Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-07-29
Fifty Years Ago.


! til. century that shall ell the historians
/! page with important events never before
cquallcd, except by the age that gave birth
! to the Saviour of mankind. The wonderful
discoveries and useful inventions which
this century has ushered into existence will
give it celebrity that will be fresh in the
memory of mankind when the stars that
now beautify the nocturnal heavens shall
have forever disappeared in the dim shades
OF eternity. The benefits arising from
the discoveries made in the last half CEN
tury cannot be fathomed at this early day.
The application of steam to IN achinery
rs a motive power, was unheard Of fifty
years ago. The oceans had yet to feel the
warm breath of the steam vessel, and the
! forests had never been disturbed By the
! shrill whistle of the locomotive. Thirty
| i've years ago no steamboat had ever
rufled the the waters of the Mississippi
| That number of years ago, either bans of
the "Fathor of Waters" were crowded with
bands of hostile Indians, whose savage war
whoop continued to alarm the pale. face pi-
cneer for dozen years after. AS long as
the rstl-man held supremacy the same state
of affairs would have existed, but civiiiza-
ton with its rapid strides has stepped in,
| and savage life and savage warfare has
sank back before its Onward march. Mind
has battled with ignorance and came OF
more than conquerer.
| THE immortal Fulton with his well-stored
fmind but empty purse, labored with an en-
sergy never bsfore equaled, and succeeded
by almost superhuman efforts to launch the
! fraIl Clermont, and was rewarded by the
joyful satisfaction of seeing 1t propelled by
machinery constructed by human agency
In 1900 there was not steamboat in the
world, now the number is computed as high
as 1000 In America. The great pioneer in
this enterprise would fain believe he dream
ed, could he be permitted to behold the
wonderful change.
7 I'm 1928 there was not single locomotive
IN the world, while this day in america
there is in successful operation upwards
of 10000 miles Of railroaI The T.iron
horse' has done good service for this coun-
try, and yet we have seen bu: the beginning
Of the end. AS rapidly as have cities ana
villages risen in the western wilds, during
the last ntY-iivo~y We sIsll yet be
permitted to behold the handy-work Of civ
ilization in far more astonishing exploits.
The locomotive isSalready fred up, and
putting and snoring, stands ready to do the
bidding OF man on the ,oss! side Of the Mis-
sissippi. 1t pants to leap across the prai-
ries to the Missouri, and thence over the
rocky hills to tie villages Of Oregon. Rest
less and ungcvernable only when in action,
it will rush on the Pacific coast to meet the
laundering shouts Of cities already mum.
bcring their tens Of thousands. We do not
wish TO make ourseif appear ridiculous by
prophesying what viii be the change when
such arailroad shall be completed. We
can picture 1t in our. own mind and for the
present there let it rest. Others can do the
same.
I The last fifty years have produced pow
serful change in the influence of the press.
Then the entire reading matter for the
world was thrown off from hand press
We now have the steam press which has
yearly multiplied in more than geometrical
ratio the readers of newspapers, because it
has furnishes reading matter so cheap as
to be within the reach of every individual.
The press has taken an active part in bring
ing about our country rapid rise, more so
perhaps than will be acknowledged in this
age or generation. Let the influence of the
press increase with the rapidity and power
it has done during the last half century,
and universal education must be the certain
and happy consequences.
Behold the change in the Mechanic arts
and Agriculture. Twenty-years ag, the
mechanic labored week 10 perform what
he does now with ease in single day. The
farmer cultivated the soil ignorant Of ev-
erything pertaining to his vocation, except
the use OF his own hands. The idea never
entered his brain that the head might be-
come powerful auxiliary to the hands,
But now there is a general system Of agri-
culture which has come to be science, and
whIchis occupying the minds Of tho most
learned scholars Of the age. The tillins of
the soil is made easy and profitable, by the
discoveries of the last twenty years Ma
chinery of almost every conceivable form,
is now used by the farmer, while he grows
rich by following the instructions of agri-
cultural science.
II Chemistry, as science, has been carried
ITO an almost unlimited extent, and has
been made to administer in thousand Diff
! ferent ways to the comfort of mankind.
Discoveries in Astronomy haze given most
indubitable evidence of the omnipotence
aud supreme wisdom Of the Creator. &C.
ology has solved q hitherto mysterious
problem, by revealing to man the age of
this mundane sphere. 1t has explained
deep and dark mysteries, which through
all time has oyerhung the creation Of the
void. The great discoveries this science
has made give US reasons to Believe that
there is no mystery but will give way to the
power of the human mind.
(The Magnetic Telegraph has filed the
6rld with establishment. The iightnin :.
has been made willing and obedient foot