Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-14
STEAM AND ELECTRICITY.

y ~ y tAoAi>S
it must reckon with the world. Steam and
electricity have brought about this
change in the conditions which, erstwhile,
held each nation to itself. Distance counts
no longer. Fifty years ago six months
were required to cross the continent from
lake Michigan to the Sacramento river
behind the fastest outfit of oxen. Fifty
years ago it was a long and wearisome
journey from New York to Chicago. Fifty
years ago leaden feet trudged from ham,
let to hamlet, from town to town and
have brought the ends of the earth to-
gether.
San Francisco and New York say good
morning to ca CHI other and grasp hands
after four or five nights of rest in palace
cars. Cities, towns and amlets are
speaking neighbors, and their lovers
whisper sweet nothings each to the other.
The feet of lead are shod with bands Of
steel or copper wires, and distance is an
initiated. They carry agricultural and
industrial implements. and locomotives
and other economic appliances from the
United States to every part of the civil
lied world. They transport our woods
and wines and minerals and breadstuffs
to the four corners of the earth. Japan
sends US silks and toys for our women
and children, and little brown men to
work on our railroads.. The Argentine
Republic and Australia send us wool and
the mutton that grew it. The Indies send
us spices and coffee and fruit which we
cannot grow. The Philippine islands and
South America relieve our wants for
choice woods. dyestuffs and rubber. The
i~neXhaustible reserve in China is still
closed to us by the absence of an 'open
door," but her teas and rice come to us
because she has not mouths enough
among her 400. 900, 900 people to consume
them. All these are but the taste of what
is in store for those who want them, and
for which electricity can ask and steam
may bring.
We are making acquaintance all over
the world by electricity and steam. AS
we know more Of them we expand in
knowledge and mind and in territory.
our arms and giving it a fraternal hugh.
Steam and electricity have enabled us to
knock at the front door and look into
the back yard of all the peoples of the
earth. Like Alexander of old, we are
signing for new worlds to conquer We
even contemplate striking up a speaking
will when the United States, England
and Russia shall POSSESSES the so, 900, 900
Of square miles of land upon the globe.
Referring to a possible division of the
lands Of the earth among those three
great and growing powers. a writer in a
recent number of the Forum says: 1.-THE
and Porto Rico, but 3,613.127 square miles.
Annexing the Philippines we shall have
3, 1927, 453 square miles. When Cuba and
the rest Of the West Indies shall have
'gravitated' to us our area will be $780,
900 only. Our national temper does not
permit ~unprovoked aggression Upon our
neighbors, but Mexico and Canada may
voluntarily gravitate to us also, and then
we shall nave a splendidly compact do
main of 1000, 900 square miles.
The writer then, in substance, goes on
to say that England already has IL, 900, 900
square miles, which will be increased to
49, GOO, 900 when she shall have received her
"divyy" on the Chinese empire smash
up. Russia, with her share of the divvy,
will by that time have 13, 0OO, 900 square
miles. All the rest of the world, includ-
ing France, Germany and the South
American republics, will become depend
encies of the three great nations, the lat
ter republics being taken into Uncle
Sans NAV. There will then be three
powers, each a world in itself, capable of
existing without the other, and all the
creations Of steam and electricity.
C~olorado's golden girl. 1t appears from
a recent telegram, is in danger of dying,