Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1892-07-08
, A MIGHTY ClVlLlZER.
What Railroads Have Done to Promote
HpnCn and Drnsncrity.

What Railroads Have Done to Promote
Peace and Prosperity.
The railroad is one of the greatest
conquerors in the world, and laughs to
sccrn the puny and transient victories
of Alexander and Napoleon. What
could successful armies have done, COM
pared with the railroads, in opening up
and developing the vast areas of our
national territory? The great trans
continental lines were pushed across
the country, to be connected in due
time with lateral feeders extending
from the trunk routes like the ribs OF
the spinal column-and presto! the
great American desert" was trans
formed into fertile, flourishing, popu.
lous region. Would it have been posi-
BILE for any military force to bring about
such a change?
Russia is not credited with the most
pacific designs in the steady advance.
ment of her eastern frontier in Asia,
and she is constructing vast railroad
lines from central European points tc
the Orient more with view to provid-
ing swift and ample transportation for
troops and military supplies than to
promote the civic prosperity of the sec
ton through which the steel highways
pass. Doubtless if the predicted con
| flict in the east between Russia and
| other jealous powers ever comes to pass
the railroads will play an important
part therein. But history will simply
repeat itself if it shall appear that the
Russian railroads tend more powerfully
toward peace than war by opening W
eastern territory, bringing the people
into more intimate trade relations ant
promoting civilization, enterprise, ar
and agriculture.
In Africa, "the dark continent" rail
road progress is at minimum as yet
but even there q beginning has beer
made, and the iron horse and the Stee
| track are working their way into the
interior. The ultimate result is as Ger
tain as anything of human arrange
ment can be. Savagery, if not oblit
Grated, will be dominated by the forces
of civilization, and commerce will reigI
and turn to profitable account the ricl
resources now lying dormant beneath
the prevailing ignorance and barbar
ism.
| Everywhere it is the same. A new
railroad enterprise of unique interes
has just been completed in Asia. TIL,
Khojak tunnel, on the Khwaja noun
tains, between Afghanistan and Belu
chistan, with its connecting lines o
road, has been opened for traffic. Thi
tunnel is II, 500 feet, or little over tw,
miles in length-not great affair n
compared with the HooSac and SOM
other similar undertal1ings-but nota
| bic because it is isolated from towns o
any size and for the further reason tha
it is part of system which will opel
up a country hitherto almost inaccessi
Bile. Slowly but surely the fastnesse
Of Afghanistan and of interior Asia
the birthplace of the human race,
are giving way to the resistless railroad
and the time is coming when mankin,
on all the inhabitablc earth will be II
toucn
A generation ago Hinton Rowan
Helper PIT forth his idea of the "Thrc
Americas hallway" to form contir
uous line tagough North, Central an
South Americs, from Bchring sea to tn
strait of Magellan. He was laughed a
as visionary enthusiast, wild dream
er; in short was considered 'crank,
as he would be called in the ters
phraseology of the present time. Ye
to-day Helpers scheme IL not only cor
sidered feasible by men of the mos
practical ideas, but it is fact tina
many railroads have been built in tn
"three Americas" which it is believe
will in time form connected syster
by which passenger can ride continr
ously from Canada to Chilli.
Where is the conqueror of time, spac
and conditions that can compare wit
the railroad?-Troy Times.