Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-01-19
n. S. GARNETT,
c. BIIaLUPS.
L. w. LEIGH.
Committee.
MIR. CHARLES REID.
WHAT A SINGLE LIFE HAS
SPAWNED.

When Charles Reid was born there
was not Il steamship, railroad or tele-
graph line in the United States.
The entire country then contained
less than five millions of people, seven
ty-iivc per cent. of whom were coarse
~ and comfortably clad in homespun.
OF these only about four per cent.
were living in cities. ana there was not
in the Union, Il city OF one hundred
thousand Inhabitants.
If, in fact. every city in the country
had been punched together they would
not, combined, have made as large
city as our present third-rate town of
Cleveland.
lii this day more than thirty per
cent. of our seventy-iive millions live
III cities, and we present the unique
distinction of being the only nation on
earth. not even excepting China, which
mas three cities of more than a million
each.
When Charles Reid was born, men
crossed the seas in what would now
appear as ridiculous ships. and to make
Il mariner of that day believe II posi-
BILE that the child was born who would
live to see vessel that would stow
away more cargo than thirty of their
largest frei2hters could carry, would
nave been an impossible task Yet re-
Gently, we saw an ordinary British
tramp" at Newport News swallow the
packed contents of nearly three miles
OF freight cars, and then lack some
thing OF having load
When Charles Reid was born Virri
MIA was the foremost State of tho
Union We had then the population
ana the wealth to put us there. and
'he prestige and states craft to keep
US there.
Society was then divided, principally.
INTO TWO classes: people who were born
In Virginia and people who wished they
were.
is II not rather a saddening renec-
ton To realize that just so soon as we
lost our prestige Of wealth and popula-
tion, we appeared also to lose our pre-
ponderant voice in national legislation
ana The affairs Of government. What -
SIN small voice" it is in this dav
when we find ourselves about the ff-
tcenth State in population. Must we ac-
cept as a tact. that in our Materials
nc country, ability goes With numbers
ana influence with wealth?
When Charles Reid was horn IN.
lew newspapers and periodicals of the
DAY inveighed heartily against the ey
traNaGant ana corruptiVc tendencies of
What theE termed that fast and furious
age, Yet then. the Standard Oil Com
.'''''' "'.,' fit''tiN'tllN ali OF our modern
inonorolies and so-called labor binders
lay a fun half century in the future.
When Charles Raid was born. there
was hardly millionaire in the whole
country. and even when he had reach
ca early manhood Stephen Girard. with
ms TWO millions. was the wealthicst in
GlVidual in America---a commercial mil
lonalrc was truly a rarity, and in all
tne world there We're not more than
one could count on the fingers of his
hands. To-day the number in Nav
wouid-.stvc-nne good
exercise in addition 10 commute them
MI Reid lived long enough TO 500
the beginning and termination OF everv
war oil our national existence. and all
the wonderful changes that go win
modern warfare. The time when tho
battlcship Of 1850. single Oregon
could have sailed In the milst OF The
gathered fleets Of the world in $500 ana
put them all to night. The time Whan
single Calling gun. mounted on the
iamparts ut the Alamo would have
changed the face Of ono Of tho most
stirring pages in history AMI made nm
meaning the Inscription which stands
on its hattle-scarred walls to-day toll
ing all men that although "Therrnonv
lac had lis messenger. the Alamo had
none" -Sich n gun would have given
pavY Crockett n little longer time IN
caution his fellow man with that or
quoted phrase of his 1t would. too
have given Colonel Bowie time enough
to have added 10 the perfection ~ HE
celebrated knife-for as We all know
lhcy both persisted in that memorable
fight