Towanda daily review. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1879-1921, 1881-06-16
City vs.. Country.


cities and living in close proximity to
one another. This trait has been charac-
teristic Of the human family from time
immemorial; accounts Of the building Of
the Bible. In early times as well as the
present, there were reasons for this cor
porate mode of life and among them may
be mentioned the mutual protection of
the inhabitants, the superior social ad-
vantages and religious privileges enjoyed
and the surprising business facilities af-
forded. Central points usually form
nucleus around which population gathers,
the accessibility of the location drawing
capital and enterprise building up the
manufacturing industries and supporting
the commercial interests and sustaining
the varions other branches of trade, in
Guiding the professions, arts and pursuits
that make up city life.
The best of these sites are found along
a river valley, or at good harbor on
some large body of water But since the
introduction of railroads and the discoy-
cry of minerals, points not at all central,
convenient or accessible often become a
metropolis, where in the absence of the
railroad enterprise or mining industry, it
would have been a habitation for owls,
woodchucks and hunters.
Statistics taken every ten years show
that this cityward tendancy is on the in
crease, especially as regards this country.
In the year 1900 only -twenty-ffth Of
our population dwelt in cities; every de-
cade since shows an increase of the influx
and to day about one-fourth of our people
belong to these human bee-hives. This
mania as evinced by our young people
principally for an eXistance amid brick,
humdrum and confusion has assumed q
magnitude that demands our. serious at
tention. The passion reveals taste for
fashion, ease, fast life, money and pleas
ure that results in the cities being over
run, a surplus Of labor, depressed wages
and the consequent suffering and want
and crime.
There is fascination about city life
with it's pomp, show and dazzle as seen
by the casnal observer that allures the
unsophisticated youth from the quiet and
healthy country home to seek ease, honor
and fortune where gas-lights sparkle and
pavements ring to rattling busses. But
it is not in the overflow of population,
crowding our cities to suffication, engen-
dering disease, reducing wages, fostering
crime and entailing misery, wherein lies
all the evil of the situation. There are
other evils and among them it may be
mentioned that the development of the
country is retarded. Agriculture, that
great industry in which our chief and
substantial wealth lies, is neglected and
the general thrift and prosperity of the
country materially impaired. But Of late
we are glad to note an Improvement in
the situation and see an effort put forth
to right the error. The press has point
ed out the evil and offered an easy sou-
ton to the problem. The surplus popu-
lation is advised to seek the country and
those in the several districts are warned
not to migrate to the city, as the enter
prise will without doubt be disasterous.
AS most of those who seek the city are
from the rural districts, if they are bent
on leaving the farm they had much better
follow the advice of the late Horace Gree
ly and go west. 1t is now generally
thought and hoped that the revised sta
tus of the farmers life, the independence
and popularity given it by the use Of i'm