Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-03-26
Going to Seek a Fortune.

The Philadelphia Record of the
21st inst, says:
A correspondent writes to The
Record to ask whether it would be
judicious for him 20 go to the newly
discovered gold mines in Idaho in
search of fortune.
Much depends upon the kind of
young man, and much upon bis pres
ent circumstances. The young man
who writes admits that he has had
employment for several years, and is
now in receipt of salary, but that
it is very small and that there is no
chance of further advancement. Yet
he is but 1S-an age at which many
young men who are destined to make
good livelihood for themselves have
not yet earned their first dollar. He
is in city full of schools and insti-
tutions of various kinds for acquiring
knowledge, and full of busy business
men who require help. A young
man of Is who is earning anything
s rather fortunate than otherwise
If the position the young man is in
offers no chance of advancement he
would do well to spend his evenings
in acquiring information that will fit
him ior something better, or to work
gratis couple of hours in some 9th
er business until he has learned
enough to be worth a small salary
1t may seem hard not to have mo-
ment to spare for recitation, but it is
the fate of many of us, and he who
will not give up his recreation when
young for the sake of acquiring use
ful knowledge will probably find him
self forced to be slave to hard and
i'll paid work all his life
But If it is hard work to toll ali
day for pittance, and to study ev-
cry evening to fit ones-self for some
thing better, it is far harder than all
this for penniless young man to
make his way to far Idaho, and there
wiring living from the rocks. First,
there is the long journey, and the
time and the hardships to be endur-
ed before reaching the mines. In
the time he could learn much here !;
with the money flor money he must
take or earn on the road) he could
do much here; and the hardships,
unless he is built like a rock, may in
jure him for life. Second, if he sur
wives the roughing it Oh the road he
will have to rough it there, rough it
on poor food at high prices and no
credit, rough it without house over
his head and with anything he can
get for clothes. This lie must do un-
til he strike pay rock; and here comes
in the third dificulty-what if he
finds no gold! What if, after all,
there is not much gold to find? What
If he gets there after all the good
claims are located? Has the young
man any actual knowledge of how
far it is to Idaho? and how far (from
the difficulty of the route) it is to
the gold mines when he gets to Ida
ho7 Does he know anything about
indications q can he dig for ten
hours at stretch? is he handy with
shotgun ? can he live on bad pork!
can he sleep on a blanket on the floor
OF board shanty? If he can answer
all these questions in the affirmative,
and believes that to bear all this is
easier and more pleasant than to
work round warehouse in Philadel-
phia, and offers better chance fnan-
cially, by all means let him go. Yet,
even If the young man belongs to
what may be called the right sort to
rough it; if he is one of those excep-
tionally healthy, happy go-lucky per-
sons to whom what would be misery
to others is downright enjoyment
still let him reflect that the gold is
covered up with snow, that bad meals
cost dollar each, and that he may
come back in year or two richer in
nothing but experience.
The men who are sure to succeed
well at the mines are not the miners.
He who can open store or saloon
is likely to have fortune; a carpen-
ter or stage driver may do well !;
and a gambler, unless he gets shot,
may do better so far as accumulating
money goes. If the young man who
writes for advice is confident of his
powers in the first three of these di-
rections, perhaps he will do well to
go; and if he is ambitious for sue
cess in the last, he cannot go too
soon.