The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-03-30
] AUsTRAuA.N TE6lN,
Gray and Monotonous, buttvasts Pa
t.ent and Fascinatiuu.

tient and Fascinating.
Australia Is In itself monstrous
continent 1t Is as large as the United
States; its 100000 Of peorGe are scat
tered in a narrow fringe along the
streams and shores OF the southern
and eastern seaboard. The vast inta.
rlor-''the dead heart OF Anstralia'-a
region as large a. the Mis- sisslppi val
ley, is n trackless. rainle'ss waste OF
sand and aikalI. while the intervening
hills, the bush and scrub are scantily
occupied by sheep stations and by min.
ing camps. The vast north of Austria.
Tia is In part a tropical Jingle, in paTt
a blisterlng Sahara. The fates denied
to Australia the gift Of high noun
talns to catch the snow and hold the
water: hence her rivers are few and
precarious; hence ht too frequent inter
walls the great drought comes. and the
desert spreads its smothering arms,
crowding man end his dependents
backward toward the sea. 1t is mo
notonous country in its physical as
poets. The forests on hill, valley, rock
and swamp are all Of one pattern
eucalyptus, eucalyptus, the gray trunks
Of tho gum treas Of many scecies-as
far as the eye can see. without noun.
tains and streams there is little room
for variety II is monotonous In It's
industries-cattle, sheep, horses-ita
one fine art the breeding of the per
feet Merino sheep. II is. monotonous IN
its towns. Ono story. light brown,
with unpainted roof of corrugated iron,
Is the description OF nine -tenths OF the
Australian homes. Corrugated iron
means clean rain water, and Australia
can cfford to waste none Of it. 1t Is
monotonous as to population. The Eng
lishmen came first to Australia. and
they are still holding 1t against al
comers. rhe way is made rough for
Immigrants who do not speak English.
and for well or ill-in many ways for
each--tha ruling minority. the labor
vote Is sternly set on ~white Austria.
lla," with all which It Implies. The
history Of Australia is monotonous IL
contains Che story Of hard struggles,
OF bitter sufferines. deserved and un,
deserved; of lawless courage and reclS-
less bravery. but tie causes served
were individual. Australians never
had common enemy, and their rec
ords show no glorious war and no up.
rising OF common feeling. The achieve
ments OF Australia belong % .he cate
| CORY of Individual deeds of peace.
With ell this the color Of Australia
IL gray; the land, the towns, the spirit
Of her people Her literature has q
sober touch, and this difference IN
tone shows itself In it's way in the
life Of the universities. IL 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 "he can get what is
coming to hin;" that in proportion to
his talents. his training, his sobriety
and persistency OF purpose viii be his
success IN any affair he undertakes.
| But though Australia may be gray
and monotonous she is vast, patient.
fascinating. The mightiness Of the
land to be conquered, the huge roomi
ness OF the continent. the vistas OF fu
ture national greatness. all these grow
on one, and MI 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. Their coming VIII not be due
TO the lopsided political administration
nor 20 state ownership nor to the cod
ding OF the laborer, but 70 the persist
ence of her fine old English stock un.
der man making and man Inspiring
ce-sSitions.-David Starr Jordan in Ap-
pleton's. b