Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-04-26

YOUNG NIRGINIANS.-In Texas | saw
many young men from Virginia, sons of
the best families there. intelligent and OF
excellent character generally. In con-
versation with one OF them, / told him
that had recently been looking about in
his native state, and that it seemed TO lne
that all energetic young Virginians were
needed at home, and that there was aGun.
dant opportunity and reward for labor
there; and asked if he liked the life in
Texas better than work in Virginia. lie
said he did not, but that it was not yet the
/ fashion for young Nirginians of good fam j.
/ lily to engage in hard rough work near
their homes in tho Old Dominion. at
would not do for me to work by the month
there for such wages as are paid hero. 1t
would be too much Of an atllction for my
family, and should lose caste with my
lady friends. If man has no money he
cannot begin in Virginia, because he
would be cassed with the poor whites and
the negroes, with whom his work and cir
cumstances would bring him into COM
petition. But he can come out here and
rough it, and if he has no money he can
! work by the month at herding, or driving
, team, till he gets start I suppose this
is true, for heard the same thing often
in various places in Texas, and in Virginia
and Tennessee the parents of many of
these young men gave me the same reason
| for the emigration of their sons TO Texas.
Perhaps these reasons would be equally
potent with everybody, but at any rate
could see that many young men in the
southwest work harder, and live in far
tougher and more uncomfortable ways
than would be necessary in the older
states, and that they do not make so much
money rs they might there. There is,
| apparently, rs much emigration from
| Texas, too as from any other southern
state. The talk is everywhere of "better
country than this" in Mexico and New
Mexico, and one soon receives the imprcs.
sion that nobody is settled, or is Al all
certain Of remaining very long, even in
Texas. found in every part OF the south
| a decided and extensive movement of the
agricultural class, both white and colored,
toward itho southwest and west. In
many cases, the principal reason for this
movement, so far as | could discover is
the Improvement which is taking place
In the older regions Of the south. When
''tho new order OF things" begins 10 man.
ilest itself in II southern community there
arc many persons, of the poorer classes,
who fccl rcpellcd rather than attracted
by the Indications Of approaching change,
and in their rcstlessness aud discomfort
thoy leave their oil homes, hoping to find
more congenisl conditions in newer md
moro sparscly populated regions. Many
of these persons depeud only in part uron
agriculture for their subsistence. They
obtain some portion of their living by
hunting and fishing, and these occupations
are much moro to their tasto than steady
work Of any kind. These cmigrauts often
say, Its agoin' TO cost too much to live
hyur;' and they arc undoubtedly correct
in this conclusion. 1t will certainly re.
qutre moro money and moro labor to live
under tho improved conditions in "thc
now SOUTH than have hithcrts been ncccs
sary. under the old order of things: and
many southern men, of the classes referred
to, reason, rightly enough, that for them
the improvement and progress promised
by the signs Of the times aro not likely to
bring an increase of happiness .--Mty A.
ldHtiC.