Transcriber’s Notes:
Text enclosed by underscores is in italics (_italics_), and text
enclosed by equal signs is in bold (=bold=).
Additional Transcriber’s Notes are at the end.
* * * * *
THE JACK OF ALL TRADES
OR
NEW IDEAS FOR AMERICAN BOYS
* * * * *
+-------------------------------------------------+
| _BOOKS BY DANIEL C. BEARD_ |
| |
| THE JACK OF ALL TRADES; or, NEW IDEAS FOR |
| AMERICAN BOYS. Profusely Illustrated by the |
| Author. Square 8vo. $2.00. |
| |
| THE OUTDOOR HANDY BOOK, FOR PLAYGROUND, FIELD |
| AND FOREST. With 300 Illustrations by the |
| Author. _New Edition._ Square 8vo. $2.00. |
| |
| THE AMERICAN BOY’S HANDY BOOK; or, WHAT TO |
| DO AND HOW TO DO IT. With more than 300 |
| Illustrations by the Author. Square 8vo. |
| $2.00. |
| |
| _BY THE MISSES BEARD_ |
| |
| THE AMERICAN GIRL’S HANDY BOOK; or, HOW TO |
| AMUSE YOURSELF AND OTHERS. With more than 300 |
| Illustrations. _New and Enlarged Edition._ |
| Square 8vo. $2.00. |
+-------------------------------------------------+
THE JACK OF ALL TRADES: New Ideas for American Boys
BY
D. C. Beard
New York
Charles Scribner’s Sons.
1900
* * * * *
COPYRIGHT, 1900, BY
CHARLES SCRIBNER’S SONS
PREFACE.
It was not the author’s original intention to produce a series of boys’
books. On the contrary, he expected that his work in this line would
begin and end with “The American Boy’s Handy Book.”
The great popularity of that book is a constant source of gratification
and pleasure to the author; but he was not a little surprised and
embarrassed when he discovered that in place of satisfying the lads he
had only whetted their appetite for more material in the same line.
Letters from boys in many parts of the British Provinces, and from
all over the United States, convinced the writer that he had yet work
to do for them, and the revised and enlarged edition of “The American
Boy’s Handy Book” was issued. After a brief period of time the quaintly
worded letters in boyish handwriting began again to increase the mail
left at the author’s studio, and this time he laid aside his brush and
pencil to produce “The Outdoor Handy Book.”
It is hoped that the present demand for new ideas for boys will be
fully satisfied by “The Jack of All Trades.” To the best of the
author’s knowledge and belief there is not a thing described in this
book which has not been proved practical by the experiments of himself
or some boy or boys. Parts of this book have appeared in various
periodicals, but all these chapters have been revised and enlarged.
It is now a generally accepted truth that the so-called skill of the
hand is in reality the skill of a trained mind. The necessity, in
work or play, of constantly overcoming new obstacles and solving new
problems, develops a strong and normal mind and body. There can be
little doubt that the rude schooling and hard knocks of a pioneer’s
life rejuvenated our race and developed those qualities in the
characters of Americans, without which Washington would have been but
a country gentleman and Lincoln a village store-keeper. Had little Abe
Lincoln been reared under the care of a foreign woman with cap and
ribbons (_i.e._ a French nurse), his strong manly character would never
have been developed and our country would have lost one of its grandest
patriots and history its most unique figure.
Aside from these vitally important facts, art demands that our youth
should be encouraged to do things for themselves, to produce things by
their own labor. The most finished product of the machine cannot appeal
to the heart of a real artist as does some useful and homely object
which still bears the marks of its maker’s hands.
For these reasons the author hopes that parents will allow their boys
to be boyish boys; and in order to keep them out of mischief they will
cater to the lads’ natural and healthy desire for entertainment by
encouraging them in all rational projects and supplying them with tools
and materials, so that the boys may all become juvenile Jacks of All
Trades.
It is the object of the author, in the chapters devoted to animal life,
to teach the boys to look upon all animals with the same thoughtful
kindness with which they might view their own undeveloped brothers.
To Harper & Brothers, and to _The Ladies’ Home Journal_ the thanks
of the author are due for the careful preservation and return of
such original drawings as were used by them in their respective
publications, and without which this work would be incomplete.
D. C. B.
FLUSHING, June 1, 1900.
CONTENTS.
=PART I.=
=FAIR WEATHER IDEAS.=
CHAPTER I.
PAGE TREE-TOP CLUB HOUSES 3
The River Rats, 5; A Tree-top Retreat, 6; The Secret
Grape-vine Route, 7; A Club-house in the Tree-tops, 8; A
Two-tree House, 9; How to Build the Foundation, 14; The
One-tree House, 16; A Three- and Four-tree Foundation, 18.