The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-01-11
CENTENAR|ES Of
EVENTS FALL
World Was COnVuISed by
Wars One Hundred
Years Ago.
BY JAr1rs A. nDeERToN.

of the battle Of Lake Erie. Yet on
both sides of the Atlantic 1913 saw inn
portant events. The downfall OF Ma
poleon and the invention Of the loco
motive made rather big dents In this
old world. Ii is true that the little EN-
peror was not banished to Elba till the
following year. but the alliance against
him that doomed his ascendancy was
consummated In 1913. 1t Is also true
plete his first travelling engine until
1914, but he was at work on ii the
year previous, so that 1913 should have
a share OF the glory.
Superstitious people-and who among
us Is entirely free?-are not a little
nervous about a year ending In the
hoodoo burdened 10. Some one has
gone to the trouble to point out not
only the downfall OF Napoleon in 1913.
hut the eclipse OF the Grand Monarch.
Louis XIV. in 1713 and other disas-
tiers that happened in 1913. 1913, etc.
All OF this is respectfully referred to
the various ancient history societies
anu the lIiI tttu EluUS. NttdHN uAlt kit
rest OF us can get all the a~pprehensive
shivers nut OF the date that our sys-
TENS require. There is nothing uncon-
stitutional In being superstitious, even
though most of our troubles never &C.
eur.
In 1913 the population of the United
States, as determined at the previous
census of 1910, was 7,239,sS1. Eight
cen states composed the Union, the
original thirteen and the following sub
sequently admitted: Vermont. which
anne In during 1871; Kentucky. admit
ted In 1892; Tennessee. 1796; Ohio,
1903. and Louisiana, carved OCT of the
then new Louisiana purchase. In 1872.
Nearly everything west of the Ale
gheny mountains was raw frontier.
Washington was a struggling and mud
dy country village and New York a
city of about 100000 population.
Not a Millionaire In the Land.
Somebody has said that transporta-
ton in the days OF William Pitt was
but little advanced from the time OF
JULIUS 1dCCdl@ OuLSlut VI Ant 0NCAAl
boat. the same statement would apply
to 1915. Even the steamboat had not
yet come into general use, the bulk of
ocean vessels still carrying sail. The
steam engine in any form was In its
infancy. Lights commonly in use were
the candle. tallow dip and pine knot.
The s~tagecoach went numbering over
muddy and Ill kept roads. the Indian
was a n I'm most OF the land.
education was confined to the few, and
there was not a millionaire in the re-
public.
Conditions in Europe were but little
better. War was still the chief occu-
patton of men who amounted TO any
thing. and at this very time the great
est warrior since Caesar had gone
through the devastating retreat from
Russia and was being hedged about by
his numerous foes and driven into a
corner.
For a decade Napoleon had practical
ly been Europe. He made its map to
suit bis within. The kings ate out OF
his hand. He strobe through the ma
tons like an overload, accompanied by
the thunders of wal and the lightnings
of victory. He preached the gospel of
the French revolution In tones so
loud that they have not yet ceased TO
reverberate. He was the man of iron
that broke the nations to pieces and
revealed the bits into his own personal
empire. He was both a scourge and
an evangel. a destroyer and a rebuild
err, a mighty warrior and a great execu-
tive. In all hearts he aroused extreme
passions. Men either idolatrousIy loved
or feared and hated him. Napoleon was
one Of those prodigious figures that will
shine through thousands Of years and
will be an enigma to all Of them.
Beaten by Nonresistance.
Russia conquered Napoleon without
fighting him. True she did meet him
Mt bloody Borodino. but it was not Bor
odino that gave him the fatal check
from which he never recovered. He
was a victor In the battle, but could
not overcome the frost and starvation
that encompassed his legions. Russia
defeated this greatest Of soldiers by
nonresistance. The retreat from Mos
cow broke not only his own grand
army, but the spell he held over Eu
rope. After all. be was but mortal
The lion had fallen into the pit, and
before he could emerge his enemies
were on him In a pack.
The retreat occurred in the early
ginter and Ney brought the remnants
Of the grand army across n Niemel
IN December. The emperor had hur
ried on before and was already back
in Paris raising another army. He was
still to win a few victories. but Iacket
the old swiftness and decision. The re
cruits had to be drilled and this useC
up precious time. The workman who
fears the tool in his hand does no
strike his hardest or surest blow. Es
pecially is this true If his work is thu
carving of empires.
Heartened by the news from Russia
Prussia made an alliance with the car
In AuYust Austria followed suit. Thi.