Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1884-10-15

two years ago there were but 20 miles OF
railroad in the United States. | was 80
years old before l ever saw railroad
Now there are so many thousand miles.
and are being extended so rapidly that we
can't keep pace With them. Thirty years
ago Detroit, Chicago aud all that was cal
led the great west was shut out from all
intercourse with the east during the
winter except by teams over wagon roads.
The electric telegraph is of later inven-
ton than the railroad Thirty years ago
Chicago aud 81. Louis were but small
towns, and the great west was practically
unknown except rs an unexplored region.
The Central Pacific railroad has only
been in operation fifteen years the South
eru but two years aud the Northern has
just reached its destination on the Pacific
slope and now three more are pushing for
TIE Pacific coast. The steamboat Is a
thing Of the present century The first
Steamboat TO cross the ocean was in 1919 ;
the trip occupied 81 days; now they cross
in lays. People in Europe and Amer
lea could only communicate with each
other IN six or seven weeks. now in less
than that many minutes. News from
India and China reached England and
America in from six to niue months; now
by means OF the telegraph we can reas of
events transporting in the remotest parts
90 the world the next day after their oc-
currence. The first ocean cable was laid
in 1858 the first successful cable was laid
in 1865 only ~ years ago. Now there
are half dozen of them or more no
stretch of water defies them. Steam fire
engines are only 30 years Old; now every
well regulated village has one. Fifty
years ago wind and water were the only
propelling powers for heavy machinery ;
now steam is the servant Of man; the bar
bers are even using ii TO brush the hair of
their customers One hundred years ago
newspapers were printed on wooden
presses and one page at time. Paper
then was only made from linen aud cot
ton rags. now from wood, straw and any
vegetable fibre. Forty years ago it cost
% cents to send letter bv mail; postal
cards are only 10 years old in this coun-
try. A hundred years ago our grand.
fathers studied their school lessons by the
light of wood fire. A lamp made by
putting grease in an open dish with rag
for wick was a luxury and tallow can
die was an extravaganza. Friction match
es are but half century old. stoves are
equally modern. Farm machinery Of
which we have so much and could not
get along without is wholly the product
of the last fifty years. Grain was cut by
the hand with sickle | saw the people
using the sickle in Mexico three years ago;
the people of that country are at least
fifty years behind us; men, women and
children turn out to help gather in the
crops. Fifty years ago we had no nation
al currency, gold was unknown outside
Of large cities Our silver coin came
mostly from the Spanish republics of
South America.
The foregoing will suggest something
OF our greatness aud the wondrous age
in which we live. The future we cannot
anticipate; we only know that new inven-
tons are bursting upon US every day. The
telephone is an infant of less than five
years of age. and yet its growth is aston
ishing.
Then there were but four or five houses
in the now tlourshing city of Flint, his
present residence, and with his own hands
he aided in building many of the early
residences of Flint During the winter of
1887 aud 1888 he taught school In the
spring of 1889 he married Miss Harriet A
Miles, to whom he attributes his more
than ordinary success in life. Immediate
ly after his marriage he commenced work
on a new and unimproved farm, where by
his energy and perseverance he soon
worked out good home.
On the fifteenth day of March, 1889, he
struck the first blow upon his new farm
in the county of Genesee. To use his
own words. my hands were soft, having
been engaged in teaching school for quite
long time, and had TO work slowly
but in ten years had farm of one hun
dred acres all cleared with my own hands
| worked four weeks upon my farm, liv
ing in shanty, and then built myself q
log house and took my wife home with
me. The first year raised enough spring
wheat, corn, potatoes. &c, to pay my owr
living withou, borrowing cent of money
and never after my first harvest did rely
upon any except my own resources fol
my living expenses, Many times all tn,
meat we had to eat was what | killed In
the woods. Little 10y little added to my
farm until at the end of eighteen years i
amounted TO five hundred acres. Tn,