PERILS. — AVEALTH. 177 



ten years, quarters of salted hog, my poor, isolated 

 chamber would have been invaded by adorers and ad- 

 mirers." 



There is more danger of luxuriousness at the West, a 

 greater extravagance than among Eastern people of like 

 means. Money comes faster and goes faster. There is 

 little of that strict economy which is so often practiced 

 at the East. A western town of ten thousand inhabi- 

 tants will boast of " carrying all the style " of an eastern 

 city of fifty thousand. New villages are likely to have 

 more electric lights and telephones than some of the 

 great cities of Europe. The millionaires of the West 

 were not many of them born to wealth. They have 

 made their riches within a few years; and such are the 

 men to spend Aioney freely. They become the social 

 legislators, and help to create customs of free expendi- 

 ture. 



The striking centralization' of capital which has 

 already taken place at the West was sufficiently noticed 

 in the preceding chapter. Enough has been said to 

 show that the West is peculiarly exposed to the dangers 

 with which wealth threatens the nation. 



