HOLIDAY SUPPLEMEN
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The Past aod tKe Coming
The comlnK year promises to coe '
(a tho United States a moro marvol
oui period of commercial and Indus
trial development than oven that of
tho yoar 1002. Tho prediction may bo
Barely mado that American trado with
tho East will bo doubled during tho
next twolvo months and tho United
8tatcs will becomo tho dominant
power of tho Pacific ocean. It is not
beyond tho boundB ot possibility that
within tho next docado tho empire of
trado and commcrco will pass from
tho Atlantic to tho Pacific shores.
Having In mind tho vast strides
Liken by our country in comparatively
a few recent yeart, what tho volumo
of our commorco will bo In another
tiuartor of a century it would bo fool
Ish to predict, but It will bo enormous.
That tho influenco of America and the
American people throughout tho world
will havo increased, so that they will
havo becomo not only tho great com
mercial nation of tho world, but tho
greatest In political rank and powor
and influenco ami responsibility can
scarcely bo doubted by those who
havo an abiding faith in tho energy
and wisdom and integrity of tho
American citizen.
Tho producing powers of tho Unitod
States aro still in their Infnncy. Com
pare our producing area with that of
the wolldovcloped and well-tilled
countries of Europo and It will bo ap
parent at a glanco that in tho matter
of agriculture wo may and shnll In
crease onormously the products of tho
noil, not only In increasing tho actual
product per aero, but by bringing un
der cultivation many millions ot acres
which aro now non-productive.
In the matter of mines and mlnorals
our production and productivo powora
havo scarcely begun to show their
possibilities. In all tho great articles
which enter Into manufacture tho
products of tho mine, tho forest and
tho field wo aro tho world's greatest
producor and likely to continue so In
definitely. Wo havo moro ot conl,
more of Iron, more of copper, more of
timber, moro of cotton, moro of all tho
requirements which enter into tho
procosscs of the manufacture of arti
cles roqulrod by tho world at largo,
civilized or uncivilised, than any othor
nation. Wo havo tho skill and energy
with which to turn these into manu
factures, by far tho greatest railway
uytem of the world to carry them to
tho water's odgo and a great ocean on
olthor sldo to float them to tho wait
ing millions of tho world.
This Is a review of what wo havo
what wo shall d9 In tho future. What
done in tho past, and only by it can
wo measure or attompt to measure
wondors In tho way of inventions and
discoveries the next fw years may
havo in store can only dimly bo
guessed at. A great thinker and In
ventor has said of the futuro news
paper: "Wo may, and I believe shall,
have news transmission by air waves
Into phonographic Instruments which
will repeat tho news of the dny and
record it at tho same time, so that
pcoplo may llston or may read as thoy
prefer. Tho great force of tho futuro
Is electricity, and It is In Its infancy
ob yet. It will bo UBed to obviate all
unnecessary waste of nervous tissuo,
and tho phono nlr-wave newspapers of
which I speak will certainly be trans
mitted some day direct from the
brains of their producers without any
such manual labor as writing and
without even tho need of speaking
them aloud."
In rovtewlng tho record mado dur
ing tho past yoar by United States
soldiers It must be remembered that
while the implements of war havo
bcon vastly changed by modorn In
ventions, and modern weapons can b
used at much greater distances and
with more destructive effect, yet the
principles of war havo not changed,
although skill, sclenco and strategy to
somo extent tako tho place of valiant
leadership and physical strength, and
courage, tn successfully using the de
structive weapons of war of the pres
ent day.
During Its varied experience of tho
Mat few years on moBt extendodi flBld
of operation tho United StatoB army
has maintained Us reputatlom for loy
alty, Intolllgonco and valor. There
havo been a few Instances of surprise
and ambuscade of small dbtachmontsy
bat whenever it has mctt Ulo onemy
nnder ordinary circumstances it has
achieved an unbroken record of suc
cess. What its futuro may be it Is im
possible to prophesy, but It 1b fair to
Christmas Decorations.
Ax and knlfo havo been doing their
vandal work In tho fair woods to pro
vide us with tho pins and fir, holly,
laurel, bay and mlstlotoc. Why? Be
cause of tho Chrlstmns season; be
cause of tho festivnl ot rejoicing.
But why these grcon things? Why
tho gifts oft tho branches of pine?
Why the holly about the windows,
that It may bo seen from without, and
tho laurel ovor tho hearthstone? Why
abovo all and tho center of nil, theso
green and living growths, tho mlstlo-
too bough?
Christmas seized upon theso things
for tho celebration of tho festival not
becauso they wero green, but becauso
of tho power that held them green,
that kept them alive, that preserved
in them tho beauty of life, notwith
standing tho snow and sloot, tho wind
nnd chilling rain and tho withering
blast.
In tho gracious protection that was
grantod to these children of tho parish
a great aud beneficent power was seen
to bo omployod.
Thoso who celebrated tho Christ
mastldo wnted the benoflt of this
power for their own protection and
preservation, so they took to them.
selves tho emblems of It surrounded
themselves with them, brightened
their homes with them and rejoiced
amid their branches.
It Is the spirit of theso living
growths that appeals to us when all
tho rpst of inanlmato nature appears
to bo Bleeping under the mantle of
winter. Beforo Christmas was, the
spirits behind tho green wero believed
in by an Imaginative people, and tho
great festival adopted them,
Tho ancient Druids believed in tho
Bplrltpf tho holly, of the laurel, of
mo oay anu ot tue great green trees
that formed tho wnlls and living
arches of their temples. To them these
things wore peopled with sylvan spir
its that lovod the growths and kept
them green by protecting them from
winter frosts. They took tho branches
within their dwelling, believing that
tho spirits would follow and there ex
ercise their protecting care.
Among theso spirits thoy believe
none to be more pqworful or capable
of bringing greater blessing than those
of tho mistletoe. Blessed the man and
maid who met beneath the mlstletoo
bough.
These beliefs havo gone from the
world, but we cling to tho emblems of
them, and rejoice amid them at the
Christmas celebration.
And therefore wo deck our houses
to-day with tho symbols of tho simple
'.beliefs ot a long past age.
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Yeaav
predict that it will be as commendable
as Its-past has, bees glorious.
So far a money Is conoornedl It 1st
reasonable' to suppose that tho rates
ot interest wllL vary but little In the
abaenco' oC unforeseen circumstances,
Buchi as- war, eta. While wo continue
to sell our products to Europe' and. get
large returns, wo will bo compelled to
seek Oi market for our money. Tho
result will bo tho enormous develop
ment of ouc own resources mineral,'
agricultural; Including wool, cattlb and'
cotton, and tile reaching out for mar
kets in Japan and China, South Amer
ica, and in fact all of the markets that
have been monopolized' by England,
Germany and France. Having- great
natural advantages over our European
competitors, we will eventually rout
them from theso Holds ot trade.
Tho rapid growth oC tho great
schools of applied sclenco In tho uni
versities of America has been one of .
tho most notable featuros in the edu
cational history of tho past thirty
years. To this more than to any oth
er cause is due tho overshadowing
success of American manufactures
and commerce. Higher education is
coming moro and moro to mean devel
opment of the- highest practical effect
iveness. Without abundant and thor
ough technical training good articles -cannot
bo- produced in competition
with the world. Navies, tariffs, trusts
and other devices cannot take tho
place of expert knowledge.
Tho past year has been remarkable
for a sudden and a practical advanco
in tho marvelous history of tho wire
less telegraph. The scientific achieve
ment which, had been dreamed of for
nearly half a century, and only with
in lato years had Bhown Itself some
thing better than a dream, ha"s given,
the most definite and the most en
couraging evidences of Its claim to bo
regarded a3 one of tho world's great
est accomplishments In tho domain of"
practical science. Something of the
same kind, although In a lessor de
gree, may be said of the attempt to.
construct a flying machine, that proj
ect which had Its beginning, so far
as we know, in tho realms of classle
fable, and may havo had Its begin
ning for aught wo know in days long:
before tho gods of Greece had ever
come to be classified and worshiped-
It Is not too much to say that what
ever may come of this over-ronewlng;
enterprise, tho year saw the most
practical evidence of its possibility
yet given to tho world. Tho year can
aot boast of any great triumphs on-
tlroly Its own In tho realms of lltera
turo and art. Its literary and ar
tistic firmament has not Indeed been .
cloudod, but no now star of tho first
magnitude, no blazing comet oven, ,
has arisen on tho field o mortal
vision.
A New Year.
It was New Year's Eve; a mild,
oreezeless ntght swathed and muffled
n a mantle of salt fog which dimmed
tho glaro of tho electric lights on eith
er shore, changing them for the time
'nto nebulous globes ot luminous
beauty, and hung like a soft gray cur
Jain around the big forry boat that,
shrieking hoarso warnings ot its men
acing presence, was plowing Us way
heavily through tho black water of
San Francisco bay.
Only one passenger was braving the
dampness of tho open forward deck,
and he sat on tho side next Goat Is
land, Just In front ot tho churning
wheel, with his coat collar turned up
and his hat pulled down over his eyes,
and murder self-murder In his
heart.
Tho world had gone wrong with him
in every way. He had wasted his
6mall patrimony In dissipation, and
when It was gone the woman who had
week ho had been drinking heavily
to "drown his sorrow," but not suc
ceeding he bad come to tho bemud
died conclusion that tho next best
thing was to drown himself. For this
reason he was sitting on the Goat Is
land side of the ferry boat and wait
ingdominated by tho ghastly whim
which had sent so many others over
board it that samo spot until tho
wheel paddles should beat along tho
oordor of tho well known "graveyard"
by tho bay.
Tho saloon door opened and a girl
and an old man, both laden with bun
dles, camo out tho man with a ranch
er's Bun-brown face, stooping shoul
ders and toil-hardened hands, the girl,
plainly his daughter, tall, straight and
comely after tho wholesome, honest
country fashion.
'Why, Jim!" she exclaimed with
frank friendliness; and then: "How
oddly things happen! This Is the first
time I've come down to the bay since
I camo back from Nevada, and here
you are, that none of us havo seen
helned him spatter It had throwi him
over for another victim. For tho last j ncr heard ot for over thrco years!
She looked with sudden compVehen
slon at bis worn face, his somber eyes
and his tremulous hands, and then aB
he raised his hat and turned to leave
them Bho caught his sleeve with timid,
entreating fingers.
"Come and begin tho New Year
with us," she said. "Tho city has not
been kind to you, but tho country al
ways was. You will grow back to
your old self up in tho foothill , and
afterward If you care to stay mere
is work in plenty."
Ho looked down at her upturned
face and tho Insistent voices that had
all day been calling him from the
bay's always yearning "gravovard"
grew fainter and died into silence.
"Como with us," echoed the father,
and the light pressure of tho glrl'a fin
gers on his arm held him captive.
Tho train shuddered into motion,
and then, moving faster and faster
through the crossllghts of the desert
ed pier, bore the three away toward
.the beckoning promise of tho New
Year. Florence Mathcson. '
New Year Superstitions.
With the exception of All-Saints'
Day there is no timo in tho whole
twelvemonth about which so many su
perstitions cluster as New Year's.
Some form of divination to foretell tho
futuro is practiced in almost every
land on January 1. This, of course, Is
practically the caso with young peo
ple who deslro to know whether they
will get married during the coming
year or soon thereafter. In the coun
try districts of England and Germany
there Is a tea and coffee test which is
most satisfactory. A teaspoon Is bal
anced carefully on the edge of a cup.
Then tea or coffee, as the caso may
be, is dropped into it, drop by drop.
Evory drop that the spoon will hold
without losing Its balance means an
other year before tho wedding. One
or two largo drops will usually upset
the spoon, and so this is a very popu
lar way of looking into the future, es
pecially with maidens who are reach
lng mature yers.
The Boy's Frankness..
It happened over in a, city mission
last year, and It made such, a sensa
tion In Its own way that it bids fair
to become one of the- Christmas clas
sics of the neighborhood.
They were having- tho Christmas
tree in tho Sunday school room, and
the beautiful green cone-shaped fir
was ablaze with lights, glittering with
gay decorations amr loaded dawn with
tokens of affection.
Jlmmlc Smith, a freckle-faced
youth ot some eleven winters, sat
with some of his chosen companions
on a bench Just In front of his par
ents, nearly In tho center ot the hall.
Tho Smiths theso paitlcular Smiths,
at least wore comparatively recent
additions to tho church family, but
they had already achieved a mild sort
of popularity among their new ac
quaintances, for thoy dressed well, ap
parently lived well and wero, seem
ingly, In every way "nice people to
know."
Their gifts to each other on this
public occasion had been expensive
and elegant enough to fill the minds
of all present with respectful admira
tion, in some cases shadowed by a
faint cloud of envy, Mrs. Smith had
received a flashing solitaire diamond
ring from her loving lord, and had
presented him with a gold match safo
and a silver paper cutter; and soon
after tho name of their only Bon and
heir was loudly proclaimed by the
stontorlan-volced young man whp
played tho part of an Aaron for the
rubicund and smiling dispenser of
presents.
A good-sizeu morocco caso was
young Smith's regard for plowing his
way to tho tree. "Jlmmlo Smith,
from his father and mother," tho
young man read from the card at
tached as ho handed the gift to the
toy, who, grinning widely, hurried
back to his seat.
"Hully gee! Mebbo it's a baseball!"
suggested one of the "Dauntless nine"
as a crowd ot small boys closed in
around their extremely Interesting
looking covering. But It wasn't. It
was a largo solid silver, gold-lined
mug, with Jlmmlo's name ornately en
graved on Its glistening front Truly
a fine present for any boy, but Jlminio
somo way didn't seem to appreciate it,
Quoth ho loudly and clearly: "It's
the same darned old mug that Uncle
Frank gave me when I was a baby! I
ddtft Bee what In time you two old
folks wanted to fool me this way for!"
And some way the glories of the
diamond ring and the gold match safe
and the silver paper cutter seemed far
less dazzlng after that Innocently la
dlgnant little speech
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