The Republican journal., 1888-02-09
Comments on Oorrespondence,

There are three letters OH the first page that
taken together serve to point moral, in which
Greeley's advice to young men is reversed.
Instead of go West" these letters say ''Stay
East" The note from the Maine man who
writes from six years experience in Dakota,
with the accompanying clippings is conclusive
on this point, and is emphasized by the follow
ing lines clipped from an exchange:
In the land of wild Dakota,
In the land where blows the blizzard,
Humps itself the icy cyclone.
Plunges northward, gallops eastward,
There is death and cold and hunger.
Reads the east the wintry story,
Hugs itself about the tireside,
Warns itself with high-prced fuel,
Gives itself congratulations.
Settles down to winter comforts,
Breathes sigh with pity laden,
Cnambitious, has no longer
Westward journey to be taking,
Where the fruit of honest labor,
After filling summer prairies,
Is to order pfne-board coffins,
Make your will and freeze forever.
DIR. Wares letter from Washington Territory,
while not recitins the horrors attending the re-
cent billiards. in Dakota and other sections of
the Northwest, tells of much suffering from
cold. of high-priced provisions, and, after two
winters experience there, the Doctor concludes
that ''od Maine is good enough for him. The
letter from Houlton, OH the other hand, shows
that in our most Northern county the winter
has been on the whole a pleasant one, with
nothing approaching the Northwestern biz
Zard, and no privation or suffering.
Our exchanges are filled with matter corrob-
oratye of these letters. For example, Il Maine
man writing from Los Angeles, California, to
the Portland Press, SAYS:
| have found no one yet able to give salts
factory explanation of why the cold here is so
uncomfortable. One would think a man from
Maine able to stand anything in the way of
climate in place where hardy plants bloom in
gardens and flies are Il nuisance at midday dur
in" all the year, vet such is not the case.
meet men from all over the world, men from
Dakota, Minnesota, and such places who say
they have been accustomed for years to a VIM
ter temperature lowering about the twenties
below yet they can't stand this weather and are
going back. | sat ut the table Friday beside a
large, rugged man who looked able to endure
any degree of cold or hardship. He called for
something hot saying he had not been warm
for four days. The tenacitv of the beef and
particularly the sickly pallor of the ''baked
beans of his order led to conversation. L
learned he had left Clinton, Me-, nine weeks
ago. telling his wife he would get located. send
for her and they would spend the remainder of
their days away from the colds and SHOWS of
Maine where Il little comfort could be taken
with the earnings of fifty years struggle with
the rocky soil of Clinton. But he had written
the night before not to sell the sold Farm"
he would rather grub among its rocks and ell
dure its colds for fifty years longer than spend
another such miserable week as had been the
last and are likely to be the next twelve or six
teen to come. As write there are five hardy
railroad men in the next room, all from differ
ent points in the frigid north, yet their CONVEX
satlon is wholly OH means of keeping warm.
which none OF them seem able to do. 'Twould
alnt>e you to hear the different plans they tell
OF having tried without success. One got out
of bed. went to saloon. filled up with wills key,
and returned to bed, to freeze Just the same
Another got up and stood naked in the open
air till nearly frozen to see if the contrast af-
ter returning to bed would not he comfort
But us needless to say his plan failed. We
have Sept three in one bed for the sake of
Keeping WARM Oh several occasions. but do so
no more rs on the last trial the middle man
was frozen.
The experience of the Clinton man is that
OF many who have left Maine hoping to better
their condition. and his advice not to sell the
cid farm should at least have consideration
from those who think of leaving their comfort
able homes iii Maine to settle in the far West.