The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-02-05
PROPHECIES.
1903 Win Be . Year Of Won
derful Progress.
GREAT PR0BLZLS TO BE SOLVED.

The WIGS Has Much Faith Tn Mar
conf and Wireless TeIegraphy-Ex-
poets to See Electricity SuppIant
Steam as Motive Power In Few
Years-RIedicine Played Out-Germ
of Old Age May Be Discovered.
Thomas A. Edison, the great invent
or, makes the following statement iii
the New York World:
''The great problems of the year are
the problems of fighting bacteria, of
getting electricity direct from coal, Of
getting power from the elements cheap
ly and in applying the many uses Of
electricity to manufactures.
II look for wonderful year. There
is more activity in science than there
has ever been before, more men are
working on big problems and great dis
coveries would be only natural.
"For myself, my storage battery, ON
which 1 have worked four years, will
be put on the market in January. It
solves the traction problem, and It's in
PRODUCTION means that the horse will
have to go.
81 expect to give up practical inven-
ton for two years. | am going to ex-
periment-going to delve in some prob
lens that l have put by for an idle
time and for once am going to work
without having the production Of
commercial commodity in view. 1 am
going into the byways of science.
prefer not to say what my experiments
will be. Yes, trying to get electricity
direct from coal is one of them.
''The wireless telegraphy l assuredly
expect to see perfected for commercial
purposes, if not fully SO in 1903 at least
advanced toward that end. The right
kind of man is working at it, a prac-
| teal man, an earnest man, and l have
confidence in him. AS to the objection
that messages may be tapped, that's as
far as the DIRECTORS can see now. That
may be true tonight; tomorrow it may
be different.
''I'm not interested in the flying ma
cial use for it. l have never had time
to read much about it.
81 expect to see electricity supplant
steam as a motive power. In fifteen
| years electricity will be the railway
motive power. Nineteen hundred and
three will advance it in that direction.
Nineteen hundred and three will
bring great advances in surgery, in the
study of bacteria, in the knowledge of
the cause and prevention of disease.
Medicine is played out. Every new
discovery of bacteria shows us all the
more convincingly that we have been
wrong and that the million tons Of stuff
we have taken was all useless. They
may even discover the germ of old age.
don't predict it, but it might be that by
the sacrifice Of animal life human life
could be prolonged The doctor of the
future will give no medicine but will
instruct his patient in tie care of the
human frame, in diet and in the cause
and prevention of diseases.
Surgery, diet, antiseptics-the three
are the vital things of the future in the
preservation of the health Of human
| ity. There were never so many able,
active minds at work on the problems
of disease as now, and all their discov-
cries are tending to the simple truth
that you can't improve on nature.
The newspapers are among the
great agents that will grow better in
1903 and in the years to come. They
are the great school. A man who does
not read the newspapers might as well
be dead. They are a powerful 1nfu-
ence for advancement. They are get
ting better, they are printing more sci
ence and paying more attention to the
things that benefit and improve hui
mainly.
There will be few more wars. The
world seems to be tending to peace.
We should have great navy, one three
times as large as the present-not to
I fight, but to have ready in case there
/ should be a fight. A great navy is one
of the greatest stimulants to science.
1--WE are only in the infancy Of cleo
tricity. It's possibilities no man can
| dream any more than man fifty years
ago could have foretold what we have
today. Little discoveries like the Roent-
gen and the Becquerel rays and SINH
lar things will lead to great things
what, cannot be told just now.
! "AS to books, the books of today are
more to my liking than the old books.
1t is SO with painting. 1t is a great
time. Great things are being done, and
it is impossible to prophesy. Better
! health, greater enlightenment better
/ facilities of living, are being placed in
our reach with every day. l look for
wonderful year Of progress
Hands Across the Sea.
Tho IInifnd SfafnS contributed in q