The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-06-11
FIFTY YEARS OF
PROGRESS.

were we in their immediate presence.
Here is one place where distance lends
enchantment. Thomas A. Edison has
given us that wonderful little machine,
the phonograph, which is good imi-
tator of German band, grand opera,
a dog fight and a scolding woman allin
one; but there is no use in me extolIing
its virtues, sit speaks for ITSELF"
The bicycle and the automobile have
furnished us with means of rapid
locomotion, both in city and country,
and the possibilities of the latter ma
chine are still far beyond our concep-
tion. As these machines become
cheaper, will they become as popular
and as common as the bicyclep Edison
says they will. If so, we fancy we can
see them employed by the grocer as a
delivery wagon; for the time is not far
distant when competition will force the
dealer to employ such means of delivery
as will enable him to respond to a
hurry-up call in hurry. We can step
to the phone and summon our physi-
clan to come with all possible haste;
but unless he can respond to the call
by some ready means of quick convey
ance, much valuable time is lost.
With good roads, the recently per-
fected automobile is destined to be-
come wonderful factor in the carry
ing traffic. We may soon expect to see
the mail routes equipped with these
vehicles, making it possible for one
carrier to render service to double or
even treble the number of patrons he
can serve with horse and wagon.
The British made use of the auto in
their South African campaign and
found it far superior to the horse or
OK in conveying supplies to the front;
and even in placing heavy guns it was
found to be practical and of great
value. And, by the way, that reminds
me that the past fifty years has seen
such revolution in the instruments
OF war, as all preceding ages had not
brought forth. The frail wooden vessels
have been replaced by iron monsters,
one of which could crush the combined
navies of the world of fifty years ago,
and call it child's play. The powerful
guns of the present time, with their
tremendous charges of gun cotton,
were unknown; and the rapid fire guns
of Richard J. Gatling and Hiram Max
i'm are products of recent years.
The airbrake, the automatic car
coupling device, steam heat and electric
lights, now so universally used on all
railroads, have been made practical
during the last quarter of century,
and have done much towards removing
the dangers of travel on the railroad.
Richard Hoe has given us the rotary
printing press, which, together with
the typesetting machine, has been
great factor in cheapening the process
of printing, and also in putting the
news into the hands of the public at
the earliest possible moment. The re-
cent invention of practical stereotype
ing machine will revolutionize the pro-
cess of making stereotype plates, and
thus greatly facilitate the printing of
the great dailies.
Not only has Cyrus W.Field laid the
great Atlantic cable, but hundreds of
other cables have since been laid, until
we have cable connection with nearly
all parts of the world. Marconi has
demonstrated the feasibility and the
utility of wireless telegraphy, and
Santos Dumont is in fair way to solve
the problem of aeriel navigation; while
Henry Corliss has revolutionized the
steam engine. Elias Howe invented
the sewing machine which has since
been app led to SO many forms of use
and has been so much improved, that
that great genius, were he alive today,
would scarce recognize it as the off
spring of his fertile brain.
The cash register and the typewriter
have come as a boon to the business
fraternity, and the computing scale has
added greatly to accuracy and despatch
in store and shop.
When we consider the countless ma