Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1840-12-01
PROGRESS OF MODERN IRA.
fVETfINa


Our fathers Were--and that within lie
memory Of cOntented to convey
their goods from town to town on pack.
horses. Narrow roads, which barely ad-
mittsd q string Of these beasts, buFthen-
ed with the needs Of many towns, ran on
over bill and dale, and often we're found
worn deep between steep banks, BY the
PerseVering traffic Of ages, and OVeFhung
by trees, which had spontaneously sprung
and grown over them, rendering them
cool snd pleasant. But the afEsirS of ouF
worthy ancestors became sensibly on the
increase. The strings Of the pack-hor-
ses slowly progressing oyer the woods
and through forests were found not equal
to the demands Of commercial exchange
and speed; and they set their wits to
work, and 10, Pickford's and Pettifor's
and others, their contemporaries, appear
ed, piled up in pondefous stuteliness, and
drawn by horses in bulk next to elephants.
For their convenience, the old roads were
deserted as too narrow, or filed up as
too slumberOusly profound.
New roads, Of airy width, were laid
down; and Mr.. Madam showed himself,
with his necromantic hammer and pebble.
guage in his hand, and coaches came gal
loping after him at ten miles speed per
hour, loaded with eager and still impa.l
tent negoliants; roads Of granite or lime
stone, however smooth, or however wide,
or however covered with wagons, coach.
e., mails, ,hOrsemen, and an infinite variety
Of carriages Of pleasure, travel, and pa
rade, which now appeared on them, we're
found too few; and canals we're cut
lOcks-wOnderful things in those days
were invented; and heavy boats and light
barges fastened TO convey their freights
of living things, and things for the living
--market goods and market People-tO
the places where they were wanted, OF
where they wanted 10 be. Well done,
Englshmen! Things were come to a
pretty good pass, it was thought. People
said, wondering, TO one another--If our
grandfathers could but rise from their
graves, and see all this, how they would
starel But il was soon found, that the
population aud the needs Of the country
had onigrOwn even these accommodations.
There was cry for more conveyance
and more speed. Some talked of bal
looms, some Of velOcipedes, and some Of
perpetual motion. The old and the or
thOdOx said, "Let we'll be. Things move
fast enough. There is no rest, no re-
pose, no sieadinesss in this generation.
all is hurry, hurry, hurry. Il is perfectly |
distracting!" They even looked back to |
the old hollow roads and string Of pack
horses with afectiOnste yearnings. New
erlheIess, a set Of big-headed fellows we're
busy with their brains, and began 10 ut-
ter very strange speeches about the
power Of steam. II was a thing which |
was TO work our mines and mills, impel
our ships, and convey Us, with the velO-
city Of comet, from one place to anoth- |
er. Old men, and wise men TOO, laugh
ed at such Quixotic vapOrings; yet, spite
Ofiheir laughter, thers were heard great
hamHlerings, and Filings, and 6zzings, in
the workshops Of Watt and Bolton; and
presently that mighty mOnster--steam-
engine--was seen pulling up buckets Of
wafer and heaps Of ore out Ofthe earth,
and turning thousand spindles in our
factories. II has become locomotive, has
mounted the roads and the ships pFepar.
ed for it, and is now flying from town to
town, and country TO country, with Us
and our concerns, in q manner 50 wonder
ful that we shall soon find ourselves past
wondering al anything. Do we not ride
at the rate Of thirty miles an hour, and
grumbls at such asnail's pace-step over
10 America in ten days, and think i q.
bout five too lOng-and hear news from
the EaatIndias in little more than month"; {
Well done, Englishmen! as our fathers
said, so say we--ihat is pretty we'll for an-
o1ho. a, VUs7I;nV, Hasnikt ~