How wonderful is the transformation! How sudden and how amazingly great is the progress that a single generation produces in this remarkable century! Great men have lived before us. Intellectual giants were our fathers and grandfathers. But the time had not come for the infinite hand to touch the mainspring that would set all these fountains of activity to pouring out their rich treasures of knowledge and invention. But as soon as the time is reached, how supremely marvelous are the undreamed-of achievements!
AMERICA! LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES.
The development of the greatest of all countries—the United States of America—is a most prolific source and cause of inventions. After the Civil War had proven that equality and freedom were not mere figures of speech, but that they were real, substantial blessings to be enjoyed by all American citizens, a great stimulus to inventive genius was given. The brains responded to the call for improvement and development.
The winnings from mining, the rewards from manufacture, the profits to be derived in the thousand and one forms of commerce and the handsome payments to be derived from agriculture, lumbering, cattle raising, fruit culture, etc., were the strongest possible incentives to the exercise of brains and inventive ingenuity.
Manufacture and commerce were fostered and developed by rapid transportation. Railroads and steamships soon ran wherever needed. Prosperity and happiness were the natural results of this wholesale national activity.
The machinery of warfare, such as marine fortifications, great guns and war vessels, was installed and maintained at an enormous expense.
It is not too much to say that America’s prosperity has aroused the greatest possible interest in European countries. They have made the most strenuous exertions in order to compete in the world’s trade marts.