Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1857-05-29
ORIGIN AL L s S \ y s.
Communicated for the Lewisburg Chronicle
Springs OF Enterprise.


Human enterprise, as we'll as wooden
clocks, requires springs and weights,to set
and keep it in motion. From accidents,
some Of its greatest and noblest displays
have resulted. The gold discoveryin Cal
ifornia is an example. The current Of a
mill-race unear,hed few shining particles,
and in less than twelve month an almost
wild territory, distant to many who sought
it eighteen hundred miles, swarmed with
tens of thousands of adventurers from
every quarter of the globe. As by magic,
On enterprise sprung to existence, embra-
cling fleets of ships, with ventures Of mill.
ions of dollars of every conceivable product
and merchandise. while daring men of civ
ilized nations contended for the prize Of
/ gnld-a prize the most alluripg known to
mar since the beginning Of time.
What a tremendous revolution in the
pursuits and thoughts of thousands, has the
revelation Of that mill-race produced !.
What stupendous results took birth and
continue from simple incident new
direction given to commerce, new field
to brave aspirates, new path to empire !!
1t is but yesterday that the dwellers on
the shores Of the Atlantic first listened to
the dazzling story Of untold riches in the
sands on the shores of the Pacifc-but
yesterday, that feve-ish dreams and thirst
for gold was kindled in millions of hearts ::
and to.day-despite distance, danger, and
suffering; despite the sacrifice Of comfort,
home, and friends, a pcpulous State, drain
ed from our bravest young men, is planted
on those golden sands. And all this splen.
did enterprise, fringiug the sea shores with
ships, and pouring in living tide to fell
forests, mine the earth, reclaim the wilder.
ness or transform it, and found hamlets
and cities in waste places-where would it
be, bu. for that mill race Development,
that accidental gold spring given to human
enterprise q? 1t would exist as, undisturb-
ed, it ever existed-latent as the ore a
thousand feet below the eartL's surface,
which, when moulded, becomes the forge
hammer, the axe, the plough, and the FIRE.
horse.
Look at the balf slumbering races of
South A",eriea,a"ons "i,v",, short or some
golden spurs, enterprise is undreamed OF,
and see how enterprise can be kindled by
q spriDg-by an accident-in the most
sluggish. Aud mark what the discovery
OF gold in California has done for golden
enterprise in other regions. 1t has inspired
scientific commissions to examine the Ural
mountains it has led a successful search
for gold almost within hail of the decaying
capital Of old gold gorged Spain it has
sharpened the miners, "picks" among the
hills of Virginia, in the plains of Georgia
and Carolina, and along tho tributaries of
the Mississippi
God may be termed curse. 1t has
cursed individuals and nations. Spain
lies writhing under its whitening power,
and the Indies and the African coasts
have been desolated by it. Still, curse
and ruin come only from its misuse
from the worship of it. Turned to right
account, it is great agent fer human
good facilitatOr of enterprise, commerce,
arts, science, the comforts and luxuries Of
life, and the interchange and qualification
Of human thought.
If the gold mines of California were to
disappear today, and for ever, what vast
good have they done mankind They
have aroused slumbering energy and &C.
MUS to activity, and given a new, con.
quering direction to ambition, art and
empire. The world, by comparison with
the past, is century older in enterprise
and aspiration, than on the day which first
gave California gold to man. Commerce,
adventures, and, above all, e1plorative en-
thusiasm, are expanded to point which
no pricking or squirting short of gold could
accomplish. A new era dates from Cali
fornia discoveries-the era of unparalleled
peaceful enterprise. Thus does the won.
derful Providence Of God turn what ap-
pear to be accidents of earth, into the
migbtiest springs Of human enterprise and
triumph