The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-12-28
THE NTNETEENTH CENTURY.

THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
The traveller who has toiled painfully
upward and onward for many weary
days in crossing the great continental
divide, has passed step bystep the rug
ged ascent where ahills peep DER hills
and Alps on Alps arise" stands at
last upon the crest Of the loftiest &C
clivity. Naturally, he pauses to survey
the backward way until objects dis
solve in the dim distance, and then
turning surveys with keenest interest,
the decIivities, the distant hills, the
mists and the mysteries Of the way be
fore. The century passed is thus sur
veyed and the oncoming age cOnjec-
tured
Time has always been reckOned from
eras, from some notable event. The
Creek. from the Olympian games;
the Roman, from the Building Of
Rome;" the Mohammedan, from the
slight Of his prophet" the Christian,
''from the birth Of his LOrd"-cOunt
the rolling years.
The close Of the nineteenth century
marks an epoch unparalleled in human
history. It has been a century remark
able for material progress, for inven-
ton, for discovery, and for advance
ment in the arts and sciences. Litera-
ture has followed this feet-footed age
with leisure step, and religion, natural
" enough, has kept the even tenor Of
its way.
When the eighteenth century closed
the elder Adams was president of the
young American republic, but was sue
ceeded on the fourth Of March, 1901,
by Thomas Jefferson, the author Of the
declaration Of independence. a fitting
honor of a fit renOwn. Under his ad-
ministration, in 1903, Louisiana was
purchased from France, and during his
second term, in 1907, FultOn's Clare
mont steamed up the historic Hudson,
In 1914 the first printing press came
into use, and in 1919 the first steam
ship crossed the Atlantic. In 1923 the
first passenger railway was built; in
1885 Morse invented the magnetic tel
egraph, but it was first put into practi-
cal use in 1874 when the first dispatch
was sent from the capitol in Washing
ton to Baltimore, a distance Of about 40
miles In 1885 Fairbanks perfected his
scales, chlorofOrm was discovered,
Hunt made the first Iock-stitch sewing
machine, the reaping machine was
given its first test In Ohio, and IN 1916
Elias Howe perfected his famous sew
ing machine.
Thus, about the middle Of the cen
fury, the printing press, to crystalize
and disseminate the news Of current
events and to conserve the thoughts of
authors; the telegraph to speed the
transmission Of events; the application
Of steam TO travel, and transportation
on land and sea; the reaper, tightening
the labor Of the husbandman, and the
sewing machine those Of the housewife
are notable examples Of material ad-
vaneement. These inventions, and i'm
provements upon them, have been Of
iRcalculable benefit to the age.
Exploration and discovery have been
3 marked feature Of the century. In
1s045 Lewis and Clark penetrated IN
known wilds as far as the Columbia
river and named two Of its important
tributaries. Pike, In 1906, located the
lofty pinnacle that stands as a notable I
monument 20 his name. Long, in 1870, /
and Fremont, in 1874, located those
lofty Rocky Mountain peaks which for
All time wiz perpetuate their proves !
and enterprise as explorers. The |
Of their exploits rival the |
widest romance Of the century and /
unfold the grandeur and extent Of a /
then unknown interior.
Aceessions Of territory by the United !
States are among the notable events.
The Louisiana purchase, 1903, for s15,- I
10000; Florida purchase, 1919, $500
o0os from Mexico. 1913, 100000; Gads-
dsE purchase, Mexico, 1853, $1,000
GO; annexation Of Texas, 1913; Alaska,
Of Rassis, 1867, 81. 10000; Hawaii, 1898;
Porto Rico, Guam, the Philippine is
lands. Of Spain, 1885, 100000; Tutui-
s., Ct the Samoan group, treaty With
and Germany, 1899-are &C
s1isitfons Of territory amounting to
q empire IN itself. For these various
purchases We paid s722oO.0OO. and the
lrfsinal extent Of the United States
rs been nearly auadrupled- "a
FEsrs baEe been political reforms i,
70 -lsFs t-ades aboiished 1soss slaves &