatient about giving attention to small 
 points should find his work in some other place. Along 
 this line, there is a good deal of mechanical work which 
 must be carefully done. Books must be stamped, the leaves 
 cut, labels pasted in, and often books must be mended. 
 Making out catalogue cards and accession lists is also care- 
 ful detailed work. One must exercise judgment in classi- 
 fying books under the appropriate heads. 
 
 3. The librarian should be a person of culture and 
 scholarship. He is something like a clerk showing his 
 goods. The broader the education of the librarian, the 
 better he will be able to help the patrons of the library. 
 For instance, when the book called for is not in, he may 
 be able to suggest a substitute. There are many other 
 ways in which scholarship and culture are a help. 
 
 4. He should have a gracious manner. It often takes 
 a goodly amount of self-control and patience to treat gra- 
 ciously and courteously a continuous stream of all sorts of 
 people, all day long, day after day. The library belongs 
 to the people and even though they should be unreasonable, 
 they must be made to feel comfortable and to enjoy com- 
 ing to their books.
 
 190 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 5. A certain amount of discipline is necessary in 
 every library; but this discipline must be exercised in an 
 extremely tactful way. It is the librarian's duty to see 
 that the reading-room is so quiet as not to disturb those 
 who are using it. Also, he must be strict in regard to 
 the rules for returning books and for keeping them in 
 good condition. 
 
 6. The librarian must be quick in his movements. 
 He should study to eliminate unnecessary motions; the 
 line of people waiting to return and get books must be at- 
 tended to in the shortest possible time. 
 
 7. The children's room demands a person with still 
 other characteristics. She, for this is usually a woman, 
 must have a broad sympathy with children. She will prob- 
 ably have a story hour and so she must be able to interest 
 children. At other times, the children 7nust be kept rea- 
 sonably quiet and yet must be taught to ?njoy the library. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 Formerly it was customary for a girl to receive her 
 training in library work by serving a sort of apprentice- 
 ship at some library; but that day is almost past and one 
 so trained finds himself very much handicapped. In- 
 deed, one librarian who had learned in that way and had 
 held a good position for a number of years, lost her posi- 
 tion because as the library grew, problems came up which 
 on account of her lack of training she was not able to 
 handle. The only safe and sure way is to take training in 
 a library school. This would take two or three years, and 
 then there should be at least one year of practice in an 
 actual library. After this a capable person is pretty sure 
 of a good position. As we said, the librarian should have 
 a certain amount of culture and scholarship ; and there- 
 fore a college education is a splendid thing. A knowledge
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 191 
 
 of other languages is important, as there will be many for- 
 eign books on the shelves. In the library school one learns 
 how to order, classify, and catalogue books. Some very 
 efficient systems of classifying books have been developed. 
 Besides this there are, of course, many other details to be 
 learned. Probably the best known library school in the 
 country is in Albany, 1ST. Y. Then many of the universi- 
 ties have library schools. In order to continue one's edu- 
 cation so as to keep up with new methods, there are 
 library magazines and national and local associations for 
 librarians, in which new methods and problems are dis- 
 cussed. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 In a small library the librarian has all the work to do 
 himself; while the man in charge of the largest libraries 
 is an executive with many assistants. One usually begins 
 as an assistant in a medium sized library. There are 
 many sorts of libraries : the public library, the public school 
 library, the university library, the special law, art, sci- 
 ence library, the library in the industrial plant, and many 
 others. 
 
 Many librarians complain that their work is monoto- 
 nous, and this is undoubtedly due to the endless detail and 
 business routine that we have mentioned; yet when one 
 has this under control there are many compensations. The 
 librarian is in an unusual position for helping, and there 
 is always great satisfaction in this. All sorts of people 
 come to the public library, the studious who understand 
 and love books, as well as the indifferent person who finds 
 the reading room a comfortable place in which to idle 
 away his time. Gradually the library should cultivate 
 a taste for good reading in the community. Andrew 
 Carnegie says that every business man should cultivate a
 
 192 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 taste for reading, both in order to have a means for relax- 
 ing in his leisure hours, and to be able to learn more about 
 his particular business. 
 
 This is a profession in which men and women have 
 an equal opportunity. In the universities many students 
 earn their tuition by working in the library. In this 
 way they learn many of the fundamental principles, and 
 have a chance to discover whether this sort of work appeals 
 to them. One young woman who began in this way, found 
 that she loved the work and, after a course in Albany, 
 has distinguished herself and now holds a responsible 
 position in the public library of one of our largest cities. 
 Another young woman specializes in cataloguing and is 
 sent for by the largest libraries all over the country when- 
 ever there is special cataloguing to do. There are all 
 sorts of opportunities and while it may not have the 
 spice of some kinds of work, there are countless delight- 
 ful things about it. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. Is there danger in a teacher being so devoted to books that he 
 loses interest in his pupils? 
 
 2. In many states men get a higher salary than women for do- 
 ing the same work. Why is this? Is it just?. What economic law 
 does it illustrate? 
 
 3. Why do young men just out of college often choose teaching 
 when they do not intend to make it their life work? 
 
 4. Is the difference between the minimum and maximum in teach- 
 ers' salaries in the same proportion as in other lines of work? 
 What effect does this have on young men especially? 
 
 5. Will women ever receive the same remuneration as men in this 
 profession? If so what cause will bring this about? If not, why? 
 
 6. The secondary schools and colleges especially need men and 
 women of fine moral calibre. Why is this true? 
 
 7. What is the danger of having too many women and too few 
 men teachers in the secondary schools?.
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 193 
 
 8. In the last years the demand for special teachers has changed. 
 Can you tell in what way? What causes this change? 
 
 9. What dictates the policy of a newspaper? Does the editor 
 have anything to say about it? 
 
 10. May a newspaper writer wait for " inspiration " ? 
 
 11. A paper is often sued for libel. Explain how this may happen. 
 
 12. A reporter must have persistence. Under what circumstances? 
 
 13. Does the art of scenario writing differ from magazine writing? 
 If so, in what respect? What are some qualities especially necessary 
 for those who write scenarios? 
 
 14. Is a position on a newspaper good training for one who aspires 
 to write for the magazines? Give your reasons. 
 
 15. Is there danger of a person being too sympathetic to make a 
 good social worker? 
 
 10. Can you tell how conditions have been improved in any line 
 during the last few years through publicity? 
 
 17. Why is the field of social work more popular with women than 
 with men ? 
 
 18. Mention some men and women who are well known for work 
 of this sort. Choose cne and tell about his work. 
 
 1!). Is there danger of depending too much on the public libraries 
 and having no library of your own? Why should every person have 
 at least a small library of his own? 
 
 20. Some libraries have women to cut out, mount, and classify pic- 
 tures from magazines, and papers. How may these be used? 
 
 21. Mention a well known man who has built and equipped many 
 libraries. What plan did he use? How many has he built? 
 
 22. Of the four: teaching, library work, journalism, and social 
 service work, which do you think is the most helpful to society? 
 Which causes the greatest nervous strain? Which would take the 
 longest preparation? Which would bring one in contact with the 
 most interesting people? Which would you enjoy the most? Why? 
 
 REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Devine, Edward T. Positions in Social Work. New York School of 
 Philanthropy, 1912. 
 
 Bleyer, W. G. Newspaper Writing and Editing. Houghton Mif- 
 flin Co., 1913. 
 
 Social Work. (Pamphlet). Russell Sage Foundation. 
 
 Ward, Edward J. The Social Center. D. Appleton & Co., 1913.
 
 -^94 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 Bardeen C W Teaching as a Business. C. W. Bardeen. 1897. 
 Bos T ™, A L. The Lerioan Pullic Library. D. Applet t 
 
 GivENrJ 1 ?, 10 ' Tfce Making of a Newspaper. Henry Holt & Co. 
 Davis, Philip. The Field of Social Service.
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 (Continued) 
 
 ENGINEERING 
 
 Engineering is the " Mecca " of a great many boys 
 who do not know into what other field they would fit and 
 who think perhaps they would find success here. But en- 
 gineering is a very broad field, and if a boy has no more 
 definite idea than this, he is not very clear as to his own 
 desire. However, there is a great overlapping of occu- 
 pations and the qualities and preparation of the engineer 
 may be very much the same as those of the head of a 
 large manufacturing or building enterprise. Indeed, 
 many men have changed from one to the other. For 
 example, take Captain W. R. Jones, who was for many 
 years general superintendent of the Carnegie steel mills. 
 He had all the qualities of a great manufacturer, but he 
 was also a great engineer, was a member of the American 
 Institute of Mining Engineers and of the American So- 
 ciety of Mechanical Engineers. The engineer is abso- 
 lutely necessary in the manufacturing plant. He is 
 needed in designing the plant, in planning and construct- 
 ing the machinery, and in perfecting and developing im- 
 provements of all sorts. But we take up this occupation 
 separately because, while it is connected with other occupa- 
 tions, it is a great profession by itself. Like the other pro- 
 fessions, it requires a long preparation ; and considering the 
 capital invested in getting ready for it, the money returns 
 
 195
 
 196 VOCATIONAL, CIVICS 
 
 may be very small ; but, like the other professions, it gives 
 the compensating satisfaction that one is engaged in a 
 work that may be a great benefit to his fellow man. The 
 government employs many engineers. It is the engineer 
 who plans and carries out irrigation projects, and who is 
 needed at many turns by the farmer. The railroads could 
 neither be built nor maintained without him. Altogether, 
 perhaps more than that of any other profession, we can see 
 that his work is indispensable to the great industries. 
 Engineering may be in any of the following fields: 
 
 1. Civil engineering. This deals with surveying, lay- 
 ing out roads, and building bridges. 
 
 2. Mechanical engineering. This deals with power, 
 machinery, and the handling of engines. 
 
 3. Electrical engineering. This deals with all the pos- 
 sible applications of electricity and is a very broad field 
 in itself. It may be telephone engineering, dynamo en 
 gineering, electrical design. 
 
 4. Chemical engineering. This deals with the science 
 of chemistry in modern industry. !N early every large 
 manufacturing establishment has its chemists to determine 
 the quality of its purchased material or output, or to in- 
 vestigate the possibility of saving. For instance, the 
 steel business analyzes the coal, coke and steel ; the soap 
 business the composition of fats and soap; the dairy 
 business, the quality of milk, cream, and butter. 
 
 5. Sanitary engineering. This deals with such work as 
 the laving out of sewers and water mains. 
 
 6. Railroad engineering. This is concerned with the 
 laying out of railroads, building stations and bridges. 
 
 1. Mining engineering. This has to do with the prob- 
 lems of mines; such as, assaying, drainage. 
 
 8. Besides these, we should perhaps mention naval, 
 marine and aeronautic engineering.
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 197 
 
 It is not so very many years since the term " engineer " 
 referred exclusively to the " civil engineer," and he was 
 simply a surveyor in a very narrow sense, concerned 
 Chiefly in marking out boundaries for the farmer. The re- 
 markable advance in the last forty years has created the 
 demand for all these technically trained engineers. Dur- 
 ing this time there have come into use gas engines, steam 
 turbines, dynamos, telephones, phonographs, electric 
 lamps, trolley cars, automobiles, airplanes, and wireless 
 telegraphy. So we see that engineering is a new and 
 very wide profession. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 What kind of boy, then, might well consider going into 
 this type of work? 
 
 1. Probably the most important quality is skill in 
 mathematics. The ability to handle problems in algebra, 
 geometry and calculus is the foundation of all engineer- 
 ing work. In order to get a glimpse of the extent to 
 which mathematics is used, you have only to go to a 
 library and look over two or three of the engineering 
 magazines. You will see formulae and calculations on 
 every page. Or look over the catalogue of some engineer- 
 ing school to see how much mathematics is required. If 
 vou cannot handle mathematics or it is distasteful to 
 you, you would better go into some other line of work. 
 
 2. He should have some inventive ability, not neces- 
 sarily the genius for great inventions, but the power of 
 seeing something beyond the way things are working 
 now. Look again in the engineering magazines and see 
 how the work of invention is going on. You will find 
 plans for counteracting the effects of heat and cold on ma- 
 chinery, devices for repairs, new conveniences for mod- 
 ern buildings, or means for transporting material from
 
 198 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 mines. It all reads like a fascinating fairy tale, but we 
 understand that the prospective engineer must be ready to 
 add his skill and brains to the creation of these wonders. 
 
 3. There should be some skill in mechanical drawing 
 and general ability in using one's hands. Indeed, 
 engineering differs from most of the professions in deal- 
 ing with things rather than with people. 
 
 4. It is difficult to imagine a good engineer who has 
 not a love for and understanding of machinery. Perhaps 
 this estimate of a distinguished engineer by another in 
 his profession will help to show the type of mind that 
 is likely to succeed. " He had exceptional mechanical 
 judgment; he saw the simplest way to a desired end, 
 discarding unerringly all superfluous material and move- 
 ments." 
 
 Preparation 
 
 But in these days the natural ability is not enough. An 
 engineer tells about two young men with inventive minds, 
 who brought to his office two sample motors which they 
 had made and of which they were very proud. The 
 motors worked well and showed inventive genius but much 
 better ones were on the market, which showed that on 
 account of a lack of technical education, the young men 
 had accomplished nothing. Their work was a failure, not 
 because of a lack of ability, but because they had not 
 learned what had been done in that line. 
 
 As to the actual preparation, it would be foolish for 
 a young man to undertake any line of engineering with- 
 out the training of a technical school. To enter this, he 
 must have had the four years high school course. The 
 technical course takes four years. But of late, the schools 
 have been urging that five or six years be spent in train- 
 ing after the high school course. The extra year or two
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 199 
 
 are spent in a broad education as a foundation for the 
 specialized training - . We have the opinion of a number 
 of eminent engineers that it is desirable to know some- 
 thing of language, of political science, history, and litera- 
 ture, so that the engineer may be ready to hold his own 
 as he comes into contact with other educated men. The 
 competition is so great that one who would succeed has 
 need of the best possible preparation. Almost all the 
 large universities have technical schools of various kinds, 
 and there are several schools exclusively technical, such as 
 the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Ar- 
 mour Institute of Chicago. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 The fact that millions of dollars are spent for engineer- 
 ing works shows the bigness of this occupation. The 
 Panama Canal, the Roosevelt dam in Arizona, the great 
 dam at Lockport, 111., gigantic buildings and strong rail- 
 road bridges, all impress us with the wonders of the 
 achievements of our engineers. And yet those who know 
 the most about these things tell us that marvels have 
 only just begun. Much of the advance is due to the 
 training of the technical schools which prepare many 
 young men to help in the progress that before was left to 
 a few geniuses. Now the practical engineers say that 
 more scientific research work is needed, particularly work 
 that is done by advanced students and professors in the 
 laboratories. It is in this way that inventions and im- 
 provements are developed. The geniuses who get the 
 first visions of the beginnings of things are few; and in 
 this age not much would be accomplished were it not for 
 the trained army w 7 ith some degree of inventiveness and 
 ingenuity who are able to follow up those of rare visions. 
 The inspiration comes from considering the great amount
 
 200 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 of work still to be done. Consider the field of applied 
 electricity; the possibilities of what may come are amaz- 
 ing. If war still continues to be a necessary part of our 
 civilization, the engineer'has a great opportunity in devis- 
 ing schemes for our national defense. 
 
 As to the opportunities financially, it is said that the 
 profession is overcrowded, which of necessity brings the 
 incomes down. This is perhaps due to the fact that great 
 numbers of high school boys have been attracted to this 
 field, because they enjoyed driving an auto or playing 
 with an electrical battery.. But as in the other occupations 
 there is room for the man who is really adapted to and pre- 
 pared for this work. On the average, the financial returns 
 are not great. After his graduation, a young man would 
 be likelv to start rather humblv as an emplovee of some cor- 
 poration, of a great engineering work, a city or of a rail- 
 road. Here he would have severe training, but if success- 
 ful, this would probably not last more than two or three 
 years. For those who have come through these years of 
 training and discipline the way looks bright, even though 
 it is not the way to immense fortune. Statistics show that 
 over 95 per cent, of the graduates of the technical schools 
 are earning a good livelihood, live in good surroundings, 
 and that many are prominent men in their communities. 
 After a man has proved his ability and judgment, he is in 
 line for a responsible position. The civil service exam- 
 inations open the way to attractive work. There are posi- 
 tions in the Panama Canal Service, in the army and 
 navy, and in aviation, in the work in forestry and min- 
 ing. Many of the best engineers are employed by 
 railroads or corporations at large salaries, or a man 
 may go into business for himself as a consulting engi- 
 neer. 
 
 It would not be wise to start in this occupation with-
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 201 
 
 out considering the dangerous side of it. From the bot- 
 tom to the top of the ladder, in experimenting, in in- 
 specting boilers, the engineer must often be exposed to 
 accidents. He accepts this as the doctor, the soldier, and 
 others accept similar risks. As an example of this, take 
 William R. Jones, consulting engineer for all the Carnegie 
 companies, a man at the head of his profession, who was 
 receiving a salary of fifty thousand dollars a year. This 
 man, while inspecting a boiler that was out of order, was 
 killed by an explosion. Like a captain of a ship, he 
 had stood by his men in what he knew to be a dangerous 
 situation. On the other hand we should remember that 
 because of care and the new inventions for safety, these 
 things are happening less and less frequently. 
 
 When we think of distinguished men in this line the 
 name of Edison is likely to come to us first of all. On the 
 11th of February, 1917, this man's birthday was cele- 
 brated by engineers and inventors all over the country. 
 It was said that we now have three birthdays in February 
 to remember, those of Washington, of Lincoln, and of 
 Edison. What higher honour could be given to the work 
 of an engineer? 
 
 Another great engineer was Bessemer, who had un- 
 usual mechanical genius, and a decidedly inventive mind. 
 He was especially interested in iron and steel works, 
 read and studied thoroughly until he knew everything 
 that had been done in that line, invented improvement 
 after improvement, and finally developed the famous 
 Bessemer process of making steel. 
 
 The lives of distinguished engineers and their work 
 read like the most interesting novels. In the magazine, 
 Engineering Neios, sketches of the lives of the presidents 
 of the various societies of engineers arc frequently given. 
 In a recent number we are told of the marvelous work
 
 202 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 of the civil engineer, Geo. II. Pegram, in the construc- 
 tion of the New York transit lines. This was a very com- 
 plex and dangerous undertaking. During the work, the 
 traffic had to be carried on and yet there was no serious 
 accident. In the exact words of the writer, it took the 
 " highest order of engineering skill and sleepless vigi- 
 lance." 
 
 In the American Boy, for March, 1917, there is an ac- 
 count of John J. Carty, Chief Engineer of the American 
 Telephone and Telegraph Company. It is due largely to 
 him that the telephone service reaches from New York to 
 San Francisco and that it is possible to talk by wireless 
 across the sea. The following is what he says are the pos- 
 sibilities for young men: "My conception of the tele- 
 phone business — and I know that it is the conception of 
 the highest authorities we have — is that our work will not 
 even nominally be accomplished until we have obtained 
 this result : That any man in the United States, wher- 
 ever he may be located, may within a reasonable time, be 
 connected with any other man in the United States, and 
 talk to him successfully. That is a very large order. 
 Just contemplate for a moment the magnitude of a plant 
 of that sort. There is no plant of the character in the 
 universe. It is not like a great steel works, where the 
 factory can be viewed at once, where the plant can be ex- 
 amined, but the property, the wires, the interests, the 
 methods and the men permeate into every jurisdiction in 
 the United States. . . . There is no problem approaching 
 that in complexity, whether viewed from the standpoint 
 of the political economist, from the legal standpoint, from 
 the financial standpoint, from the standpoint of the 
 engineer, or from the commercial standpoint. 
 
 "Let us consider the future from just one standpoint: 
 this plant, which I have outlined and which will be built,
 
 THE PKOFESSIONS 203 
 
 must be reconstructed periodically. What a stupendous 
 thing that is ! 
 
 " This magnificent plant must be kept in order all of 
 the time. It must be reconstructed ; it must be kept up 
 to date ; it must be improved. X ow that means that there 
 is going to be work in this business, profession, or in- 
 dustry, whichever you want to call it, for the highest 
 grade of men that exists." 
 
 We might multiply examples, but they all go to show 
 that there is likely to be plenty of work for the engineer, 
 work full of interest, fascination, and inspiration. These 
 are the great leaders, but, as they themselves say, the work 
 in these days is not done by individuals. Every invention 
 and improvement requires co-operation so that there is 
 room for all really capable men. 
 
 THE CHEMIST 
 
 The work of the chemist reaches into many fields and 
 contributes to the success of many industries. Every 
 farmer depends for success upon his knowledge of the chem- 
 istry of soils. Chemistry is indispensable to the manu- 
 facturer. The preservation of material, which is only one 
 out of its many applications, is vital to the success of the 
 business. The profession of medicine is entirely depend- 
 ent on the help of the chemist ; while mining, printing, 
 cooking and many activities are somewhat dependent 
 upon him. But we shall have to say that the chemist 
 has made a profession of his own, and since the engi- 
 neers claim him, we shall discuss him under this head, 
 and call him, what he really is, a chemical engineer. If 
 we had time it would be interesting to trace the his- 
 tory of chemistry. Its forerunner was alchemy, and you 
 have probably read of the almost weird experiments that
 
 204 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 the alchemists used to make. But we are more concerned 
 with what chemistry is doing today. There are three dis- 
 tinct divisions of this profession. First, there is what 
 is called academic chemistry. This would include the 
 teaching of chemistry and research work in the university 
 laboratories. Second, there is industrial chemistry. 
 This is also research work, but in a laboratory conducted 
 in the interests of a manufacturing plant, or in a con- 
 sulting laboratory for manufacturers in general. Third, 
 there is the chemist employed by the government, either 
 city, state, or federal. To show how many professional 
 chemists there are in the country and how they have in- 
 creased, we might quote three census reports; in 1890, 
 there were 4503, in 1000, 8887, and in 1910, 16,273. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 First of all the chemist should have the instinct for re- 
 search. Until you are older it may be hard to understand 
 just what is meant by this. It implies, for one thing, the 
 love of study, and the willingness to work for perhaps 
 hours at a time over some technical point. It is con- 
 fining, thoughtful, painstaking work. At your age you 
 can searcely be sure whether or not such work will appeal 
 to your nature; tastes of this sort often develop during 
 one's college course. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 The chemist must complete high school and college 
 courses, specializing in chemistry. Then the expert chem- 
 ist should also take a graduate course. The demand is 
 so great that sometimes positions are offered before the 
 work is completed; but the young man who holds out to 
 the end will have the best chance in the long run. There 
 are no chemical schools pure and simple; but in every
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 205 
 
 engineering and scientific school an abundance of chem- 
 istry is taught. If this general line of work interests you, 
 it might be well to take a college course, specializing in 
 chemistry, then by the time you had finished your four 
 years you would know what particular line you wanted 
 to follow. Or if you should choose mechanical engineer- 
 ing, agriculture, mining, or medicine, you might decide 
 that you would like to specialize in the chemical side of 
 one of these. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 The great lure in the field of chemistry is the fascina- 
 tion of the work and of what it is accomplishing. One 
 can feel that he is doing something that is absolutely neces- 
 sary. The chemist has made good sanitary conditions 
 possible. He, as much as the physician, is contributing 
 to the general health of the country. That is of first im- 
 portance, but he is also contributing to its wealth. One 
 great field of his work is the utilization of by-products, that 
 is, the discovery of some use for what was formerly con- 
 sidered waste. Perhaps you have heard it said that the 
 Chicago packing houses use everything about pigs except 
 their squeals. This is largely due to the chemist. Rocke- 
 feller and Carnegie both say that they owe their wealth to 
 the chemist. Regarding by-products, read the follow- 
 ing quoted from a professor of chemistry : ' The corn 
 stalks from glucose plants are used for paper-making, 
 and oil is extracted from the seed germ. Formerly only 
 oil was made from cotton seed. Today paper, felt, fuel, 
 stock feed and potash are among the other products. 
 Skimmed milk from creameries was useless until the 
 chemist demonstrated that the contained casein could be 
 curdled with alkali and a dried product, soluble in water 
 and used in paper sizing and interior decoration, made
 
 206 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 therefrom. It may also be hardened for buttons, combs, 
 piano keys, billiard balls, etc." 
 
 The salaries of expert chemists are exceptionally good. 
 Some are receiving salaries of from $5000 to $50,000 
 a year. The chemist is among the highest paid men in 
 a manufacturing plant, and he is sometimes made super- 
 intendent. These are, however, at the extreme top, and 
 the pay in general varies according to the special line of 
 chemistry taken up. It is absolutely necessary to have 
 a thorough training first, then a chemist may begin at $75 
 or $100 a month. 
 
 It is said that the most important discoveries are yet 
 to be made by the chemist. In steel works, food plants, 
 leather goods and farm industries, the chemist is in 
 demand. Small wonder that we are told that the field 
 is unlimited. Dr. Wesener, of the Columbus Labora- 
 tories in Chicago, says that the world owes more to the 
 chemists than to any other one profession. lie may 
 have the satisfaction of knowing that his profession has 
 done the most for the betterment of mankind. The two 
 most important ways that he mentions are " the maintain- 
 ing of food supply by reclaiming exhausted soil and con- 
 serving soil fertility, and the searching out of chemical 
 specifics to combat and cure disease." 
 
 From the industrial point of view it is said that three 
 fourths of the manufacturing todav is based on chemistry. 
 Almost everything that we use in daily life is made what 
 it is through this science. It seems as if there could be 
 no mistake in the boy of ability going into this line of 
 work; and yet here, as everywhere, he ought to be sure 
 that he is enough interested and of the right temperament. 
 One young man of brilliant mind had been told that 
 chemistry was the field of the future. He spent several 
 years in preparation and work and then decided that the
 
 THE PROFESSIONS 
 
 207 
 
 laboratory work was too confining and that his nervous 
 make-up demanded a life with more variety and less pains- 
 taking application. So he decided to go into law, but since 
 he did not feel that he could give three more years to 
 preparation, he got ready by spending his evenings and 
 vacations reading law. He was bright enough to pass 
 his examinations and to get started, but after six years 
 he was still having a bitter struggle. Had he only known 
 in the beginning that he was not adapted to laboratory 
 work, much waste of time and energy might have been 
 avoided. So the mere fact that the pay is good and that 
 there is much interesting work to be done does not by any 
 means indicate that all boys should try it. 
 
 We are not accustomed to think of engineering as 
 woman's work, and at present it does seem that she will 
 have to allow men the greater part of that field. How- 
 ever, some women have accomplished much and have held 
 good positions in the field of chemistry. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. What do you understand by engineering? What do the en- 
 gineers in the army do? 
 
 2. Explain why the study of mathematics is a necessary prepara- 
 tion for the engineer. How is it connected witli building bridges? 
 
 3. In many large manufacturing plants, there is a department 
 especially for the working out of inventions. Which of the various 
 types of engineers mi<jht be working in these departments? Suggest 
 some of the kinds of things that they might be contriving. 
 
 4. Of what value is the knowledge of a foreign language to an en- 
 gineer ? 
 
 5. Mention all of the technical schools that you can. See if you 
 can find out what is the particular advantage of each one. 
 
 6. Make a list of the occupations that are dependent upon the en- 
 gineers. Tell exactly in what way this is true. 
 
 7. What great engineers do you know about? Tell something that 
 each one has accomplished. 
 
 8. What kind of an engineer do you think has the most desirable
 
 208 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 work? Why do you think this? If you were going to be that kind 
 of an engineer, tell just what preparation you would need, and just 
 where you would go to get it. How much would you have to invest 
 oefore you were ready to begin remunerative work? Would it be 
 possible for you to work and study at the same time? Just what 
 kind of work would )ou expect to do after you had completed your 
 education? How would you go to work to get started in your profes- 
 sion? 
 
 9. Make a list of the occupations. Check those that are de- 
 pendent upon the chemist and tell how. 
 
 10. Do you believe the statement made by many people that the 
 chemist is bound to be a lonely person? Defend your opinion. 
 
 11. What are some of the by-products of the Stock Yards in Chi- 
 cago? 
 
 12. Do you know of any women engineers? Which kinds of en- 
 gineering would it be possible for women to go into? Is there any 
 reason why they should hesitate to enter any one of them? Consider- 
 ing the way that women have gone into all sorts of manufacturing 
 since 1017, do you still think there is any limitation to their work 
 as engineers? 
 
 REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Newell, Frederick IT. Engineering as a Career. D. Van Nostrand 
 Co., 1916. 
 
 Douglas, James Untechnical Addresses on Technical Subjects. 
 James Wiley & Sons, 1908. 
 
 Williams, Archibald. How it is Done. Sully & Kleinteich. 
 
 Collins, James H. Article on " Chemistry " in Saturday Evening 
 Post. Feb. 10, 1917. 
 
 Magazines: Electrical World, Engineering Neics, Western Engineer- 
 ing 
 
 Goddard, Dwigiit. Eminent Engineers. Hill Publishing Co.
 
 CHAPTER X 
 
 PERSONAL SERVICES AND PROFESSIONS 
 FOR ENTERTAINMENT 
 
 There is a group of occupations that we might call 
 personal services, because they result in a greater con- 
 venience and comfort for the individuals engaged in the 
 work of the world. In our diagram we have placed them 
 in the series above the professions, for they are needed 
 to help here as well as in what we have called the funda- 
 mental occupations. Under this head might be classed, 
 hotels, barber shops, domestic arts, millinery, dressmak- 
 ing, and tailoring. Let us briefly discuss each one in 
 turn. 
 
 DRESSMAKING, MILLINERY, AND TAILORING 
 
 Naturally, dressmaking and millinery will interest the 
 girls more than the boys. The boys may be surprised, 
 however, to learn that some of the most distinguished 
 dressmakers have been men, and that occasionally we hear 
 of a man who is particularly gifted in designing and fit- 
 ting. On the other hand, tailoring is a field that offers 
 many opportunities to boys and men. A large propor- 
 tion of this work is now being done in factories, and the 
 discussion belongs under that head. But after all, we 
 know that there is still a big field here for the girl who 
 
 has the skill and is interested, and that there are countless 
 
 209
 
 210 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 tailor shops in which boys are going to find opportunity to 
 earn a living. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. Like the manufacturing trades, this occupation re- 
 quires manual skill. This means that the hands should 
 be deft in putting things together. Some people have a 
 natural aptitude for this and there is also much that can 
 be learned. In both dressmaking and millinery a girl 
 must be quick, accurate, and neat in her work. 
 
 2. There should be some inventiveness or ingenuity in 
 deciding how things can be put together in order to get 
 the most effective results. Some dressmakers and mil- 
 liners have manual skill and training so that they can 
 do exquisite work both in neat sewing and in finishing, 
 and besides this, they may be able to fit perfectly; while 
 others, who are careless in fine work and in finishing, have 
 the knack of making a jaunty bow, or of draping a dress, 
 or irivins: a twist or turn to a bit of trimming that makes 
 the whole hat or gown effective and stylish. The most 
 successful milliner or dressmaker will have both of these 
 qualities. 
 
 3. She should have business ability. Unless she is 
 working for some one else, she must have the qualities 
 necessary for a salesman, for just as necessary as produc- 
 ing a good product is the finding of customers for that 
 product. Along with this comes the business man's abil- 
 ity to keep accounts. Whether a dressmaker or milliner 
 is working by herself or whether she is running an estab- 
 lishment, she should be able to keep accounts, to know how 
 much she is spending for material, for help, for tools, and 
 for rent, so that she can tell whether certain expenditures 
 are good investments, or whether she would better cut 
 down in this place or charge more for certain work.
 
 personal services 211 
 
 Preparation 
 
 First, a progressive girl will realize that she cannot 
 learn this business once for all. Styles in clothes are 
 continually changing and part of a girl's training for this 
 work consists in learning how to keep abreast of the styles, 
 and even ahead of them by constantly studying the most 
 up-to-date shops in the big cities to learn what is being 
 worn, and by studying the fashion journals, especially 
 those from New York City and from Paris, to learn what 
 the styles will be six months from now. 
 
 But there are two ways of learning the trade in the 
 first place. A girl can enter a large establishment at a 
 low salary with the understanding that she is to learn the 
 trade from the bottom up. She must be careful however 
 in making the arrangement to provide that she will in 
 reality learn the trade and will not be kept indefinitely 
 lining hats or sewing buttons and hooks and eyes on 
 garments. If she gets work with a private dressmaker 
 or milliner she has a surer opportunity of learning every 
 detail of the business. 
 
 The other way of learning is to go to a school of cut- 
 ting and designing. This is probably the best and quick- 
 est way of making progress, but it is also more expensive, 
 as the learner is paying tuition rather than earning even a 
 small wage. However, there are splendid schools of this 
 sort. The girl learns not only the most accurate but the 
 quickest way of cutting. She learns how to fit and to 
 design both from a scientific and from an artistic stand- 
 point. She learns the various kinds of stitches and where 
 they should be used. She also becomes acquainted with 
 many sorts of garments, whereas, if she were learning 
 with a dressmaker, her field would be limited. In a 
 school she will probably be taught tailoring and other
 
 212 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 special branches of the trade that would be useful in run- 
 ning an establishment of her own. 
 
 Again, a bright girl may get a very good start from the 
 courses given in high school. Here besides the courses in 
 dressmaking and millinery, the course in drawing will be 
 helpful in drafting patterns which involve the propor- 
 tions of the human figure. The art course will train her 
 also in harmony of color. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 The following scale of wages is taken from a survey that 
 was made of the dressmaking and millinery shops in Cleve- 
 land, Ohio. It will give you some idea of the opportuni- 
 ties in this line, but you must remember that the high 
 school graduate who has taken what training she can get 
 there, has a chance of advancing much more rapidly than 
 the girl who has not had this training. 
 
 Beginners or apprentices run errands, learn to sew on 
 buttons, make button holes, etc. 
 
 In two years, they may become " helpers " ; and in 
 three or four years, " makers '• who are responsible for 
 getting the garment put together; then in three months 
 or more, they may become " drapers," who plan and drape 
 the garment on a form over a lining that has been fitted 
 to the customer. 
 
 Now, as to pay, the beginners get from $2.00 to $4.00 
 a week, the helpers, from $6.00 to $9.00 a week, the 
 makers, from $10.00 to $12.00; and the drapers, from 
 $18.00 to $20.00. Those who get the higher wages are 
 usually paid the additional amount for supervision. 
 
 In the millinery trade the scale of wages is a little dif- 
 ferent, the trimmers and designers getting considerably 
 more than the other workers. The average maker gets 
 from $4.00 to $15.00 a week, while the trimmer gets from
 
 PERS0NA1. SERVICES 
 
 213 
 
 $15.00 to $50.00. The rise is very slow and the trade 
 is decidedly seasonal. Employers advise girls not to en- 
 ter this work unless they can climb very quickly to the 
 top. In fact, unless a girl shows signs of being able to ad- 
 vance very rapidly they will not take one who must sup- 
 port herself. 
 
 This is the condition in one large city and the pay 
 and opportunities seem to be similar in other places. 
 
 In either of these lines a woman may go into business 
 entirely by herself. An ordinary seamstress makes $1.50 
 a day and up, while a first class dressmaker makes about 
 $3.00 a day. She also has the opportunity of buying her 
 materials at a discount and she may increase her income 
 by selling these. 
 
 This is a field which is by no means overcrowded. 
 In the busy season, aside from the opportunities 
 in the large establishments, the demand for first class dress- 
 makers and milliners is greater than the supply. In al- 
 most every town, the best dressmakers find their time very 
 much overcrowded. This often leads to starting a shop, 
 and gradually hiring more and more help. Of course 
 this means a greater investment of money and consequently 
 implies some business ability. Millinery shops belong 
 more in the class with stores and demand the ability to 
 sell goods. 
 
 In both of these lines there is the great fascination that 
 comes from creating things, from seeing a piece of work 
 well done, and from giving free scope to originality and 
 artistic ability. As in other lines, a woman here may 
 develop some specialty; for instance, one woman who 
 started with a very small beginning, found that she had 
 a talent for designing handsome gowns and particularly 
 for buying handsome laces and arranging them in an artis- 
 tic way. In this way she made a small fortune for her-
 
 214 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 self. A milliner specialized in all sorts of automobile hats 
 and was very successful. Another woman specialized 
 more narrowly, making nothing but baby jackets, and was 
 finally able to hire a shop down town and earn a good 
 income. 
 
 On the other hand, it is only fair to say that this is very 
 tiring, nervous work. Also the frequent encounters with 
 unreasonable, fussy customers require a good deal of poise. 
 However, there are disadvantages in every occupation, and 
 if a girl loves her work they sink into a minor place. 
 
 As for the boys, the chief opening is in the line of tail- 
 oring. The United States Census Report of 1910 shows 
 163,795 men tailors, and 40,813 women tailors. Tn the 
 clothing industries are 95,715 men and 48,892 women. 
 This seems to indicate that there are still opportunities in 
 the tailoring business. The great need of rapid produc- 
 tion of uniforms for the soldiers during the Civil War 
 caused a sudden growth of clothing factories. The de- 
 mand for ready-made garments is constantly increas- 
 ing, but it will be long before the individual tailor will 
 be replaced entirely. Many people are not altogether 
 normal in their proportions and so require suits that are 
 fitted especially to them. Many, also, can afford to pay 
 a little more for the sake of the superior style and work- 
 manship that a really expert tailor can give. The boy 
 who learns his trade in a tailor's shop and aims to own an 
 establishment some day, must acquire more than mere 
 skill in cutting and fitting. He must become acquainted 
 with various kinds of materials, must learn how to buy in 
 the most economical way, and, particularly if he contem- 
 plates tailoring for women as well as for men, he must 
 cultivate an artistic sense. 
 
 Unfortunately this occupation is decidedly seasonal. 
 For about half of the year the work must be pushed at a
 
 PEKSONAI, SERVICES 215 
 
 tremendous rate, while during the remaining months there 
 is a lull in operations. Another disadvantage is that the 
 man who aims to become a designer and contrives new 
 styles, cannot get a copyright for his work. This par- 
 tially explains the constantly changing styles ; for as soon 
 as an attractive style appears, it is copied by many tailors, 
 and so the designer must develop something new. In the 
 shops the best pressers are paid $18 a week, the cutters $25. 
 This is mechanical work that can be learned very quickly. 
 The management of a shop requires executive ability 
 and ingenuity. It is said that frequently tailors are poor 
 cost accountants, and that this explains why many of 
 them fail. Special systems of accounting have been 
 worked out for the tailor, so that the boy who is inter- 
 ested may learn the business in a scientific way. An idea 
 of the opportunity may be had from the fact that many 
 of the employers began as employees. Most of these are 
 the sons of immigrants. 
 
 DOMESTIC ARTS 
 
 Here again is an occupation in which girls are par- 
 ticularly interested, although as in the case of dressmaking 
 some of the finest workmen along these lines are men. 
 Because service in the household has been given to girls 
 with little or no education, who received small pay and 
 had few privileges, the occupation has fallen into a cer- 
 tain disrepute. But conditions are changing. The girl 
 who must go to work before she has finished high school 
 is still likely to go into a factory or to clerk in a store 
 with very small wages and without much hope of advance- 
 ment. On the other hand the idea of domestic work has 
 changed, and as we look into it we shall find that it includes 
 a wide range of occupations and that it is likely to offer
 
 216 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 opportunities to many girls, not, however, as household 
 servants in its former interpretation. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 The qualifications are many and varied according to 
 the special branch specified; but in general we may say 
 that they are, 
 
 1. An ability to manipulate and to do things quickly, 
 and with the fewest possible motions. 
 
 2. The power of organization and management. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 A girl may learn to be a competent cook by working 
 with an experienced, capable house-keeper, who is willing 
 to take the time to teach her. However, for the most de- 
 sirable positions, there should be scientific training where 
 there are laboratory facilities. Here, a girl not only learns 
 what to do and what results to expect, but she learns why 
 she does each thing, and why certain products are failures. 
 Thus much time and material are saved. Also she learns 
 what foods are the most nourishing and digestible, and 
 the most economical ways of preparing them. Many high 
 schools now have courses which give much of this train- 
 ing. If a girl would go beyond that, there are splendid 
 courses in some of the universities. Then there are in 
 some cities special schools of domestic science. From the 
 point of view of management, a good course in bookkeep- 
 ing and in economics is most desirable. Cost accounting 
 and scientific management, which are considered so neces- 
 sary for business men, would put all of this sort of work 
 on a much more efficient basis.
 
 PERSONAL SERVICES 217 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 A girl without special training may go into domestic 
 service and make about $5.00 a week besides her living 
 expenses. But she has almost no chance of advancing be- 
 yond this. What, then, are some of the positions in which 
 a girl with training can find desirable work? If she 
 becomes expert she may become a cook in a large private 
 home, or in some institution. She would clear about 
 $50.00 a month and her work would be pleasant. In 
 these places there is usually a girl to do much of the 
 routine work; such as, washing the dishes, and prepar- 
 ing the vegetables. So that the cook is doing skilled 
 work that requires special preparation. 
 
 Or she may be engaged as a housekeeper. In many 
 wealthy homes, there is some reason why the mistress is 
 unable or is not inclined to run her home, or perhaps a 
 widower is left with a family of children and must hire 
 some one to take the place of home-maker. In such posi- 
 tions, there are usually pleasant surroundings, plenty of 
 help, and often a social standing, the same as that of 
 the family in which she works. Or she might get a 
 similar position in an institution or in a girls' dormitory 
 at some college. These are administrative positions and 
 require executive ability. There is the responsibility of 
 running an establishment, of directing other people in 
 their work, of seeing that financially the business is well 
 managed so that expenses come within the allowed amount. 
 Other examples of this sort are superintendents of hotels, 
 hospitals, summer resorts, and managers of clubs. 
 
 An expert cook who understands thoroughly the science 
 of food values, and all connected therewith, may become 
 a dietitian, in a hospital or institution. 
 
 When a girl has mastered the art of preparing food
 
 218 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 in an attractive way and of managing expenses well, with 
 a little capita], there is a chance of her making a success 
 in a tea room or food shop. Some women have 
 made a reputation by furnishing some one article, such 
 as, pickles, pastry, jelly, or salad, for a high class 
 restaurant or tea room. 
 
 When you consider these opportunities, and also that 
 many girls find this sort of work attractive, that if they 
 marry later, it has only made them the more competent 
 to manage their own homes, and that much of it is work 
 that can be carried on after marriage, it seems as if it 
 would pay to consider it carefully. Many of these op- 
 portunities put a woman into a position to care for the 
 well-being of other people, and there are many women 
 who can be satisfied in no other way. 
 
 HOTELS AND KESTAUKANTS 
 
 It is easy to see that hotels and restaurants belong to 
 the group of occupations that are of service to the others. 
 According to the 11)10 census, there were 04,594 hotel 
 managers in this country, and 60,832 who ran restaurants 
 of one sort or another. Of these, 24,750 are women. 
 This does not count all the other employees in such places; 
 many of whom, however, we discuss under some other 
 group. They would come under the head of domestic 
 arts, telephone and telegraph operators, clerks and book- 
 keepers, stenographers, and others. We shall, in this 
 place, confine our discussion to managers and their as- 
 sistants. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 1. You yourself will probably say immediately that 
 the first essential is executive ability. There are many
 
 PERSONAL SERVICES 219 
 
 departments to be managed, and as in any other under- 
 taking success or failure is likely to depend upon this 
 quality in the man at the helm. 
 
 2. Then there must be the qualities of the salesman. 
 The hotel manager must offer the right sort of goods in 
 the right place ; that is, he must not try to run a fashion- 
 able city hotel in a small town, or to run a cheap lunch 
 counter in a fashionable district. He must know how to 
 make what he has to offer attractive to his patrons and 
 to advertise so as to bring in many people. And, as we 
 have seen, all these abilities are the marks of a good 
 salesman. 
 
 3. Perhaps more than in any other line the man in 
 this business must have the quality of courtesy. lie is 
 obliged to serve people of all sorts of queer dispositions, 
 and he must be tactful in catering to their little whims and 
 unreasonable demands. His great object is to make his 
 patron's surroundings comfortable and pleasant, and 
 the more he does this the more likely he will be to suc- 
 ceed. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 One does not go to a technical school for this business ; 
 instead, he makes a thorough study of everything that 
 has been done in this line. A general education, at least 
 that of the high school, is essential for its broad founda- 
 tion to enable the manager to meet and converse with all 
 sorts of people. A course in accounting would be most 
 desirable. It is said that no other business could thrive 
 with the tremendous waste that takes place in hotels and 
 restaurants. Cost accounting, which has received such 
 an impetus lately, would help much in determining where 
 the loss came. Recently a banking house — a business 
 which we feel is made up of accounts — hired a cost ac-
 
 220 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 countant to see just what each part of their business was 
 costing them. They found that in some lines they were 
 spending more than they were making, and from this they 
 were able to make valuable adjustments. How much more 
 would such a system help in hotels, where such an immense 
 amount of money is spent on food, on linen, and for 
 help ! Beyond this preparation, a prospective manager 
 would probably begin in some one of the lower positions, 
 and while he was getting points on the business would be 
 saving his money until he had enough capital to become 
 a proprietor. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 As opportunity here means not obtaining a position but 
 owning a business, it depends largely upon the ability and 
 capital of the person concerned. Of course, in the larg- 
 est hotels, there are salaried positions such as managers, 
 for when one man owns a number of hotels or restaurants, 
 he must employ a number of managers. One man is 
 in business for himself as a " doctor for sick hotels." 
 When he hears of a hotel that has failed, and there are 
 a good many of these, he plans to buy this, find out what 
 the trouble is and go about making it pay. He seems to 
 have a genius for this. Then when he has made it a 
 paying business, he sells out and looks out for another. 
 
 MUSICIANS, ARTISTS, ACTORS 
 
 We have called these " professions for entertainment," 
 and they serve all other occupations; for without the 
 culture and pleasure that men and women derive from 
 them, life would be a pretty dull affair, and very mo- 
 notonous at times. They serve to make life richer and 
 more beautiful. The artist also frequently works in co- 
 operation with the more material occupations; for in-
 
 PERSONAL SERVICES 221 
 
 stance, the architect, the illustrator, the cartoonist, the 
 landscape gardener, the photographer, and many others 
 apply their art to very practical uses. 
 
 Qualifications 
 
 One statement may be made of all occupations in this 
 group ; namely, that it is useless to start out unless one is 
 certain of a decided talent. That is, musicians, artists, 
 and actors, just as poets, seem to be born, not made. Not 
 that the same qualities are present in all, but they are so 
 very pronounced that this may very safely be said : If you 
 have taken advantage of all the opportunities in these 
 lines given in high school, either you will be sure that 
 you have not a talent, or you will at least have a strong- 
 suspicion that you have. In the latter case it would be 
 well to consult with some expert in the line in which you 
 think you have an aptitude, and get his advice as to whether 
 you have a talent that is worth cultivation. 
 
 Preparation 
 
 Of course these professions require very thorough and 
 special preparation. There are private teachers and spe- 
 cial schools for all of them. These are easy to find, but if 
 one is to make a profession of his art, it would pay to find 
 the very best. There are schools of music and art in 
 connection with most colleges and universities, and there 
 are special schools in the large cities. Those who have 
 made the very most of their profession, have usually spent 
 two or three years in Europe. But as in other professions, 
 one must study as long as one practices his art. One fa- 
 mous musician said : " If I neglect to practise one day I 
 know it, if I neglect it two or three days everyone knows 
 it." There are changes and improvements in art and in 
 acting as in everything and those engaged in that work must
 
 222 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 keep up with the advances. There are schools of acting 
 and besides that most actors start out as pupils in some good 
 company. That is, they are necessarily pupils, because the 
 training is very severe. The man who is putting on a play 
 will not run the risk of having any defects in his perform- 
 ance for the sake of anyone's feelings, so one who starts out 
 as an actor must make up his mind to endure a good deal 
 of frank criticism. 
 
 Opportunities 
 
 The period of struggle and poverty for people in these 
 professions is proverbial. One must be of the very first 
 rank and others must know that he is before he will be 
 in demand. But for those who are really gifted and pre- 
 pared, there are many sorts of positions. The musician 
 may go into concert work, he may give lessons, or he may 
 go into an orchestra and play on the many occasions that 
 are now demanding such music. Organists and pianists 
 can get positions in churches and in places where there 
 are large assemblies. 
 
 We have mentioned the opportunity of the artist as 
 illustrator. You can see by looking at the cartoons in 
 the daily and weekly papers that there is a place for the 
 artist who also has a nimble wit. These have an oppor- 
 tunity for a wide influence; for the picture often makes 
 an impression where the printed word fails; and many 
 absorb the pictures who do not take the time to read. 
 The clever illustrator can draw a good salary from some 
 publisher; and there are many forms of commercial work ; 
 such as coloring slides, designing book covers, place cards, 
 and Christmas cards. 
 
 Lena Ashwell, the actress, in telling of the opportuni- 
 ties, in her profession, does not paint an outlook that 
 seems very promising.
 
 PERSONAL SERVICES 223 
 
 It is difficult to give any statement of the income from 
 these professions as it varies so greatly ; but it is per- 
 haps safe to say that there is not much chance except 
 for those of unusual talent. On the other hand there 
 is an especial joy for those who have talent and are able 
 to make their living in that way. They love their work 
 as perhaps those of no other occupation do. 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. Why flo most people prefer a man to a woman tailor? 
 
 2. Why should dressmaking belong especially to women? 
 
 3. What has cut down the dressmakers' trade? 
 
 4. Is the constant change in styles an advantage or a disadvantage 
 to tho dressmaker, the tailor and the milliner? 
 
 5. Which do you think would be better for a girl: to learn dress- 
 making or millinery in a special school for that purpose, or to get 
 a place to work with a dressmaker or milliner or in an establish- 
 ment? Give as many arguments as you can on both sides. 
 
 6. How would a boy start out to learn the tailoring business? 
 
 7. An ambitious young dressmaker, after learning her trade, 
 studied in the Art Institute in Chicago. What could she find there 
 that would help her in her work? 
 
 8. Millinery is decidedly a seasonal trade. What is meant by 
 this? 
 
 9. What do tailors do besides merely making suits? 
 
 10. What is meant by poise? Explain how it is needed in all three 
 of the lines of work mentioned here. 
 
 11. If you were planning to be either a milliner, a dressmaker, or 
 a tailor, how would you prepare for your work? 
 
 12. Some time ago a magazine published a long argument to prove 
 that girls should go into domestic service rather than into factory 
 work. Give as many arguments as you can on both sides. 
 
 13. In what sort of places are men employed as cooks and chefs? 
 Are they more capable here than women? 
 
 14. What is the connection between chemistry and cooking? 
 
 15. What is meant by the Smith-Hughes Act? On account of the 
 provisions of this act, many of the universities have established 
 houses in which a certain number of the girls live in relays for about
 
 224 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 a month at a time. Find out what the object of this is and what 
 they do there. 
 
 16. What is meant by the American and the European plan in 
 hotels and restaurants? Which do you think would be more profit- 
 able for the proprietor! 
 
 17. What is meant by "table d'hote" and "a la carte" service? 
 Which is more likely to help in carrying out the plans of the Food 
 Administration in war times? 
 
 18. In what way is there a waste in the hotel business? 
 
 19. Mention the names of as many illustrators as you can. 
 
 20. Are there any productions of real artists in your community? 
 Can you think of any place in which an artist's work might be valu- 
 able? 
 
 21. What peculiar risks do musicians run? What kinds of insur- 
 ance do they have to take out? 
 
 22. Why are so many girls and some boys eager to go on the 
 stage? What kind of lives are they likely to live if they do go? 
 
 23. Which sort of art do you think benefits future generations 
 most ? 
 
 24. Why is the destruction of cathedrals by the Germans considered 
 such a terrible crime? 
 
 25. Can you explain why it is that so often artists scarcely make 
 a living? 
 
 '6 
 
 REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Bulletins: locations for Boston Girls. The Girls Trade Education 
 League. Boston, 1911. 
 
 Bulletins: Vocations for Boys. The Vocation Bureau of Boston, 
 1916. 
 
 Francke, Marie. Opportunities for Women in Domestic Science. 
 
 System for January, 1!)17. "A Doctor for Sick Hotels." 
 
 Allinson, May. Dressmaking as a Trade for Women in Massachu- 
 setts. Washington, Bureau of Labor Statistics. 191G. 
 
 Watkins, Edward. The Secret of Successful Tailoring. 
 
 Beeman, Claud V. Cost and Selling Price for Merchant Tailors. 
 
 Bulletins: 144, 145, 147. Washington, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 
 
 (ESSENTIAL TO ALL OCCUPATIONS) 
 
 We have discussed so far some of the opportunities in 
 various lines of business such as selling, manufacturing, 
 banking, transportation, and the professions, and some of 
 the specific qualifications that are required in each line. 
 There are, however, some personal qualifications that 
 are fundamental to success anywhere. These fundamental 
 qualifications may be grouped under the headings: Per- 
 sonality, Health, Intellect, Character, Friends. In fact, 
 a person who looks well after these essentials may succeed 
 in any of a vast number of occupations. 
 
 PERSONALITY 
 
 By personality is meant the combination of voice, 
 dress, manner and disposition which marks you as 
 an individual. These are characteristics some of which 
 you inherit and some of which you have learned in the 
 home and in society. The point to be specially considered 
 is that when one starts at it early enough in life it is pos- 
 sible to change these things to a very large degree. That 
 is, people from seventeen to twenty-three or four are in 
 a period that we call, in psychology, the plastic period. 
 They may, as it were, shape or mold themselves to almost 
 any desired ideal. If, then, your ideal is set upon cer- 
 tain desirable things in the matter of personality you 
 
 can accomplish these things now. A little later in life, 
 
 "225
 
 226 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 when habit becomes fixed upon yon, it will be very diffi- 
 cult to change these habits and yon will very probably go 
 through life with the same personality, either attractive 
 or repelling, which yon have at that time. Let us con- 
 sider in detail some of the elements that go to make up 
 personality. 
 
 1. One of the first things that people will note about 
 you is your voice. Do you ever stop to consider the quality 
 of your voice in conversation or in talking over the 
 phone ? Is your voice pleasant, clear, and modulated, or 
 is it harsh, nasal, and uncontrolled? Elihu Bnrritt says 
 of the voice, Watch it day by day as a pearl of great 
 price, for it will be worth more to you in the days to 
 come than the best pearl hid in the sea. A kind voice is 
 joy, like a lark's song, to a hearth at home. Train it to 
 sweet tones now and it will keep in tune through life." 
 The voice has much to do with the impression a person 
 makes on first acquaintance. 
 
 2. The second thing that is instantaneously noted is 
 the condition of your dress and person. This is a pretty 
 intimate matter, but it will pay to look it squarely in the 
 face. For instance, is your dress neat and appropriate for 
 the work you have to do? Yon must be neither slouchy 
 nor overdressed for the work on hand. One's person must 
 be well kept; hands clean, hair combed, shoes clean. 
 These are matters which make a very decided difference in 
 the success of one who deals with the public. A cus- 
 tomer is either repelled or attracted by the neatness 
 or appropriateness of the salesperson's dress. For 
 this reason and because everyone's taste and judgment 
 in this matter cannot be trusted, some stores insist that 
 their clerks wear only black and white; and some make 
 stipulations as to the manner of dressing the hair. Since 
 big business men consider these matters so important it is
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 227 
 
 surely worth our while to give some attention to them. 
 One man, who employs many people, always makes a 
 point of observing the hair and shoes of the applicants, as 
 he considers these an index of a candidate's iitness. All 
 this may seem superficial and, of course, certain other 
 qualifications are more important, but on first acquaintance 
 people are judged by their personality, and voice and dress 
 have much to do with this. 
 
 3. After the impression made by the general appear- 
 ance and the tone of voice, will come the judgment formed 
 by your manner of meeting people. In training yourself 
 to an attractive manner, there are three or four things to 
 remember. The first important asset is courtesy. Here 
 are some of the things that successful business men have 
 said aboiit its value: Mr. George Whelan, the president 
 of a company operating six hundred separate stores, puts 
 the following estimate upon courtesy : " Courtesy is the 
 cheapest commodity in the world and yet the most far- 
 reaching in its effect. Incidentally, courtesy is the basis 
 of good retail service. I have laid down the rule that 
 not only should every salesman say l Thank you ' to 
 every customer, but also he should say it as if he meant it. 
 We have spent fifty thousand dollars hammering this 
 idea in. So thoroughly do I believe in it that one day 
 last year I sent the following telegram to every clerk in 
 our employ : ' Did you say " Thank you " to every cus- 
 tomer you waited on today ? ' ■ " 
 
 The following is quoted from a series of cards which 
 a railroad company sends every month to its employees: 
 " There is only one time to be courteous — that's always. 
 The time when it is hardest to be courteous is the time when 
 it is most needed. Strong men can always afford to be 
 gentle. Only the weak are intent on giving as good as 
 they get. Loss of temper gains nothing. Remember your
 
 228 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 greatest asset is courtesy. Try it. Every smile of satis- 
 faction that you bring to a patron's face is a cash asset 
 to us and to you. Cultivate courtesy for what it means 
 to you." 
 
 . Just one more quotation, this time from a successful 
 banker: "I do not speak idl}- in praise of politeness, 
 for out of the experience of 56 years in the banking busi- 
 ness it has been borne in upon me almost daily that 
 courtesy is one of the prime factors in the building up of 
 a career. It is the hallmark of a gentleman and of the 
 keen man of affairs." 
 
 There is no question of the value of politeness in busi- 
 ness. As great a corporation as the Chicago and North 
 Western Kailroad lays great stress upon its necessity over 
 the telephone where there is a great tendency to be abrupt 
 and by quick, short answers to cause offense unintention- 
 ally. This is best illustrated by a few examples of phone 
 conversations given in the North Western'Magazine: 
 
 "Here is a sample of all too common impolite use of 
 the telephone: A call has come to the office of Mr. 
 Brown. The caller is answered like this: ' Hello! No. 
 You've got the wrong office.' (Business of slamming the 
 telephone on the hook.) 
 
 " It appears the caller wanted the office of Mr. Jones. 
 The proper and polite handling of this case would be 
 something like this: 
 
 " ' This is Mr. Brown's office. ISTo, you should have 
 Mr. Jones' department : please hold the wire a moment 
 and I'll try to get it for you. There's Mr. Jones. Sorry 
 you had this trouble.' 
 
 " Another sample of something to be avoided, because 
 it is particularly irritating, in which both sides "of the 
 telephone conversation are given : 
 
 "Call— 'Is this Mr. Smith's office?'
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 229 
 
 " Answer — ' Yes.' 
 
 " Call — ' May I speak with Mr. Smith ? ' 
 
 " Answer — ' Who is this ? ' (or ' Who are you ? ') 
 
 " This brings out one of the most exasperating things 
 in the whole category of telephone irritations. The caller 
 wishes to speak directly with Mr. Smith. Naturally he 
 is annoyed to have some subordinate — perhaps the office 
 boy — ask in anything but a polite way who he is. It 
 may be necessary to protect Mr. Smith from inconsequen- 
 tials calls by telephone, but this may be done with polite- 
 ness and diplomacy. Let us suggest a much better way 
 to secure the desired protection: 
 
 " Call — ' Is this Mr. Smith's office ? ' 
 
 " Answer — ' Yes.' 
 
 " Call — < May I speak with Mr. Smith ? ' 
 
 " Answer — ' Just a moment till I see if he is in. May 
 I say who is asking for him ? ' 
 
 " Nine cases out of ten this polite and proper query 
 brings the desired answer. The caller is not irritated by 
 what sounds like rudeness, and the giving of his name may 
 enable you to transact the business in hand without bother- 
 ing Mr. Smith at all. 
 
 " Always avoid asking directly, in such a case, the name 
 of the person calling. A little diplomacy will save the 
 caller irritation and you the charge of being rude. 
 
 " What we have said applies also to all telephone deal- 
 ings between employes. The habit of politeness, once 
 formed, makes no exceptions. It has not one face for the 
 public and another for your fellow worker." 
 
 It is most important for you to notice the last point. 
 If vou give the habit conscious attention now, you will 
 find later that politeness comes naturally and that you have 
 gained a great asset for your business career. This point 
 is being emphasized more and more, and you can scarcely
 
 230 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 pick up a magazine that does not have some comment on 
 the subject. 
 
 Next comes a quality almost inseparably connected with 
 courtesy, namely, tact. Indeed, 1 suppose that a really 
 courteous person is pretty sure to be tactful. Tact con- 
 sists not only in doing the polite thing, such as saying 
 " please " and " thank you," allowing the other person to 
 precede you through a door, or offering a chair. It con- 
 sists rather in doing and saying the thing that will really 
 make the other person the most comfortable. For in- 
 stance, every one feels a little complimented when his 
 name and face are remembered. Tact is also required in 
 making each person you deal with feel that you are giving 
 his transaction your full attention. Do not let him feel 
 that you are in a hurry to get through or that you are more 
 interested in something else. Perhaps these suggestions 
 will make the meaning of tact clear. It may be gained 
 by always seeing the other person's point of view and it 
 adds a charm to personality that is desirable in every 
 occupation. 
 
 A third point closely akin to courtesy and tact is man- 
 ners. That is, there is something more than courtesy and 
 tact which must govern our attitude towards other people; 
 we must give attention to our own individual manners even 
 though we think they are entirely personal. Such things 
 as unconventional ways of using one's knife and fork, 
 smoking while talking with a lady, or rudely pushing 
 ahead of others, will always repel a refined person. It 
 would be profitable to make a study of manners that are 
 generally accepted and to train yourself in them ; for their 
 sum total makes such a difference in the impression others 
 get of you that your business success will be largely in- 
 fluenced by them. 
 
 But as important as any of the foregoing points, is the
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 231 
 
 endeavor to cultivate a pleasant manner; that is, one that 
 is not marked by grouchiness or touchiness. A man who, 
 when he. comes into an establishment to do business, has a 
 pleasant, agreeable attitude has, in a large war, won 
 what he wishes. George W. Perkins, the great financier, 
 is said to have a smile which is worth $250,000. 
 
 In a large store in Chicago, this sign is posted: 
 " Civility and smiles don't cost anything. We have a 
 large supply of both." 
 
 While we are talking of personality, one more point 
 should be emphasized, and I am inclined to think that 
 there are few so worth while. It is a virtue that 
 will cover a multitude of sins. I refer to enthusiasm. 
 Don't be afraid to show an interest in and a great liking 
 for your work. There is nothing in the world so con- 
 tagious. Charles M. Schwab, the great steel magnate, later 
 director of the Emergency Fleet Corporation, says: 
 " Bethlehem's biggest asset is not its rolling mill plants, 
 its gun shops, its armor works, its rail mills ; it is the 
 men who make up its enthusiastic organization." No- 
 tice the adjective, enthusiastic, and think what that qual- 
 ity would mean to a big business. At any rate, Mr. 
 Schwab, who ought to know as well as anyone, thinks it 
 important. There is all the difference in the world be- 
 tween having a liking for your work with an interest in 
 getting it accomplished in the best way, and in dragging 
 through the eight hours that you must keep busy in 
 order to draw your pay, thinking all the time of how hard 
 it is and how glad you will be when the clock strikes 
 five. 
 
 To quote once more from Mr. Schwab : " I have al- 
 ways felt that the surest way to qualify for the job just 
 ahead is to work a little harder than any one else on the 
 job one is holding down. One of the most successful men
 
 232 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 I have known never carried a watch until he began to 
 earn ten thousand dollars a year. Before that he had 
 managed with a nickel alarm clock in his bedroom, which 
 he never forgot to wind. A man will succeed in any- 
 thing about which he has real enthusiasm, in which he 
 is genuinely interested, provided that he will take more 
 thought about his job than the men working with him." 
 
 HEALTH 
 
 The second fundamental thing that any prospective 
 employer is going to notice in regard to you, when you 
 apply for a position, is whether you are in good health. 
 ]S T o employer wants a sickly person about, one who is not 
 able to do a good day's work, or one who conies down in 
 the morning complaining of headaches or indigestion, or 
 one who is constantly taking days off on account 
 of sickness. There is no need for any one to be an 
 anaemic, nervous, excitable individual if he will take 
 care of himself properly. The ordinary rules for health 
 are worth while for everybody ; they are included in the 
 five following points: Exercise, Fresh air, Good food, 
 Good hours, Good habits. Indeed the whole matter of 
 personality which we have just been discussing, courtesy, 
 tact, cheerfulness, and enthusiasm, is dependent to a 
 great degree on the condition of one's health. You have 
 probably noticed that when you feel miserable physically, 
 enthusiasm lags and you feel generally grouchy. 
 
 The boys have seen the importance of this in the case of 
 athletics. The professional athlete makes a special study 
 of keeping himself fit. Actors and actresses make a busi- 
 ness of keeping themselves in fine physical condition, and 
 the fine points of their art are built upon this as a basis.- 
 In war times, especially, we realize the importance of 
 health when many young men are rejected from the army
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 233 
 
 because they do not quite come up to the required physical 
 standard, which might have been attained if they had 
 obeyed these five rules of health. One young man, a 
 mathematical and engineering genius, splendid in every 
 way, in his physical examination was found to have slight 
 trouble with his heart, and the government would not ac- 
 cept him. This young man had no idea that he was not in 
 good condition, but he himself realized that the trouble had 
 probably come because he had paid no attention to the laws 
 of health. For months every night he had been attending 
 parties that kept him up until one or two o'clock so that, 
 being obliged to start for business early in the morning, 
 he was not getting the necessary sleep. With this neglect 
 there was no chance of recovery from the heart trouble. 
 The disappointment was great but was a direct result of 
 his manner of living. 
 
 The ordinary youth has an abundance of health which 
 he should conserve as he would so much capital. It has 
 been said of the college men in Germany that one-third 
 killed themselves by dissipation; one-third killed them- 
 selves by overwork, and the other third ruled (or it might 
 be more nearly true to say misruled) the nation. Perhaps 
 if the first two-thirds had been more moderate, there 
 would now be a class of educated men with a saner view of 
 life. 
 
 The following is what a successful employer of many 
 men says on this subject: 
 
 " Every sound man is worth building up in business, 
 but a sick man or a man with a contagious or fatal dis- 
 ease is not. You must have something to build on. A 
 man who is ill or weak cannot be cheerful, and a good 
 clerk must be cheerful. People do not want to buy goods 
 from clerks who look ill or cross. Hence the employer 
 must not take chances in hiring sick people. . . ."
 
 234 VOCATIONAL, CIVICS 
 
 Your body is a very complicated piece of machinery. 
 Ask yourself how lung this machine will last. A railway 
 man says that the working life of a healthy human being 
 is normally longer than that of the best locomotive. But 
 a large proportion of men do not keep themselves in 
 working order for the normal length of time. One busi- 
 ness man says to his employees: " It's none of my busi- 
 ness what you do at night, but if dissipation affects what 
 you do next day and you do half as much as I demand, 
 you'll last half as long as you hoped." 
 
 It is hard to realize that one may draw too heavily on 
 his supply of strength. We are in the grasp of an in- 
 evitable law. Lack of exercise, bad air, poor nourish- 
 ment, late hours, and dissipated habits are bound to tell 
 on the physical capital. But the wise youth who recog- 
 nizes this truth, will cultivate a goodly supply of health 
 and guard it against the time to come. 
 
 INTELLECT 
 
 Important as is health to success, and its impor- 
 tance can scarcely be overestimated, it is, nevertheless, 
 only the basis for a still more indispensable quality. The 
 great watchword of the present age is efficiency ; and the 
 efficiency which is demanded today is in most cases men- 
 tal in character and not physical. The great rewards in 
 money, name, or power come to the man who excels on a 
 mental plane. The question is not whether you are bigger 
 or stronger but whether you have a better, or better 
 trained mind than those with whom you are going to 
 compete. This does not alter what we said about the 
 importance of health. Health is so much capital, but it 
 takes intellect to build up success with whatever capital you 
 may have. 
 
 In former days we were told that if we were honest and
 
 PEESONAL QUALIFICATIONS 235 
 
 industrious, we would be sure to succeed. Recently an 
 eminent business man when asked to name the qualities 
 necessary for success said: "Honesty and the whole 
 category of qualities that have usually been given in an- 
 swer to this question are today considered so fundamental 
 that they are taken for granted as absolutely necessary ; 
 but they are by no means all that is necessary. For success 
 there is no substitute for efficiency." If an easy going 
 virtue will not carry us very far, but if we must also be 
 actively efficient, it is surely worth our while to stop for 
 a minute and see if we can determine some of the elements 
 which go to make up an efficient man. Men around us 
 are saying, " There are lots of $1200 men, but not enough 
 $10,000 men to go around." What makes the difference 
 between the two ? Some successful men who have studied 
 the question, say there are about half a dozen elements 
 which one needs to cultivate if he would be successful. 
 These are Initiative, Decision, Dispatch, Skill, Persever- 
 ance. Let us take these up in the order mentioned. 
 
 1. Initiative. By this we mean a power to start things 
 and to carry them through. We mean that when diffi- 
 culties arise, you are not balked by them nor do you ask 
 for help, but you yourself work through to a solution. It 
 is, in other terms, to have an ideal and the ability to move 
 always towards it. It means also a power to invent ways 
 of carrying on your work. Probably you have heard the 
 story of the man who at the time of the Spanish- American 
 war took a message from our president to Garcia, the 
 leader of the Cuban Insurgents. ISTo one knew where 
 Garcia was; but he was somewhere in the mountains be- 
 yond the reach of mail or telegraph. A man by the 
 name of Powan was asked by McKinley to find Garcia 
 and deliver a letter to him. This man was selected be- 
 cause of his reputation for initiative; and he proved
 
 236 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 worthy of that reputation. He did not ask, " Where is 
 Garcia ? " He crossed to the island, penetrated the jungle, 
 and in a little less than four weeks had delivered the let- 
 ter to the man who it was thought could not be found but 
 whose discovery was so necessary for this country. It is 
 worth while to cultivate the habit of using your mind to 
 find out ways of accomplishing things. 
 
 2. Decision. By decision we mean the power to make 
 up your mind as to the best thing to be done and to start 
 doing it. It is not to wish things done but to do them. 
 We say of some people that " their wish bone is where their 
 back bone ought to be." This characterizes the man who 
 has not the judgment and will power to make quick de- 
 cisions. A woman, who because of this ability has man- 
 aged big enterprises and accomplished much in a con- 
 structive way, as a child could never make up her mind 
 about anything. She would keep everyone waiting and 
 cause delays simply because she could not decide what to 
 wear, what to buy, or where to go. Finally her parents 
 formed the plan of giving her each time just so many min- 
 utes to make up her mind and when it was once made up, 
 under no circumstances whatever would they allow her to 
 change. This was an extreme process and the ' no 
 change " habit is not always a good one, but it worked well 
 as a method of discipline, and it might be a good plan for 
 you to try on yourself if you are troubled with indecision. 
 3. Dispatch. Dispatch means the habit of getting busy 
 and keeping busy until your work is done, not frittering 
 away your time, nor wasting it over trifles, but getting 
 at the main piece of work. In other words, it means the 
 ability to do more than the next fellow in quantity. This 
 may mean faster work in a given amount of time, as for 
 instance, in the case of a stenographer; or it may mean 
 endurance to work longer when a crisis requires it, as in the
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 237 
 
 case of a doctor at a critical time, or in business when 
 there is an extra amount of work to be done. Figuratively 
 expressed, the rule is, " Hitch a high speed motor to your 
 brain." When an employee on being criticized for his 
 slowness, answered, " But I am working carefully," his 
 employer aptly replied, " Yes, it takes brains to work fast 
 and still accurately." So, dispatch is also a mental qual- 
 ity and can be cultivated as such. One very good oppor- 
 tunity to practise this is at the time of written examina- 
 tions. 
 
 4. Skill. Be skilled in whatever you undertake. This 
 skill will depend first upon a good general education. At 
 least finish your high school course if possible. Take his- 
 tory, science, mathematics, literature, until you have some 
 general view of the field of knowledge. You will be sur- 
 prised as you go on to find this general training helping 
 you out at every turn. Second, skill will depend upon 
 special training in the lines in which you wish to work. 
 This may mean the technical training of the engineer, or 
 normal school training for the teacher, or the business 
 course for the stenographer. Special training makes the 
 skilled workman. More and more as competition grows 
 keener and keener, each occupation is demanding a special 
 course of preparation. We have talked about this more in 
 detail in the various chapters ; and you have learned what 
 is expected in the different lines of business. But to rise 
 above a certain low level in any of them, one must have the 
 skill that comes from training. 
 
 5. Perseverance. Lastly, perseverance is necessary for 
 success. This means sticking to your work until you 
 have mastered it. It means will power and energy com- 
 bined. A little story that will illustrate this point is told 
 about Paderewski, that greatest of pianists. On being 
 complimented upon his brilliant playing, he replied, " I
 
 238 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 played with an orchestra in Vienna. My work lasted four 
 hours a day. After I was through with my regular work, 
 1 practised for twelve hours every day. Often my arms 
 were stiff and numb, but I did this for fourteen years. 
 Other musicians laughed at me and called me a fool. Now 
 people applaud me and call me a genius." This is an ex- 
 treme case, but often success for an individual comes from 
 doggedly and energetically keeping at his work after most 
 people would think that they had earned a vacation. 
 
 These five points that go to make up efficiency might be 
 summed up as follows : Do your work more courageously, 
 more energetically, faster, better and longer than you 
 really think is necessary. This is the only way to become 
 efficient and efficiency is what wins. 
 
 In a way, in school you have not been held strictly ac- 
 countable for poor work. Your parents, for instance, are 
 willing to keep you in school even if you do get some 
 failures or poor marks. But if you fail in business your 
 employer is not going to keep you. No excuses are listened 
 to if work is not attended to and the appointed task ac- 
 complished. A business man is not running an educational 
 institution, and he is unwilling to pay out money that 
 is not earned. So you are sure to meet this test of effi- 
 ciency just as soon as you start to work. Don't get the 
 habits of loafing, indifference, and " don't care " so fixed 
 in school that when you go to work you will be unable to 
 get over the bad habits you acquired here. A woman who 
 has charge of the educational work in a large department 
 store in San Francisco, said that the high school graduates 
 whom they employed were too much inclined to think them- 
 selves above their work. They either didn't feel the neces- 
 sity or didn't have the ability to settle down to real work; 
 but seemed to feel that they must do a certain amount of 
 playing and loafing.
 
 PEESONAL, QUALIFICATIONS 239 
 
 There is a committee in connection with the New York 
 City High Schools which helps the graduates to get posi- 
 tions. One report of this committee says that out of 800 
 boys who were seeking employment only 18 came punctu- 
 ally although they had been particularly ordered to do so. 
 These were appointed to come at a certain time with 
 their applications, but not one appeared on time. When 
 questioned, one said that he didn't think it mattered. 
 It was particularly specified that they were to write 
 letters on ruled paper. Not one had that kind. Some 
 had foolscap, most of them had little sheets of cheap let- 
 ter paper, because they thought it " would do just as well." 
 This was all written up by the New York Evening Post, 
 which said that these boys had been made flabby by too 
 much coddling and that after being discharged from half 
 a dozen small posts, they would easily lose faith in them- 
 selves or in the world in general. Does not all this im- 
 press upon us the necessity of gaining right now the 
 efficiency that will enable us to do things accurately and 
 well ? Elbert Hubbard said : " A dollar-a-day man 
 would receive two dollars a day were it not for the fact 
 that some one has to think for him, look. after him, and 
 supply the will that holds him to his task. . . . The less 
 you require looking after, the more able you are to stand 
 alone and complete your tasks, the greater your reward. 
 . . . Do your work so well that you will require no super- 
 vision." 
 
 CHABACTEE 
 
 We have spoken of personality, that which at- 
 tracts or repels at first sight ; health, the foundation of 
 everything; mental qualities, which underlie efficiency and 
 sometimes seem to be the main requirement ; — now we 
 come to character, without which real permanent success is
 
 240 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 impossible. We do not hear much about character in 
 business, yet every employer demands it of his employees, 
 and a good character is an asset. 
 
 The foundation of character lies in the right kind of 
 habits. If keeping late hours affects your business you 
 must get to bed early. No one wants a man with bad 
 habits, and we are suspicious of the man who shows lack 
 of control and drinks and plays cards to excess. Many 
 railroads will not employ a man who is known to drink 
 heavily. To be sure many employers do not investigate the 
 habits of applicants, but bad habits are sure to tell sooner 
 or later in a man's work; and while he may be able to hide 
 it for a few years, he is bound to lose out in the end. 
 
 Another important virtue is that of being straightfor- 
 ward, not tricky or evasive. I think we are safe in saying 
 that in business it never pays to tell anything but the 
 truth and the whole truth to one's employer. You have 
 perhaps heard the story of Colonel Roosevelt when he 
 was out west riding over the ranges with some of his cow- 
 boys. They came across a young heifer wandering at 
 large and as vet unbranded. One of the men tossed his 
 loop, roped the animal, and had marked it with Roose- 
 velt's own brand before the colonel knew anything about 
 it. The deed was absolutely contrary to the honor of 
 ranchmen, but the cowboy knew that it could never be 
 discovered, and showed the result to his master who he 
 thought would agree that he had done a clever thing for 
 him. Instead, Roosevelt immediately dismissed him from 
 his service saying, " He that will steal for me will steal 
 from me." 
 
 One should make a great point of keeping out of debt. 
 While it is not dishonest to borrow when necessary, get- 
 ting into debt is very poor policy. It usually means that 
 one's expenses are running beyond his income; and that
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 241 
 
 in turn means that he is not saving anything. The vir- 
 tue of managing one's money carefully, of keeping ex- 
 penses below income, and of saving something, is called 
 thrift. Begin to save against the time when you may 
 have need of capital, for capital is a great force in mod- 
 ern times. The man who has $1,000 when he needs it to 
 start in business, or wants to make an investment, has 
 made the first step towards success. Andrew Carnegie 
 gives thrift as one of the indispensable qualities for a man 
 who wants to advance. In a certain large city, teachers 
 who are found to run constantly behind in paying their 
 bills are discharged. 
 
 There is also great need of courage without which no 
 character is really reliable. I suppose there is no char- 
 acteristic which is more generally admired. In war times 
 our magazines are filled with accounts of deeds which re- 
 quire a courage that almost staggers many of us. Cour- 
 age does not necessarily mean fearlessness. In May, 
 1917, the Literary Digest published an interview with a 
 French officer, who was detailed to carry a message across 
 the most dangerous region near the trenches. He said 
 that his fear was indescribable but though shells were 
 hissing all around him he went right on with not a thought 
 of turning back. A man who will succeed must have the 
 element of courage in his character. Engineering, manu- 
 facturing, forestry, mining, fishing, all require physi- 
 cal courage; while there is no work which does not often 
 draw upon one's moral courage. 
 
 It would be impossible to mention all the moral quali- 
 ties that form valuable assets for a career. But there is 
 one other great element in character that is being em- 
 phasized today and that is important enough to be noticed 
 particularly. That is what is called loyalty. Loyalty 
 means simply a willingness to give yourself generously to
 
 242 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 whatever you undertake, whether it is school affairs, busi- 
 ness, or a matter of public interest. Can you carry 
 through things as carefully and as efficiently for your em- 
 ployer as you would for yourself ? Dean Briggs, of 
 Harvard, in addressing the senior class of that university, 
 spoke as follows about this quality: 
 
 " One. form of loyalty for which you Seniors are re- 
 sponsible is loyalty to your school. You are the oldest 
 class in the school and it is your problem to maintain the 
 standards of the school — in athletics, by supporting the 
 team, in scholarship, by your work in the class room, in ora- 
 tory, by boosting the Literary Society, etc. For what the 
 school is this year depends largely upon you. If we are to 
 make a successful record it will be because the upper 
 classmen have done their share in encouraging school ac- 
 tivities. 
 
 " Will you then be loyal to the school as something 
 that you will be proud of when you are Alumni? Loy- 
 alty, you know, is devotion to a cause larger than the in- 
 dividual and apart from him. 
 
 " It is, then, in loyalty to the school that I would ask 
 your devotion this year. A business man has said that 
 pick and shovel are the only tools for a man who is not 
 loyal, so you can see how loyalty stands in the business 
 world." 
 
 On this same subject Dr. John C. Branner, of Stan- 
 ford University in California, spoke to the students 
 there : 
 
 " The subject seems to be especially worthy of your 
 attention just now because the habit of loyalty is one that 
 may be cultivated during your student life ; it certainly 
 will not spring into full-fledged development at some fu- 
 ture time when it happens to be wanted. Loyalty is go- 
 ing to be an important factor in the making of your char-
 
 PEESONAL QUALIFICATIONS 243 
 
 acter, and even, if you care to look at it in that light, an 
 asset in jour profession, or in your business. 
 
 " When you get through your university studies and 
 go out into the affairs of life, if you become employers 
 of other men, you will lay great stress on the loyalty of 
 those you have about you. You may not put it to your- 
 selves in just this form, but if you are wise, you will none 
 the less be influenced as much, or even more, by the loyalty 
 of your employees than by any other one quality they 
 may have. You will say of every man you engage : ' If 
 I can't trust this man to think of and work for my in- 
 terests, I don't want him around, no matter how skilful 
 he may be in his particular line of work.' 
 
 " The matter simply reduces itself to this, that a man 
 who is not loyal is not wanted by anybody for anything. 
 
 " Let us have the opinions of men of wide experience. 
 I once recommended a young man for the position of 
 assistant to one of the leaders of science in this country, 
 who wrote back to make further inquiries, and wound up 
 with this. ' I want a young man who is orderly, inter- 
 ested in the work and who will devote himself to my in- 
 terests. If he will not devote himself to my interests I 
 don't want him, no matter how competent he may be.' 
 
 " You will note that loyalty demands that you assume 
 certain risks. This is inevitable. Loyalty without risk 
 must be of a pretty poor quality. If there is anything 
 especially pusillanimous in human nature, anything that 
 one instinctively despises, it. is the disposition to stand 
 aside when there is danger to be faced, or to wait to see 
 which side is going to win before choosing that particular 
 side. Take the risks and ffo cheerful lv forward." 
 
 Dr. Branner has hit the nail so squarely on the head 
 that we scarcely need discuss the matter further. Loyalty 
 carried out to its limits would seem to include many other
 
 244 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 virtues. A high official in a large manufacturing con- 
 cern, one who has much to do with hiring boys, was asked 
 what he considered the chief qualifications necessary in a 
 boy starting out to earn his living. He said that the first 
 essential was discipline, that is the ability to accept and 
 execute orders without question; and next was loyalty 
 carried to the utmost extent. This would include an in- 
 terest in the firm and a willingness to do more than the set 
 task. He said that it took most boys two or three years 
 to sense this thing and that their chance of advancing 
 would be much increased if they could only learn it be- 
 fore leaving school. 
 
 Practical business men ask for loyalty to the firm, but 
 one might be working for a company to whom he would find 
 it impossible to maintain his loyalty and at the same time 
 his self-respect. Perhaps it would be better to say, Be 
 loyal to right principles. Then the men and firms who 
 are worthy of loyalty will be sure to receive it. 
 
 Two elements of character have not been discussed, 
 because they are so self-evident and easily understood that 
 they need only to be mentioned. Everyone knows that if 
 he is worth anything, he will be honest and industrious. 
 
 So as points of character to be especially cultivated we 
 have good habits, thrift, courage, loyalty, industry and 
 honesty. 
 
 FEJENDS 
 
 At the beginning of this discussion, we said that 
 there were five personal qualifications that were funda- 
 mental for success in any occupation. These were per- 
 sonality, health, intellect, character, and friends. How 
 many of you have ever thought how important in a man's 
 life, both for his success and his happiness, are the kind 
 of friends that he makes? It is worth while as you
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 245 
 
 start out in life to try to make and to keep good 
 friends. In a way, friends measure the man. If your 
 friends are careless, indifferent, thoughtless, they will 
 tend to pull you down to their level. If you make friends 
 with people who are energetic and ambitious, you, too, will 
 strive for these qualities. Can you make and keep true 
 friends, friends who will stand by you in need and will 
 be a help to you as you go on your way from success to 
 success? Robert Louis Stevenson asks: " Of what shall 
 a man be proud if he is not proud of his friends ? ' I 
 know of a capable young man who several times lost out in 
 trying to get a good position simply because his prospec- 
 tive employers found out that his intimate friends were 
 young men of undesirable character. They could not be- 
 lieve that he was different from those with whom he chose 
 to associate. 
 
 In consideration of these five points, Personality, 
 Health, Intellect, Character and Friends, think about 
 this question : " Has a. man filled the full measure 
 of life when he has done these things ? ' We have spent 
 some time in considering many different occupations; 
 what qualities are required for entrance into them, what 
 remuneration may be expected, what are the opportuni- 
 ties for progress, and what other advantages and disad- 
 vantages are connected with them. We have tried to 
 consider the hard facts of life and it may seem as if we 
 were chiefly concerned in finding out where the most 
 money can be made. But if this were our aim, the end 
 of our life would be rather unsatisfactory. Not only is 
 it to our interest to make and keep good friends, but we 
 have not filled the full measure of life unless we have 
 shown ourselves friendly not only to individuals but to 
 society in general. In the vocation that we would choose, 
 can we be of much service to humanity ?
 
 246 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 One teacher of vocations says that all occupations may 
 be divided into two classes, based upon the motive with 
 which they are entered: those that are entered for the 
 sake of making money and those that are entered for 
 the sake of helping humanity. Now for two reasons 
 this statement seems absolutely wrong: first, to a cer- 
 tain extent they are nearly all entered for the sake of 
 making money. As far as in him lies, it is the duty 
 of every man and woman to earn his living, to see that 
 he has a competence so that in later life it will not be 
 necessary for him to draw upon the charity of his friends 
 or of the public. To this end he must look out for a 
 vocation that will enable him to earn at least a fair 
 amount of money. 
 
 But to make money is not the highest aim for a man, and 
 he who has done merely that, even though it may be to a 
 tremendously large degree, has not filled the full measure 
 of life. As we saw at the beginning from our diagram 
 of occupations, the various sorts of work that go to make 
 up our business and professional life are all so interde- 
 pendent that we cannot single some off as simply money 
 making and others as beneficial to mankind. Take the 
 word of those who have lived longer than you — and their 
 testimony is almost unanimous — that in the end nothing 
 brings real happiness but the consciousness of benefits 
 given. At the same time remember that the occupations 
 that allow this privilege are not simply those that we are 
 accustomed to think of in that way, such as, medicine, 
 preaching, welfare work, teaching. We would starve 
 without the farmer, we would perish from cold without the 
 manufacturer and the miner, we would have no education 
 without the printer. Ambition is a necessary thing; 
 often we must aim at the top in order to reach a place 
 half way up, but after all there are comparatively few
 
 PERSONAL QUALIFICATIONS 247 
 
 people who make what is called a wonderful success. A 
 
 business man of wide experience has summed it up as 
 
 follows: "Let every man feel that he is successful if 
 
 he has turned out to he a good man, with enough money 
 
 for his reasonable wants, with a circle of friends and with 
 
 the ability to leave behind him some work by which he may 
 
 be remembered." 
 
 EXERCISES 
 
 1. Think of some one of your acquaintances and describe his per- 
 sonality. Which characteristics do you think he has inherited and 
 for which do you think ho is directly responsible? 
 
 2. Do you know how the speaking voice of Americans compares 
 with that of people in other countries? Can you explain the differ- 
 ence? Would a change be possible? 
 
 3. When there came a shortage of labor, of wool, leather and other 
 materials during the war, we were asked to be more economical in 
 buying our clothes. Is it possible to do this and still fulfill the re- 
 quirement of being well dressed? 
 
 4. Give ten examples of common discourtesies of people in every- 
 day life. Give ten examples of courtesies that make life easier for 
 other people. 
 
 5. Is it possible to be sincere and still to be tactful ? Give an 
 example of sincerity that lacks tact. Give an example of tactfulness 
 that lacks sincerity. 
 
 0. How is it possible that Mr. Perkins' smile is worth $250,- 
 000? 
 
 7. Describe a day's work of two boys in a factory. One of the 
 boys is enthusiastic about his work, the other considers it drudgery. 
 
 8. Why is the government so particular about the health of the 
 men in the army? What is the reason that so many men are in 
 better physical condition after a few months of military training? 
 
 0. (a) Give an example of a young person either in business or in 
 one of the professions who lias the quality of initiative. Give an 
 example of one who lacks this quality. Show just what they would 
 do under given circumstances, and what the results would be. (b) 
 Do the same for each of the other four qualities: decision, dispatch, 
 skill, and perseverance. 
 
 10. Would it be kind for your instructors to let you slide through 
 your work without doing it carefully or on time? Why? Is it bet'
 
 248 VOCATIONAL CIVICS 
 
 ter for pupils to be allowed to plan the use of their study hours, or 
 should they be obliged to sit in a certain seat and study a certain 
 lesson at a certain hour? Defend your opinion. 
 
 11. What is the derivation of the word "character"? Is there 
 any connection between its source and the present meaning? 
 
 12. Give examples of circumstances in the occupational world in 
 which the quality of courage would be necessary? 
 
 13. Mention other points that go to make up character and show 
 their value. 
 
 14. Just what do you understand by the characteristic of loyalty? 
 Give examples to illustrate. Is it possible to be too loyal to an em- 
 ployer or to a friend? Explain. 
 
 15. Does it cost anything to have good friends? Illustrate. 
 
 16\ Give examples of any notable friendships of which you have 
 heard or read. 
 
 17. Are there any disadvantages in having many friends? Ex- 
 plain. 
 
 18. Do you think that a man shows his calibre by the occupation 
 that he chooses? 
 
 19. Write a paper telling what kind of place in the occupational 
 world you would like to till. Why have you come to this conclusion? 
 How ought you to prepare for this place? In what part of the 
 country would you have the best opportunities? 
 
 20. Write a paragraph telling what you think is the most desirable 
 point to look for in an occupation. 
 
 REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Tolman, Wm. H. and Guthrie, Adelaide W. Hygiene for the 
 
 Worker. American Book Co., 1912. 
 Schwab, Chas. M. Succeeding icith What You Have. 
 Hubbard, Elbert. A Message to Garcia. 
 Gowin, E. B. The Executive and His Control of Men. The Macmil- 
 
 lan Co., 1911. 
 Jordan, David Starr. The Call of the Twentieth Century. 
 Pritchard, Myron T. and Turkixgton, Grace A. Stories of Thrift 
 
 for Young Americans. Chas. Scribner's Sons, 1915. 
 Gulick, Luther H. The Efficient Life. Doubleday, Page & Co. 
 Briggs, LeBaron R. Routine and Ideals. Houghton, Mifflin & Co., 
 
 1904.
 
 INDEX 
 
 Accident Prevention, in facto- 
 ries, 90, 105. 
 
 Accounting, 137, 126; in dress- 
 making and millinery, 210; in 
 hotels, 219; in stores, 131; in 
 tailoring, 215. 
 
 Acting, opportunities in, 222; 
 preparation for, 221, 222; 
 qualifications for, 221. 
 
 Advertising, 138; opportunities 
 in, 140; preparation for, 140; 
 qualifications for, 138. 
 
 Agriculture, government service, 
 20, 38; opportunities in, 36, 
 42; preparation for, 35; quali- 
 fications for, 32. 
 
 Apprentice, 95, 97 in building, 
 114; in dressmaking, 212; in 
 printing, 108. 
 
 Architect, 110. 
 
 Army and Navy, 20. 
 
 Artist, 220 ; opportunities of, 
 222; preparation of, 221, 222; 
 qualifications of, 221. 
 
 Attorneys ( See Law ) . 
 
 Banking, 80; opportunities in, 
 82, 83; preparation for, 82; 
 qualifications for, 81. 
 
 Bookkeeping, 137. (See also 
 Banking) . 
 
 Building Trades, 109; opportuni- 
 ties in, 115; preparation for, 
 114; qualifications for. 111. 
 
 Character, 239. 
 
 Chemist, 203; opportunities of, 
 205 ; preparation of, 204 ; 
 qualifications of, 204. 
 
 Choosing an Occupation, princi- 
 ples of choice, 5. 
 
 Civil Service ( See Government 
 Service) . 
 
 Commercial Occupations, in 
 building, 113, 114; in govern- 
 ment service, 19, 27 ; grouping 
 of, 122; qualifications for, 
 123; in railroading, 03; (See 
 Stenographers, Typists, Sales- 
 men, Advertising, etc. ) . 
 
 Consular Service, 19, 20. 
 
 Contractor (See Building 
 
 Trades) . 
 
 Courtesy, 227; in hotel-keepers, 
 219; in salesmen, 124, 227; in 
 telephoning, 228. 
 
 Dentist, 104; opportunities of, 
 167; preparation of, 166; 
 qualifications of, 165, 166. 
 
 Department Stores (See Com- 
 mercial Occupations). 
 
 Doctors (See Medicine). 
 
 Domestic Arts, 215; opportuni- 
 ties in, 217; preparation for, 
 216; qualifications for, 216. 
 
 Dressmaking, 209; opportunities 
 in, 212; preparation for, 211, 
 212; qualifications for, 210. 
 
 Capital, need of in farming, 44; Efficiency, 234; decision, 236; 
 in professions, 144, 148, 149. dispatch, 236; initiative, 235: 
 
 166, perseverance, 237; skill, 237. 
 
 249
 
 250 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Engineering, 195; in building. 
 110, 111; chemical (Set 
 Chemist) ; in government serv 
 ice, 196; in manufacturing 
 195; in mining, 51, 52; oppor 
 trinities in, 199; preparation 
 for, 198; qualifications for 
 197; in railroading, 72; tele 
 phone and telegraph, 202. 
 
 Executive Ability, for agricul 
 ture, 34; general, 68; for rail 
 roading, 67; in stores, 131. 
 
 Factories (See Manufacturing). 
 
 Farming (See Agriculture). 
 
 Fisheries, 55. 
 
 Forestry, 46; in government 
 service, 46, 47; opportunities 
 in, 48, 49; preparation for, 
 48; qualifications for, 47. 
 
 Friends, 244. 
 
 Government Service, 18; agricul- 
 ture, 38, 39 ; classified civil 
 service, 21 ; consular service, 
 19, 20; forestry, 46, 47; fish- 
 eries, 56; mail service, 18; as 
 stepping stone, 26; in Wash- 
 ington, 18, 19. 
 
 Health, 232; in athletics, 232; 
 of builders, 115; of doctors, 
 155; in factories, 104, 105; of 
 farmers, 42, 43; in nursing, 
 162; in war, 232, 233. 
 
 Hotel management, 218; oppor- 
 tunities in, 220; preparation 
 for, 219; qualifications for, 
 218. 
 
 Income from advertising, 141 ; 
 from banking, 82, 83 ; bonus 
 system, 103; from building, 
 100; of chemist, 206; of den- 
 tist, 167; from dressmaking, 
 212, 213; from farming, 36; 
 
 from forestry, 48; general, 10; 
 from government service, 25, 
 20 ; from manufacturing, 99; 
 from metal trades, 100; from 
 millinery, 212, 213; of nurse, 
 163; of physician, 15(i; from 
 printing, 100, 108, 109; from 
 railroading, 71; of salesmen, 
 130; from social service, 180; 
 of teacher, 174. 
 Intellect (See Efficiency). 
 
 Journalism, 177; opportunities 
 in, 181; preparation for, 180; 
 qualifications for, 178. 
 
 Law, 145; general divisions, 
 145, 146; in government serv- 
 ice, 19, 27; opportunities in, 
 148; preparation for, 148; 
 qualifications for, 146. 
 
 Librarian, 188; preparation of, 
 190; qualifications of, 189. 
 
 Manufacturing, opportunities in, 
 99; preparation for, 94; qual- 
 ifications for, 90; in railroad- 
 ing, 62; welfare work, 186. 
 
 Medicine, 152; opportunities in, 
 156; preparation for practic- 
 ing, 155; qualifications for 
 practicing, 152. 
 
 Millinery, 209; opportunities in, 
 212; preparation for, 211, 212; 
 qualifications for, 210. 
 
 Mining, opportunities in, 53, 54; 
 preparation for, 52; qualifica- 
 tions for, 51. 
 
 Minister (See Social Service). 
 
 Musician, 220; opportunities of, 
 222; preparation of, 221, 222; 
 qualifications of, 221. 
 
 Nursing, 162; opportunities in, 
 103; preparation for, 163; 
 qualifications for, 162,
 
 INDEX 
 
 251 
 
 Occupations, relationships of, 11. 
 
 Office Work, 134 (See Stenogra- 
 pher and Typist) . 
 
 Opportunities, of actors, 222; in 
 advertising, 140; in agricul 
 ture, 3G; for artists, 222; in 
 banking, 82, 83 ; in building, 
 115; for dentists, 167; in do- 
 mestic arts, 217; in dressmak- 
 ing, 212; in engineering, 19!); 
 in forestry, 48; in government 
 service, 24, 26; for hotel keep- 
 ers, 220; in journalism, IS 1 ; 
 in law, 148; in manufacturing, 
 99; in medicine, 156; in mil- 
 linery, 212; in mining, 53, 54; 
 for musicians, 212; in nurs- 
 ing, 163, 164; in printing, 108, 
 109; in railroading, 71; for 
 salesmen, 130; in social serv- 
 ice, 186; in stenography and 
 typewriting, 136; in tailoring, 
 214; in teaching, 174. 
 
 Pay (See Income). 
 
 Personality, 225 ; appearance, 
 226; cheerfulness; 231; enthu- 
 siasm, 231; manner, 227; tact, 
 230; voice, 226. 
 
 Physical Director (See Teach- 
 ing). 
 
 Physician (See Medicine). 
 
 Playgrounds (See Social Serv- 
 ice). 
 
 Post Office (See Government 
 Service) . 
 
 Poultry Business, 31, 38. 
 
 Preparation, for acting, 221, 
 222; for advertising, 140; for 
 agriculture, 35 ; of artists, 
 221, 222; for banking, 82; of 
 builders, 114; of dentists, 
 166; for domestic arts, 216; 
 for dressmaking, 211, 212; for 
 engineering, 198 ; for forestry, 
 
 48; for government service, 23, 
 24 ; for hotel management, 
 219; for journalism, 180; for 
 law, 148; for manufacturing, 
 94; for medicine, 155; for 
 millinery, 211, 212; for min- 
 ing, 52; of musicians, 221, 
 222; of nurses, 163; for print- 
 ing, 108; for professions, 27; 
 for railroading, 70; of sales- 
 men, 127; for social service, 
 185; of stenographer and typ- 
 ist, 136; of teachers, 173. 
 
 Printing, 107; in government 
 service, 19; preparation for, 
 108. 
 
 Professions, 144; (See Dentist, 
 Chemist, Law, Medicine, 
 Teaching ) . 
 
 Qualifications, of actors, 221; 
 for advertising, 139; for agri- 
 culture, 32; of artists, 221; 
 for banking, 81 ; of builders, 
 111; for business, 123; of den- 
 tists, 165; 166; difficulty in 
 determining, 9 ; for domestic 
 arts, 216; for dressmaking, 
 210; for engineering, 197; for 
 forestry, 47 ; for government 
 service, 21; of hotel keepers, 
 218; for journalism, 178; for 
 law, 146; for manufacturing, 
 90; for medicine, 152; for mil- 
 linery, 210; for mining, 51; of 
 musician, 221; necessary for 
 all occupations (See Effi- 
 ciency, Personality, Health, 
 Character, Friends) ; of 
 nurses, 162, 163; for railroad- 
 ing, 66: of salesmen, 123; for 
 social service, 184: of ste- 
 nographer and typist, 135, 
 136; of teachers, 177.
 
 252 
 
 INDEX 
 
 Railroading (See Transporta- 
 tion) . 
 Restaurants (See Hotels). 
 
 Salary (See Income). 
 
 Salesmen, opportunities of, 130; 
 preparation of, 127; qualifica- 
 tions of, 123. 
 
 Schools, library, 191; railroad, 
 70, 71 ; technical, 109. 
 
 Science, in agriculture, 40, 41 ; 
 in government service, 27; in 
 manufacturing, 00 
 
 Scientific Manager, 104 
 
 Social Service, 183; opportuni- 
 ties in, ISO: preparation for, 
 185; qualifications for, 184. 
 
 Stenographers, 135; opportuni- 
 ties of, 136; preparation of, 
 136. 
 
 Tailoring, 209, 214, 215; man- 
 agement, 215; opportunities 
 in, 214. 
 
 Teaching, opportunities in. 174; 
 preparation for, 173; qualifica- 
 tions for, 171. 
 
 Training (See Preparation) . 
 
 Transportation, Trades, history 
 of. 00; opportunities in, 71; 
 organization of, 61; prepara- 
 tion for, 70: qualifications for, 
 66; wages, 71. 
 
 Typists, 135; opportunities of, 
 l;$0; preparation of, 136. 
 
 Veterinary, 38. 
 
 Wages (See Income). 
 
 Welfare Work (See Social Serv- 
 ice) . 
 
 Women, opportunities of, in ad- 
 vertising, 141; in agriculture, 
 45; in banking, 84; in build- 
 ing, 117; in dentistry, 168; in 
 domestic arts, 217; in dress- 
 making, 212; in engineering, 
 207; in factories, 106, 107; in 
 general, 14; in government 
 service, 29; in journalism, 
 182; in law, 148, 151; in 
 library work, 192; in medi- 
 cine, 160; in millinery, 212; 
 in mining. 50; in nursing, 
 163, 164; in offices, 138; in 
 printing, 108; in railroading, 
 77; in social service, 188; in 
 stenography and typewriting, 
 136; in teaching, 177. 
 
 Young Men's Christian Associa- 
 tion (See Social Service). 
 
 Young Women's Christian Asso- 
 ciation (See Social Service). 
 
 PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below 
 
 $AY 3 ° 193P 
 
 JM 2 7 «81 
 JUN5 1951^ 
 
 ',3S* 
 
 c 
 
 iss 
 
 jj i K81
 
 II I II I II Ml II II I 
 
 3 1158 00683 6943 
 
 HF 
 G39 
 
 m^ 
 
 : 
 
 OUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY 
 
 AA 000 711 217 o 
 
 • . _MGELES