Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1900-12-27
A Hundred Years Ago.


had but 5,3oS, 900 population in its six
teen states. White settlers were then
passing over the Allegheny mountains
on horseback and with teams, and were
settling Ohio and Kentucky. The hun
bred years between then and now, the
nineteenth century, has witnessed
greater change on the face of this
country than any other time or country
has ever shown.
Then Iowa was unknown and this
part of the country belonged to Spain.
No white people lived within its Dor
ders. The Sac and Fox, the Sioux,
and other scattering tribes of Indians
wandered at will over its lands.
Then old John Adams was president
and he and his good wife, Abigail, had
just moved into the white house ut
Washington, that city having been
founded but u short time. The coun-
try had just chosen presidential cleo
tors, but as an equal number proved to
be for Thomas Jefferson and Aaron
Burr they could not choose president
and the election went to the house,
which chose Jefferson. Political gov
eminent was then undeveloped,
although its foundation was well laid.
Then there were no railroads, no
telegraphs, no telephones, no steam
boats, no canals to speak of, no steam
power or electric power applied to
anything, no sewing machines, no
cooking stoves, no electric lights or
kerosene lamps, no photographs, no
public water supplies in cities, no ma
tional or savings banks, no postage
stamps, no typewriters, no threshing
machines, no harvesting machines, nor
even reapers or mowers. Indeed they
had but little here below. 1t seems
that what they lacked was more than
what they had. In fact it seems the
people then were only beginning to
take advantage of the principles in ma
ture and to make advancement.
1t is strange but significant fact
that the little crooked sickle did SER
vice for thousand years in reaping
the wheat and grain. A hundred years
or so ago man reaching out for improve
ments invented the cradle. Then after
many years came poor reaper, then
improved ones, then the Marsh harves-
ter and at last the self binder. Mans
mind seems to be dashed with letters to
the past, but when once it was lOosed,
inventions and improvements came
thick and fast.
1t was the same in most other depart
ments of labor as in the reaping of
grain. Perhaps the most remarkable
changes brought in the century are in
transportation. A hundred years ago
the travel was all by stage, by OK wag-
on, by horse back, by sail or row boat
or on foot. The steam boat and the
locomotive engines have brought o
most wonderful change, one which was
far beyond the greatest imagination of
our grand fathers.
With all these great material changes
have come increased education and in
telligence. Old things are passed away
and every thing is new. AS one stands
today at the close of this wonderful
century and sees the changes it has
brought he may well doubt if the next
century can bring as many and radical
ones. We cannot change so much in
many ways. We have no wilderness
as big as was this one that stretched
from the Alleghenies to the Pacific to
subdue and settle. We have reached
the limit in some things. We cannot
see how the next century can bring as
great changes in inventions and science
as has the last, although great progress
surely will be made. Education, poll
teal government and morality will
doubtless witness great changes. But
human foresight is very short. We
stand now on the brink Of the new CEN
fury and all we can do is to hope it is
ladened with blessings to the hnman
race.