Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1903-01-01
VIEW Or THE PAST
AND FORECAST OF
THE COMING YEAR

The coming year promises to see
IN the United States q more marvel
GUS period Of commercial and indus.
trial development than even that OF
the year 1902. The prediction may
DO safely made that American trade
with the East will be doubled during
the next twelve months and the
United States will become the domi-
nant power of the Pacific ocean. 1t is
not beyond the bounds of possibility
that within the next decade the en-
pire OF trade and commerce will pass
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
shores.
Having in mind the vast strides
taken by our country in comparatively
Q few recent years what the volume
OF our commerce will be in another
quarter Of century it would be fool
fish to predict, but it will be enormous.
That the influence of America and the
American people throughout the world
will have increased, SO that they will
have become not only the great COM
mercial nation of the world, but the
greatest in political rank and power
and influence and responsibility can
scarcely be doubted by those who
have an abiding faith in the energy
and wisdom and integrity Of the
American citizen.
The producing powers of the United
States are still in their infancy. Com
pare our producing area with that of
the well-developed and well-tilled
countries of Europe, and it will be ap-
parent at glance that in the matter
OF agriculture we may and shall in.
crease enormously the products of the
soil, not only in increasing the actual
product per acre, but by bringing I'M
der cultivation many millions of acres
which are now non-productive.
In the matter of mines and minerals
our production and productive powers
have scarcely begun to show their
possibilities. In all the great articles
which enter into manufacture-the
products of the mine, the forest and
the fielc-we are the worlds greatest
producer and likely to continue so in
definitely. We have more of coal,
more of iron. more of copper, more of
timber, more of cotton, more of all the
requirements which enter into the
processes of the manufacture OF articles
required by the world at large, civil
lied or unciyilized, than any other ma
ton. We have the skill and energy
with which to turn these into manu-
features, by far the greatest railway
system of the world to carry them to
the waters edge, and a great ocean on
either side to float them to the wait
ing millions of the world.
This is a review of what we have
done in the past, and only by it can
we measure or attempt to measure
what we shall do in the future. What
wonders in the way of inventions and
discoveries the next few years may
have in store can only dimly be
guessed at. A great thinker and in
ventor has said of the future news
paper: 1--WE may, and believe shall.
have news transmission by air waves
into photographic instruments which
Will repeat the news or the day and
record it at the same time, SO that
people may listen or may read as they
prefer. The great force Of the future
1s electricity, and it is in its infancy
as yet It will be used to obviate all
unnecessary waste of nervous tissue,
and the phono-air-wave newspapers of
which speak will certainly be trans.
mitted some day direct from the
brains of their producers without any
such manual labor as writing and
without even the need for speaking
them aloud''
In reviewing the record made dur.
4. the past year by United States
soldiers it must be remembered that
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