The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1903-12-31
MR.. NEw-L1GuT OF RUSH CITY.
Thought He Knew 1t All, But His
End Showed There Was Much
for Him to LeaFA.

Thought He Knew 1t All, But HIS
End Showed There Was Much
for Him to Learn.
There was fellow called New-Light
who knew it all. He lived in Rush City.
where the houses were mostly rs sto-
ries high; and between them were deep.
dark gullies called streets, in which
ran thousands of swift electric cars.
says Chambers Journal.
A great cloud of smoke hung over
Rush City, for there were miles Of fac
tory chimneys, and these were spouting
night and day. to the infinite pride and
profit of New-Light and other share
holders.
New-Light had an Office at the top OF
the highest building in Rush City. On
his desk was a telephone through
which he could talk with people thou
sand miles away; his letters for the
post were slipped into a tube at his ell
low, and thence slipped down through
the Is stories to the letter box on the
street floor; he could not see Gods
beautiful blue heavens, but consoled
himself by keeping his private constella-
tion of artificial light always ablaze.
When he felt weary, an electric but
ton summoned whisky cocktail, which
renewed his strengthen the moment.
His lunch was summoned by tele-
| phone. He ate 1t with one hand; with
| the other he held fast narrow strip
| of paper which was being perpetually
| disgorged by little clicking machine
| called ticker" This little telegraphic
| demon told the price of mining and rail-
way shares in every big city OF the
world. New-Light worshiped this de-
mont was his god.
| So soon as the demon grew tired or
clicking out paper, New-Light stepped
| into an express elevator at his door.
which shot him down to the earth with
an electric swoop through Is stories.
| Then he stepped into his electric mo-
tor and whizzed away to his club amid
| the jangling of electric traffic overhead,
underground and all about him. To his
senses there was something soothing in
the gathering Of drays. He breathed
/ comfortably in the atmosphere OF pros
/ porous pandemonium.
/ After a few cocktails, New-Light
unused on the progress OF civilization.
and concluded that man had so perfect-
ed the earth that the Creator could safe
| " leave the rest to New-Light & Co.
Rush City was far away In the in
terror, and New-Light had not yet seen
the ocean. His universe had been one
i that moved only at the click of an elec-
trio button or the push Of piston.
The mighty world of stars said moth
| ing to him, the periodicity of the moon.
the mighty lifts Of the tides. the rising
of the sun, the opening of flowers; all
these things affected New-Light only In
so far as the almanac registered his
working days beneath the tall, sooty
chimneys of Rush City.
The laws of merciful nature which
aid the mariner in his voyages-the
blessed Gulf stream and the priceless
trade winds-all these things were to
New-Light as of no importance COM
pared with trolleys, tickers, motors and
factory chimneys.
1 One day New-Light saw the sea for
the first time. The tide was far out,
and he walked long distance and
perched upon rock which stood alone
at the edge of the exposed sands. He
sat and wondered If he could not or
ganize a company to utilize the force
! OF the waves in the manufacture OF
electric power.
And, as he wondered, the tide rose
: and surrounded his rock. And when he
. saw at length that he was like to be
} | drowned by the advancing waters, ne
irreverently cursed the Almighty for
I cruelty and stupidity In making tide
that was likely to drown so precious
. creature as himself
: There were Is fishing boats sailing
: merrilys homeward on this particular
I | tide. Their crews knew little of tele
: phones. tickers and motors. but they
9 yenerated the works of God and studied
: the laws of His making. These mel
e sailed in boldly over the rocks, fo
r they knew the tides, the currents ant
: the depth OF water-their wives ant
= sweethearts waved to them from tn
dunes.
a The body of New-Light was washe
r ashore and reverently cared for by tn
+ simple fishermen. But when the
IS learned how he had been drowned the
q could but say: 'Poor fool; so rich I
money, so poor in knowledge"
y New-Light was buried in Rush Cit!
8 and the. papers said that '''he was th
IS finest product of our progressive an
,f pushing age
10 - - -------
o- Falls of Iguaxa.
J.. Though practically unknown to IL
world at large, the falls Of Ig,iazu star