Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1885 — The Resources of the West. [ARTICLE]

The Resources of the West.

Vast are the resouces of the West Should a “down-easter” read this statement, he mignt think at once of the rich mines and fertile soil of the West; but the resources here referred to, are the rich minds, the fertile field of literature—the fertile field which is to be, but which is now, a mere clearing. The West has it in her power to bring forth a literature all her own, a literature as vast as her wide prairies, as pure and sparkling as the waters of her living springs, and as varied as her vegetable productions. Nor is this all in the future; it is even now making'its appearance, and needs only to be cultivated that it may grow to mammoih proportions. Very small, indeed is the beginning made, but this argues nothing against future growth.

Poetry and romance are written on the prairies, the wooded hills j and rushing rivers, in the lives of the people, and the glowing* imaginations of western geniuses. But let not these geniuses, in their attempt to transfer this poetry and romance to paper, turn away from the hills and prairies and the lives of their neighbors. Let them not drawfrom what they have read, but from what they have seen. This will not preclude erudition on the part of the writers.; so far from it, that unless they are in a measure learned, they can not present these things attractively; but the learning should be subservant to the writing—should be employed in evolving what is written, not be hung on it for the sake of display. To the credit of western writes, be it said, there are about the little poems and short romances written by them, a refreshing originality and trueness to nature, a freedom, in short, from ent-and-dridness which distinguishes them; and this is what malt distinguish the literature of which they are, in part, the beginning St. Louis Magazine.

Jcpiteb made a lottery in heaven, to which mortals as well as gods were allowed to have tickets. The prize was wisdom , and Minerva got it The mortals- murmured, and accused the gods oi foul play. Jnpiter, to wipe off this aspersion, declared another lottery for mortals singly and exclusive of the godß. The prize was lolly. They got it and shared it among themselves. All were satisfied. The loss of wisdom was neither regretted or remembered —folly supplied its place, and tho«e who had the largest share of it thought themselves the wisest, —Monsieur de la Motle.

The measure of the respectability of a funeral in Kio Janeiro is the number of mules attached to the hearse.