The Bemidji pioneer., 1903-01-01
REVIEW or TIE PAST
AND FORECAST or
THE COMING YEAR

The coming year promises to see
IN the United States a more marvel
Gus period Of commercial and indus
trial development than even taat OF
the year 1902. The prediction may
be 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-
28pire Of trade and commerce will pass
from the Atlantic to the Pacific
shores. 5
Having in mind the vast strides
taken by our country in comparatively
a few recent years what the volume
/ OF Our commerce will be in another
quarter OF century 1t would be fool
fsh to predict, but 1t 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 thoga 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 1t will be ap-
parent at glance that In the matter
OF agriculture we may and SHAH In.
crease enormously the products of the y
soil, not only in increasing the actual
product per acre, but by bringing un-
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 field---we are the worlds greatest
producer and likely to continue so In.
definitely. We have more ofa 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 uncivilized, than any other ma
ton. We have the skill and energy
with which to turn, these into manu-
factures, by far the greatest railway
system OF the world to carry them to
the waters edge. and great ocean on
either side to float them to the watt
Ing millions Of the world
This Is a review of what we have
done in the past and only by itScan
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: We may, and believe shall,
have news transmission by air waves
intn phonographic instruments which
will repeat the news Of the day and
record 1t at the same time, so that
people may listen or may read as they
prefer The great force of the future
Is electricity, and 1t Is In ito infancy
as yet. It will be used to obviate all
waste OF nervous tissue,
and the phono-air-wave newspapers OF
which | speak will certainly be trans
nitted 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
!. the past year by United States
soldiers 1t must be remembered that