Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1910-01-06
STORY OF 1909, A MEMORABLE YEAR


STORY OF 1909, A MEMORABLE YEAR
In several field, 1909 gave the world
some thing to marvel at 1t handed
over to us the North pole, which the
world had been looking for through
three or four centuries. BY BlerlOt's
& trip across the Channel from France
S TO Eng land, and by feats performed AT
Rheims and else where, the flying men
made their advent in this year They
} have become SO actual and SO widely
ditfused that, in New York, Paris an
5 other places on each side OF the Allan
tic, stock companies have been formed
TO manufacture aeroplanes for pleas
ure, and possibly for business purposes.
The year has given US more centena
ries OF the birth of great men than any
previous twelvemonth within the
I memory of anybody now alive. Through
4 the Lusitania and Mauretania and the
twenty-four hour trips between New
{ York and st. Louis, as we'll as by the
Paris, Berlin and ST. Petersburg, the
year brought quicker transit between
important points in America and Eu-
rope than had been known in the past
Many striking political changes
were brought by 1909. Through the
deposition of Abdul Hamid II. and the
substitution of Mehemet V. under a
liberal constitution, Turkey abap-
doned absolutism and adopted repre-
q sentative institutions. Persia, much
against the will of the new shah, has
made long step toward modernism.
/ So has China, by the provincial Assem-
blies which it has just adopted, these
being tie preiiminaries to the grant
ing of larger and larger measures of
elf-government, which are expected
to transform that oldest of monarch
les into twentieth century state by
1917. India, too has received meas
ure of local government which was not
expected year or two ago, but which
Is to be extended if its people show
themselves able to use their new pow
ers wisely. The military cabal in
Greece has apparently taken control Of
the government OF that country, which
may mean the deposition of George l.
4 before 1910 closes. The death of Leo
& pold H., who was, in duration of rule,
the oldest monarch in the world, and
the accession of Albert I. gives Bel
gium a new and more creditable ruler
than she has known during the present
generation. The twelve months saw a
little more turbulence in Latin Ameri-
ca than the average year in recent
times has known, and as conse-
quence Reyes of Colombia and Zelaya
OF Nicaragua have joined Nord Alexis
OF Hayti and Castro of Venezuela
among the "kings In exil,. :" The
United States has seea d change of ad
ministration at Washington, and
though this was not transition from
one party 10 another, it is something
m ore than succession from Amuratf
TO AmurAth
The business world, especially in the
A United States, has 8, en- some interest
ing developments during the year
The rally here from the setback of .h,
closi ag weeks OF 1907 and the stagna
tion of 1908 was notably strong. Coal
pig iron and steel have reached figures
In the calendar year 1909 viii III hat
& not been touched In any previou
tfelvemonth. And th.s is rendered es
pecially rem .rkable from the circum
stance that the gain has been chief
since July and August. From th
momentum which the uplift has at
tained 1910 will undoubtedly mark ne
"highes.s' in most Of the great field
OF Industrial and financial activity
Many OF the railways have had large
gross earnings In the past two month
than had eyer before been reached
even in the days in 1906 and the earl.
half of 1907 when the complaint
"C4n't handle the traffic Was mad
against the roads In most of the large
business centers. The output of th
United States Steel Corporation
mucn greater than it was at the he.gt
OF The boom period two and a ha
years ago, and the prizes in the shaE
oil stocks at lower than market rata
which it is offering to its emplo 5es ii
greater than ever before New Yor