Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-01-28
STAY AT HOME.

We have received from a young man, a
native of Augusta county, who has recent
ly settled in the West, an eighteen-page
manuscript for publication. Want Of space
prevents it's insertion in these columns. The
object of our young friend is to display the
wonderful grandeur of the cities, towns,
and prairie fields of the West, for the pur-
pose of alluring others away from Virginia
Whilst not undertaking any CT the ad-
vantageous features of the western country
or western life, we take decided issue with
oar young enthusiast upon either the pro-
priety or necessity Of our young men leav-
ing Virginia, and crowding an already over
crowded West. The advice of Horace
Greeley to young mn, ''to so West" was
doubtless good at the time, and taken ad
vantage of by many, who built bright air cas-
ties, and found them, III too many instances,
to be out baseless fabrics, and instead Of an
colorado, they found very matter-of fact
surroundings, necessitating taking off the
coat and rolling up the sleeves, in plain,
but practical English, going to work, in Or
der to keep up with the suiging masses of
humanity, whose especial object IN l'fe
seemed 10 be to take care of number one. :"
We Y, without fear of successful con-
rsIietion, that if one half of the push aud
|ssSlergy was demonstrated by our young men
ID home, which contact with western life
osolutely requires for any reasonable pros
pect OF success, they would do far better on
the soil Of the "Old Dominion and cur
Masterpieces would be made to 'bloom and
blossom as the rose Our correspondent
says, in describing his locality (Missouli)
"The scenery is not half so beautiful as thai
which surrounds Staunton; Bessie Bell and
Mary Gray, are not here. The beautif,
hills, covered with timber, the clear blue
streams, the picturesque horizon, out lined
by majestic mountains, are wanting
here. You recognize at once, you are not
in the land of the poet and the artist,
the ideal country, the beautiful valley of
the Shenandoah" We take no issue with
our friend here, for il there is any section OF
. this vast country superior to cur beautiful
! valley, we have been unable, in our travels,
to discover it; and underlying our grand old
mountains is untold mineral wealth, only
! waiting TO be developed; our fields in the
Z Easter time roll in verdant beauty; and why
\ our young men should desire to leave such
"a country as this, for the untried prairies of
the West, is beyonds our comprehension.
\ In this busy wo;ld, there is one selfevident
&faet, that the unselfish, the talented, the
energetic young men, must ever be striving
to rise, because honesty, energy, and talent,
command esteem, influence and wealth, ana
an opportunity for the exercise Of these
gifts is offered right here in our own STATE
as well as in any other section of our coun-
try. The West has been largely built up
and developed by Virginians But We hon
estly believe that, with the proper effort
and proper energy, Virginia offers advan
tages equal, if not better, for successful re-
suits in all the marts of trade, in agricul-
tune, or i'll the professions, to any State in
this union. We, therefore, say to our young
men, stay at home, and advance the inter
ests of your own State.
zsas1ne st. Louis Post D,sD,ilch which has
been investigating the subject, estimates
that there are nearly $1,000 persons out OF
employment in that city. Young mar, ego
Vest and help swell the great army out
of employment.