Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-12-26
No III.


till about the SOS. Our people, as
previously mentioned, had commenced to
realize that changed conditions had mar
rowed their old field for employment, and
they seized upon this new one with
svidity.
To my mind, contrary to the generally
expressed opinions, there was nothing
reprehensible In this nor Is there any
thing to be regretted except its failure to
succeed. To spend time, labor and
capital trying to win wealth from coal
mines in the alluviai plains Of our Cult
and South Atlantic states or granite from
the limestone basins OF the NJ ISIS issippi
valley, would show wrong headed OBJ
stinscy and lack OF intelligence, but the
| region hereabout was and is known to
be Of the very formation which affords
valuable deposits of minerals and metals
Indeed, experienced and learned men la
| this rapidly increasing industrial field are
not few who still have faith in its posi-.
bilities and even probabilities.
| Ouly few years ago there were no sill
yer mines in Nevada and the Comstock
lode has had its rise and fall since then /:
no gold mined in California, nor quick
silver; no copper in Montana. Iron and
coal, most all, came from the British
Isles, zincIfrom Germany and copper from
the west coast OF South America. The
old mining regions of only a generation
ago are largely abandoned, and many Of
them almost forgotten. Tin still comes
! chiefly from Cornwall and the East Indies,
but no we'll Informed miner DOUBTS That
| colossal fortunes will yet and proba bly,
soon be made from tin producing regions
not yet found, perhaps not suspected.
| Almost no field OF human employment
has changed SO completely and SO rapidly.
Nearly ali there metals and others are
known to exist about US and in cur midst,
and ii is certainly the part OF wisdom and
prudence 10 learn their ear marks and in
vestigste from time to time, even thuus h
i, cos some time and money, out to do so
by feeling the way inteiligentiy and cou-
servatively.
Expense in extracting and reducing has
been the cause--probably the sole cause
OF our failure in this direct ion up I now,
| but when the cost of concentrating
| aluminium has been reduced in twenty
years SO as to bring the market price from
- pound down to so cents pound, who
shall say how soon our mineral deposits
| snsll be brought to have a pronounced
value?
Right on the heels Of the mining boom
came our railroad. Then our cup Was
thought to be filing up again for certain.
For some reason, not perfectly clear to me,
the average man attributes almost super
natural powers 10 a railroad for lettering
industrial conditions. Very likely 1t Is
| because railroad is always found where
communities are prosperous. But 1t
ought not to be overlooked that tue pic
ture has its other side. i have travelled
over most of the principal railway lines
from here TO the Rocky mountains, and
for every mile OF prosperity they have
fifty OF mediocrity and a score OF squalor.
Railroads are built primarily to trans
port freight and passengers at profit 10
themseis es-and they cost a lot OF money
Tuey make one OF the most impressive
chapters in the history of change. They
have robbed the sea Of one OF its most
potent festu They have made possible
t be ests bishment and upouiiding OF great
centres OF exchange In regions remote
from the coast. B=fore tneir dsS-and
that is but comparatively hrief period
that could not re. Alone aud OF itself, a
railroad very rarely produces any appre-
cishie feet. 1t is the existence OF good
reasons for building railroad that pro-
a
with and which are often enormously
viewed rs due to the railroad.
The function of Il railway is to get
things and people somew here else than
where they are. Unless, therefore, there
are many people who wish to move or
many things which ought to be moved
the railroad is po"erless, sna but for the
consei5ie ce aud luxury of travel, had Tar
better never hs We been built, for the la Dor
and capital are wasted. Our bat recently
settled western country offers marked
example in Confederation oi tubs. The
region was tuii oi resources anu possl-
biiiti-s, but unused and practically With
out value because things and people coa q
not be moved, at res sonao bic .xpenss, to
ihs places " here they were wanted. IGe
railroads, together with the cIrcam-
stances, changed ali this and performed q
great service, ana great has been their
reward, it did not exceed their deserts.
This moving Of things, TOO. necessarily
caused new centres of exchange to spring
up along their lines in which aggregated
the individuals thus engaged in this
swimming OF the Vest. These were the
places which exhibited in the hig hest de-
gree the prosperity and progress which
make US here dissatisfied and restless, and
those men reaped the substantial sdvan-
tages who had sagacity and foresight and
"iuck", for though it is properly encour-
aging TO deny "luck" it exists neverthe-
less, and is recognized by the metsphys-
icists.
II this Ia q fair stnf Amenf ~ conditions