The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-06

COL. B. w. wRENN,
further. When the smoke of battle had
been lifted and the ronr of artillery hushcd
when wild wars deadly blast was blown
and gentle peace returned, then did those
two old engines appear In scene quite as
pleasing as their former Incident had been
thrilling, for twas then that the locomo-
tive began its greatest work for this coun-
| try-the work of making peace between
old foes. Where is there an agent so pow
erful in healing wounds of war, in bridging
bloody chnsms and restoring peace, con
tentment and ensc? How aptly does the
picture of the general" and the "Texas"
as they appeared Just after the war be-
tween the States trailing the white flag Of
! peace back and forth down Sherman's dis
/ astrous march, interchanclng the COM
| mcrce of the South with that of the North
| bringing immigrants from across Mason
| and DiXons line to the fertile fields of the
| South, so lately drenched with the blood
of martyrs who lay shrouded In their uni
| forms of blue and gray. Then indeed did
| the railroads become the firmest pillar
| 'neatf the structure of this Republic; then
J did the locomotive assert its strongest
| claim TO citizenship. He mingled the war
| rors of the North with the warriors of the
South. with peace restored. at time when
| TIE latter were turning about their ar(lu-
| Gus task of building IN that new industrial
South which Is yet destined to prove the
| salvation of this country lie brought the
capitalist from New England to invest his
millions in the rich lands of the South and
| plant their factories and Industrial enter
| prlses here. In turn he took back from
| those mills their products TO the trade cen
| tiers of New England. thus firmly ostab-
fishing n country's commerce ana causing
| foes to form friendships which never could
| have been formed through trading circles
| or of social spirit without the locomotives
part IN the reconstruction of this Union of
States. II has been said In very truth by
the historian, Swinton, that The private
soldiers of the Confedcracy bore the war
for four long years upon the points OF their
bayoncts. and so may IT also be said that
the locomotives bore the brunt of recon-
struction upon their pilots
The South was poor, and these knights OF
peace brought treasures to lay at her feet.
Never did slave render moro arducus serN-
ice All honor to the men of wealth in the
North and West who al season such as
this turned loose their wealth In the con-
structicn of railroads through the South
aud sent these messengers down with their
things of brighter days to come The loco
motive was an educator. He gave instruc-
ton to the people OF tho North about the
simple customs and faith of the people Of
the South and in turn taught the people
of the South TO terms of friendship Win
the people of the North based upon the
principle of a better understanding. ilo
two sections had been standing toward
each other in arrangement because the
people of the two sections were not letter
acquainted. Tho stage coach could not
make them acquainted, but the locomotive
did.
Taking the chilled mortal from his snow
clad home In New England. this giant Of
civilization brought him down TO tho gar
den gates of that bright land of the South
and babe him enter therein. And what
.,e.1 In
land OF Dixie, the fairest land and the best
Gods sunshine evar warmed or HIS sweet
breezes ever cooled: a land where grains
and grasses catch sunshine and dews iii
eheaf and stalk for the sustenance or man
and beast; n land where fruits ripen wild
In shrub and tree; where corn grows sweet
and sound and cotton blossoms into glor!
as the seasons come and go-here In this
land of peacc. plenty and contentmert |
should men render richest tribute of prai'a
to our follow-citizen, the locomotive. alu |
the mon who owned him and sent him to |
us In our season Of distress How ungrste-
full must be that human soul who woul' 20 |
about tho persecution OF such frlenh' az |
these have proved. How dcplorable, sionii !
the day ever come when their civil iiber-
ties shall he moro keonly restricted. HOW !
essential that the people benefited Is such |
forccful powers should give the locomotive |
ready passport In this land Of ltDeny' anu |
when | say give passport TO the '"con,o-
tive / mean give lenience 10 the nan VIM |
owns this valiant servant, for aftG all II Is |
Inc masters par, in our industrial progress |
tho slnye typines. IF we can ook Win |
friendly and grateful interest urOn the ioe-
oinutivc. the same spirit must ifeus ~ ~
tended to him to whom It bepngs' ihis
line of argument. however, wonn Iead mo
the mysteries of politics. n MA not con-
tomplatoi I'm tho purpose of ny discourse,
so will pass on with the simple statement
that the locomotive as cifreh mas risnlS
which should never be resitcted pV tsiS-
lators blinded TO the very hterests q tho
pcople they represent in tie mans OF Ma
tional ana State lesisattn. nave nj
ready said enough to sho' that the inter
ests of the railroad md me interests OF
the people are identical-i fact thot neeos
no argument before all iair-mihdcu men
Tho citizen should treat.he locomotive and
MI thai he typifos and stands for just ms
though he were one ofthe hoiy poiltlc'
In treating the SUBJECT before me--the
locomotive ms citlen-it is heeoiui 10
polnt TO the marvel OF mouerh t,nVei
which he has wrour',' w nav mp ~ ~
interest lies hero. Ictures formed IN our
minds I'm the earlydays of travel In the
East Of dark-eyed sultanas clothed sn the
beauteous fabrics If line satins riding III
golden oharots an speeding along as fasl
rs animal flesh ould tilt them fade into
ridiculous insign,cance now a, the vision
M modern eilda palaces fairly Tying
through this lad of wonders making a
speed of sixty ples an hour as sorssousy
f,,rriehed as NY mansion ever made for
sultnns luxur, Not alone do the marvels
of improved pssonger service paraiyze the
Civilized worl with wonder and astonish-
mcnt. but ,xty-hour freight schedules
from one ei of the Republic 10 another
,nust also Y regarded as n miracle. And
vnt we Of he nineteenth century do not
rest conte, but are ever pressing onward.
These maeels Of modern travel are being
made moe marvellous each day Trains are
rnondino faster cities are coming closer
tnrethof the map of the world Is rapidly
erown smaller In point of transpor'a-
ton. pticns are being bound fast in closer |
trade relations and the civilized woriu
looksn with open-mouthed wonder al me
mira,es of our fellow-cit!zen, the locomo-
tive. May his tribe increase.