All organizations of women must be impressed with the necessity of making an effective showing of the noble work which each is carrying on. We especially desire to have represented, in the rooms reserved for that purpose, the educational work originated or carried on by women, from the Kindergarten organizations up to the highest branches of education, including all schools of applied science and art, such as training-schools for nurses, manual training, industrial art and cooking schools, domestic economy, sanitation, etc. When not practically exhibited, the work of all such organizations should be shown by maps, charts, photographs, relief models, etc.; but it is earnestly hoped that one, at least, the most representative institution in each of these branches, will be shown from every country, in order that a comparison may be made of methods and results.
Bertha M. H. Palmer.
CONTENTS.
| [CHAPTER I.] | |
|---|---|
| THE AGE OF DISCOVERY. | |
Classic legends of Atlantis—Chinese and Japanese accounts of earlyvoyages to America—Prince Madoc and the Welsh legends—Thevoyages of the Vikings—Eric and Leif and their adventures—Columbusand his schemes—The most memorable voyage in history—Post-Columbianvoyagers and explorers—Many men from manylands flocking to the newly-discovered continent—A new worldopened to the civilization and to the greed of Europe | [17] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
| “IN THE GOOD OLD COLONY TIMES.” | |
Parcelling out the country—Foundation of the earliest colonies—Jamestownand its settlers—Strange improvidence of the colonists—Troubleswith the Indians—John Smith and Pocahontas—ThePilgrims and Puritans—Substantial growth of the New EnglandColonies—New York—Troubles with the Mother Country—Growthof the spirit of independence—The War of the Revolution and itsresults | [60] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
| THE STORY OF THE NATION. | |
Establishing a constitutional government—Disputes with other powers—Asecond war with England—Territorial acquisitions—Settlementand admission of new States—The slavery question—War withMexico—The rush for gold in California—The Kansas troubles—Howthe great war was precipitated—The campaigns from BullRun to Appomattox—Political results of the war—Rapid growth ofthe country since—The present state of the nation | [105] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
| WORLD’S FAIRS. | |
The origin and object of universal exhibitions—New York’s CrystalPalace—Spirit and hopes of its projectors—Its display of the nation’sgreatness—The Centennial Exposition of 1876—Magnitudeof the enterprise—Description of its hundred buildings—Calendarof events—An impressive exposition of national development | [146] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
| THE COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION. | |
Preparations for a celebration of the quartercentenary of Columbus—Chicagochosen as the site—Marvelous history of the Western Metropolis—Howthe Columbian Exhibition was organized—Sketchesof its promoters—The principal buildings and grounds—Financialarrangements—An exhibition surpassing all its predecessors and fittinglycommemorating the birth of a new world | [204] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
| SOCIETY’S FOUNDATION-STONE. | |
Marriage Customs in the United States—Shiploads of women disposedof as wives to the earlier Virginia Planters—The MarriageRelation should be closely guarded—Divorced people, have theymoral right to remarry?—A rich man and a stupid wife—Driftingapart—Duty of the Church—Views of a happy wife—Novels,love and marriage—“Beauty and the Beast”—An insulting imputation—Isit the “best match?”—Marriage blunders | [247] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
| THE DEMON OF DIVORCE. | |
Marriage not a failure—Rev. David Swing’s caustic comment—Viewsof Rabbi Silverman—Heartlessness of Divorce Court proceedings—Divorcedpersons debarred by the Queen of England—Sufferingsof the children—“Vice is a monster of such hideous mien”—Shallwe have a Constitutional Amendment restricting divorce?—Viewsof Bishop Foss and Bishop Whittaker—Position of theCatholic Church and of the Hebrews—“Church union cannot becombated”—“Burn the bridges” | [260] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
| THE FARMER’S TROUBLES. | |
Encumbered with mortgage—Energy of the farmer—Lack of capital—Labor—Thefarmer’s children and city life—“The borrower isservant to the lender”—The census valuation of farm lands—HiramSibley, the millionaire farmer—Twelve Vermont farms—TheWestern farmer and the railroads—Co-operative stores—“Land-poor”—Governmentaid for the farmers | [272] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
| THE RUM POWER. | |
Harm done by the liquor traffic—Views of Bishop Warren, of theMethodist Church—Miss Frances Willard’s views—“Petroleum”Nasby—Rum in politics—Channing’s aphorism—Rev. TheodoreCuyler’s summary of statistics—Causes of drunkenness—Ways toreclaim the unfortunates—Control the demon by law—Publicopinion—Bishop Foss’ reply—Restrictive measures | [288] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
| NATIONAL DEFENCE. | |
Our harbors useless—Caught napping by England—Troops and theIndians—General Sheridan’s last report—General Sherman’s protests—Congressionalinactivity—Admiral Porter hammering atCongress—A blast from the late Samuel J. Tilden—Desertionsfrom the army—Statistics from General Schofield’s report—Frontierlife for the soldier—Major Sumner’s plan | [303] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
| LABOR. | |
Laboring men—Their mistakes and their grievances—Labor sure tobe imposed upon—Driving a sharp bargain—Low wages resultingfrom competition—A laborer in chains recently brought for saleinto the market-place of a New England town—But the peoplerise in their wrath—Does practical slavery exist in the UnitedStates?—Coal miners and factory hands compared with the consistadosof South America—The store system of credits—Resultingevils to the laborers | [318] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
| SELF-HELP FOR LABOR. | |
The importance of being a “full-handed workman”—Successfulmechanics know more than one branch of business—This qualitydeveloped in new countries—Votes of laborers controlled by corporations—Acurious experience in the West | [336] |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
| IMMIGRATION. | |
America is a home—Not an asylum—Liberty is not license—Nopaupers need apply—Nor any contract laborers—Skilled laborwelcome, if it comes to stay—Immigrant farmers will do us good—Toomuch hurry in granting citizenship—Foreign faction fightsmust not be kept up here—Transplanted stock improves rapidly | [351] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
| ANNEXATION. | |
We don’t want the earth—We need more neighbors—Not more children—Non-assimilativeraces would weaken us—The Old World’sexperience at land-grabbing—Let Canada alone till she wants us—LikewiseMexico—We have enough discordant interests now—Wedon’t want to pay other nations’ debts | [368] |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
| THE INDIAN. | |
He has stopped fighting—Let us stop robbing him—The Indian willwork—He has plenty of brains—Capacity for education abundantlyproved—Records of the experiment at Hampton—Heknows a good thing when he sees it—The beneficent effects of theDawes bill—Even the Apaches have worked as good as whitemen | [385] |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | |
| THE PRESS. | |
The editor is the nation’s schoolmaster—Also the most trusty advocateof the people’s rights—He brings the people together inspirit and purpose—Always ahead of Congress and the government—Rapidimprovement of the newspaper—Independence injournalism—Trial by newspaper | [399] |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | |
| THE SCHOOL-ROOM. | |
Boys and girls who are to be men and women—The schools are behindthe times—Too much fuss and too little gain—Disciplinewhich costs too much—Heads stuffed, but hands and heartsneglected—Faults of teaching—About faculties benumbed by routinework—What has been done can be done—The country boyahead | [410] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | |
| RAILROADS. | |
Rights and wrongs of the great transportation corporations—Whatthey have done for the country and what the country has done forthem—Era of construction closed and an era of restriction andregulation begun—Why railroad officials become millionaires—Wateringstock—A curious question which will be raised one ofthese days | [431] |
| [CHAPTER XIX.] | |
| BANKS AND BANKING. | |
New York no longer the sole dictator in the money market—WhyWestern business men are now independent of metropolitanmoney-lenders—The increase of “reserve cities”—Bankingmethods to dodge the laws—How unscrupulous bank directorsget rich—Why so many cashiers go to Canada and how to stopthem—Noted living bankers | [455] |
| [CHAPTER XX.] | |
| OUR CITIES. | |
Cities are necessary evils—But greatly to be avoided—City life isdangerous to most persons—Unnatural influences are inevitable—Hardon the purse and hard on the heart—Poverty’s last refuge—Thehome of the thief—The touch of nature lost—Temptationsinnumerable—Restraints few—No place for country boys and girls—Cityforms of government must change—The Darker Side—Thesorrows of the city poor—Friendless and alone—Miserablehomes—Health and morals menaced—All depends on one life—Chancesand misfortunes—Sickness and death—The story of theGanges paralleled—The majority are industrious—An army ofheroes—Religion and rum their only comforts—Child work andchild ruin—Benevolence wearied and despairing | [481] |
| [CHAPTER XXI.] | |
| RELIGION. | |
Religion is in no danger—The letter suffers but the spirit grows—Essentialswere never more prominent—The tree is judged by itsfruit—Proselyting has gone out of date—Denominations haveceased to fight—A life as well as a faith | [509] |
| [CHAPTER XXII.] | |
| WOMAN AND HER WORK. | |
One “woman’s right” secured—She has a chance almost everywhere—Theliberation of man—Woman’s wits sharpen quickly—Advantagesover male workers—Woman need not marry for a home—Thetables turned—Some effects upon society—Never enslavedunless stupid—The “Song of the Shirt”—The coming generation | [517] |
| [CHAPTER XXIII.] | |
| OUR LITERATURE. | |
A nation of readers—Books to be found everywhere—The Sunday-Schoollibrary—Chautauqua’s great work—The American authoris a busy man—Good books make their way, sooner or later—Ablermen should go into authorship—Our literature making itsway abroad—American writers’ characteristics—Our literature isclean, earnest and hopeful | [531] |
| [CHAPTER XXIV.] | |
| AMERICAN HUMOR. | |
The salt that will save us—A nation of jokers—Our Puritan andcavalier ancestors were fond of fun—President Lincoln’s jokes—Humorin the pulpit—Fun in the newspapers—Prentice—MarkTwain—Nasby—Nye and Riley—Miles O’Reilly—“UncleRemus”—John Hay—“Bob” Burdette—All healthy fun—Nomalignity in our jokes—The best-natured people alive | [547] |
| [CHAPTER XXV.] | |
| THE HIGHER EDUCATION. | |
A land full of colleges—How these institutions began to exist—Tributesto American regard for intelligence and education—Somethingbetter needed—No lack of money—Views of PresidentsDwight of Yale, Eliot of Harvard, McCosh of Princeton, Whiteof Cornell, Bartlett of Dartmouth, and Gilman of Johns Hopkins—BishopPotter on the place of the scholar in America | [566] |
| [CHAPTER XXVI.] | |
| OUR GREAT CONCERN. | |
Our country first and foremost—No sectional differences—No foreigninterests or entanglements—The people first, the party afterward—Loyaltyto party means disloyalty to the republic—Meddlers mustbe suppressed—All in the family—One for all and all for one—EPluribus Unum | [597] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
| FACING PAGE | |
| Bird’s-eye View of Grounds and Buildings, Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1892-93, | [Frontispiece] |
| Christopher Columbus, | [17] |
| Landing of Columbus, | [32] |
| Washington, | [49] |
| Residence of the President of the United States, 1798, | [64] |
| Abraham Lincoln, | [81] |
| World’s Fair, New York, 1853, | [96] |
| Main Building, International Centennial Exhibition, 1876, | [113] |
| Libby Prison, | [128] |
| Independence Hall, Philadelphia, | [145] |
| Chicago in 1856, | [160] |
| Chicago Street Life—Washington Street and Wabash Avenue, | [177] |
| U. S. Grant, | [192] |
| The Capitol, | [209] |
| Bear Pit (Lincoln Park), | [224] |
| The Auditorium Hotel, | [241] |
| Bird’s-eye View of the Proposed Buildings of the University of Chicago, | [256] |
| Tacoma Building, | [273] |
| Residence of Hon Potter Palmer, | [288] |
| Mines Building, | [305] |
| U. S. Man-of-War, | [320] |
| Agricultural Building, | [337] |
| Perspective View Looking South, Showing End of World’s Columbian Exposition, | [352] |
| Administration Building, | [369] |
| Electrical Building, | [384] |
| Gallery of Fine Arts, | [401] |
| Transportation Building, | [416] |
| Horticultural Hall, | [433] |
| Fisheries and Agricultural, | [448] |
| Manufactures and Liberal Arts Building, | [465] |
| Machinery Hall, | [480] |
| Woman’s Building, | [497] |