The Ketchum keystone. (Ketchum, Idaho) 1881-1884, 1883-03-02
GOING WEST

~ t%tSE ~ tAt0 if5totg lEtsNAfA5 ~ ktiS J
marvellous glaHth ofthis new West
ern country, often 4skes himssli
whether hs could npt wisely join
the ranks Of the next annual inigra-
tien. Ne doubt the question. shall
| 70 West 3 is the uftermost prob
lem in the minds Of thousands of
the young men Of the East, whp
have still their careers % make, and
have not yet gained . secure and
promising footing lp the business
world 1t is 2 question which each
must answer for himself and con
corning which Hp 8dvicc can DO
given that would be Of universal ap-
plication 1t would bs ! grieYiogs
mistake to suppose that = change ct
Longitude alone insures success. Idle
ness, inoompetency. and . worthless,
drifting disposition, have no better
chance in Idaho than Massachusetts.
Indeed there sre s9me men wha run
along fairly well in the East, in the
groves OF custom and Of established
acquaIntances and business connec-
tions, who would make lamentable
shipwreclx if set adritl in q neW
, western community.
On the other hand, the chances
for a young man OF average pluck
and energy are uEquestionably
much better IN the West than I'M the
East. He shares the advantages Of
being among the first to open a
fresh storehouse of natural wealth.
He gets the first dividend on the in.
crease Of value resulting from bring.
ing population upon the soil The
Hand he buys for three ur four s.al.
lars MI acre, or gets for nothing bY
| homestead settlement, soon becames
worth ten or fifteen. II he embsFke
| in trade or any mechanical pursuit,
| his wares or his services are IN
brisk demand. because I'll the new
eomers around him require goods
and implements. Then there IS 3
certain stimulus in the moral st
mosphere caused By the ambitions
|
and energies of new community
ful of hope and activity, which
makes hardshipa easy to bear aad
causes buoyancy Of spirits.
Western people fud it hard te
make their friends in the East un
derstand just what they mean wher
they speak Of the difference in ths
business and social tone Of the two
sections. 1t is difference to be felt
rather than defined. There is vast
" more energy and more hope pei
capita of the population IN new com
munities than old aud the immi
grant feels at once tbs resulting
stimulus, 1t braces up the listlest
and the responding, aud make
even the most active man conelud,
that there is a deal more in him ii
the way of work and IDEAS than hi
supposed. Many man who wouls
have remained clerk or a small
sslaried enploye Of some kind nj
his life. had he stayed in the East
becomes, amid the larger opportuni
ties OF the West. a leading citizen
and the owner Of a fine farm ar
prosperous business.
The young man going Vest ear
therefore. count upon the oppol
5 tunities OF obtaining land at sma
cost, the business openings grewia
out of the wants Of new eommm
ity and the moral incentive tina
comes from eontaat with hopeful
enterprislng people Il he does no
succeed ia gaining a full measure {
independence in the course Of te
years, the reason will lie down !
his own disposition
He viii either lack energy aa
: capacity or he viii b SO much
ereataao Of habit and - thorough
the outgrowth of an older eiviliE.
tion thai he cannot adjust himself {
the new environments. There ar
men as well as trees, that viii ne
thrive when lranspianted The ii
tending easlgrant would do sell {
l .fuIy his avn til<t104fti.a,, t.a s,.ftlt =