Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-01-03
DRAWBACKS OF CITY LIFE.
From DIR. Hollands Editorial in the January

LIT. dOuan0's Edlt0rlal IN the January
Scribners.l
The great trial that every man from the C oun-
try experiences on coming to the city. even sup
posing he has found employment. or gone into
business, relates to his hsme. HIS $1,000 year,
which in the country would give him snug
little house and comfortable provision, would
get him in the city only a small room in q
boarding house. The $4,000 that would give him
something more than comfortable home in the
country would give him in the city only better
boarding house. The $1,000 that would give him
In the country fair establishment, with horses
for his convenience and amusement, would in
the city only give him small fiat" in crowd
ed apartment-house, and the $4,000 in the coun-
try that would give him the surroundings OF
nabob, would only pay the rent OF house on
5th avenue. The country rich man can live
splendtdly on from 5000 to $4,000 a year, while
the city rich man spends from 20,0O0 to Sc, 600
year. City incomes look large. but relatively
TO city expenses they are no larger than the
country incomes.
The man who lives in the city has experienced
the remedies drain upon his purse OF the life
which he lives, and feels that the risk which a
cumstances is very great. He feels that unless
his country friend knows just how he is going to
meet that drain, he will be safer where he is.
City life is naturally merciless. 1t has to take
care OF itself, and has all it can do to meet Its
own wants. II man from the country comes
into 1t and fails, he must go to the wall.
Friends cannot save him. A city looks coolly
upon catastrophe OF this kind, for 1t is an
everyday affair." and the victim knows perfectly
well that he can neither help himself nor get
ILL. I'LL,
knowing the risks and the needs of city life,
breads to see any country friend undertake
them Then, too, the faithful records of city life
show that the chances are largely against tinan-
cial success in it.
The man of society who is attracted from the
country to the city usually fails to calculate his
bers. The man of social consideration In the
country needs only to go to the city to find so
many heads above his own that he is counted
OF no value whatever. "WhO is he?" "WhaJ
is he?' and what has he done?" are questions
that need to be satisfactorily answered before
he will be accepted, and even then he will need
ciety to maintain his position. City society is
full OF bright and positive men and women and
the man and woman from the country bring none
OF their old neighborhood prestige with them to
TO sum up what the city man really feels in
regard to the coming of his country acquaint-
ances to the city, it would be not far from this,
a. The chances for wealth are as great,
practically, in the country as in the city, and
the expense OF living and the risks of disaster
much less
(3.) The competitions of city life and the
struggles to get hold of business and salaEied
work are fearful. No man should come to the
city unless he knows what he is going to do, or
has money enough in his hands to take care OF
himself until he gets living position or be-
comes satisfied that he cannot get one Even
all around us, there are probably 10 applications
on file for every desirable place, and no man
living here could help a friend to place unless
he could create one.
(3.) That the social privileges of the city may
be greater, while the opportunities Of social dis
tinction and the probabilities of social consid-
Grafton are much less than they are in the
country.
~ That in many respects there is nothing in
the city that can compensate for the pure pleas
ures of country scenery and country life and
neighbOrhOod associations.
o. That city mans dream of the future,
particularly if he ever lived in the country, is
alwaysof the country and the soil. He longs to
leave the noise and fight all behind him. and go
back to his country home to enjoy the money he
may have won.