The herald., 1896-05-04

it into unexpected places and holds 1t
back for century from the anticipated
and longed for goal.
The whole system Of locomotion is
threatened with imminent revolution.
The two horses, one of hesh and one
Of iron, one eating oats and the other
coal, find their vocations going away
together. Science threatens to burn
their caroasses on the same pyre. Elec-
tricity offers itself as locomotive force
for the nations The steam locomotive,
vaunted emblem and token of the great
est of the centuries, finds itself ut the
close about to be relegated to the great
ash heap of curiosities before which civ
ilization stands laughing. But the thing
is not yet certain. We cannot make haste
to dig grave for the locomotive. It
may be that the twentieth century will
still demand that heavy, clumsy, but
very efficient brute whose Office it has
been for two generations to carry man
and his products to the ends of the
earth. The substitution of electricity
for steam as motive force on the great
railways of the United States, which
now seems SO imminent, will be, if it
come, the most marvellous single change
that has ever occurred among tho phys
ics of tho civilized life Of man.
Oddly enough, the event is held back
by ono Of the caprices Of progress. Tho
strength Of the locomotive is in its i'm
, perfection. The application Of steam to
epginery is accompanied with an error
which has cost civilization more dearly
than any other flaw in her apparatus.
The acceptance Of electricity as the one
great motive force is strongly iinpeded
by circumstance which, according to
all logical deduction, ought long since
10 have been obviated. This circum-
stance lies in the application of heat, or
rather in the evolution Of heat and its
economy in the production Of power.
Fully four-fifths Of all the fuel of the
world are thrown away. The 10, 1000, 900
of people in tho United States are burn
ing up their own most precious re-
sources with an absolute waste Of more
than so per cent Of the whole. Victor
Hugo chided the Parisians for sending
annually through the sewers 25, 900. 900
of francs into the sea. What shall we
say Of the whole world shoveling coal
into the roaring throats Of 100, 900, 900
furnaces? There is not an engine any
where-or ever was-that economies
more than 20 per cent Of the fuel which
it devours.
Sometimes progress performs the act
Of the tabled scorpion. It bends forward
its scaly tail and stings itself to death.
This act, not altogether rare in modern
times, may be called the suicide Of prog
ress. The historian is greatly perplexed,
sometimes discouraged, with this phe-
nomenon. At intervals the benefcent
forces Of civilization gather volume and
run on till they become organic i'll some
great result, and then the hinder part of
the movement, bending over, plants a
deadly dart in its own vitals.
The discovery Of the coal oil fields
within the present generation has pow
erfully Affected the industrial life and
somewhat modified the domestic life Of
the American people. Our institutions
have given opportunity for monopoly to
fix itself on the basis Of this vast sub
terranean sea Of wealth. The crust Of
the earth has been bored through in
10000 places in order that the a.tesian
streams might spring up for the labrica-
tion and lighting and heating Of the
world. The several monopolies Of the
great industry combine themselves into
one. Over this single figure rises as
the Emperor of Oil. He becomes the
owner not only Of man, but Of nature.
He makes geology his superintendent
and has God for his silent partner. By
and by he has 5000, 100000 Of wealth.
All the other millionaires are below
him. The princes and monarchs Of all
Christendom are delighted with the
honor Of his acquaintance. And he is a
philanthropist. He wishes we'll to his
kind. Perhaps he can afford to give
away little.
Glancing around the horizon Of the
world. the Emperor Of Oil sees Chicago,
that marvel Of the century. There he
will build a monument for the good Of
man. There he will endow great uni
versity. Being modest. he will not ac-
cept it's name, but he will furnish'the
resources for the highest development of
the intellectual and moral powers of
the people. By and by friend of bis,
by, cruelty expressing and wronging his
thousands of workmen, produces an in
surrection by which the peace Of the ma.
tion is disturbed. The under man,
ground down, rises at last in revolt and
shakes clenched fist at the monopoly
which for 80 years has double charged
every passenger for his berth. Chicago
is shaken with the tumult. In the phil
anthropio university the professor of
economics. faithful to duty and truth,
offers a modest word of criticism. He
shows that there is gas monopoly in
the city, and that it is better policy for
city to supply its own people with gas
and water. All the monopolies are at
one when they are assailed. Chicago
Gas looked over at the Emperor of Oil
and said: "You have produced an in
stitution which supports a man who
has criticised me and Pullman. Put him
out"
Prestol The thing is done. Professor
Bemis is notified that while his services
are appreciated the environment is not
congenial to his work and to himself.
His resignation is accepted, and the
chair is filed with one who is presuma-
bly, in sympathy with "the business in