The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-01-21
AUsTRALlA.
oruy and Monotonous. but Vast, Pa.
tient and Fascinating.

Orry and Mcnotoroua, but Vast, Fn.
ticnt and fascinating.
Australia IS 10 itsclf monstrous
coniinept n is MS large ne the United
States. It's 100000 OF people are scat.
tered in narrow fringe along The
streams and shores OF the southern
aud eastern seaboard The vast inte
rior- the dead heart Of Australia
region as large as the Mississippi val.
ley IS a fracklcss. ninlcss waste OF
sand aud alkall. while the intervening
hills. the bush and scrub. are scantliy
occupied by sheep stations ana by miu-
Ing camps. The vast north Of Austria.
ia is in part a tropical Jungle. in part
blistcrlpg sahara The fates denied
to Australia the gift Of high noun
talns 10 catch the snow aud hold the
water. hence her rivers are few and
precarious: hence at too frequent inter-
rals the great drought comes. and the
desert spreads ifs smotliering arms,
crowding man and his dependents
backward toward the sea. II is mo
notonous country IN It's physical as
pects The forests ON hill. valley. rock
and swamp are all OF one pattern
eucalyptus, eucalyptus. the gray trunks
Of the gum trees OF many species
far rs the eye can see. without noun
tains and streams there is little room
FOR variety. II is monotonous I'm its
industries cattle. sheep. horses-its
one fine art the breeding Of the per
feet Merino sheep. II IS monoionous ~
its towns One story, light brown.
with unpainted roof Of corrugated iron.
Is the description Of nine tenths 9f the
Australian homes. Corrugated iron
means clean rain water. and Australia
can afford to waste none Of e. It Is
monotonouS as to population The Eng
lishmen came first to Australia. and
they are still holding IL against all
corners. The way is made rough for
immigrants who do not speak English,
and for well or ill--in many ways for
each the ruling minority. the labor
vote. Is sternly set on white Austria
Iia" with all which Il implies. The
history Of Australia is monotonous. Il
contains the story OF hard struggles,
Of bitter sufTerings, deserved and un-
deserved; OF lawless courage and reck-
less bravery, but tie causes served
were individual Australians never
had a common enemy, and their rec.
ords show no glorious war and no up
rising of common feeling The achieve
ments of Australia belong TO the cate
CORY Of individual deeds Of peace.
With all this the color OF Australia
Is gray; the land, the towns, the spirit
of her people. Her literature has n
sober touch, and this difference in
tone shows itself In It's way IN the
life of the universities. In America
as In Browning's verse. "the flower Of
life Is red The American student
knows that "the world Is his OYSTER"
He knows that she can get what is
coming to him;" that IN proportion to
his talents. bis training, his sobriety
and perslstency Of purpose win be his
success in any affair he undertakes.
But though Australia may be gray
and monotonous she is vast, patient,
fascinating The mghtiness OF the
land 10 be conquered, the huge roomi-
ness Of the continent. the vistas Of fu.
ture national greatness, all these grow
on one and all these find their reflex
IN the student life and IN the rising
literature Of the commonwealth. That
Australia will be the birthplace Of
great men In the future no one can
doubt Tier coming VIII not be due
TO the lopsded political administration
nor to state ownership nor TO the cod
ding OF the lahorer. but to the persist.
ence OF her fine old English stock un.
der man maklag and man inspiring
conditions.-David Starr Jordan in AD-
nleton's.