Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-09-13
From Alsea Bay.

our past reputation than upon the
food which we took yesterday. Ad-
vancement onward and upward is
imperative. Stagnation is worse
than retrogression. We are i'm
mortal beings, not stupid and pas
sive, but active, intelligent crea-
lures. Made after the similitude
of God, possessing the express i'm
age of His person. AS such we are
made to live for something, even to
love God and our fellow-man. But
if we are ignorant Of these things,
and are possessed with constitu-
tional Indifference we are indeed
in the gall Of bitterness and the
bonds Of iuiquity."
There are some persons who
claim that the improvement of our
country is the direct cause of hard
lines, aud some have not only in.
timated, but actually said to the
writer, "you had better keep still
about improving our Bay country,
1t costs a great deal OF money and
that will make hard times for us
here" Now if were an older
man and my advice was worth any,
thing, l would advise such persons
to read the Bible and the "Hoosier
School.master" or some of Mark
Twain's laughable works and Ell:
deavor to shake off some of their
lethargy. The time when the wild
Indian savage roamed these hills
and valleys, making his living by
hunting and fishing and having his
own way about everything is passed.
But the time has not passed when
number of lazy white men, if they
may be called white, depend for
their living wholly upon hunting,
fishing and trapping, together with
what few little articles they can
pick up here and there without
fear of being detected. This class
of people do hot want the country
improved. They will not do an
honest days work, and endeavor to
instill the same baneful disposition
into the rising generations They
say, in actions if not In words,
Ignorance is bliss, It's folly to be
wise" This clan, I am happy to
say, is considerably in the tninori-
ty, and like the American Indian,
they are gradually becoming ex-
tinct. Improvement says the soon-
er the better. We would not CEN
sure our fellow-man because he can
not see as we see; nor do we believe
in prosecuting him because he
wishes to retain his happy hunting
ground in opposition to civilization
and improvement, but we would
earnestly admonish him as a
brother to give up his rowing habits
and humbly acquiesce with there
quirements of progress. Unless he
can be induced to do this, his doom
to destruction is certain, and he Is
practically, without God and
without hope in the world" Con
tent with the indolent enjoyment O
an exuberant land, the clans of peo-
pie referred to above isone of The
obstacles in the way Of improving
the country. IF these people woult
apply themselves to the cultivation
of the soil with reasonable amount
of diligence. a market for their pro
duce would thus be createdi sine,
there would be enough produce tc
Justify vessel to carry it away.
While upon Life's swelling ocean,
Tossed aiewe by many wave,
Each has his peculiar notion
Each his six feet for grave.
Here we've neither chutch nor graveyard
Nowhere for to lay our head,
Live forever Sage and brave Bard
Fish and hunt for daily bread.
w. D. RIsLEY.
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