The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-06-22

to prevent the building from being blown
down. IF you would see and feel Old Bereas
in his clement, 60 to Kansas
The people are mixture Of every nation
of the worla-and asny whom it is aificuil
to irnsgine belong to aay bat the world teloU
Blue-nesed Yankees predomiaate; but you
can End the Hindoe and the "HestAen Chi
nee" Sandwiched with Sambo and the North
American Indiaa. All shades Of color, and
every nationality kno~a 10 the law sre here
represented. While al disagree 10 these
matters, they are ansniaeus ia their search
for the almighty Dollar" TO get Mcney
honestly if they can, bet by all ~eaas get
money" Is the eve great aisa. The comforts
and the amenities Of life 10 civilized eoai-
munity are Ill 10 susordin.tictl to this gresr
western "priacipIs.' Murder ard robbery
are SO conDon as to excite DC particular cotn-
meut-but everybody csrries revolver
Nearly every rail~sy station along the route
is placarded with notices to strangers to look
out for these dangers Horse stealing is a
pleasant pastimc-and ''Vigilance Commit
tees" take the place Of courts Of law in all
matters Of this nature. In Kansas City SIX
strangers were murdered this spring within
the space of SIX days; and from one small
farming settlement over forty heard Of cattle
have been stolen since Christians His Satan
ic Majesty will certainly poll heavy vote in
the Kansas precinct This Is easily account
ed for by the fact that nearly every loose
character in the east, when compelled by some
crime to ''leave his country for his country s
good makes tracks for the far Vest, and
these meeting SO many kindred spirits, plunge
deeper and deeper into crime AN honest
man accustomed to live in au honest commu
nifty may form some idea from this statement
Of facts, how pleasant it is to live ''out West "
We would psrentheticalsy remark at this
point that Kansas boasts of Republican ma
jority of 25,0oo.]
Even among these people the Clever" to go
"out West" is undimiDished. After hating
short time at one place, they hear glowing
accounts of an FL Dorado '',srtifer cat West
and away they 20, continually "sa tie
wing" Consequently the houses they erect,
or which are put up for thesl, are OF tenn
porary chsracter-no regard to the comfort
of the tenant being in the mind Of the land
lord. This is in towns Rents are enor-
nous. Those Of our readers who have MOTTO
ed Mr. ?. H. Hale's beef-shop viii! be sur
prised to learn that such building would
rent readily for $12 or SIS per mouth-az-
acays IA aduance. Western people have no
confidence in each other. Experieuce has
taught them never to trust their neighbour
All are on the sgrab;" and the man who is
the most successful swindler is looked to as a
model man.
But the most unfortunate and truly miser
able creatures in tue West Gas class are
those who take up land under the Homestead
Law. A great majority Of these people go
there With just money enough to take them
home-and there they are obliged to stay for
Ave years ia order to get a title to their prop
erty The reader can imagine himself set
down in bouudless prairie, without neigh
bor-saye bufaloes and prairie dogs--for
many miles. He has nothing to eat, no moa
ey, no friends What is he to Go :? This is
what they do in many cases: few of them
band together and make the high waymaa's
levy upon the emigrauts passing through who
are better supplied than themselves. With a
wagon cover for tent, and with what they
can hunt or steal, they manage to exist-the
most miserable creatures upon the face of the
earth The folly Of this thing is apparent
ANY young man in the eastern States, with
common industry and economy, can soon save
enough money to buy tract OF land, aud get
immediate title. Then he can 60 Or stay, or
sell-as best suits himself. But for a young
man to throw away Ave Of the best years Of
his life in order to obtain a few acres OF viii
derness, is folly so supreme that we must
needs call it insanity. A quarter section"
such as is allowed the homestead man, can
be bought for from 5000 or $3o0--but the
hoalesteader gives FIVE years of his lite for
this trifng amount--worth to any farm la
borer here, 81 500, not counting the addition
al comforts he would enjoy ia his eastern
home. IF any adventurous young reader
should feel inclined to doubt this statatement
Of the case let him consult the hundreds who
are now making their way homo the best they
can--poorer bit aviser men.
AS to health, we need only say that in
Lawrence, with population Of less than six
thousand, there are THIRTY PRAcTIcING ply
sIcIANs-aN OF achona are CONTINUALLY on the
run--and this illustration applies equally well
to all parts of the West Persons brought up
in the healthy mountain atmosphere Of this
State may try the West if they please-w we
shall lay not SO much as straw in their way
but they shall be forsWasned.
We honestly compare this rush to the
Western States to the great oil excitement
of s6l-'64: All this hustle money seems
plentiful, few get rich-bdt we believe
that two-thirds Of the Americans who leave
comfortable homes in the east, for all the
diScomforts OF the west will come back
broken in health and fortune but still
happy that they can once more break
bread in decent State, among decent peo-
pie.
We were struck on our return journey
by the number Of people especially Vir-
ginians who were on their way home
again. The reports Of the country given by
them we're far more dismal than we have
given above and they stated in addition
that there were great numbers who would
gladly return east if they could possibly
do SO. It is true the mechanics and la
borers can make good wages there; but
the exhorbitant rents and prices Of pro-
duce, together with the never failing "spell
of sickness" every spring or fail-and
some times both-reduces the gain to ia,
| below what it is here. And one must al
SO take into consideration fact that after 9
| few years residence there the constitution
becomes impregnated with the disease,
peculiar to that section Of the country