Little Falls transcript., 1893-09-29

"FHCTORS OFPROGRESS."
Following are few remarks by
G. w. Ferris, the great engineer who
constructed the Ferris wheel, and are
of considerable local interest:
Il am persuaded that modern life
will be absolutely revolutionized SO
far as its practical everyday work is
concerned within the coming ten
years. And electricity will largely
accomplish it.So far as practical useis
concerned I should say that we had
merely begun to- employ electrical
power. Within few years every
waterfall or available bit of water
power will be chained and converted
into electric force. Along the highways
will run electric lines on which you
will find not only passenger, but
express and freight trains. These
liaes will ply between the principal
cities and towns of the country, they
will gather up the products of the
farm and dump them at the freight
Office Of the great trunk lines. The
familiar spectacle of the farmer
driving to town with the product OF
the yearly harvest will be witnessed
no longer. Instead, he will merely
haul his produce to the nearest high.
way and have it shipped by electricity
to town. The electric car will bring
his mail to his door daily, and instead
of being tho lonesome affair that it il
nowadays, the farm Of the future
will lie in close touch with the towr
and the city.
again, ir the cities themselves the
whole industrial scheme will be
revolutionized. I look to see two
immense plants-one for the manu-
facture of compressed air and tht
other for the generation of electricity
Compressed air will be used il
various ways for propulsive purposes
elevators and the like; the electricity
on the othar hand, will run our street
cars, turn our machines, heat oul
homes and buildings, do much Of oul
chemical work; by electricity we vii
cook, and for that matter d, every
thing that is now done by steam ant
COAL"
$50 far from all this being distan
matter, ''Mr. Ferris continued, II lool
to see it come very soon. There i
absolutely 10 reason at this momen
why cities like Buffalo, Minneapoli
and st. Paul or any city that has |
great water power at hand shoult
consume single pound Of coal with
| in their entire entire limits. Evel
with present appliances, electricity il
these cities can do, and in man.
places that / know is doing, the worl
Of coal not only far cheaper but with
out dust, without smoke or SCOT.
A FIXED FACTOR OF PROGRESS.
tn another striking part Of til
conversation my attention was caugh
by Mr.. Ferris attempt to lay down
fixed factor for municipal growth
Said he: "The condition which vii
determine the relative expansion 9
towns and cities in the nextdecade
the presence of water power. Th
whole problem of electricity is one 9
cheap generation. Now, any city !
town Of this country which has got
waterfall within an available distance
and that distance is a large one, hal
SO to speak, i gold mine, WAITE
power means the minimum of cheap
ness in the generation Of electri
pow i. You can g asily see,therefor,
that any city which possesses thi
advantage must take the lead ove
sss~.. 49,
] any city that has pot. Ruffalo, fo
! example, will absolutely double i
4 population within Eve OF Ten year
A because there the capncity of ii
water power issto all intents and pul
]! poses limitless. The same thing to-
greater or less extent will take plac
in st. Paul and Minneapolis, j
Rochester, Great Falls, Montana, an
other points where great wate
power exists Even about New Ysr
/ there are numerous waterfalls with
working distance whicl, %. i {, se
made available for that city.