Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-07-27
RUNNING TO SEED
Sylvester Urban DiscOurses on
So-CaIIed Human Race.
Can See Nothing But Atrophy as Re-
suit Of the Labor Saving Devices
OF Present Day.


'Pm only twenty-eight years DID,
said Sylvester Urban, according TO a
New York sun writer, land I'm afraid
I'm afraid of the future. rm afraid
of civilization
whats come over you now?" asked
his friend. I've heard you utter some
third rail-, but this latest is beyond ME.
How can one be afraid OF Civilizations
zone might well shrink in his shoes
ut the thought of a return TO savagery
or bnrbarism But life becomes safer
with every ensuing year of civilization.
Just look about you at all these safe
guards"
That's Just it, broke in Sylvester
sadly. you've hit the crux Of the
matter right off. Just look about you,
as you say, and what do YOU seer Here
we are in nm average New York apart
ment-four rooms and bath. Above us
Is an electric chandelier When you
want light Just press button. There
Is Il radiator II YOU want heat on
a frleid day just lean over from your
easy chair and turn a knob. Or do YOU
prefer the cheer OF an open CRATE hreY
Just turn on the gas
"Woaldst dine? lust telephone a
delicatessen and presently the dumb
waiter bell will buzz and your food
arrives In the Kitchen a fire In the
range is yours for the striking of a
match and the turning of jet. Hot
water? Twist a faucet Drinking
water? Twist another faucet.
One usually has garbage after a
meal. A most trifling matter. Dump
IL In the garbage can and send II
down the dumbwater. Music after the
assert? Put on record. IL has one
Of these repeaters-latest thing. you
know. No need to bother with the
machine until it runs down. In the
next room is an electric reproducing
piano. The worlds greatest artists
perform FOR You and you don't have
20 tam q finger, SO to speak. The
door bell rings There IS the mail
and the newspaper.
suppose | want TO 60 downtown to
work or shop. | Just step into sub
way and sit down. When l leave the
trim l don't even have TO walk out
Of the station I merely stand oD an
escalator Arrived at the street, de-
eide, perhaps. 20 take a taxi. | just
get In and ST down When | reach
my ultimate destination the chauffeur
opens the door of the cab for me and
the dooman opens portal for me
TO enter The store.
Leaving the store l take a Fifth
avenue bus to my office | go on top
10 get the fresh air and find they've
even inclosed the upper deck in glass
to protect children Of civilization from
healthfu ozone.
Don't you see that everything is
arranged So that ! can live without
moving a finger so to speak? Feel
my muscles. There's nothing 10 them.
l couldn't lick a healthy ten-year-old
boy and ! couldn't run five blocks
without staggering from exhaustion
My body, the thing | live in, the thing
that keeps me alive is becoming OBJ
Solete and is fallen into diSuse through
the safeguard of civilization.
And dont1orget that the soft food
purveyed I'm these latter days is ener-
waiting To our teeth. An eminent physi.
cal culturist urges us TO tug at a
handkerchief with our moiars each day
rs a substitute for the exercise for
merly got 10y chewing strong, coarse
foods. Think Of that Men chewing
at rags Ike babies
rs there really TO be such thing
as the supcrman the much-heralded
product of higher civilization? Judg
ing from my own life average men
are going to form a race of pygmies
physical dwarfs. anemics.'
And Mr.. Sylvester Urban with q
feeble hand lifted a glass to his lips.