The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-02-12

a Prescription for the Gold Fever.

westward no." whether in California,
Oregon, Colorado, Idaho, or any other Ho
1t will be hard to explain to those unini-
tiated, the difficulties of an editor to avoid
setting forth the advantages as well as dis
advantages Of any popular tendency so at
tractive as has always been the disposition
of mankind to 'sdig for gold," although at
last we must, in obedience to the beiiests
of true sense of duty, be compelled to
draw conclusions disparaging to one view
or the other.
In such situation we find ourselves at
present placed, and TO those who properly
can demand our real views, as the result
of all We have said and published upon the
subject, we cheerfully propose the follow
ing conside, atoms.
In the first place, then, to be candid, we
say to all Minnesotians, do not go to the
mines unless you have nothing else to do.
II there are any great advantages to be
derived from the expected harvest Of
gold, by those who remain at home,
certainly the farmers, mechanics and mer-
chants Of Minnesota, which is the nearest
agricultural, mechanical and commercial
region to the mines of Idaho, must reap
the golden benefits of those adven-
lures. We secondly urge that everybody
ought to lock well before they make a
move which at most is little better than q
lottery. Who can say that among all his
acquaintance he can name one cut of ten
who went to California through the frenzy
Ofthe gold fever, who ever realized 1.-THE
of his friends or his own expectations.
We need not recount the hardsh;ps,
hazards and privations OF sach an under
taking If it were to defend our country
or to promote the advancement of human
veal that any of oar fellow-c;tizeus went
forth through weary marches, through
sickness. through deprivations and bar
barcus habitude incident to miners life
still all world be redeemed by the patriot
ism Or humanity of their purpose. But
when all this is avowedly tor undue and
hasty gain, we ask the aspirant to pause
and consider what he must lose for the
dross he may chance to gain? If man
of family he ought to know best what he
leaves and what he loses by his bargain
with avarice. If single man, We advise
him to consider twice before he goes
rather than once before lie mar!ies.
But leaving all these considerations and
falling back upon the grosser matter of
naked gain, we are ready to assert that
it will be better for every Minnesotian I'M
less he be vagabond, to stay at home
and avail himself of the resources which
are actually lying at his own door. He
should remember the old fable of a fathers
will wherein he bequeathed his sons
treasure hidden in his garden, for which
they unsuccessfully dug several years, I'M
til they at last found themselves rich from
the agricultural results of their labors.
Here is Minnesota with the fairest pros
poets, the finest climate and richest re-
sources of any new State in the Union.
Experience has shown that she can pro-
duee the most abundant and superior yield
of all products, ordinary to this latitude;
which meet with ready sale at almost
exorbitant prices. Here, too, every other
branch Of business, however dull the times
may at present be, has the brightest prom
Use for the future; and we reassert that if
gain alone is the object sought in these
gold adventures, that by using the same
effort, with one-half of the privation, nine
tenths of all who leave or will go to the
gold mines, might succeed pecuniarily,
dou,ly as we'll at home, in Minnesota.
If there is gold in the mines the
best and surest place for the rner-
chant, farmer or mechanic of Mime
sofa to get it is to stay right in st. Paul,
or anywhere in this State, and wait till it
is brought right to their doors to be ex-
changed for their services and commod-
tiles. AS pertinent to these observations,
we will subjoin some remarks on gold-min-
ing made by Hon. THos. Fl. BENTON in the
United States Senate ia 1849:
am friend to gold currency but not to
gold-mining. That is pursuit which the ex-
perience of nations shows to be both impoy
ershmg and demoralizing to a nation. 1 re-
eret that we have these mines in California
but they are there and am for getting rid of
them as soon as possible. = ri
1t is no matter who digs up the gold or
where it goes The digger will not eat it and
it will 60 where commerce will carry it. The
nations which have industry-which have ag-
riculture commerce and manufactures-they
will get the gold provided always that they
keep out small paper m0ney. ii
l care not who digs it up. I want it dug
I'D. l want the fever over. want the min
ing finished. Let all work who will. Let
them ravage the earth-extirpate and exter-
inmate the mines. Then the sober industry ,ei4
Jeoiin aghich enricheS and esaobles a nation.