The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1851-05-21

nearly a whole day to accomplish by
stages. Within three months the Queen
of England was transported from the in
terror of Scotland, distance Of 400
miles, in ten hours. In 1900, The same
journey could not be accomplished in
less than eight days.
In 1900 there was not a single loco
motive in the worl d, nor for 30 years
alier, viz the 9Th day Of October, 1920,
the day on which Rocket ran on the
Liverpool and Manchester Railway, at
the average rate of 8 miles per hour.
From that moment we date the COM
mencement of new and most aston>
ishing era in the history Of discovery.
In England there are now $500 miles
of railway constructed, and as many
more proposed, at a cost Of more than
$500 600 900. In the United States
there are at least 500 miles of railway
constructed, and there cannot be less
than 20,25O, miles of railroad now in
operation in Europe aud A nerica, for
neither Asia nor Africa can boast OF
single line completed. What were old
Roman roads in comparison to the foot
paths of our iron horsesl In 1885 there
we're only Is miles of railway in New
York. row there are about 800, and a
traveller can now journey as far in one
day as he could in eight days IN that year.
rhe wealth invested in railroads is enor-
nous. and their influence upon mankind,
in every respect, beyond calculation.
But this grand invention is net the limit
of the preat discoveries made in our day.
" no. if he were told twenty years
ago that The sunlight would be used for
limner's pencil, would have believed it
Not one and yet this has been done.
When NJ. Daguerre, distinguished
chemist of Paris, first published in 1889
,ha, he haG discovered a method of taxi
ing pictures on metal plates by the sun
the public regarded his metal tablets
wih feelings of wonder. Aud if his
discovery has not yet worked such im-
portant results, nor affected the customs
of society so much as steamships and rails
ways. sill it i. a beautiful and wonderful
discovery, and the time may not he far
distant when it will be applied to paint
the planets as they roll on their courses,
and thus impress the warm kiss of the
star on the pale cheek Of the artists me-
tallic canvass.
Among the grand discoveries Of the
last half century, the Electric Telegraph
stands out in bold relief. 1t has given
TO man the power Of transmitting his
thoughts to his fellow-man thousands of
miles distant in few seconds. Elec-
tricity leaves her ihunderbolt in the sky,
and, like Mercury dismissed from Olym-
pus. acts as letter carrier and message
boy"
In 1887, when Morse first proclaimed
that he could write messages by elec-
tricily at any distance. wise people
shrugged their shoulders, and looked
with blank unbelief upon such daring
proposition and when the proposal was
before Congress, in 1884, 10 appropriate
$50, 900 to test his system Of ,elegraph>
ing, il met with some determined side
cuts and stern opposition from men,
land there are a great many in the world }
who are conservatives in nothing but sci-
entiic discovery. In lS45 the first line OF
telegraph was completed in our country,
between Washington and Baltimore. and
since that time the progress Of telegraph
wires has been most surprising and as
founding. if anything can now surprise
us in the shape of discovery. AL the
important cities in our Union are linked
together by the lightning tracks, and
wherever we travel, there we behold
suspended on slender poles, auenuated
threads, along which the lightning fleet:
with lis message Of love, hope, gain OF
fear.
The telegraph has produced most as
tonishng changes in the modes of con-
ducting business. A few years ago whal
a wear aud tear of hors e1esh there wa:
IN getting news for our daily papers
wha. a trouble and delay there was il
getting news from Halifax during the
winter season. Now what a change
A steamship arrives at Halifax. Boston
or New York this morning, aud the Eu
ropean news is published in the New
Orleans papers in the evening. Th'
speeches delivered in the halls Of Con
gress day are delivered to the reader
"f the newspapers IN all our lmporIan
cities next morning. Our astronomers
'' pale watchers of the rolling sphere,
employ the lightning pen To register thel
observations. The whole science o
Voltaism, Eleciro-magnetlsm, and Elec
tro.iypmg. ave trophies of the discove
ries made during the last half century
Volta's letter to Sir Joseph Banks, an