Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-11-28

the factories or the Merrimac with cot
ton from New orleans and Mobile BAY ?
Tho railroads? No; il IS the steam.
boat. Why are the harbors of the
Golden Gate and San Pedro crowded
with lumber boats? Because Oregon
and Washington states and California
are one by the pathways of the seas
And, though the United States govern
ment Is to spend over $1,000 600 TO
bring New York and San Francisco
nearer by cutting the isthmus of Pana.
ma in two, yet It Is worth all the cost
for where we transport by water the
business men and farmers have their
expenses reduced to n minimum. Then
cities and towns will not only jncrcose
In the west, but there will be more
goods to he made, more oranges TO be
grown, more prosperity everywhere.
Thank God for the rivers and the lakes
and the ocean highways, which have
so helped by their transportation OBJ
portunities to make our national pros.
perity what II Is.
Again, let us thank God for the At.
lantic ocean, which is on the east of us
and the Pacific ocean. which is on the
west OF us, which separate us from MI
the entanglements Of European politics
and from the Asiatic ENVIRONMENTS of
international jealousies and contests
1t was the custom of the ancient earls
TO surround their castles with moats
hlled with water. At night the draw
bridge would he lifted, the castle gates
closed, and the inmates were prac.
tically safe from any attacking foe.
We'll, God has done for us as n nation
what the earl did for his castle. lie
has placed moat three thousand miles
wide on the east of us. which we call
the Atlantic. He has placed moat
more than ten thousand miles wide on
the west Of us, which we call the IA
citic. And in military or naval par
lance these moatS are practically i'm.
pasSable. Our nation Is not so much
protected by the guns Of its warships
and the Notifications of It's harbors ms
ny the immense masses of water that
separate us from an invading foe. IT'S
true we must have n navy. 1t IS also
true we must have the skeleton Of an
army. But the greatest guarantee of
the future of the United States govern
ment is not our war guns or our coast
Notifications, but these immense bodies
or water surrounding us on the east
and west. Now that we are soon TO
have the Panama canal marry the two
seas no foreign nation on earth could
invade us. We NAV de
stroy ourselves. but we can never be
destroyed by a foreign foe. Thank
God for the waters that create our ma
tional prosperlties Thank God also
for the waters which defend us from
foreign foes.
Water In tho Deserts.
Lastly, | thank God not only for !
what he has done for this country by |
the power of water but also for what |
he is going to do Ivy the same power. |
If you have ever 'raveled across our |
continent, YOU have gone days and |
days through what are called our des-
erts. Those are not deserts of sand |
like the Sahara. They are deserts that |
Will prove to be the finest and richest |
Vi SOL II we only iFrlgate them and !
oil"s water 10 tileHl' Let ram rail-
upon ARIZONA SOL no WITHIN few
ia!s mat lohd Is covered with grass
md wild flowers as tar as the eye can .
see no conservatory Is as wondrous
~ tnut "hich Hod pants IN the Ari-
,on" uesertS "heH inc ram iallS. All
.nese ueSerts are soon 10 be redeemed
ney are TO form some OF the richest
S"ruehs anu farms OF inc world.
was never more Impressed with
ms iact IMAM WhHh r'1'Ing lately an
IrIIcie by N'i"anl George showing
no" Australia IS heihS rrdeemed by 4
y ''enl ~ "I'cN ."i N'"H' Some OF
.'oo' WIS nav. ~ W. ,''N more IMAM
,, WI ' hoo.o ~, 'r,'' '"' II 'he! are
,,.n,a. r.. avs s't'Ne
,o,a.., a usti"il"h
~, vi .'cSn WATER
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orror 90 uoron,, ,,'' "csi"'r ana
ofaou,. ,4,,,.1,. ',' ''c' ""Nc'
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NO s,ao,. cou. ,ru,,I,