Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-02-15
A Fandango of Excitement.

The terrific explosion in New York
was accompanied By a remarkably small
death list. although. the number of the
shocked and the injured was large. 1t
takes a good deal, after all. to kill a man
And for this there is reason to be thank
full, although it is never pointed out In
the Thanksgiving prociainntions. The
wonder is that people skin through life
nowadays, in the centres ct population
with so few scratches and sears. They
are constantly facing new perils as this
material civilization Of ours advances.
The old settlers. with all their disagree
ments with the Indians. were quite as
good an. insurance risk as Il person walk
ing tbesstreets of modern city, or rid
ing III our steam or trolley cars.
When one considers the case, he is
struck by the fact that Il possible danger
confronts him at many a turn. In get
ting off a trolley car, he may cross the
path of another coming swiftly from the
opposite direction. \ motor carriage
pentine route, and very free and easy in
Its notions of speed. 1t may fetch you.
The. whole atmosphere of DOWNTOWN
nowadays may be described III the words
on the old signs placed over grade cross
ings on country roads, Look out for the
engine And when to these surface dan
gers OF the streets are added those OF
possible explosions in buildings or tunnels
present IN the largest cities, the wonder
grows that so many of the urban popp-
lation die natural deaths.
Is 1t cauS. tor surprise, moreover, thai
So many urban children hav. very ner-
vUus Compartments? our GRANDPA theirs,
born in placid solitu.ies, were reared 10
few things more exciting i'll their youth
ful days than a green-appIe stomach :
ache. But in these times, city infants arg
taken on trolley rides before they reach
the age of one, and arc introduced 10 al,
the eXcitcmcnt OF city streets before the
age Of four: and by the simhlc process Of
1f.s.
more Ways of being eNierninated than
their Observation-Disclosures did at fifteen.
They know about turning on the gas,
ChlurofoIming Il cat. getting run over ~
i train or street car, rough-on-ratS.
brcaking ones neck on Il bicycle, being
electrocuted by I. live wire. being blown
up In the street, being cut and smashed
in q railroad wreck, falling down an ell
evatOr shaft, and all sorts Of things that
are seen or heard or read about In the
papers. Compare this fandango Of hor-
rofs and excitements. with which city
children nowadays become more or less
acquainted ut It tender age, simply be-
cause of their environment, win the Sc
rene, almost bovine, existence which their
ancestors in this country enjoyed only
two or three generations back. not only
in childhood and youth. but even in ma
turity n nd Old age Is il remarkable tina
children in these times have "nerves2,
Returning to the starring point-it is
true that il takes Il good deal 10 XIII many
people ali at once. The few great disas-
tiers that take folks utterly unaWares
sometimes reap II big harvest. but being
the most adaptable creature in existence,
n city man is ali the time adapting him
self to his surroundings, and as his sur
roundings change, he changes with them.
He now looks out for the engine i'll :,
minute more than his remoter ancestors
did in a month, and he does ii with per-
feet Inconsistencies, for the most part,
of the nervous strain upon him. And his
alertness and Hatchfulness, grown witt,
the development OF the age, doubtless
save him from determination. But he Is
all the time growing more nervous. and
hi, children are growing more nervous.
| In all these respects it would seem clear
that the physical basis of life in cities il
| much less to be desired than the physica
basis Of life in regions where greater re.
nose prevails. especially for the rearins
OF ones kind.-Springtield Republican.