The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-09-19
Our New York Letter.

| THE city has many attractions,
| But think of the vices and sin:
| When once in the vortex OF fashion.
| How soon the course downward begins
Anywhere you go, everywhere, the
young men are dissatisfied, and old
er ones too. Hills look green at
distance" is rather an old saying, but
nevertheless true. People, partlcu-
larly young men, read of the success
es in cities, and every one imaglnes
that only a chance is needed for him
to equal or eclipse them. Some DO,
many do not; by far about 999 OF
every 1000 fail to reach the goal.
The one of a thousand is made proml-
nent; the nine-ninety-nine are kept
in tn background. But" says
the youthful genius, Il know | can
do it; l am an exception" Now let
me say, you may be, you must be, to
even out where there are so many to
compete and contend with. For
blasted lives, hopes, ambitions, a
great city is the place-a perfect
graveyard of failures.
The writer would not discourage
any ambitious boy, young man, or
older, for the matter of that, but
would caution. Even the successes
are far from happy, and there is
scarcely one who would not willing
ly exchange his present for his hum
bic past. It is a fact that in New
York City the men who have reached
prominence are from the country;
there is no denying this fact; it is a
matter of history that they come
from outside the city. City birth,
raising and training is groove-like:
one idea narrowness, there is not
that general all-round knowledge Of
men and things acquired by those in
less populated section, nor is there
bred within these essentials that go
to make the man as he is constituted
elsewhere. "Why not, then," in
quires the young man, "are not my
chances good? / am an outsider" 1t
you possess these qualities, your
chances are better where you are;
where you know, and are known. II
you do succeed here, you are not
satisfied as you would be while par
tally succeeding there. A million
here is not more than a thousand
there; eminence here is not more
than prominence there.
The fact that the masses here are
by nature as stated precludes their
respecting or appreciating you here
as friends there look on you. The
contamination here not only of bad,
but of differently constituted human
beings, is sure to strike you, adhere,
penetrate. He or she who can with
stand it is indeed the rare exception.
Associations are altogether different;
family ties different; friendship diff
ferent, and so different.
The lack Of genuine sympathy you
are accustomed to discourages, drags
down the sense of finer feelings you
bring with you. At home you have
genuine, true and tried friends to
mingle with, to rejoice with you in
prosperity, to grieve with you in ad,
versity, to soothe your griefs and
pains, to lay you away with tender,
loving hands. In a great city it is
all mechanical hired nourners, y
so to speak, after death;d envious,
grasping or unconcerned while living,
There is not, cannot be the home life
as in the country. The family that
gather around the board at meals, or
the hearthstone evenings, in large
city, is rare, very exceptional. Itis for
male and female one continual grind
hurry, hustle, rushing, to keep up in
every day pursuits, or, if moderation
| is attempted, you are left far behind
or get run out or over.
More is accomplished here, more
business done, more money made,
more strokes put in, bigger results,
but less net. The reader must not
conclude the writer is "dyspeptic"
or discouraged; far from it. He
came from the outside; knows both
ends in the matter; has no regrets,
but is endeavoring to look the mat
ter square in the face and, from
close study and observation, picture
things as they really are to the aver
age run. Your correspondent came
here to stay, is here, and will re-
main; his record is not the one he
writes from, but that Of the masses.
Again, New York does not, cannot,
because of it's propositions, welcome
the stranger as he expects, or is
elsewhere. Incomers are so plentl-
full; the New Yorker, instead of
gladly seeing the city increase in
population, prefers less-so over
flowing already. If you do come,
young man, come expecting nothing
at the hands of Gothaalites other
than you hew out of the stone your
self. H. w. F1NLAYSON.
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