The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-05-18
HUMAN LIFE THE PAYMENT.

WRITTEN FOR THE SUNDAY REPUBLIC.
Nations have been baptized in human
blood and each foundation stone of prog
ress has crushed the life out of some NOR
tai. We daily read the story of deaths that
come through disease deaths that call
natural. and then We read the startling ac-
counts of deaths that come suddenly and
Unexpectedly. to the well. strong. vigorous
and active mortals who are busily engaged
in the work of the world
These latter emphasize the terrible fact
that every human advance, every evidence
OF progress, every Improvement that means
a higher civilization. every wonderful ma
chine. every great engineering feat. every
towering building and every work that has
a form stands as monument to some life
that has gone out that it might exist.
Digging and delving among the dry bones
of statistics has resurrected figures full or
interest in showing the value of a human
life not spared to disease and old age, but
taken in the accomplishment OF some work
Of human progress
These figures show that through fierce
war each square mile of territory gained or
maintained by nations of the earth has cost
n human life. Some have cost more, some
less; but taking the world over. since his
tory began. the records show a charge OF
one untinely death against each 6O acres
Each pair of church spires that po'nt
toward the clouds stand for monument
to a grave somewhere. Since records OF
deaths by accident have been kept they
show that the life of one mortal has gone
out with each two churches reared All
buildings have taken part in the same
work. poorly constructed scafold. an
insecure fastening. parting rope
swinging timber a loose board and scores
Of other things that tell of human faiiloii-
ity have contributed to make this record;
Men have burrowed in the ground and dug
their own graves-their first temporary rest
ing places, where they were TO lie in oeath
where moment before they were IN ac-
tive life. Every five miles of tunnel oiasteo
from the rocks and dug from the earth re-
uuires the life of one man.
We gather heat, light and power from the
made coal that stored for us CEN
turies ago. and each million and half tons
of it costs one miners life before it passes
from its ancient bed to the surface OF the
ground.
Since man has delighted in what is bright
and lasting, he has sought 1or soid ana
made from it the great lever that moves
the world. but 1t has had its price. Each
100000 of gold has asked for a human
sacrifice and received 1t.
Since before the dawn of history, ships
have spread their winglike sails and carried
nan from shore to shore, and recently mar
messed steam has passed them in the race:
but from the time when shipwrecks were
first recorded until to-day the ships have
demanded human toll. and at the end OF
each 5O,0OO miles that each one sails it drops
a living soul into never-resurrecting sea,
or casts it dead into the arms of the shore.
Where boats would not do man has sus-
pended his bridges. and each one of these
that spans navigable water marks the spot
where a man was brought to his death
through an accident.
So on the steel highways. where, through
he nf Of "
speed of te wind, the law says that one
life must be given for each 900 travellers.
and the law Is obeyed.
Look where you will, these accidents con-
front you. Lite with it's requirements pays
its way with life.