The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-10-13
WHAT HAS THE II UTURE IN STORE?

met.
WHAT HAS THE UrURE IN STORE?
The so-called prophecy of Mother Ship
ton wound up all sublunary things and af
fairs in 1881, and the good old mythical
mother has only some two months and
nineteen days after to-day for the confirma
ton of her representations This alleged
Mother Shipton prophecy unexplained, had
the semblance of the wonderful and the
wierd about it, and it was subject-matter
for the gravest thought by the profoundest
minds, but investigation revealed the fact
hat aclever London journalist having
found among some of the old antiquarian
literary collections in that city the original
prophecy, but mass ofjargon and rubbish,
uttered by an old woman, some two centuries
ago, took it and manufactured the present
current prophecy. These journalists
are always up to some sort
of sensational trick, just for the
for the fun of the thing and for the furore
it may occasion-we mean the journalists
of the reportorial staff, the versatile sons OF
bright Bohemia" Without the explana-
ton of this prophecy, and coupling its
words with some of the assertions of some
of the scientists of the day, especially those
in the astronomical line, and the unusual
natural phenomena the year has witnessed
in the shape of numerous comets, atmos-
pherical perturbations, and meteorological
eccentricities generally, there might have
been ample cause for fear and trembling
among the weak, frail humanity of earth as
to the possible and probable nearness Of the
end of time. One noted French astronomer
has seriously announced, stalking his scien-
tifc standing and reputation on his calcula-
tions, that on or near the 10Th of November
a comet plunging headlong toward the sun
will be absorbed by that central luminary
causing heat so intense that the earth
and the heavens will be rolled together as a
scroll and the earth entirely consumed by
fire. A learned divine, preaching to an inn
mense and in the main, most intelligent
audience in this city, but a short time ago,
his subject being The Second Coming Of
Christ, declared that all the prophecies in
the..Bible save one, had been fulfilled until
Christ came, and that therefore, while he
could not pretend to say, or even intimate
or surmise as to when His coming would
be, there was no word or line in the Scrip
lures in the way of Christ's coming at any
moment, at any hour. Doubt
less, our ancestors, centuries ago
were consumed by the very same thoughts,
and no doubt saw signs palmer TO their
minds than We have ever seen, and were
more troubled in spirit, being less able to
account scientifically for the things they did
see. We are very little troubled about the
end of this earths life and the dawning Gifts
eternity for no man can tell anything about
it-can evenc onjecture. We know this
thought or at least it seems apparent to us,
that the forces Of nature, hidden away, that
man by slow and patient investigation, with
increasing intelligence, may dis
cover them, are being consumed. Sir William
one of the leading electricians
and scientists Of Europe, in a recent address
made before the annual meeting Of the Brit
draft being made upon these hidden
forces at the present time was going on at
an enormous rate Of rapidity. The long
buried ages left TO man as precious lega-
cy the coal fields Of the world and the for
ests Of the earth. These have been drawn
upon BY man for fuel and for other purpos-
Is until in comparative sense they seem
well-nigh exhausted-they certainly are
not inexhaustible When they are gone
what is man 10 do? Will some hidden
forces from natures prolific womb have
been evolved by that time to take their
places? II seems that steam is doomed TO
give place TO the silent gas engine, as they
can be made Of any power, but IL coal or
wood becomes exhausted for gas, what
viii take the place Of the gas engine ?
Il It electricity? We see that this
subtle fluid has about fully come
10 be utilized for lighting purposes, and
may il not be chained a. a motor for the
necessary for mans uses and for
heating purposes? The sun, il has already
been ascer1ained, can be made 20 ooncen-
Irate its heat for mans use, and this, in
connection with the discovery that electric
ty can be stored away for future service,
With the other recent discoveries made In
he electrical world, demonstnts the fact
hat in 20 far as q supply q fuel Il con
rernsd, nature has responded With substi-
tuts for the old time s0urnes q coal and
w0od- But there are necessities q man
furnished By naturs that are becoming er-
hsusied, - gradually, II IL true, that We
may hardly perceive fhem-ths supply q