Omaha daily bee., 1899-11-17
AN ERA OF BIG THINGS.
"Bfgness" is the Keynote of Every
Important Undertaking.
pbiIa delnhia Record

| fT1lduelpuld htGolu.
The multitudinous changes of far-reaching
importance which are now occurring in the
industrial and commercial worlds demon
strate that we are entering on an era Of "big
things" Whether we look at the merchant,
| the manufacturer, or the discoverer Of new
processes and new inventions, we perceive
| that success comes to the man Of large ideas.
| Indeed some OF the most remarkable achieve
meuts of recent times have been due en-
| tirely to enlarged methods Of transacting
| business.
In the last week of October, for example,
| there were recorded the largest orders for
steel rails locomotives and cars ever known
| in similar period. One million and half
| tons of steel rails, 10000 cars and 500 loco
| motives were actually ordered within six
| days! In the same week there was published
a description of the most powerful locomo
| tive ever constructed built by the Brooks
Locomotive works for the Illinois Central
Railroad company. The total weight Of this
engine, without the tender, is $4,000
pounds, and the weight of the engine and
| tender, loaded, is 3640O0 pounds. The loco
motive is designed to haul trains carrying
1000 tons.
A few weeks ago the largest steamship in
the world arrived in New York after sue
cessful maiden voyage, and 1t is now stated
that the Great Northern railway has already
contracted in England for two steel steam
ships which will be sixteen feet longer than
the new Oceanic OF the White Star line. 1t
is Furthermore reported that these two are
but the forerunners of large fleet of equally i,
gigantic steel steamships for the trans
Pacific trade between Seattle and Japan.
When the Baldwin Locomotive works in
stalled two giant electric travelling cranes, |
having a lifting capacity OF 100 tons each, !
in their erecting shops a few years ago, |
these labor saving appliances were the cause
of much wondering comment among engi- |
neers and others; but more recently the
Carnegie Steel company caused to be built |
(for it's Homestead planD an electric travel |
ing crane having a lifting capacity of $50 |
tons, and Is is said that no more difficulty is |
experienced in the operation of this mon
strous mechanism than in the case Of the |
smaller cranes. The Railway World (Novem-
ber 4) mentions casually In it's notes of the |
week the following:
THAT was a remarkable demonstration OF |
what mogul can do which occurred on the
New York Central the other day, when en-
gine No. 94S, one Of the new moguls, hauled
out train No. IL, the Southwestern limited,
made up of two mail cars. five passenger
coaches and nine Wagner cars. sixteen in
all. The total weight of the train was $780,
600 pounds or 916 tons, and the length OF the
train. including the engine. was 1.212 feet, or
nearly a quarter Of mile. This engine it
is said, made the running time of the train
between New York and Albany, 143 miles, in
three hours and fifteen minutes"
Whether we consider the actual accom-
plishments of the present day or those
under contemplation for the near future, We
cannot fail to be impressed by the fact that
"bigness" is the keynote of every impor-
tant undertaking. Indeed, many OF the
great trade combinations which have been
formed within the last year or so are
merely necessary prelimnaries toward the
reorganization of manufacturing industries
in accordance with the enlarged methods OF
conducting business which are demanded in
these times of industrial expansion. There
is wide difference between the utilization
of modern methods for economizing the
mighty forces brought into play, whether
of nature or OF human effort for the pur-
pose OF enlarging production and the forma-
tion Of Illegal combinations OF powerful in
terests for the purpose OF enhancing prices.
The one is the natural evolution OF the
science OF Industrial economies; the other is
simply a species OF wholesale robbery for
the punishment OF which both federal and
state laws have been enacted.
The special genius for organization is
coming to De regarded as an American trait,
TO which much OF the success OF modern in
dustry Is indebted Instances could be
named wherein tho simple touch OF this
genius of organization has converted un-
profitable. because disjointed or disunited,