The Red Cloud chief., 1899-12-08
GROWTH
UNITED STATES LEADS ALL
OTHER COUNTRIES.
Civilization Follows tho Locomotive aud
vast wnderncsscs Arc Transformed
Into Gardens, villages and Citics
By IT'S IaHuenoe.

George ii. Daniels, general passenger
agent OF the New York Central and
Hudson River railroad and president
OF the American Association OF Cen
eral Passenger Agents, delivered a
notable address on our railroads and
their relation to commercial, indus
trial and agricultural interests. Among
other things he said.
'Ono OF our great writer's has said
Of this closing period OF the nineteenth
century. that 1t Is an y OF transpor-
tation. Transportation underlies ma
terial prosperity In every department
OF commerce. without transportation
commerce would be impossible. Those
states and nations are rich, powerful
and enlightened whose transportation
facilities are best and most extended.
The dying nations are those with little
or nc transportation facilities.
I'm this connection It will he inter-
esting to note In passing that the sec
ond American locomotive was built ut
the West Point foundry, near Cold
Spring, on the Hudson river. and was
called the Best Friend" and from
that day TO this tho locomotive has
been one OF the best friends OF this
republic. But II is not alone u loco
motives that have attracted the at
tention Of foreigners who have visited
our shores, our railway equipment gen.
orally has commanded admiration and
Is now receiving the highest compli-
ment, namely, Imitation by many OF
our sister nations.
prince Michel Hilkoff, imperial
minister Of railways Of Russia. has
since his visit to the United States a
few years ago. constructed a train on
much the same lines as the Limited
Trains" Of the New York Central and
the Pennsylvania.
AT times there have been periods
OF legislation In the United States ad-
verse to the great transportation in
terests OF the country, almost invari-
ably the result OF a misunderstanding
Of the real situation. and the hasty
legislation OF such times has usually
been repealed upon the sober second
thought OF the people. for In the Ian
guage OF our great Lincoln: You can
fool all the people some Of the time.
some Of the people all the time, but
you can't fool all the people all the
time
"One hundred years ago the gov
ernor OF the great state OF New York
advised his friends not to invest their
money or waste their time In aiding
the building of railroads. expressing
the opinion. that while II was possible
that improved methods OF construction
and perfected machinery might. In the
remote future, enable the people to
move a a upon a railroad at the rate
Of Eve or six miles per hour. he did not
believe that they could ever be made
OF material advantage. and that any
attempt to transport passengers and
freight by railroad, from one part of
the country to another, must result in
endless confusion and loss. The gov
ernor died In the belief that the canal
was the only means OF conveyance for
a great commerce.
Notwithstanding his prediction, the
railroads have grown to such vast pro-
portions. that today the worlds entire
stock OF money. gold, silver and paper
would not purchase one-third of IT,
railroads. The building OF the Erie
canal, extending from Buffalo to Al.
bany, n distance OF 363 miles, was
commenced July 4, 1917. It was com
pleted In 1925 at a cost of 81, 602. 900
In 1896 the state of New York appro'
priated $4,000, 900 for enlarging ant
improving this canal, and a few figures
from the state report on canals may b,
Of Interest in this connection: Re.
liable statistics OF It's traffic are no
obtainable for the earlier years OF III
operation, but In accordance with tn,
last annual report OF the s%uperintend
ent of public works Of the state Of New
York, we find that the tonnage OF al
the property carried on all the canals
in both directions, In 1897, was LII,
296 tons, valued at $685. 500. 2S8. tn,
tonnage and the value increased unit
1872, when 1t amounted to 6,673,37,
tons, valued at $500, 913.32f. From
1872. the tonnage and the value Of tn,
property carried decreased, until In
1897 there was only 3.617, S04 tons car.
ricd. with a value OF 500. OSs. sss. This
In face OF the fact that the receipts OF
grain and -four at Buffalo had In.
creased from 1,1s4,6s5 bushels in 1873,
to 242. 14o.3o bushels In 1897.
I'm 1875 the states east Of the Mis-
souri, river were sending food and
clothing to the starving people Of Kan,
sas. Thanks to the facilities afforded
by the railroads the corn crop Of Kan,
sas this year is three hundred and
forty million bushels. 1t seems but {
very few years since l made my frs
trip to Colorado, and stopped on m,
way at the home OF Buffalo Bill. a
North Platte, Neb., on the Union Pa
ciHc. At Ogalalla. ffty-one milei
west Of North Platte. the Sioux In