The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-07-01
ELEMENTS OF COMFORT.

Accepting as the basis of an argument
the fact that the fundamental instinct
which urges us to accumulate wealth is
merely the expression of a desire to pro-
vide ourselves with comforts of various
kinds, it is instructive to inquire into the
origin of the instinct and the manner of
its exercise. Our knowledge that in many
cases the desire for accumulation becomes
a passion, and that in this form the in
stinct appears contorted and abnormal in
asmuch as the concrete fact takes prece-
dence of the inspiring instinct, is no argu-
ment against the fact itself, and does not
raise the question as to whether the in
stinct is wholesome. Thus, while we
observe that many men sacrifice comfort
to acquisition, not only are these cases ex-
ceptional, but they bring compensation
in the enjoyment of the power which
wealth brings, and that is clearly psyche
logical comfort.
Our particular race has been produced
by so severe a necessity to struggle almost
savagely for the physical comforts which
it has secured that it is no wonder per-
version of the accommodating instinct has
arisen. 1t is out of this fight, however,
that the sturdiness and aggressiveness of
the race have been born. The battle with
adverse climates and other rebellious
physical conditions which have had to be
conquered in the struggle to secure COM
fort have had a certain value IN the evolu-
ton of the race. All this has been used
against arguments of the advisability of
living in a country where no such struggle
has to be made, and the Incidence and
lack of progressiveness of people living in
tropical and semi-tropical countries is
brought forth in support of the argument.
Such an argument brings California
under the ban, for here harsh conditions
of material existence are conspicuously
absent. A peculiar bit of history has
bearing on the case. The seed-growers OF
the Northern Atlantic States used to de-
clare that seeds produced in severe eli
mate must have more vitality than those
brought forth in bland localities, as nature
has stored them with an impulse TO resist
the severe climatic conditions under which
they were produced. Even Peter Hender-
son, the greatest seed-grower that America
has seen, held this idea for long time, for
from certain point of view it seemed en-
tirely rational.
lie suffered radical change of mind
first when he took the seeds of the beauti-
full California poppy and cultivated them
in his nurseries. Later this change be-
came permanent when he discovered that
geranium seeds grown in California pos
sessed more terminating power and pro-
duced more vigorous plants than New
York State could show. He died just at
the time when his encouragement of seed
growing in California was assuming i'm
portant proportions, and the work had to
be taken up by Californians themselves.
The leader in this great work has been
Timothy Hopkins, who now sends seeds,
particularly those of the sweet pea, to the
Eastern States by the trainload, where
they are eagerly preferred to the products
of Eastern growers. Some of the largest
fortunes in California farming have been
made in this industry of supplying East
ern growers with various kinds of flower
and vegetable seeds.
This brings US back to the original ques-
ton. Although there does not exist in the
California climate any condition which
makes q fierce struggle for physical COM
fort a necessity, we find that the very
absence of harsh condition, in combating
which there must be a tremendous con-
sumption of vital energies, is producing a
race the soundest that can be found. The
easy inference is that the forces which else
where are expended merely in a struggle to
secure comfort are in California diverted.
into, other channels with happy results
that constitute wonderful page in the
history of civilization