West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-08-22
BIC CITY A BIG TRUST
An Observer Sings the Superb
GRITTY of the Smaller Town.
KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE AT HOME
Every Dollar Sent 70 the Great City
Helps TO Draw Population Away
From the Country TO the Maelstron
Of Humanity, Where Many Go Down.

From the Country 20 the Maelstrom
Of Humanity, Where Many Go Down.
One OF the most pronounced tcnden-
cies OF the present day Is observed I'm
the movement of the rural population
toward the cities Day by day the big
cities are growing bigger. They grow
bigger at the expense Of tile smaller
cities, the towns and the rnrmiu., coun-
try. Naturally some Of these must
grow less. Did II ever occur To YOU TO
reflect upon what II means for the big
cities 10 expand at the expense Of
Shrnkage to the towns and the agri-
cultural seCtlonsg The situation H. So
rlous. both I'm relation to those who
pour into the cities and 10 those who
remain outside.
On every hand one hears nowadays
OF fights against the trusts, against
great consultations and combinations
I'm restraint OF open competition in trade
What is II great city but great trustl
This novel theory was put by student
OF sociological tendencies the other
day.
Il don't catch your drift" replied the
man addressed.
IL will explain" said the observer.
"In the first place, why do people from
the country flock TO the city? II Is
because they imagine that they can bet
ter their condition. They believe that
they can get rich. or at any rate can
earn more money ana be happier than
they are In the smaller town or9on the
farm. Now. this Is mighty mistake
I'm most cases. Take, for Instance, the
young man who goes to n big city I'm
these times of great commercial com
binations. He is without capital. Does
he 20 into business for hlmsclfI or
course not. How can heY What
chance is there for the little pup IN
the big puddle unless he ties on To the
tail OF the big pup2> Well. that is just
what the young man does. He filds
his big pup and ties on 10 the tail there
of. lie gets n Job. That is merely
another may Of putting II, leaving the
pup simile aside.
The young man gets job, II he
can. IL Is 10y no means an easy job
90 get a joh, any kind of n job. and
IL Is the hardest thing In the world
10 get job that IS really worth while
that IS 10 say, Il job that pays some
thing above Il bare living This young
man gets job I'm some big concern
n wholesale grocery, large dry goods
house great factory. Very we'll
What then? Why. he works He
IL
day, and he works hard The work
IS tedious and confirming He must de-
vote all his energies of brain and
body 10 the toll in order to hold his
job. There's always another fellow
right at his coat tails ready to step
I'm his place, you may De sure
How many of the young follows
who go TO the cities and get jobs ever
work up to the big dog I'm the puddle
instead OF the small pup tying on To
the big dogs tail? oh. yes. a few.
You read about the few I'm the ncvspa-
pers from time Ia time John Jones
has succeeded. Certainly. But how
about Bill Johnson? Bill rs still tied
TO the tail OF some Overgrown cor
poration or concern that is pulling him
along, just keeping his head out of
the water There are a hundred Bills
where there is one John-ycs. thou
sand of them. Have the Bills achieved
their ambition? Are they happier than
they were on the farm or I'm the coun-
try town or small city? Not Il bit Of
It. Half OF them would go back home
If they weren't ashamed to admit their
failure, and the other half would go
anyhow If they could rake UP the rail-
road fare or the walking was fairly
good
But the Bills are not TO blame
Modern commercial society IS so con
stituted that the few big dogs must
have n myriad Of small pups tied ~
their train. That is how business IS
carried on In the big cities. Not one
man in thousand is independent lie
IS an appendage. cog In wheel. an
inhnitesimal particle mixed up in a
scrambling mass OF similar particles
This IS the case even though he re
ceives a salary every month as big
as his years earning back home. He
IS still man with a job. working.
man, whether ne works with q spade
81 pen. He produces-thc other fcl
low, the big pup, gets what ne pro
duces
"As ] have remarked a great city
Is great trust II IS q combination
IN restraint Of human liberty or action
IL sucks into It's maelstrom and de
YOURS human lives by the millions
But there IL no law against the city
We cannot fight this sort OF trust with
statutes There fg another yvav Xt.e