Jasper County Democrat, Volume 12, Number 67, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 December 1909 — If the Comet Could Talk. [ARTICLE]

If the Comet Could Talk.

If the lightning traveler now about due had eyes and could talk what an interesting story he would be able to tell us. At his visit In 1835 Andrew Jackson was president of the United States. William IV. ruled in England, the citizen king. Louis Philippe, was at the front in France. Nicholas l. bore sway in St. Petersburg. Isabella 11. ruled through a regent at Madrid, while Ferdinand 1., who was destined to be pushed off the throne iu 1848 and to be succeeded by Francis Joseph. was in power in Vienna. The French republic, the kingdom of Italy, the empire of Germany and the empire of Japan were far in the future. The western boundary of the United States stopped at the Sabine and the Rocky mountains. If Marco Polo had visited Asia in that year he would have found but little change since his time. Africa’s dark continent was as dark as in the days of Mungo Park. Only a few miles of railroad were laid in America and Europe. On the ocean the steamboat was in its experimental stage and was seldom seen. Telegraph, telephone. electric light and many other conveniences which are familiar to us were as nonexistent then as were the automobile or the aeroplane. The very face of the habitable earth has been transformed since our coming caller was last here. And what fancy can picture the sights which will meet him when he passes this way in 1985?

The Gould interests seem to be dropping oat of all responsibilities save those of the western railroads. The late Jay Gould was the architect of the elevated railroad system of Manhattan and of the Western Union. His successors have now divested themselves of those great interests. The remarkable rescue work in tbe Cherry mine calamity will make a heavy demand upon the next awards in the hero fund, and the families of those who perished in an attempt to save otbeYs will properly be among the beneficiaries. Who discovered the sugar trust frauds is a trivial question. Who committed and who protected the sugar trust frauds? That is the big issue. Much as they may regret it, Cook and Peary find themselves compelled to agree on various points in describing polar conditions. President Taft found Washington much the same on his return—the cow grazing on tbe lawn all that