The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-04-26

i 49, +
the rugged sternness Of primeyal
nature, only those can conquer
Who themselves are uncomfortable.
II Is not until the first bitter years
have passed that the life becomes
easy enough TO invite a mass of
newcomers. and so great are the
risk. hardship. and toll OF the early
years that there always exists a
threat Of lapsing hack from civili-
cation.
History OF Pioneers.
The history of the pioneers of
jamestown, OF the founders Of Vir-
igtnia, illustrates the truth Of all
this. Famine and pestilence and
war menaced the little band of dar-
ing men who had planted them
selves alone on the edge of frown-
ing continent. Moreover, as men
ever find, whether in the tiniest
frontier community or In the vast
est and most highly organized and
complex civilized society, their worst
foes were In their own bosoms. Dis
sention, distrust, the inability Of
some to work and the unwilllngness
OF others, Jealousy. arrogance, folly
and laziness-in short all the short
comings with which we have to
grapple now, were faced by those
pioneers, and at moments threat
ened their whole enterprise with alb
solute ruin. 1t was some time be-
fore the ground on which they had
landed supported them, in spite of
it's potential fertility, and they look
ed across the sea for supplies. At
one moment so hopeless did they
become that the whole colony em-
barked, and was only save from
abandoning the country by the OPP
perfume arrival Of help from abroad.
First States Founded.
| At last they took root in the land,
and were already prospecting when
the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.
In a few years a great inflow of set
tiers began. Four of the present
States Of New England were found
ed. Virginia waxed apace. The
Carolinas grew up to the south of It,
and Maryland to the north of it..
The Dutch colonies between, which
had already absorbed the Swedish,
were in their turn absorbed by the
English, Pennsylvania was founded
and later Georgia. There were
many wars with the Indians and the
dauntless captains whose banners
bore the lilies of France. At last
the British flag few without a rival
in all eastern North America. Then
came the successful struggle for
national independence.
For half century after we be-
came a separate nation there was
comparatively little immigration to
this country. Then the tide once
again set hither, and has flowed in
ever-increasing size until in each of
the last three years greater num-
| Der of people came to these shores
than had landed on them during the
entire colonial period. Generation
by generation these people have been
absorbed into the national life.
Generally their sons, almost always
their garndsons. are distinguishable
from one another and from their
fellow Americans descended from
the colonial stock For all alike
the problems of our existence are
fundamentally the same, and for all
alike these problems change from
generation to generation.
Conquest of Continent.
In the colonial period, and for at
least century after its close. the
conquest of the continent, the ex-
pansion of our people westward, to
the Alleghenies. then to the Missis-
sippi, then to the Pacific, was always
one of the most important tasks, and
sometimes the most important. in
our national life. Behind the first
settlers the conditions grew easier,
and in the older settled regions of
all the colonies life speedily assum-
ed much OF comfort and something
OF luxury; and though generally it
was on a much more democratic
basis than life in the Old World, 1t
was by no menas democratic when
judged by our modern standards;
and here and there, as in the tide
water regions of Virginia, genuine
aristocracy grew and fiourished. But
the men who first broke ground
in the virgin wilderness. whether on
the Atlantic coast, or in the inter-
Tor. fought hard for mere life. In
the early stages the frontiersman
had to do battle with the savage,
and when the savage was vanquish-
ed there remained the harder strain
OF war with the hostile forces of
soil and climate, with flood, fever
ana famine. There was sickness
and bitter weather; there were no
roads; there was a complete lack of
all but the very toughest and most
absolute necessaries. Under such
circumstances the men and women
who made ready ..e continent for
civilization were able themselves to
spend but little time in doing aught
put the rough work which was to
make smooth the ways of their sue
cessors. In consequence observers
whose insight was spoiled by lack OF
sympathy always found both the
settlers and their lives unattractive
ana repellant. In Hartin Chuzzlewit
the Description of America, cuImin-
ating in the description Of the from
tier town OF Eden, was true and life
like fro mthe standpoint of one con-
tent to look merely at the outer
shell; and yet 1t was a community
IKE Eden that gave birth to Abra-
nam Lincoln. -.,aI,