Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1886-07-23
IN APPE1L.



prepossessing young man of eighteen.
"Dear Sir. Can you not give my son let
ter Of introduction TO some of your business
acquaintances in San Francisco, to aid him in
getting situation in some commercial house?
He will, il he succeeds in getting situation,
devote his earnings to study in one Of the
night schools Of the city, and as soon as he has
sufficient means want him to study law or
medicine, do try and help him."
This lad has been raised on farm, he has
attended a full tenn Of school at one OF the
graded institutions Of California. have
promised 10 write the letter his mother soltits.
What troop of possibilities come 10 me now
that am alone. Influences cminatlng from
the multitude Of schools, colleges and semina-
rles of learning, both Of high and low degree,
that dot our land thick as autumnal leaves, lead
our youths to abandon the workshops and the
the farm, and seek some smoother and easier
| road to fortune and to fame. This influence is
an evil one, because it tends to degrade labor
in the estimation Of the public mind The SEN
| timcnt alluded to is re-echoed by the press un-
til ii has become exceedingly unpopular 10 Of
| fer any opposition even to its manifest abuse
The result Of this morbid state Of public senti
ment is TO fill the youthful mind with a restless
ambition that depopulates the farm and fills
the country with genteel idlers who scorn the
| idea OF work and who are destined necessarily
| to precarious methods of obtaining a decent
and honest living. The whole country sws rms
with impecunious and briefess lawyers, seedy
doctors destitute of patients and pocketIess OF
| fees, with poverty stricken preachers vainly
striving to keep the wolf from the door, and
finally with untold legions OF school teachers,
clerks, book agents and other wcedy adyen-
turers without permanent employment or visi-
bic means of support. 1t is not possible that
all this vast herd of non producers can make
an honest and decent living. There is no fact
more susceptible Of proof than this, that the
majority Of professional men are and of neces
sity must be poor, the supply is greater than
| the demand, hence the few succeed while the
many fail. There is unquestionably an ex-
aggerated estimate for men in the popular pro-
fessions, especially as to law and medicine
Many a quiet farm house under this impulse
has been robbed of boy who would have been
help to his parents and a success at home.
Many good, honest country lad, who would
have eliminated in a quiet, steady, respectable,
well TO do, if not a wealthy farmer has been
taken from the scenes of his humble but use
full labor, and transformed into half starved
jack leg lawyer, very common sort of doc
tor, OF an exceedingly and tiresome preacher,
floating about from one congregation to an
other, and living on half rations, or from hand
10 mouth. Let the lad on the farm ponder
well these considerations before leaving his
| sphere Of usefulness, and adequate income, the
sure result. OF honest toll. Who are the solid
men in our community OF the land, whose
names viii pass muster on notes, bankablc or
otherwise, when guilt edged security is de-
nlandedf answer unhesitatingly and emphat.
ically the owners of the real estate--thc farm
| erS in the community, lawyer may have the
eloquence Of a Webster or Patrick Henry,
doctor the skill of Sydenham, preacher the
| melting phthos Of Whitfield, the quaint magma
| tism of Sam Jones, or the incisive and oripina,
genius Of Dewitt Talmage, and yet his name
in bank ndt be worth the paper upon which
ii is written. What struggle it is with mos,
professional men to live in any decent, com.
Portable stfle, what sacrifice of self respect,
what constant dread of mind to dodge the
butcher, the grocer, the shoe maker, the tai
| or, with their hands full Of over due bills, that
are so hard to meet. a man 10 be either com
Portable or respectable must have the means TO
live on, men may have fattering titles, whole
strings Of letters before or after their names,
but if the gaunt, grim face of poverty is hidden
behind the screen, there is no solace in these
hollow appcndages OF human pride, misery is
there. There is no name that commands such
onlnipotent and universal respect as that
spelled by the four magical letters A H..
The man that secures public confidence and
esteem must be able to meet his contracts, he
must have money, or property, or both, there
is no substitute. Learning, skill, titles, are OF
no avail to meet the wrath of the unsatisfied
creditor. An industrious, economical and
prudent farmer, or a sober skillfu mechanic
can always command the means to meet the
demands made upon him. The young farm
er may not always look as sleek or tony as the
merchants clerk, but he has the elements Of a
sturdy manhood that always commands public
esteem. Let not the honest country lad with
hands brown from honest toll be made restless
or dissatisfied BY the glare and glitter, the
show and tinsel Of the crowded sidewalk Let
him not envy the spruce and dapper clerk,
with his starched collar, his shiny toothpick
shoes, with his gold watch chain attached tc
a three dollar watch, or perhaps one made Out
of block tin, these oft proclaim the dude and
not the man. He is perhaps after all only an un
derground clerk who has to run into the cellar
to draw moasses, coal oil and tar for the pa
irons of the store. The chances Of success are
infinitely greater in the country than they ART
in the town. Every occupation Of life in the
latter is full 10 overiowing. II this is doubted
49, VIA AAef~ieoSiAiSAt tlPp1oA AAA NOiAhll "
wants in any city paper and then witnes
the number of applications for the situation
named within the first twenty four hours
Swarins Of men out Of any sort of employment
t are constantly found in all the large cities o
r our land. Most Of these would gladly worl
! for their board and lodging, to say nothing O
, their clothing Idleness invariably leads f
vice. and when starvation stares a man in th
face he is ready TO steal, and the sonlhre Jaw
of the state prison stand open to receive him
: In moral point of view, the city is bad plac
for youth, amid the evil influences and multi
, piled temptations surrounding him, the ineN
perienced lad from the country is exposed to
: thousand perils unknown to the quiet an
peaceful life of the farm, part young men, me
young in years but old in iniquity, hoar
t headed whelps, corruptors Of unsuspecting, ir
/