The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-02-03

1nero were lew temptations TO DeseC
his way, and considering his limited
opportunities for mental culture, he
was generally well informed and man
Of general strong moral force, con-
sciencious and honorable in his deal
ings with his fellow-man. His word
was as good as his money. Humbugs,
frauds, cheats, combines, lightning rod
agents, three card monte men, burglars
and tramps we're unknown to the pio-
neerage. Swells, dandies, dudes pro-
fessional beggars and cranks are the
offspring of latter day.
But alas, the pioneer with his simple
habits of life, his wholesouled gener-
osity with the world, is no more. His
log cabin has tumbled down. The day
Of the iorns, pot hooks, logging, buck
skin breeches, OK teams, sickles and
fails has passed away. The forest
with the bear and deer, the wolf and
the buffalo has vanished The condi-
tion has changed and a new order of
things makes up our order of surround
ings.
Greece had her pioneer age. 1t was
when Spartan valor and simplicity was
was the terror of her foes. Her down.
fall began with the luxury andcorrupt-
ing abundance and splender of Athens,
Rome, too, had her pioneer age. 1t
was when she was in her formative
stage, and was able to cope with the
world. Her decay started with the
carrupting influence of wealth and lux
ury in the Augustianage. ltwas the in
ert condition of the people that made it
possible for the barbarous Huns to
make a successful invasion into that
proud and glorous empire. Rome had
been feasting in luxury for over half a
century her rulers and her statesmen
had degenerated into gluttons, herp phil
osophprs into mental imbecils, and hel
army into well kept mob that fed
like fat sheep before the woliish Hun
"Give me neither wealth nor poverty
was a wise prayer. Both are evils
The greed after riches has proved {
curse to many nation, so has want
Wealth begets luxury and brings de-
XIh n n
prives man physically and intellectually
Have the American people reached
the Augustan age with its luxury ant
lazy inactivity? Are we approaching
the splendor Of Atheniar .,lory and get
ting ready to fall to pieces? No, no
The zenith of American glory has no
vet been reached. We are strong an(
vigorous nation Our people are cos
mopolitan. They possess the vigor o
the world. Ii there is, however, al
element of danger in our make up
it is in our own activity. Perhaps nj
other nationality is 50 excessively in
r clined to hurry through the world a
our real Americans are. A genuine
+, native is always in hurry. Whateve
+ he does must be accomplished at rail
, road speed, or he is unhappy.
, If you desire to make an American
+ miserable COMPEL him to ride on
freight train at rate of l5 miles a
=, hour, and if you want to kill him out
|, right and by slow but sure process
, make him ride in stage drawn b
oxen. Two days ride will fix him Il
effectually as an over dose of morphine
When he walks on the street he goe
|, like fireman in response to an alarm
= when he drives he goes like John Gil
, pin; when he eats he masticates wit
. the rapidity of patent sausage cutter
= and swallows his food like brio
= machine does mortar; when at churc
A his mental activity permits him t
= take in the entire discourse as it fall
4 from the preachers lips besides fiXin
4 up full line of business operation
for the coming week, laying plans fc
a new railroad, factory or two, organ
y izing corner of wheat or pork, al
ranging the material for polite,
speech, laying the wires for flat ofliC
and winding up with sigh of sacre
- devotion when the minister says amer
In the space of ten years this fa
man of America crowds into the heat
- of his children volumes of mathema
les, Il huge heap of grammar, worl
=, of rivers, lakes, oceans, islands cont
nents, mountains, myriads of stars ar