There is a considerable amount of timber growing in the mountain regions which they use in their building structures, we are told. Some of it is very hard and resembles mahogany. This is highly polished in every case. Then there is another kind of wood they have here which looks much like Earthly gum and is very hard. The grains within it are of various colors looking like marble. The trees from which this wood comes grow about one hundred fifty feet high, while the others grow to a height of seventy-five to one hundred feet.
The light of the day is not the yellowish sort of white-yellow color that we have on Earth, but rather, it has a bluish cast to it.
They have a big power plant here, too, that furnishes illumination and heat for the whole of the planet and the whole planet is well populated. The rural districts, they tell us, are just as well taken care of with all the conveniences as any city could be.
All power is developed by the planetary government and is freely distributed to all places for all needs. It is generated from light, the same as that used by the airships. Here in the power plant, we notice, there is also a stand-by and Bob asked what it was for?
The reason given was, that, should something happen to the apparatus generating their power from the light, they could resort to this sort of power, which was utilizing static electricity out of space.
Attending a concert under the stars was a most enjoyable experience. Several thousands of the citizens of all ages gathered for an evening in a large open spot just outside the city. Many brought musical instruments with them. Some of these were similar to those on Earth, while a few were entirely different than any we have ever seen before. There were no guests of honor at this concert. The instruments were played solely as accompaniment for the singers and everybody sang. The harmony and beauty of the melodies were so exquisite and the joy of the singers so unified in a smooth outpouring of feeling that we were carried completely out of ourselves in a state of joyous ecstasy. There are no words to describe such a concert. It can only be realized through feeling.
Their art excels anything on Earth.
For meat, they eat mostly various kinds of fowl, yet they are more vegetarians than meat eaters. Their vegetation has within it the richest minerals known to our scientists. Just to learn what he could about their mineral content, Dr. Johnston has tested some of the vegetables, using one of the laboratories here which he has been invited to use at any time he desires. After the test, he expressed the thought that if we could get as much out of our vegetation as they do here, we too could live a thousand years. At this, they told us the other planets are still richer in their minerals than Mars is, that the higher one goes, the greater richness they have.
For a telephone communication system they have more of a radio type than the kind we have on Earth. Each home has a receiver and a transmitter and the same instrument is also used for their amusement, very much the same way as we get amusement from our radio sets, as well as all news of the planet or from outside their planet which is of interest to the people. Everybody is well informed about all activities for there are no secrets from anyone on this planet.
There are four large oceans and many rivers and lakes on this planet as well as a considerable amount of natural desert-land. Water is brought from the oceans to the desert areas through vast canals, thus making them useable for vegetation growth.