The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1910-06-09
The March
Of Events
What Civilization n Done For
Various Progressive Coun-
tries Of the World.

tries Of the World.
Paper Read Before the ChautGuQua Circle:
There is nothing in the world more
astonishing than the rapidity with
which the outlying and until recent
ly, the unprogressive corners of the
earth are now yielding to the uplift-
ing influence of Western civilization
and commerce. All around the world
the story is the same; the story of
modern methods in regions that few
years ago were barely reached by the
advance guard of progress.
1t is my intention this afternoon
to bring to your notice few facts
relative to the stupendous tr id e S
made by civilization. 1t is only by
making study of the recent years
and by canvassing the re cord s of
many nations that it is possible to
realize the enormous and important
changes that have been and are TAX
ing place among the nations of the
world. The object of this paper will
be to recapitulate some facts with
which many of you may be acquaint-
ed, but which taken together should
at least be of interest to all and may
even serve as a sort O f mental eye
opener"
Perhaps the Transvaal d the
South African Republics, or colonies,
afford the most striking and recent
examples of this march. Until few
years ago their reputation was sinis-
ter. Johannesburg, Ladysmith, Pre-
toria, are names eloquent of battle.
They recall the military pilgrimage
Of the Beers seeking land where
slavery mi g b be established and
thrive; the Zulu Impi and it's mad
charge upon cape wagons; the suffer-
ings of Livingstone or a Stanley,
wandering hopelessly through hope
less land; and last the rumbling Of
Boer and British cannon, the patient
march and countermarch, the long
siege and the death march echoing
from hill to hill. But the names of
the places already given are marked
today by railroad stations. They are
cities of a nation that is growing, that
is already nearly civilized, that has
put aside the ways of it's warlike an
cestors and turned the sword into a
pruning hook. Today the enemies
Of England work side by side with
her staunchest allies in the mines,
markets and fields of South Africa.
Now all the cOlonies-once divided
work together for the common
good. The glare of electric lights
now sweeps the broad veldt where,
but yesterday Gordon gazed upon
thousands of the elusive springbok
and tracked the lion to it's lair amid
the rocky fastnesses. Screaming loco.
motives tear their mad way across the
battlefelds Of Cronje, DeWet and
Botha, pass the Victoria Falls, made
famous by intrepid explorers, pick
their way a long g the Zambesi and
slowly, but surely from Cape to Cairo
unite the extreme ends OF vast con
tinent. Education and commerce
follow: each side in their separate
ways. Markets unknown before arr
open to the nations of the world ant
the heretofore impenetrable forest
not only furnish the ties with which
to build this railroad, but will als'
furnish the lumber with which t.
load the trains when it is complered
Prosperity follows in the wake o
years of want and darkness and toda,
America is as much indebted to Eng
land as are to other nations, for thi
one grand civilization Of countr
perhaps in some respects the riches
of all, especially in minerals.
Of Egypt m h m i g b t be said
Something Of her ancient magic stil
possesses the people and yet the del
wish who yesterday handled scimi
tar, may be seen today at the throttl
of a locomotive travelling over tn
dreary desert so long given over t
fanatical hordes. Khartoum has
college, her citizens have the sam
government as we have and wher
Gordon was murdered there stoot
but few days ago, the chief Free
man of Free Country.
Let us turn awhile to South Amel
ica. In our school days we heard
such towns as Buenos Ayres aal
Montevideo. Today Buenos Ayrt
is twice as big as Boston and certain