The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-12-28
The Press obtains Practical Sugees-
lions for Maine Young Men.
Observations Of a Prominent Maine
Man In the West.
j. p. Baxter, ESQ.,, thinks Enterprise
will tell Here as we'll as Elsewhere.

viz 6ASoe WOl6uL VI Mo udliC W LulS duflC6p
and stories Of great wealth and prosperity
to be had for the gathering in the Ell Dorado
gilded 1t in the imaginations Of the youth Of
New England. And they went by hundreds
and by thousands; and some Of them
fourished and some did not The West has
meanwhile filed up, and the everlasting
question, as it comes up in the mind of the
young man of to-day, must be debated more
thoughtfully than Of yore. To aid the young
men of Maine in their wrestlings with this
question, the PRESS has obtained the
opinions Of prominent citizens Of Maine who
have lately travelled in the West and South
west These will be published from time to
time. This morning we give the opinion of
James P. Baxter. Esq, of this city, who has
lately returned from tour in the West.
"You ask me what are my impressions of
the West, especially as field for young men
from the East" said Mr.. Baxter. "The
subject is too large to treat in few sentences !,
indeed, it would require many pages to
adequately give my impressions of that vast
region which we of the Atlantic seaboard
denominate the West.
"What route? We first crossed the Rockies
w DhAabSpi OHC VI buOoC mdlfClOuo
room railroad towns which a few years ago
was denomiaated by a graphic writer Hell
on Wheels on account Of the depravity
which existed there, but which is now quite
quiet and sober town enough. From here
we went down into the Montezuma valley,
one of the richest agricultural regions in this
richest Of States, and from thence traversed
the mining region west, viewing some Of the
grandest scenery on the globe. Life in these
mining towns is picturesque in the extreme
The long trains Of loaded burros threading
the narrow passes and crawling up the steep
mountain paths; the rough miners with
their broad brimmed sombreros and general
ly brigandish air; the shanties perched here
and there along the rocky peaks, all tend to
make an interesting picture at every turn.
Life here is Of the toughest. The entire
community Of one of these mining towns
seems to be engaged in a great lottery.
Stories Of mountain strikes fill the air,
most of them as baseless as the unsubstan-
tial fabric of a VISION" and once in while
one really pans out according to the COM
mon parlance. A prospector told NE that a
friend of his, who had blown in all his
pile was a year before utterly discour-
aged and about to leave. de could not get
out of the country without little money,
and tried to sell the two mines which he
owned for hundred dollars piece with all
their fittings, but could not find purchaser
So he had to wait. In short time ne found
the vein widening, and now is getting out Of
his two mines about $4,000 month. Hun
dreds fail where one succeeds, and with those
who snoooed eaooess 10 parohasod at so costly
price as to bring 1t very near the border
line Of failure
No, we did not stay here long, but pushed
on to the Pacific slope. We approached San
Francisco during rainstorm, which lasted
several days, and worked sad havoc to the
raisins, which were then spread over the
country to dry. 1t was an unpleasant sight
to see hundreds Of tons of the purple clusters
lying in heaps utterly ruined, and made one
realize that even in this favored land fruit cul-
ture is subject to the same chances of failure
that our crops are in the sterile North as
some of ouI untravelled friends and western
land spectators are apt to term it.
"Yes. San Francisco is quite city and
and must eventually become much more
important than it now is. We went down
into Southern California Los Angeles i'm
pressed me perhaps as the most interesting
place 1 saw. Its growth has been rapid as
has been the growth of the adjoining town
of Pasadena. don't think they have BUSH
ness enough there at present to enable these
places to hold their own and have no doubt
that real estate will decline in value there
considerably; but both Los Angeles and
Pasadena are attractive places.
NO. cannot advise any young man who
can get living in New England to go West.
Thousands have gone there who would have
lived better and happier and died better
off in every way at home in much maligned
Maine. Every case of success is blazoned
abroad, but the failures are not spoken off,
Yes, there is great enterprise in tue West;
there would be here under the SAME circun4-
stances, but these enterprises are sustained
almost wholly by Eastern capital, Eastern
suckers meet warm welcome in these new
places, and they are shown Just the best
plans for investment. OF course the growth
of new town is rapid when money is fur
nished lavishly, as it often is by people In
the East who send it through agents and
know nothing about the real situation them
selves. In some cases such investments turn
out well CT course, but as a rule it is unsafe
for mau to invest in anything of which he
has no knowledge
"If our young men would stay at home and
devote the same thought and labor to home
enterprises as they devote to kindred enter
prises in the West, they would, in my Opin-
ion, meet with proportionate success. OF
course man cannot make his way in the
most favored region without good judgment
and push, and with these he can succeed
anywhere. II any respondent man in Maine
wants an object lesson of what can be done
in one of our little Maine towns, let him
spend the day in Freeport and see what Nal
let has done there; and what has been done
there in short time can be done elsewhere
in Maine with pluck and brains. We want
more small manufacturing establishments;
enterprises which will employ the young
men and women and keep them at home.
There are scores Of such enterprises only
waiting for the right men to take them in
hand. Why five years ago, Freeport was
sleepy place with no prospect of growth.
The granite which abounded there was un-
noticed, because nobody thought it would
pay to quarry it, A man VINO knew better
opened quarry, and today the granite bust
ness of Freeport is becoming important to
the State. A large number Of men find
employment in the business and help increase
the population. There was no coal to be
had there an article fast becoming of prime
necessity even in Maine towns. The same
man who opened the quarry put up some coal
sheds, laid in a stock Of coal and arranged
to deliver it to customers. People from
neighboring towns came to Freeport to get
coal, and the result is a thriving coal BUSH
ness. The enterprise thus started made a
demand for houses. Lumber was needed,
and a lumber mill was put in operation, and
this too, is a successful undertaking. Why
not open large store with variety stock
and cater to the wants Of the community?
This also has been done and if managed
judiciously,as it doubtless will be, this will
also prove success and greatly advance the
prosperity of Freeport. No doubt similar
chances exist in hundred other towns in
Maine.
"Yes, think that even farming which is
so mupn ahuced In Moina nan ha m a 10 nrOHf-