New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-05-06
YORK DAILY TRIBUNE THURSDAY, 1s5TRIPlE SHEET

in tho streets reduced to beggary, and, while
f. COMPANION in misery went into house 10
ask for bread, put d pistol To his head anu
fired.
Ii is tho old story countless times repeated
of the country boy, firing Of the slow gain
and dull routine of farm work or vii
lage trade, and captiyatcd with the hts
tories of poor lads who have become NIL
liomres in New-Y0rk. IL il too late TO
point the moral of this lads fato to the
thousands like him who swarm on our
streets, fighting off starvation 10y work which
they would have dospised at home, or
by bad rum, or by evon worse defenses. bnt
perhaps few plain words may reach some young
man hesitating between tho dull but certain
success in his native village and the brilliant
possibility Of fabulous riches in CITY.
Success nowhere depends on luck. IL the
young fellow looks about him he VIII
see that the rich men of his village are
the men Tor the sons Of men) who had most
common sense, shrcwdncss, and grit. Now, II
these qualities were requisite in q small COM
munity, what is q lad to do without them
in great city, where every trade ana
profession is OvercrOwded, and where thcro
are thousands of men with his aim in view
who have money, influence, and friends TO
back them? Fisk's sudden, glittering rise and
progress blinded and bowildercd the boys
of this country as the story OF Alad-
din does the child of ton. 1t seems
to them like marvellous work Of magic.
The little peddler touches nothing which he
does not con, crt into gold-why may they not
also have the Midas fingers How can they
know unless they go and prove It'll
II is not, either, altogether the young men
who would pay admiration to Fisk and his
like. who have eaten Of this insane root
This poor fellow Calhoun, it appears, was
of an honest, honorable habit of mind and
action. But they have their demigOds, too
to follow. They have vague picture be-
fore them of Horace Greeley COM
i ig to Ncw-York a printers Lad poorer than
themselves, and going down to his grave With
n nation as his mOurner; OF benjamin Frank
lin walking Up Highest, a shilling loaf under
his arm, and standing in the Court OF France
receiving homage that was his due.
But neither franklin, nor Greeley, nor even
jim Fisk, were so lacking in shrewdneSs as to
attempt an utterly impracticablo field Of
work such as Ncw-York has been this
Winter; so lacking in endurance as to
give up the effort in two weeks time,
and so utterly deficient in common sense
as to blow their brains out when the price OF
the pistol would have carried them back to
the country again. These men-cvery man
who has succeeded in the bard con-
test of city life has had tremendous
"staying power" 1t is from no want Of pity for
the young boy who probably lies dying to-day
that we point out his first and chief mistake
and warn other Lads, distinguished among
their village companions for nothing
perhaps but restless ambition, that
in New-YOrk only defeat and disaster await
them. If it were certain they had even pluck
enough to 20 back home, an essay at success In
city might be beneficial in curing them of self
concet. But unfortunately they have not even
that, as the present instance proves.