Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-07-06
what Railways Have Done for she
World.

The exposition of Railway Appliances late
ly held in this city serves to call to mind how
recent have been all the important improve
ments in the transportation of passengers,
merchandise and intelligence. The engineer
is here, still hale and vigorous who run the
first locomotive in America. So, too, is the
engine he managed, yet intact and servicea-
ble Men are living on the banks of the
Hudson still strong and healthy, who wit
messed the trial trip of the first steamer con.
structed by Robert Fulton. One of them re-
members how he ran race with it and came
out ahead. The vessel from whose deck the
first Atlantic cable was paid out is stanch and
aud sea worthy. The poles are yet standing,
sound and erect, to which the first telegraph
wires were attached. The wire that convey
ed the first telephone message is yet in place
and untarnished. All the great improvements
in transportation have been made within the
recollection of persons who are comparatively
young. Queen Victoria, it is said in making
her first visit to Balmoral Castle, made the
journey in the same way the Queen of Sheba
did when she went to visit King Solomon. A
historian informs us that the citizens of Ok
ford who contemplated visiting London two
centuries ago generally made their wills and
took farewell of their friends. The custom
of Offering prayers in the churches for the
protection and safe return of persons under
taking so long journey was common. Not
iufrequently there were thanksgiving services
on their return. There are persons in Illinois
to-day who remember when more time was
needed to go from Cairo to Galena than is
now required to pass half way round the
globe.
The genius of the present age has been
largely employed in devising ways ''to get
over the ground" Especially has this been
the case in this country. A necessity existed
here for rendering transportation over long
distances cheap and speedy. The land with
in reasonable distance of the sea and navi-
gable lakes and rivers became quite densely
settled at a comparatively early day. That
lying some what remote from them was nearly
worthless. The inhabitants were obliged to
live almost entirely on the articles they pro-
duced. They were also obliged to manufact-
ure what they wanted to use. Few produc-
tions raised a hundred miles from navigable
waters paid for being transported that dis
tance. Little except cotton and wool paid
the cost of carting a hundred miles The
early settlers of Western New York were
practically further from market than the in
habitants of western Nebraska are now. The
value of wheat was consumed in hauling it to
the Hudson river. All the potatoes, corn and
fruit produced above the amount required for
home consumption were practically worthless.
There was no travelling for pleasure and lit
tie for business. Every community in the in
terror of the country was distinct from every
other one. 1t had its peculiar customs, man
ners and dialect. All the important towns
were on the seacoast or on navigable lakes
aud rivers. The inhabitants of these places
enjoyed a much higher civilization than those
who lived in the interior of the country.
They felt their superiority and were not averse
to displaying it. The introduction of rail-
roads tended to make every portion of the
country of nearly equal value SO far as loca-
tion is concerned. Railroads gave value to
everything that was of use to any people any
where. They also tended to equalize the in
telligence of the people by making it easy to
convey intelligence.
As a civilizing agent there is nothing to
| compare with a railroad or other means of the
cheap and rapid transportation of passengers,
goods and intelligence. Steam and electric
communication furnish the best aid to the
missionary cause The steam whistle pro-
claims the glad gospel of progress wherever
| it is heard. The civilization of any country
may be best measured by its means of trans
portation. In South America it is mule, In
| India an elephant in Arabia a camel, in up
per Egypt negro slave, in the United States
| and various European countries locomotive.
| 1t is common to hear the remark that perfec-
tion has been well-n nigh reached in the matter
of transportation There is little reason for
believing that such is the case. improve
ments in the construction of telegraphic in
struments are being made constantly. The
like is true in regard to almost everything
connected with steam transportation, No
piece of mechanism improves so fast as the
steam engine. The present steel rail is vast
ly superior to the old rail made of soft iron.
Although steam boilers have increased in
number a hundred fold within few years, the
number of explosions have been greatly re-
duced. Railway accidents do not increase
with the increase of speed. Statistics show
that the safest travelling is by rail. The cleo
tric railway is as yet but an infant, but it is
one of promise The prospect is good for
going from Chicago to New York between
breakfast and supper before the end of the
present century. Telegraph stations are now
as numerous as post-offces, and soon every
farm house may have telephone communica-
ton with the nearest village. Chicago Times.