Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-01-13
80 cuese % ovERwoRK.


11,,V Americans Abuse mems W. -
Wear aud Tear of LIE
Wa have heard Il great deal aooGi tis7
narvous wear and tear OF American ~
and every one is familiar with the "a,h
mo that we are living too fast ana must
nav a serious penalty Yet we continue
10 go the pace, and the visiting iurs's
or continues to hold up his hanus III
arnazemeut at the breathless rapiultN u
American life Scientists lay the blame
largely 10 our dry, bracing atmosphere,
Illustrating their theses by the more
no,yerful effects of alcohol here than ia
Enrland Sociologists talk of our mater'ai
oonditious of the development oil a ne"
country. and the necessity OF confronting
nressinr material problems which sunni
late the race for fortune-a race oherllig
such free competition ana so many ilh
,,,ansa nrizes not restricted by class or
caste. that participation is almost uii
avoidable. Although every American Is
''as good as" any other, yet every AIherl
con Is stimulated by burning desire TO
ehow himself a little better-to win speclai
success in his chosen field. The result Is
n hand to hand competition, mercer, prop
ably. than in any other country III the
world Americans have not yet learned
how to rest, and the effect is noted as men
drop.out exhausted from the professions
or from business while yet in the prime oil
life Often this attracts no attention
Bnt we have recently had some concrete
Illustrations of the evils of the terrible
tension of American life in certain phases
which ought not to pass unnoticed.
These are examples of self abuse IN
field of work where excess is peculiarly
characteristic of Americans. This coun-
trv with its great natural opportunities,
and its sudden changes and developments
offers peculiar invitations to speculation
and the colossal fortunes made within the
last twenty years are ever before the eyes
of men as a stimulus. There Is specuia-
ton everywhere; but Americans nave
been called, not without reason, nation
of SPECTATORS New York and Chicago
are the centers, and in intensity the hot,
feyerish life of their exchanges Is not
equaled in the bourses of Paris, Berlin
or Vienna or the Stock Exchange of Lon
don Now and then fortunes collapse.
and the public wonder; but of the men
who fall exhausted in the race the public
as a rule hear little.
Yet it is worth while to consider the
moral of three recent cases In Chicago
wealthy Spectator began to show signs
of excessive mental strain. All his
thoughts, dreams and speech were of the
market His actions became strange, he
made wild offers in the Exchange; he
/ threw away his money in disastrous ven,
lures; and finally the truth was discovered
insane from overwork. Here in New
| York, not long since, we were told that
even Jay Gould was obliged to seek rest
upon his Yacht in order to avert the con
sequences of mental over eXertion and
sleeplessness. Within the fortnight two
members of the Stock Exchange have
fallen out of the ranks OF one of them,
now in an insane asylum, his brother
/ said He has overworked himself. The
physicians call it form of brain paralysis,
accompanied by emotional insanity and
occasional paroXysms. He knew that he
was overtaxing himself, yet he persisted
in coming to business 1t was a case OF
an unintentional course towards insanity
or suicide" OF the other broker his
physician says: 1T was a case of over
work and consequent nervous prostra-
ton. Yet this man was already mil
lionaire
1t is surely not necessary to insist upon
the moral of such breaking down of men
in the prime of life. Such practical warn
ings should have some effect, yet it will
be long time before the lesson is learned
And it will be a long time, too, before
Americans learn to understand the evil in
fuence of the present system of specula-
ton. 1t is gambling and nothing else,
in which lives are often staked and lost.
Frank Leslies