The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-05-08
MEN WHO ARE AHEAD.

tions," declares an exchange. "of the fact that the fantasy of today Is the practical achievement of tomorrow. It is with this in view that 1t is recalled in New York City that about forty years ago an old man was sent to an asylum for the insane because he insisted in talking about building q tunnel under the Hudson River. He maintained that it could be done and should be done to end New York's iso- lation from the rich surrounding ter ritory. He kept 1t up so long that he finally became to be known as Crazy Lrke.' The incident is to be coupled with the opening of the first tunnel for passenger trafic under the North (Hudson) River, which event marks the continuation of thirty-four years of efforts"
 We copy the above for the moral contained in 1t, and the lesson it teach es. This man was type of the man who has lived before their time. Go back to the earliest period of recorded history sacred or profane. and we find instances of men who foresaw what others failed to see and who were jeer- ed at for their beliefs. They were not chariatans. nor were they inspired prophets. but men who had the faculty of reasoning from what they saw and foreseeing what the future might bring forth.
 Modern history is full of such cases. Columbus. reasoning from what he knew, and forming his conclusions up- on analogy and comparison. was un- aIterably determined to explore the un- known oceans in search of new worlds or new roads to the old ones. Driven from pillar to post, banded about from one court to another. he held on to his belief until finally. when hope had about deserted him and he was ready to give up in despair, queen had compassion on him and enabled him to fit out three little tubs that would not now be looked on as snitable for fishing smacks. But he discovered new worlds. and those who had laughed at him and houted him were glad to take advantage of his discoveries. And so we might cite the cases of Watt and Stevenson, of Fulton, Frank lin. Morse and numerous others whose lot it has been to live in advance of their day and to foresee events that were hidden from their fellows. When, only about half a century ago. 1t was proposed to lay a submarine cable across the Atlantic and thus connect Europe and America by wire. there was much doubt and unbelief expressed as to the possibility of such work. Some of the most eminent scientists of the day were free in their expressions of unbelief, and gave what seemed to them good reasons for their want of faith. It was pointed out for one thing that the great depth of the ocean made the laying of such a cable im- possible. Then it was said that the
 motion of the ocean currents would rub the cable against the rocks on the bottom and destroy the insulation. even if the cable itself could stand 1t. It was also contended that the salt wa ter would eat of the covering of the wires, and various other reasons were given to show that the project was an impossible dream. Fortunately Cyrus W. Field and others who agreed with him, both in this country and in Flu rope, had faith in the work and they made a success of it.
 And so it has ever been. and so we suppose 1t will continue to the end of time. There will always be those who will conceive great projects in advance of their time. Some of them may live to see their belief justified, while others may not be so fortunate. but whether they live or die, the work will go on and future wants will jus tify the faith of those who could see in advance of others and who would not suffer themselves driven from their position by the unfaith and in- credullty of others. This "crazy Luke" as the unfortunate came to be called. saw that there ought to be a tunnel under the Hudson River and not only believed that 1t could be built but that 1t would come in course of time. The recent completion of the work and it's opening to travel is but the continuation of what the old man foresaw and of what he insisted was feasible. Latter day engineers mercy acted on what he advocated. but they were successful while he died in an asylum. Perhaps it is not always safe for a man to be ahead of his age, but not infrequently such a man acts as a sort of guidepost to point the way for others to follow.