Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-11-25
EIGHTY CENTURIES.
The Wonderful Progress of Regen-
Grated Human Race.
The Millennium as Viewed By the
Author of "a Far Look Ahead
Wealth, Dress, Social Life,
and Crime.
Detroit Free Fress Book Reyiew.l

Detroit Free Fress Book Reviewl
The author OF 'Diothas; or A Far Look
Ahead" has done what many others have
done before him; he attemps to foresee the
future. Under the influence of mesmeric
dream, he awakes in New York eighty CEN
turies hence, and in company with friend
he proceeds to see the ''sights' and study the
new and strange people of that distant day.
NO ARISTOCRACY-ALL WORKERS.
He was struck with the nobility and beauty
of the race, and supposed they belonged to
the aristocracy of the city. "Where are the
working classess" he asked of his companion.
'We have no aristocracy." was the reply; ''if
by that you mean a class living in ideness by
the toll of others; or by working classes those
who spend their lives in toll and have no leis
ure for intellectual development. These you
see are both cultivated class and a working
class, supporting themselves by their own ex-
ertions. Public opinion stigmatizes idleness
as the meanest of vices, parent of other vices
and of crime. Every able-bodied person in
the community works between three and four
hours day at some productive employment
which supplies every necessary and comfort
of life with something to spare. Allowing
ten hours for sleep and refreshment,
there remains another ten for mental improve
ment.n
WEALTH NOT ALLOWED TO ACCUMULATE.
Both sexes were educated together until
the age of IL and both taught handicrafts,
which all without exception, even those with
wealthy parents, had to learn. At very
early period it was found that the excessive
accumulation of wealth in certain families
led to serious evils. For one useful person
there were dozens of droneS, inflated with the
idiotdc pride of uselessnesS and noXious for
their vices The power of bequest was
limited by law, which settled down to
this: No person. however wealthy, was
allowed to bequeath to any one person more
than $4,000 1t was reasoned that
with a good education and a capital of
the specified amount, if a person could not
manage to make living, his living or dying
was of very little consequence to the COM
munlty. This resulted not in a cessation of
accumulation, but in the more equal diffu-
sion of wealth. Some, after providing for
their families and more distant relatives,
would leave the remainder to some public
object. Others, DESTROYS of perpetuating
some great business in their name, would dis
tribute shares among the most faithful Of
their employees, leaving the control in the
hands OF their own family. In this way what
would once have been restricted to the sup
port of a single family in superfuous luxury
became the comfortable maintenance of a
number.
THEIR RAILROADS.
As the dreamer's friend lived thirty miles
out of the city, they descended to the lowest
arcade into which all buildings were divided
and entered a light and handsome car, made
largely of aluminium and glass. A separate
seat was provided for each passenger, and
every onea wiped his feet on entering, as if
he were entering private house. Electricity
was the motive power, each car having under
its wheels its own motor in very small space.
The car was on a siding and soon began to
move slowly till just as train of cars bad
passed on the inner track, the car in
which he and his friend were seated
glided out on that same track, and
accelerating its speed, soon reached
the hinder car of the train before it, Beneath
the platforms of the cars were powerful cleo
tre-magnets which could be made to act
either as buffers or couplers. As soon as con-
nection was formed most of the passengers in
this car arose and passed into the forward
cars, while others passed from those into the
hind car. AS they approached the next sta
ton this hindmost car detached itself, lin
gered behind, and ran into the siding to dis
charge passengers; while at the same time a
car that had been filling up at the station
began to move, and presently joined the train
as theirs had done before. By this system of
taking up and discharging passengers the
train once started from the terminus did not
need to halt or slacken speed till it reached
the end Of its route
VEHICLES ON COMMON ROADS.
They left the train at what appeared to be
small village. Yet nowhere was to be seen
a trace of that lack of neatness and finish
which in our day usually characterizes
the country. The smooth concrete of the
platform was continued in an unbroken sweep
to the houses on the further side of the broad
open space surrounding the station. The
buildings visible, though inferior in size to
those Of the city, were as solidly constructed
and of similar materials. On the housetops
could be seen masses of dense foliage. The
elevated gardens were in general use, even
in the city. The fiat roofs covered with a
malleable glass were able to support several
feet Of soil, on which were grown flowers and
shady shrubs During the warm season these
roof gardens were a favorite resort being
free from the dust and exposed to the brcezes.
The thick roofs were Of great advantage sum
| mer and winter. The streets were lined
with double rows of trees.
Not wheel track or a dent of iron-shod
| horses was to be seen on the surface of the
| roads. The vehicles, called curricles, not
unlike a two seated tricycle., propelled by an
electric motor placed under the seat, sped on
| their way over the smooth, hard road
twenty miles an hour, but as noiseless as a
shadow. Rows of trees divided the roads
into three divisions, the outer ones assigned
to heavy traffic, the vehicles for which had
motors of five or six horsepower. Six miles
an hour was their speed, and they were not
allowed to cross the central road without
special precautions.
"Human life was not held so cheap as now,
when a brakeman or two day is considered
a slight sacrifice to economic a few dollars
If any one, by negligence caused the loss of
human life his life was placed unreservedly
at the disposal of the nearest relatives of the
slain. 1t was in their option either to exact
life for life, or to accept suitable ransom.
80 HORSES.
Horses, like zebras nowadays, were to be
seen in geological collections. Agricultural
occupations were carried on only by caloric
engines worked by highly condensed gases
| being more economical than electric Y.oyUar