The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-04-13
Prosperity Of Our Country

valueless for commercial purposes"
at was simply vast wilderness which
could never be thickly populated, With
certain natural obstacles which render
ed any extensive commerce impossible"
"The states on the Atlantic sea-
board" he admitted, "mght in time
rise to some Importance but the vast
tract of inland territory was hardly
worth consideration He predicted
that settlements beyond the Allegheny
mountains cannot become commercial,
because there is no possible outlook to
the sea for their products' "These
mountains were barrier to prosperity
that could never be overcome"
In 1888 Mr.. Van Buren in urging
the Cberokees, Creeks and Choctsw
indians to exchange their possessions
in Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi
for lands west of Arkansas and assured
them, in good faith, that 'tbey could
never be disturbed by white people be-
cause the land was not suitable for
the white men, but admirably adapted
to Indian life"
The United States enjoys every d.
versity of climate from Arctic SHOWS to
Equatorial heat, and, as shrewd Yam
kee once said, sis bounded on the north
by the Auro Borealis, on the east by
the Rising sun, on the south by the
South Pole and on the west by the day
of Judgment" It's extent is simply
unlimited and will with proper manage
ment at the head of the Government,
! continue 70 prosper aud advance until
: the end of time.
The Statue of Liberty Enlightening
the World, on Bedloes Island, means
much more than mere monument to
the greatness of nation. We as
nation are truely eulightening the
world Our schools of science are far
ahead OF those of the Old World. As
result of their researches, the tighten
ing has been harnessed and made to do
. the bidding of man to draw his coach
!. = es, to light his way by night with a
brilliancy only e9ualled by the two
:, great orbs of Heaven, by its agency
the important events of Europe and
the speeches of her statesmen are re-
: ported and published in the morning
u papers of America, in time to be read
and commented upon at the breakfast
= table the next morning, and it is also
u used as a medium in the cure of diseas-
:" es. The richest mines of coal, iron and
petroleum in the world have been
:. opened up and developed, and America
~ now supplies the world with those COM
10 modities.
Another achievement of science has
" broken down Lord Sheffields "barriers
, to prosperity and removed the "natur-
. al obstacles to commerce" and now the
- "vast tract of inland territory" blooms
=, with fields of waving grain aud is dot
~ ted with populous and powerful cities
=, rivaling, if not excelling those of
h' Europe in commercial importance, has
made of the Great American Desert a
vertable Garden of Eden, blooming as
es the rose
Of Owing to the inventive genius of an
a American, the cotton industry has now
IN reached more than a hundred fold
er what it was before the Revolution, and
81, a single state now produces more of
oe tina, staple than the whole of Europe.
is The voyage across the Atlantic,
al which was formerly attended with so
er much danger and hardship, requiring
lis from six weeks to three months can
en- now be accomplished in less than .
an week, with comparative safety, and the
an traveller is surrounded with all the COM
n forts and luxuries of the most elabor-
ke ately furnished parlor.
M The continent has been spanped
ie with iron, and the Atlantic and Pacific
ar united with the longest continuous line
OF of railroad in the world, thus bringing
rs, the great cities of the Atlantic Sea-
in board into direct communication with
he the rich gold regions of the Pacific
Slope, and forming commercial out
his let for the products of the extensive
Ter and fertile prairie farms of the Interior
en- Basin.
lite If Lord Sheffield could return from
me his grave and visit the Eastern cities
'rr see the thousands of masts from the
me shipping in the harbors of the Atlantic
ers coast, pointing towards the sky and re
i've sembling pine forest denuded of it.
ie' leaves, hear the hum of the busy ma.
ION chinery turning out the thousand and
IN one articles ranging from row of pint
~ to locomotive. aud smell the smoke
ME from the innumerable furnaces, ther
cry board Pullman Palace Car and trave
'ne westward over mountains and through
lgn canons, passing on the way, through
ing the populous cities of Ohio, Indiana
cai and Illinois, crossing the great Missis
aA sippi and Missouri rivers on the won
led derful truss bridges, and as he Travelled
on westward through the vast prairies be
ne tween the Mississippi river and tn,
the Rocky mountains his attention woult
neu be attracted to the fields of colder
ven grain, some of them nearly as large a
i1er' a whole county in his native countr,
us and he would wonder as his eyes woul'
nge fall for the first time upon the power
osi full steam reaper at work cutting
the threshing, aud bagglng the wheat
m not which will soon be shipped across tn
r'u- Atlantic to supply the wants of hi
brethren in Great Britain, as he " woul
CUP be hurled rapidly on he would 500
us reach the mining regions Of the Rock
lere mountains. Here he would behold me
'hal washing the precious metal from th
'Der sides of the hills, and hear the clatte
gen of the stamp mills as the rich ore
the crushed and separated from the shinin
lex- metal, and as he would pass on, a
his the distance sleeping and taking b.
ann meals on the train, he would near tt
om world famed Golden Gate OF Cal
,on- fornia.
i1r Here, if it happened to be about sui
igiy set, scene would greet his eye wh;cl
ueu for grandeur and sublime beauty cal
Vre' not be excelled in the whole worl,
'eny We repeat, if he could thus revie
ex the present condition and occupation
ee.ol of our sixty million people, witness Il
10 many sights TO be seen in a trip aero
~ the continent, and experience the con
'any travel. he would certainly predict 4
gen. our country a mncb briGhter fu,u