The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-03-07
Studies of the Great West.

( proper u say that the reader = n0t % ex-
pet exhaustive statistical statements q
growth or development, nor descriptions
{ except snch as viii illustrate the point d
view taken Of the making Of the Great
West N.terizlisna j the most o51ruslTe
feature Of a cnrSory observation bnt i
( does not interest one - much zs the for-
ees that underiy i, the enterprise and
{ joFOnsness Of conquest and achievement
i that II stands for, or the finer processes
evolved IN the marvellous huil6in- up 4
new societies What IS the spirit, shat
Z i the civilization os the Wes. I have
/ not the presumption TO expect 10 ansxer
( these large questions to any ones szfls-
+ f&cfioR--lezsi Of ali 70 my own-5ut Il I
may be permitted 10 talk ah-cu; them aa-
Iniiiariy, ia the manner that one speaks
10 bis friends Of what interested him
most in jcGrney, and with iexibilify
in passing from one topic 70 sReiher. /
shall hope to contribute someihins 70 4
better understanding between the terri
torres Of vast empire. How vast this
republic Is no one can 81 all sPEreciat..
who dos nos actually travel over iis vide
areas. To many cf u the West ! sill
the West of the Biographies Of 80 years
ago; Il is the simple truth 10 ssy tia.
comparatively fex Eastern people have
any adequate conception % Ehat hes
West OF Chicago and = Louis perhaps
a hazy geographical notion of If, bat not
the fzintest idea of Is civilization and IL
sociefy- NoE 4 good understanding 81
each ether between the graf sections q
the republic : politically u the tirst iHl-
p.ostance- We shah hang togetber - a
naiion blood. relafi0uship. steel rails
naviszble waters, trade, ahsenoe of nat
Grai boundaries. settles that We shah
pull and push and gTumble, ne shall "
tnperAte each other, pzrties VII continue
TO make capital out Of =ee;ioual prem
dice. and Aanionly inaame il Ebzt =
piiifnl Sortof = poli;ics that is but ne
shall sick to-sther Ike wax StiH. any
thing ike snooih working Of our p.oliti-
cal machine depends upon good under
standing between sections And the ~
marx applies % East and West a vel Is
10 North and south. Il Is = common re-
marx 3. the Wes- that Ess.eTn people
know nothing about u; they think 6
half civilized =. and there / mingled
with slight irri1ability AZ this ignorance
a waxing feeling OF superiority over the
east n Force and power. One Would net
say that repose a. yet goes along with
this sense Of great CAPACITY and great
achievement indeed, il : inevitable
that a condition 0fdevelop-neH1 Of quick
growth unparalleled IN the history of the
whole zorld there should Re abundant
self-as=ertion and even monumental boast
fitness.
When the Western man goes East he
carries the consciousness Of playing 4
great part in the making Of an empire /;
his horizon is large but he finds himself
Surrounded BY an atmosphere of iudif-
ference OF Don-comPrehension of the pro
digiozsness Of his country. Of inc-eluli-
" - 10 the refinement AMI laxury a llis
civilization and sslfasseTtioH Is bis
natural defense. This Iongitndinal in
ereiglify and sEss-er i curious phe-
nomenon- London thinks New YORK pats
on air. View YORK complains of Chicz-
COS want q modesty. Chieaso can see
that Kansas City and Omaha are az-rsS-
sireiy boa-tfnl. and thee cities acknoxl-
edge the expansive self-appreciation OF
Denver and Helena.
Does going Eest work 4 radical change
in a mans character Hardly We are
zllcBt out Of the sane pieoe Of eloth- Tie
Western man / the Eastern OF Southern
nan Jet Io1se, With his Ieadine-s-rin-s
cal- But the change ofIsiilztion eTezfes
immense diversity IN interests and IN
spirit One has but 10 take up any Of
the great newspapers, say in = Paul OF
Minneapolis. 70 be aware that he : n
another World of ideas, Of news, of inter
ests- The topics that mast interest the
East he doeSn find there. nor much of
its news Persons Of Ehou re rezds
daily II the East drop ont of sight, and
other persons, magnateS il p0litics, pack
inc, railways, Ioom up Il takes columns
70 tell the dzily history of places which
haze heretofore only caught the a-res-
ton q the Eastern reader f0r freaks Of
the thermometer. and he has an 0ppoT-
tuniiy ,e nead daily pages about DaSoia,
concerning which \ weekly paragraph
has formerly satisfied his curiosity Be-
f97e be can Be si,sorbed IN these lively,
intelligent newspapers he must change
the whole current OF his fhougilfs. and
take up other sug5eets, persons and pa
CO than those that have heretofore &C
eupied h, mind He J. now IN a new
world.
One % the rnost striking facts in the
West i State pride, attachment 70 the
State. the profound 5cliefof every ci1i-
zen that his state ( the best En-en-
dered PERHAPS at first By q permanent
investment and the spur Of self-interes-,
il speedily becomes passion, a sfrons
in the newest state as It : in any one of
the original thirte~n Rivalry between
cites is sharp. and civic pride i excess
i've. but both are ouidone bv the lzr7er
devotion 70 the commonwealth And
this pride i developed IN the inhabif-
ants of territory - soon as Il : organ
ized- Montana has colieased the o7ii-
nary achievements Of eenfury into -
years, AID loyalty 70 its present aad ex-
pecsa,ion Of IL future are a. strong IN il
citizens a. i the attachment 0f 1ea q
Massachusetts, 20 the state Of nearly three
centuries q growth. In Nebraska Vas
pleased With the talk of a clergyman
who had Just returned from three months
travel in Europe- lie vas f1II Of his Bov-
e experiences De had greatly enjoyed
the frip bat be Ezs gsai 70 ~ hack %
Nehrzska and its fall. vi-oro1s life IN
England and On the Continent be had
-een much to interest him bEs be oo1id
Rot help comparing Europe With Nebras-
ka and a. for him, this vas the sz5-
stance Of IL give hin Nebraska every
time Whz, aStonished him snos;. and
wounded his feelings and there was q
note Of parhos il his statement Of i