Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-02-19

comprehensive exhibits of the Pan
American Exposition we see record
| In graphic form of what mankind has
accomplished upon this hemisphere
during the 100 years now completed.
/ With vision sharpened we look for
ward with prophetic eye into the mys-
| teries of the future and get. in imagi-
| nation at least, glimpse of what the
next century is to bring forth.
Can it be possible that the Twentieth
century will see an advance in material
and intellectual things as great rela-
lively to that of other centuries as the
Nineteenth century has witnessed? 1t
scarcely, seems within the bounds OF
possibility, and yet who can say wheth-
er even more wonderful discoveries
and even more valuable applications of
our present knowledge than the past
century has given us do not await us in
the one now just begun? The Nine
teenth century saw the revolution in
methods of travel on land and sea
caused by the invention OF the steam
engine; 1t saw the invention of the tele-
graph and telephone and electric light;
It witnessed the application of electric
power to urban transportation methods
and to the operation of the wheels of
industry generally; it produced great
improvements in the fields of medicine
and surgery and of education; it gave
US inventions in the way of machinery
which have completely revolutionized
industry and shortened the hours OF
labor for the manual workers of the
civilized world and particularly Of this
hemisphere. To go on and enumerate
in detail the features of Nineteenth
century progress would require more
space than is at my command. But it
will not do to forget that great as this
progress has been and proud as we
have a right to be of 1T there are tre-
mendous problems OF social and po-
litical character yet to be solved. Their
settlement during the next century will
do much to alleviate the misery yet ex-
listing in the world and render happier
the millions who will be born, live and
die during the next hundred years. 1t
should not be forgotten that many
branches of science are yet in their in
fancy. We have only begun to UNDER
stand the mysterious force of electrici-
ty, and we have not yet succeeded in
navigating the air. There are yet many
worlds to be conquered, by the daring.
man progress in the forthcoming CEN
fury.
That the pulse of mankind viii be
quickened by the great Exposition of
all the Americas so soon to be held
there is no room for doubt
No more appropriate time could be
chosen for such an Exposition upon the
American continent. No more appro-
pirate place than Buffalo and the Nj
agara frontier could be selected, for
1t is at this spot, where the cataract of
Niagara has been harnessed and sci
ence and industry have combined to
concentrate all the energies and activi-
ties characteristic of the time. that the
most fitting assemblage can be made
of the things which portray most eff
fectively this progress.
Never before in the history of expo
sitions in either the New World or the |
Old has such remarkable work of a
constructive character been done.
Never before did six months show such |
a wonderful change in the appearance |
of tract OF land as has been worked. |
without the aid of magic. in the $50 |
acres which comprise the site OF the |
Pan-American Exposition.
Now that the principal buildings are
practically constructed and the whole ,
great enterprise has been thus far run /
on schedule time 1t can be seen that