The Echo register. (Echo, Umatilla County, Or.) 190?-1909, 1909-06-04
THE MARVEL
OF nations
by WILLARD ACHESoNl

Among the many nations which
have established themselves in
various localities on the face OF
the earth is one, which on ac-
count of its rapid growth. un.
pi ralelled history and bright
prospects for the future has
been called THE Marvel of Ma
tions." We as Americans are
particularly interested in the
progress of this nation, for this
marvel is the great American
Republic. 1t is to our nation
that the eyes of the world are
turned in wonder and admiration.
This noble young republic of the
west stands out, the envy of her
sister nations and the pride of
hen loyal subjects. Yes, young
ia years, but old in advancement.
1t is but a little more than one
hundred years since the birth of
our nation as a republic, little
more than one hundred years
since those first few seeds which
were to spring up and bear the
great American republic were
scattered on the rocky shore of
our New England coast, and yet
our nation has made far greater
advancement during these few
short years than ever Egypt
could boast of during the whole
three thousand years of her ex-
istence. When we stop to con-
slider this rapid progress, we
can but exclaim, wonderful, mar
velous, indeed has been that
growth. 1t is not necessary to
go farther back in the history
of our nation than the year
1920, VIII an the inception of that
sturdy life and genius builded,
broad and deep, the foundation
upon which this great nation has
attained to her great glory.
Small indeed were the begin
nings but the growth and great
ness are marvellous. Nature
had prepared this land ages ago
to be the home of civil and re-
ligious liberty. Here fountains
of oil were prepared and forests
planted. Over our broad land
stretched level prairies and fer
tile valleys. Seemingly useless
mountain torrents rushing un-
noticed to the sea have been
controlled and furnish an unlim-
tied water supply for irrigation
which has transformed millions
of acres Of absolutely worthless
land into beautiful orchards and
fields of waving grain. Our
country is rich in mines of silver
and gold, lead, iron copper aud
coal. Whether we regard her
cataracts, rivers, lakes, forests
or plains. she is distinguished by
a vastness unapproached in any
other part of the globe.
Stretching from regions almost
arctic on the north to regions as
nearly torrid on the south, from
the storm washed shores of the
Atlantic to the placid waters OF
Pacific, yes, even to the distant
isles of the sea, with the Grea,
Lakes on the north, and the
Mississippi flowing through its
very heart, with a coast line
equal to the entire circumference
of the globe, our nation has op'
portunities for commerce which
no nation existing or that ever
did exist can boast OF. These
opportunities have not been ne
elected for our flag is seen or
every sea, our ships in every
foreign harbor, where our pro
ducts are eagerly sought by the
hungry hordes of Europe.
But perhaps in no other way
has our country had more mar
velous development than along
the line of inventions and i'm
provements in the means o
transportation. During the las
so years the United States hai
led the world in the matter o