The record-union., 1893-11-14
EAST And WEST.
Opportunities For Young Men in
New York.
There is No 1nducement For Young
CaIifornIans to Seek Employ
ment There.
EAST And WEST.

fornians who went to Chicogo during the
summer gathered momentum enough to
carry them to New York. Among these
were many young men who were look
ing for something which oughtto be more
readily found in their own State. Atany
rate, they did not find here what they
sought, and as consequence they missed
seeing what is here and well worth seek
ing. They were hunting 'jobs."
This is very like the practice of the
wealthy young men of the Eastern States
who cross to England to go a-hunting,
and, while riding after some foxes, miss
both the educating influences of an old
country and the genuine sport left behind
in their own land. There are few Jobs
here in New Y ork and those few are tame
in comparison with Western opportuni-
ties. What is more, the young men here
know better how to hunt the places open
to new men than do the strangers.
OF course there is no place in the
United States where ability and energy
cannot make way, but that is not what
these young men were after. 1t Is pre-
cisely that which they thought TO avoid.
They did not want to make way but to
find one made. They applied for places
where they would have nice ripe salaries,
good hours and chance to enjoy lie
something George Gould signs ior and
cannot have. Such places are filled with
the younger sons'' of influential men,
who have given up hopes of future for
their offspring, and are content to see
them shelved in clean, honorable places
where they may be useful parts OF the
mechanism of life. And the instinct OF
the Californians was right, in that 1t led
them hither forsoccupationS mechanical,
where foresight, originality and hard
intellectual exertiOn are not necessary.
There failed then only the knowledge
that pulp is as necessary IN business
here as in politics everywhere. For
places East they should bring the best
letters of introduction attainable.
Then there is an obstacle here not met
with so much on the western side OF the
continent. 1t is the apprenticeship; not
such as is served by European tradeSmen
to be sure, but practically period OF unre-
munerative service. The large number
of applicants for every position 10 be
filled here. and the large proportion ol
well-to-do young men seeking mere occu-
patton, has lowered the price of we'll
dressed labor.
In addition to this drawback there is
another even more serious, because il
affects the better class of men, who hope
to rise by sheer faithfulness and industry
the men who are willing TO serve honestly
in the belief that they will be picked out
and set up higher. 1t is the habit of long
service and slow promotion. This, nc
doubt, is consequence of the compli-
Gated division of labor, together with the
distant removal of the director of the
business from his apparatus. Business
concerns which would attract the starter
in life are subdivided into departments
in each of which only one man thinks
and often none judges subordinates. The
President or chief is high above, and
knows only those department Heuten-
ants. Desert is. therefore, drilled in pa
tience and is found out almost always
late, often too late, when it has settled
down to routine excellence and safely re-
warded only by higher pay.
1t may seem strange that New \ ork
should be different from London, Paris
or Berlin as field for young men; but
there is reason for the exception OF the
American metropolis from other great
cities, and one, too. highly satisfactory tC
American pride. 1t is the fact that New
York is still healthy and young enough
to furnish splendid leaders for its owl
commerce and enterprise. Heirs to for
tunes are in almost sufficient proportion
undegenerate and able and willing to be
the brains of their fathers millions. Ii
the next generation this may be changed,
for many young and middle-aged busl-
ness thinkers Detray IN trembling hand
and peevish temper, the approach of the
decline of their race, and brothers anC
sons are mad or simple enough to prove
the sound member of the family an ex-
ception. But for the present, at least, the
millions can take care OF themselves ano
need little aid from the pennies.
But while New York and the Eas
generally offer few inducements tc
Western young men to rebound from the
Pacific Slope, it has and will have more
and more an attraction for a small mi
nority. The East is good field for any.
one aiming at achievement in the arts
For dramatic work New York is perhaps
the only place in America for a talented
starter, for it will read plays and it doe!
present them. There is a present ex
ample in Harry J. W. Damn. whost
play, "Tbe Silver She'll" has jus
been produced and well received here
convenience to be here. Painter
who have not yet made name car
make a living in New York, Boston anC
Philadelphia. and they can do so only
with great difficulty elsewhere. Musician:
with head above heart can keep bott
singing without annihiiating drudgery.
Still, this exception concerns few, anC
after IL Is maze IL must De conditioned
For while New York gives to the begin
ner bread and TO the Western beginner {
fresh point of view, it cannot compare
with the West-and, least OF all, with Cal
ifornia-tor materials and inspiration
That this is true will be very readily adj
mitted here. And the young literary
men who have tried the West for matte
for fiction and descriptive prose are nearly
all who have come into renown.
The simplest conclusion with which Il
sum up all that is meant in this letter il
that for the Californian the East is bes
useful as an instructor of not always bet
ter, but of other ways and means anC
things. There is nothing it can teach tina
cannot be applied better in Cafiforni;
than in New York. j. l.. SrEFFENS.