Barringer High School - Athenaeum Yearbook (Newark, NJ)

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12 THE PRESENT CHILD IS THE COMING MAN.—MANUFACTURES. THE PRESENT CHILD IS THE COMING MAN. BY ALICE DAWES. ’8». The children of this age, we often hear, arc to be the coming men and women, and this subject is continually before us. Wherever we go, we meet the children of the day, and are often too slow to per- ceive in them the traits that we admire so much in our fathers and brothers. The faults of children are usually more pro- nounced than their virtues; in all proba- bility that they may be impressed with the necessity of forsaking the evil and choosing the good. The most of the great men of our day, and indeed of all days, have shown early in life signs unmistakable of the hidden power, that in after years has caused their names to be enrolled among the honored ones. Sometimes the signs of greatness have been so misunderstood, that “stupid,” “ dull,” and “ idle ” have been attributed instead, yet the final development has proved the falseness of these epithets. James Watt, who, while watching the movement of the tea-kettle lid, studied out the mighty power hidden in steam, was nevertheless severely reproved for his seeming laziness. There is a great deal of mourning over the rising generation that might safely be omitted. Judging from the complaints made, one might think that the future would have no scientists, no artists, no poets ; but when we realize how small and unnoticeable must ever be the beginning of real greatness, we need not despair. It is to education we must look for the right development of the minds of the young. In a land where each can enjoy superior advantages simply by improving them, we may safely trust the future will not be devoid of great men. MANUFACTURES. BY JOHN H. CHARMBURY. 8i. The origin of manufactures dates back into the remote ages of the world. Evi- dences of their existence have been found by geologists embedded in the earth's crust with the remains of our earliest an- cestors. Man. by nature almost defenceless, had to resort to his wits to place himself on an equality with the savage animals sur- rounding him. Forced by circumstances to procure means of subsistence and pro- tect himself from the attack of his ene mies, it is natural to suppose that the bow and arrow had an early share of his atten- tion. This, with a few agricultural imple- ments and flints shaped into axes, proba- bly completed the list of manufactures of our first parents. As experience was gained and greater expertness acquired, their manufactures took a wider range;

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MR. micawbkk’s letter-writing propensity. 11 ed into the ludicrous and absurd. For Mr. Micawber’s letters not only cease to be objects of pleasure, but become perfect torments ; though he has but little matter to write, yet he always writes too many words. Mr. Micawber, as my readers well know, is the letter-writing hero of Charles Dick- ens. He is the one man to whom life is valueless if not combined with letter- writing. Meet him in joy or in sorrow, in prison or in his lofty position as gov- ernor, and if you find him at all, you will find him either composing a letter in the recesses of his fertile mind, or transferring the same to paper. To such a ridiculous extent does he drive this propensity that, put him in a position where the ordinary man would make use of speech, Mr. Mi- cawber resorts to pen and ink. Witness the following by way of illustration: Mr. Micawber had seated himself close to the table at which “ the friend of his youth ” and several other persons were engaged in discussing an important question. Whether or not the organ of speech of Mr. Micawber was so seriously affected at that time, as to render speech impossible Mr. Dickens fails to tell. Be that as it may, though the distance between him- self and “ the friend of his youth ” did not exceed one yard, he found it absolute- ly necessary to communicate his thoughts jn writing. This worthy gentleman is not a man of few words, nor does he attempt to restrain his flow of language when he sets it forth in correspondence—a fact that is fully il- lustrated by the letter wherein he de- nounces that very “ humble person Uriah Hccp. This piece of literature was of such extraordinary length that the mere sight of it caused the amiable Miss Betsy Trot wood to exclaim “Bless and save the man ! He’d write letters by the ream, if it was a capital offense ! ” Now it may very naturally be presumed that Mr. Micawber had matters of great importance to communicate, and hence the length of his letters. But this is not the case. About the only thing they con- tained is that he expected something to turn up shortly, or that unless ‘‘some- thing did turn up shortly, he would be a ruined man ; either of which he might easily have spared himself the trouble to inform his friends, as they were very well acquainted with his weaknesses. Let me add by way of explanation that to ruin this man. as far as worldly circumstances are concerned, would be an utter impossi- bility. One word more. Had his creditors— who were certainly quite numerous—de- prived him rather of the privilege of let- ter-writing than of freedom, Mr. Micawber might have realized that this world is made for other things than letter-writing alone, and turned his ingenuity into a channel more profitable to his creditors. What more fclicitic can fall to creature Than to enjoy delight with libertie, And to be lord of all the workesof nature, To raine in the aire from earth to highest skic To feed on floweres and weed of glorious feature. —Edmund Spenser. VIRTUE could see to do what virtue would By her own radiant light, though sun and moon Were in the flat sea sunk. —Milton. Nothing is beneath you if it is in the direction of your life; nothing is great or desirable if it is off that. —Emerson.

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MANUFACTURES. 13 new substances were operated upon, and certain portions of the community con- fined their labors to producing articles for exchange, and as a consequence soon ex- celled in the quality of their productions. Foremost among these were the Egypt- ians ; they were well clothed, and the ruins which still remain show that they must have possessed machinery of the most powerful character. The hieroglyphic inscriptions on their monuments represent instruments in use at the present day; such as the bal- ance, the chariot and the potter’s wheel. Manufactures arc at present carried on almost all over the world, but most exten- sively in Europe and the United States. Great progress has been made, especially in the last few years. The bow and arrow of the past has given place to the rifle of to-day; the torch has gradually developed into the tallow candle, and from that into the oil lamp, until now gas is generally used wherever artificial light is needed, and even this will probably in a few years be superseded by the electric light. Ag- ricultural implements have also been great- ly improved. Instead of reaping, mowing and threshing by hand, as was formerly done, these operations are now accom- plished by machinery, and the old-fash- ioned windmills have passed away to be replaced by those driven by steam. The old way of transmitting intelligence through messengers on horse is now among the things that were, and the telegraph encircles the earth and brings all parts of the world into instant communication. In consequence of the perfection to “The proper epic of this world is not now ‘ arms and the man ; ’ how much less ‘ shirt-frills and the man ; ’ no, it is now ‘ tools and the man : ’ that, henceforth to all time is now our epic.’ which manufactures have been brought, articles that took months of hard labor to produce, and which were therefore out of the reach of most people, are now made in a few hours by the aid of machinery, and the prices thereby reduced so as to bring them within the reach of all. Owing to the improvements that have been made in machinery, many articles of conveni- ence, that a few years ago were unthought of, are now in daily use. Apparent im- possibilities have been performed, and the arts and manufactures have impelled science to greater exertions to pave the way and render possible the completion of some of its projects. Luxuries, which heretofore were only possible to the rich, and in many cases even out of their reach, arc now the common possessions of the poor. The extent to which manufacturing is at present carried on, necessitates the em- ployment of a greater number of people than formerly. The different branches of manufacture arc now more numerous, and arc carried on on a larger scale than ever before, and in consequence of this the number of men employed must be pro- portionately larger. When the steam lo- comotive was first invented, it gave employment to thousands in building the roads, and to thousands more in building the engines and cars, while still greater numbers obtain constant employment driving the engines, loading and unloading the cars, keeping the roads and engines in repair, and in innumerable other branches 'of industry to which it has given rise. GOD the first garden made, the first city, Cain.—Cowley. THE fearful unbelief is unbelief in your- self.—Carlyle.