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diff --git a/old/60059-0.txt b/old/60059-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index c66b785..0000000 --- a/old/60059-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7918 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lunarian Professor and His Remarkable -Revelations Concerning the Earth, the Moo, by James B. (James Bradun) Alexander - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: The Lunarian Professor and His Remarkable Revelations Concerning the Earth, the Moon and Mars - Together with An Account of the Cruise of the Sally Ann - -Author: James B. (James Bradun) Alexander - -Release Date: August 4, 2019 [EBook #60059] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE LUNARIAN PROFESSOR *** - - - - -Produced by MFR and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - - THE - LUNARIAN PROFESSOR - AND - His Remarkable Revelations Concerning - the Earth, the Moon and Mars - TOGETHER WITH - An Account of the Cruise of the - Sally Ann - - BY - JAMES B. ALEXANDER - AUTHOR OF THE DYNAMIC THEORY, THE SOUL AND ITS BEARINGS - AND OTHERS - - MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. - 1909 - - COPYRIGHT 1909 - BY - JAMES B. ALEXANDER - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - Preface. - - I. An Outing 1 - An Old Time Adventure 2 - Cruise of the Sally Ann 4 - The M. & N. W. Railway 10 - An Old Stake 14 - - II. The Professor 17 - - III. The Moon and Its People 31 - - IV. Lite on and in the Moon 51 - - V. Mundane Prognostication 70 - The Profile of Time 73 - Single Tax 81 - - VI. Confiscation of Lands 93 - Purchase of the Railways 101 - Regulation of the Currency 105 - Socialism 107 - - VII. Woman’s Rights 113 - The Family 117 - Progress in the Church 119 - - VIII. Marriage and Divorce 124 - Changes in Map of U. S. 128 - Russia and England 129 - New Political Divisions 133 - The Flying Machines 140 - Sun Power 152 - Over Population 155 - - IX. Pessimism vs. Optimism 158 - The Three Grand Nations 164 - - X. The Third Sex 182 - The Decay of the Family 187 - - XI. The Millenniums 195 - The Man of the 100th Millennium 199 - - XII. Universal State and Language 207 - - XIII. Mars and the Martians 225 - - XIV. The Canals 238 - The Moons 241 - - XV. The Great Debt 255 - Deimos and the Great Cable 260 - - XVI. Phobos 268 - The New Cable 273 - Proposed Abduction of Mars 277 - The Return Voyage 282 - Appendix 283 - - - - -PREFACE. - - -The reader will please remember that this visit and revelation of the -Lunarian Professor took place in 1892, seventeen years ago, and some of -the predictions are already due of fulfillment or of apparent progress -in that direction. For example he gives Minneapolis a population of -1,780,000 in the year 1925 only sixteen years from the present. This is -worse than Walton. But I do not feel at liberty to alter the Professional -utterances. If I should begin to do this I would never know where to -stop. There will doubtless be found other predictions at variance with -our ideas, especially as to the time in which the fulfillment should -take place. Time is the most uncertain element concerned in prophetic -utterances. Give a prophet time enough and he will successfully predict -you anything you like. “All things come to him who _waits_.” But I have -not the assurance to change anything the Professor has said and I am not -prepared to aver that the truths as they appear to common mundane mortals -are to be preferred to the errors however manifest of so illustrious a -prophet—just as we accept the dicta of Moses or St. Paul—when we are -entirely sure they do not know what they are talking about. Our Professor -is probably wrong in regard to the settlement of some of the questions -taken up by him, but to tell the honest truth, I am too ignorant of the -disputed points to contradict him. If he says black is white it is safer -for me not to talk back. But when it comes to plain statements of facts, -concerning the present conditions on the Moon and Mars, in which, from -the abundance of personal knowledge there remains no license to draw upon -his imagination for his facts, I implicitly trust the Professor. I never -saw a pair of eyes so full of honesty for their size, or of as large -capacity for honesty as his. Even there, however, some of his statements -are liable to be contradicted. For example, the theory of the hump or -protuberance on the hither side of the Moon, which had some currency -among our astronomers 40 or 50 years ago appears later to have been -abandoned by at least some of them, but we should not allow mere theory -to counter-balance the testimony of a competent eye witness. - -It may seem strange that the Professor has made almost no mention of the -great Japanese-Russian war. But as this war settled nothing, did not -even settle what there was to be settled it may be considered as a mere -incident in the discussion of the real question at issue. This is only my -conjecture of the reason of his silence. - -The point of view assumed by a Prophet is of little consequence compared -with what he sees. Some say, back-sight is more reliable than foresight, -and that, considered as a magazine of facts, history is preferable to the -imagination. But back-sight is history, and like good liquor it requires -aging and maturing. The association of the imagination supplies these -effects. History must be read with the help of the imagination even for -present use; still more if the inquiry embraces a glance into the future. - -_Si quaeris futura, circumspice._ If you would know the future look -around you. That which has been will be. All things have ever been under -the domination of evolution and they ever will be. Therefore, let the -imagination explore its trail, and you are at once a prophet. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -An Outing. - - -Let me see. It was six (6) years since I had an outing. It seemed a long -time and it was long enough to obscure the conviction I had once arrived -at that the average outing is on the whole more of a bore than a pleasure -and that its principal value consists in making a fellow satisfied with -his ordinary work and glad to get back to it again. I am tolerably sure -that I should have reached the same opinion even if I had not been the -victim of a certain wretched adventure that happened away back in my -“courting days”. On the occasion referred to I had taken my best girl -for a little rowing and fishing on Brush Lake. We had not proceeded far -when she “got a bite”, and it nearly drove her wild with excitement, she -stood up in the boat and from her frantic exertions I judged she had -hooked nothing less than a six pound bass. At last she pulled it out with -a horizontal sweep, and whirling around with it, the middle of the line -struck my head with such force as to send the fish revolving around my -neck five times, and wound up by inserting the hook in the end of my nose -and leaving the fish dangling and flapping against my face—a ridiculous -little Sunfish not over three inches long. The excited lady dropped her -pole and made such a violent lunge to secure her prize that she upset -the boat and left us both floundering in the water. Amongst the fifteen -or twenty spectators on the shore was Aquarius Jinks, whose father was -a fisherman and had brought him up to think no more of jumping into the -water than a water spaniel. So in he jumped and in a jiffy he rescued my -lady and took her to the nearest house to get some dry clothes. As for -myself, I was getting out all right in spite of the embarrassment of the -choking line, my lacerated nose and that wretched fish that did not for -a moment let up its frantic struggling and flapping. In addition to this -I had the misfortune to be encumbered by the clumsy assistance of a fat -German saloon-keeper, who by the help of the pole, which had now floated -near the shore, drew me up, amid the jeers of the crowd, that now by the -barbarous custom of the times, I was obliged to “treat.” - -This exposure laid me up for six weeks with the chills, and about the -end of that time there was a wedding—my girl married that Jinks, who -took this perfidious advantage of me. I felt very sore for a long time -in the region of the diaphragm. The poets usually designate the heart as -the particular organ affected in such cases, but I am persuaded it is -the semi lunar ganglion or solar plexus, probably the former, from the -fact that the victim is apt to be affected by semi lunacy. But that is a -question of physiology. - -Although I never had another such disastrous experience, yet as I said at -first, the average outing with its accidents, fatigues and discomforts, -had on the whole, left no very favorable impression on me. Yet I had made -up my mind after an interval of six years to try one more. My literary -work had tired me out, and a trip, if it gave no pleasure, would hurt at -least in another place. - -August the third, 1892, found me installed in a cottage, at Cottagewood, -at the eastern end of Lake Minnetonka. My plans were simple. I had a gun, -a boat and fishing tackle, but of these I intended to make small use. I -would rest most of the time, and lie under the trees and read or loaf as -I saw fit. I would buy my food of such kind and in such condition as to -take but little time for its preparation, for I intended to “keep bach” -for which I was qualified by more or less previous experience. If at any -time I wanted a square meal, I could take a row around to the St. Louis -hotel, or if the wind were favorable could sail over to the Lafayette, -or to Excelsior. In short, I meant to rest and take it easy; do nothing -at all to-day, that I could put off till to-morrow. I thought this all -over the first day and in accordance with the programme proceeded to make -myself as lazy as possible. I succeeded well. It requires but little -effort to become lazy when one is in the afternoon of life. During a week -my activity was reduced to a minimum; I saw but few people, although I -had neighbors only a few rods away concealed by the thick brush, that -grew between us. Once a dog came and after looking around, trotted away. -As I sat or lolled on a rustic bench near the lake, the drowsy monotonous -lapping of the water against the shore kept me for hours on the border -land of sleep, just in that condition in which one does not know whether -the motions of his brain are dreams or waking thoughts, and in which he -often dreams that he is dreaming. The sound of the distant puffing of a -steam yacht or the merry laughter of a sailing party, that occasionally -ricocheted to the shore rather directed than disturbed the train of these -passive activities. - -The exhausted body or brain is like a machine that has run too long -without being oiled. It goes with reluctance and with damaging wear and -tear. But when we are thoroughly rested, the motives that before were -unable to move us, now set us going with the greatest facility. - -After the rest and quiet of a week, I began to feel an impulse to do -something or to go somewhere; and a short debate settled that I would -take a trip by sail and oar to the upper lake. As I did not intend -to hurry and might be gone two or three days, I laid in a stock of -provisions accordingly; with such cooking apparatus as a coffee pot -and frying pan. Nowhere is a cup of coffee, a slice of ham, crackers -and cheese so relishable as when they satisfy real thirst and hunger -alongside a camp-fire of dry sticks. Then perhaps I might shoot a duck or -hook a croppy. At night the sail stretched over a fishing pole could be -formed into a shelter tent, something like the “dog tents” Uncle Sam gave -us for shelter in the southern campaigns in the early sixties. In short -I intended to make a regular cruise, and as my boat was named Sally Ann, -this trip should be known in history as the cruise of the Sally Ann. - -It was a fine morning when, all things ready, I hoisted sail. The wind -was from the southeast and I started off before it at an exhilarating -speed, steering northwest. In a short time I came abreast of Big Island, -when turning west skirting its north shore, I soon got becalmed, the -island cutting off the wind. I was obliged to take the oars, but as I -dallied and loitered along, it was a full hour before I passed the island -and caught my breeze again. I was here steering southwest across the wind -and heading for the narrows, and the canal leading into the upper lake. -Nothing can exceed the beauty of this lake, no matter at what point the -view is taken. At this place looking northeast over the stern of the -boat, the village of Wayzata partly obscured by Spirit Island, appeared -as if seated in the water half a mile away, though in reality it is five -miles. On the southeast within a mile, was the Lake Park hotel and beyond -it, half a mile further and across the entrance to Gideon’s Bay, a part -of Excelsior could be seen climbing its picturesque hills, while along -the piers at the bottom of their slopes, were numerous steam and sailing -crafts of various kinds, besides a fleet of row boats. - -As I approached the entrance to the canal, I observed standing on the -south bank, a man with a gun in his hand and dressed in outing costume, -whose figure and attitude reminded me of someone I had seen before. “Can -it be possible,” I said to myself, “that that is Allan Ocheltree?” By the -time the boat touched the land, I had made sure that it was and I sprang -ashore to greet him. The recognition and gratification at meeting were -mutual. Our friendship for each other, was always the closest friendship -either of us had. We had been room-mates and class-mates for four years -at college, and our temperaments and tastes were like complementary -colors, of such harmonious contrast as to fit each other to a T. In our -class we were to each other like the two end men of a minstrel troup; he -at one end—the head end—and I at the other. It is singular how people, -like drift wood on the stream of time, are at times drifted toward each -other and float along together till some eddy or obstruction in the -current separates them, and hurries them off in diverging directions, -perhaps to meet again farther down the stream, it may be more than once. -Sometimes a leave-taking under circumstances, that seem to forebode -it to be the last and clothe it in gloom, and sorrow, is nevertheless -not the last by many; while a cheerful good-by with a light hearted -“ta-ta-old-fellow-see-you-to-morrow,” may prove the beginning of a -separation destined to endure for years—perhaps forever. - -The Ocheltree family and my ancestors, were from the same Scotch-Irish -stock, were friends and neighbors near Belfast and emigrated to Maryland -about two hundred and thirty years ago, settling at first in Somerset -County. A few years later they moved north into Cecil County, and from -there in 1760 a large emigration took place to Mechlenburg County, -North Carolina. Among these emigrants, were Duncan Ocheltree and my -grandfather’s Uncle John. These two were friends and neighbors in the new -settlement and when the revolutionary war broke out, they both adopted -the patriotic cause. The Mechlenburg declaration of independence was -adopted and signed May 20th or 31st, 1775, by a convention of which -John was secretary, and it was supported by Duncan. But in 1780, Lord -Cornwallis overran the state and captured Charlotte, the county seat -of Mechlenburg, and Duncan, believing all was lost, hastened to turn -Tory and make his submission to his lordship in order to save his wealth -of which he had acquired a goodly share. This was a bad break and he -made it worse by the supererogatory zeal of a new convert, in harassing -his former friends and piloting the red-coated foragers to their hay -stacks, hen roosts and pig pens, not sparing his old friend John. But -the triumph of Cornwallis was short; in a few days, he was obliged to -evacuate Charlotte and then Duncan realized that he had placed himself in -a very bad position. As the British troops were packing their knapsacks -preparatory to decamping from Charlotte between two days, Duncan -determined to throw himself upon the generosity of his former friend -John, and so under cover of the darkness he rode out to his farm-house -nine miles in the country. John, who was two miles off in the patriot -camp, was sent for. Duncan surrendered his sword and begged his old -friend to forgive bygones and advise him what to do. John’s sympathy -for him at that stage of affairs was not particularly tender as may be -supposed, but nevertheless his advice was no doubt the best possible. -He said: “Ocheltree, neither your life nor your property is safe in -Mechlenburg. The Whigs will take both. Your only safety is in instant -flight. I advise you to reach the Yadkin before daylight.” He took the -advice. And so they parted. Four generations later like two stray straws -on a flood, Allan Ocheltree and I were floated into the same class -room at school. Did it make any difference to me or to him that his -great grandfather, made a bad guess seventy years before? Not a bit. -Every man’s ancestral tree is just the same height as all the rest, his -lineage is just as long and his pedigree must contain practically the -same number of terms whether we reckon back to Adam or to the Ascidian -or to original protoplasm. Not a member of the long line made himself -or the circumstances surrounding him, and in no two cases were these -precisely the same. The circumstances that made Confucius or Alexander -the Great, or Julius Caesar, or Columbus, or Washington never happened to -anybody else. It was no fault of the obscure ancestors or descendants or -cousins near and remote of those worthies that these circumstances never -surrounded _them_. On the other hand it cannot be ascribed to the merit -of the long line of those belonging to the dead level of the average, -in size and in quality, that they have been missed by the untoward -circumstances that selected certain individuals to be in one respect or -another conspicuously below that dead level. - -After quitting college, Allan and I occasionally ran across each other, -but the last meeting before this, occurred in 1876 on Arch Street, -Philadelphia. He was interested in an exhibit in the great exposition, -and being then in a great hurry made an appointment to meet me next -morning. I kept the engagement, but he was not there. I knew urgent -business had turned up to prevent him, and after I returned to my home I -received his letter saying so, and appointing another hour. This letter -had missed me at my hotel and followed me to Illinois. Here then, we were -having our reunion sixteen years after it was due. But now we could make -up for lost time for neither had engagements that required attention for -a week at least. It was speedily arranged that Allan should accompany -me and that we should carry out together the plan I had proposed for -myself. He wrote a note for his boarding house keeper in Excelsior, -saying he would be gone some days, and gave it to a rowing party going -to Excelsior, that we shortly after fell in with, and who cheerfully -consented to deliver it. The wind was still from the southeast, but light -and we slowly sailed westerly and south-westerly passing successively -the state fruit farm and Sampson’s place lying on our left, and Spring -Park on our right, had in a short time reached Howard’s Point that juts a -third of a mile into the lake from the south shore. We sailed through the -strait between this and picturesque Rockwell’s Island with its attractive -summer hotel, and restful looking surroundings, and turned southwest -toward Smithtown Bay. - -We entered Smithtown Bay, but did not go to the end of it, for the -wind was not favorable, and as we turned west toward the highlands of -the upper lake I fell into a reminiscent mood. Up to this time we had -occupied ourselves in admiration of the delightful scenery and in such -careless chat as occurred to us, sometimes taking a pull at the oars, -when we entered a locality becalmed by being screened from the wind, -and sometimes pulling in the fish line that dragged over the stern of -the boat to see why we never got a bite. But here the memories that -crowded upon me completely absorbed my attention and I became silent. I -had tramped all over this country in 1877 in the selection of a route -for the Minneapolis and Northwestern Narrow Gauge Railroad, and so was -familiar with the topography, not only of the upper lake, but of the -whole route from Minneapolis to Hutchinson. The first preliminary line -surveyed from Hutchinson to Minneapolis in the latter part of November, -1877, passed along the foot of the high bluff just in front of us, but -the line was not finally located till October, 1879. - -When I explained to my friend how the line passed south-easterly along -the foot of the bluff, at the edge of the water, except where it dodged -behind Hoflin’s headland, and then swept around the head of Smithtown -Bay turning north-easterly toward Excelsior, “I declare,” he exclaimed, -“there never was so romantic a place to locate an excursion railroad. So -attractive a line ought surely to have been built. Why wasn’t it?” - -“Well,” I replied, “it was a case of infanticide.” - -“How was that?” he asked. - -“You’ve heard of treacherous midwives and nurses and murderous -baby-farmers being subsidized to strangle an unwelcome cherub as soon as -it is ushered into the world?” - -“Yes, was it a case of that sort?” - -“This infant was born healthy and vigorous after what might be called a -rather protracted period of gestation—some thirty months. It had no less -than twenty-one nurses in the shape of directors, which number was four -times as great as it should have been and one over. - -“When there is such a mob of officials, the management usually devolves -on a few of the more active and interested. That active minority in this -case somehow either had from the first, or acquired, a greater interest -in killing this enterprise to please its rivals than in carrying it out -in good faith.” - -“How did the line run west of here?” he asked. - -“It passed northwesterly along the foot of the bluff yonder, on the top -of which you see Smith’s stone house, then along the shore just in front -of the “hermitage”, and a quarter of a mile beyond that it turned toward -the west and cutting through the ridge of the peninsula that separates -the upper lake from Halsteds Bay, it skirted the south shore of that bay, -and thence bore in a generally westerly and northwesterly direction, -through Minnetrista township to St. Boniface and thence to Watertown. - -“Halsteds bay itself is so secluded as to form practically a separate -lake and a beautiful one too.” - -“Suppose we sail up along this shore,” said Ocheltree, “I am quite -interested in the place.” - -We turned the nose of Sally Ann toward the northwest and sailed slowly -before the very light wind. We passed Crane Island lying upon the right—a -sort of lying-in hospital and nursery strictly sacred to the use of -Cranes only, whose occupancy dates back of the earliest settlement of -the country, and whose title has been secured to them by an act of the -legislature, against the claims of all featherless bipeds. Further on, -upon the mainland, is the hermitage and just in front of it the grave -of Halsted, who many years ago, lost his life in the lake so sadly and -mysteriously. A short distance beyond the hermitage, I pointed out the -place where the survey left the shore of the main lake and cut across to -Halsteds bay. We concluded to go on to the strait leading into that bay -and sail around to its south shore. To reach the strait involved sailing -north a mile and then over half a mile west. As the wind was still -favorable this was soon accomplished. But when we reached the strait, we -could no longer use the sail, and were obliged to have recourse to the -oars. Inside the bay there was but little wind, and that was against us, -as our route now lay due south. A little over a mile of rowing brought -us to the south shore of the bay. Here the bluff covered with timber and -underbrush slopes down to the water’s edge. Along the foot of this slope, -I pointed out to Ocheltree the position of the narrow gauge survey. “It -is a wonderfully romantic place for a pleasure road,” said he. - -It was now considerably past noon, and our exercise had begun to tell on -us both somewhat and to suggest a rest and something to eat. Accordingly -we pulled the boat up on the beach, and got out some cooking utensils -and provisions. I started off to collect some dry sticks to make a fire -and Allan took a pail and proceeded along the shore to find a deep place -or a boulder from which he could dip up clear water for our coffee. We -happened to go together for a few rods, when glancing up the slope a -short distance, I discovered a stake sticking in the ground. I gave an -exclamation of surprise and quickly ran to secure it. It proved to be -what I suspected, one of the stakes of the narrow gauge survey. “What -have you found, old fellow?” Allan asked. I told him, and it seemed -surprising to both of us that that frail bit of a pine stick should -have survived the storms and accidents of thirteen years. We had used -for stakes on those surveys common plastering lath; one lath four feet -long being cut in the middle made two stakes. This was such a stake, an -inch and a half wide and three-eighths of an inch thick. It owed its -exceptional preservation to the fact that it was full of pitch and to its -protected position. It had been driven in a slanting position, partly -under the body of a large fallen tree, that lay over the point where the -stake should have been set. The number of the stake had been written -with red chalk, on the side that had happened to come underneath and so -was largely protected from the rains. But it was now illegible, four red -blotches being all that remained. - -A person walking through our Minnesota woods will often meet with a -little mound of earth, alongside of which he will see a cupshaped -depression in the ground. The depression marks the spot where at some -time in the past there stood a noble tree, and it indicates that the -tree yielding to the force of an ancient tornado was toppled over, and, -pulling its roots out of the ground drew up with them a cubic yard, -more or less, of earth. Afterwards when the roots began to decay the -earth was dropped in a heap beside the hole. There was such a mound and -hollow at the west end of the rotten log in question, showing that it -had been overthrown by the fierce assault of a western hurricane. The -mound was old, well rounded by the action of the weather and covered with -a mat of grass. I sat down on this mound in a half reclining position, -with the stake in my hand, and tried again without success to make -out the number[1]. A solitary mosquito was singing about my right ear, -and persisted in returning and constantly evaded my efforts to capture -it. Directly however, its wings became still, and unaccountable stupor -appeared to steal over me, my head drooped over toward the left till it -touched the grass and for a moment I was unconscious. But it was only for -a moment for a new consciousness almost immediately supervened. It was a -consciousness composed chiefly of subjective sensations, although I hold -that even subjective sensations, very often in an unperceived manner, -receive their direction and stimulation to activity from objects around -us. But that is a question of psychology. At all events the sensations, -I am about to relate were the most remarkable I ever experienced, and at -the time were not accompanied by the least intimation, that they were not -purely objective. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -The Professor. - - -First there was a loud singing noise in my right ear, pitched in a high -key. Presently this pitch became lower and the sound resembled the rattle -of rolling car wheels on a track, and they seemed to be approaching. I -suddenly realized that they were advancing to the place where I lay, and -greatly startled, I sprang to my feet. I was none too quick, for a train -of four cars rolled rapidly over the very spot where I had lain. I saw -they were filled with gay well dressed people evidently on a pleasure -excursion. As I gazed after them toward the west along the gleaming -rails, I remembered there was no locomotive with the train. Of course -not, thought I, the road is run by electricity. But there was no overhead -wire and no trolley. O, I see, these cars are propelled by storage -batteries that they carry with them. I felt no surprise at this, nor at -the fact that the road had been built after all, for it all seemed to be -a matter of course. Turning toward the east where the line penetrated -the ridge that lies between the bay and the lake, I saw on the edge of -the cut the tall white mile post so illuminated by the direct sunshine -that the number 24 in large black figures could be made out, although -the distance was a third of a mile or more. While I was still gazing in -that direction I suddenly became aware of a strange looking object coming -through the cut and around the curve. It was a four wheeled vehicle -something like a hand car, but it was not being “pumped” nor were there -any handles for propelling it in that way. - -The idea suddenly came to me that this car like the first I had seen, was -propelled by a storage battery concealed somewhere about its anatomy. But -the interest created by the car was quickly eclipsed by that inspired -by its occupant; and a more remarkable creature I never read about or -dreamed about. He sat bolt upright on the seat at the rear end of -the car and while he was at a distance, I took him for a rather stiff -dignified and odd specimen of a man. But as he approached and I got a -better opportunity for observing details, I directly came to doubt if he -could be a man at all. When I first saw him, I observed what seemed to be -a large fan-like appendage projecting from his back, which I then took -to be some peculiar garment streaming out behind. But as he approached, -this appendage separated into two, and spreading out to the right and -left acted like brakes against the wind and rapidly checked the speed -of the car, reminding me of the action of the wings of a bird, when it -alights. In short to my great astonishment it turned out they were wings. -I instinctively stepped back two or three paces to allow this strange -apparition to pass, but to my surprise the car stopped directly opposite -to me and its occupant with a slight flutter of the aforesaid wings, -hopped lightly out of it and stood beside the track so near to me, that I -could have touched him. For a moment or two he busied himself with some -arrangement about his car, the nature of which I did not observe, as my -attention was absorbed chiefly by himself. - -In the description, that I shall now give of him, will be included a -number of details that I did not observe at first, but which showed -themselves during the progress of our interview. The large wings -mentioned above were at least six feet in radius, and each was nearly a -semicircle. They could be folded like a fan and when in that position -they lay down along his back from his shoulders to his heels and when -fully extended reached from his heels to a point nearly five feet above -his head. They were of a soft semitransparent, but thick and tough -membranous material, full of veins and nerves and supported by stiff -elastic ribs, radiating from their articulation at the shoulder to the -circumference. - -Besides these wings, he had two other pairs similar in texture, but much -smaller. One pair was attached just in front of the principal pair and -ordinarily they were directed upward beside his head and reaching above -it. But he could also extend them laterally, so as to cover his face, as -well as the back of his head and did so repeatedly while he was with me, -apparently to shield himself from the rays of the sun. The other two were -attached just below the main wings and extended downwards alongside of -the body to the feet. But they too were extensible laterally and could -be made to cover the entire lower half of the body. In short, these four -minor wings were equivalent to clothes, and the numerous nerves by which -they were traversed, indicated that they were also delicate organs of the -sensations of heat and touch. - -In addition to these wings, there were six other limbs, two of which were -legs and two were arms, in much the same position in which they occur in -man. The third pair of limbs were attached to the thorax between the arms -and legs, and were ordinarily folded across the thorax. I came to the -conclusion these limbs could be used either as hands or feet as occasion -required, but while he was with me he made little other use of them than -to occasionally give me a sly poke with one of them—usually the right—in -the side—usually the left side—about the position of the second rib from -the bottom. As these gestures always came about in connection with some -humorous or ludicrous idea, it occurred to me in a whimsical way to call -these limbs his jokers. His head was immense, possessing, I should say, -double the capacity of the largest human head. The top part was globular, -and the lower part, which might be called the face, was long and wedge -shaped, tapering down to the jaws. The jaws were strong and well set with -teeth and worked laterally instead of vertically as with us, and the slit -forming the mouth was vertical and in the middle. There was no chin. The -eyes were placed just above the mouth and at the base of the upper dome -shaped portion of the head. They were of enormous size fully two inches -in diameter, half globular and set far apart, forming as it were the -corners of the face. They were not movable as ours are, because every -part of the surface of the eye was equally good to see with; and their -position enabled their owner to see three-fourths of the horizon without -turning his head. The face had not one particle of expression or mobility -to it, but this was compensated a hundred times by the expression of the -eyes. Their usual expression, when at rest, was one of supreme kindliness -and benevolence with a slight element of humor. But when the mind was -in activity, the eyes beamed with good natured wit, were suffused with -tender sentiment or flashed with intellectual brilliancy to a degree I -would never have imagined possible. Under each of the wings there was an -opening leading into the body, those of the middle wings being nearly -three-fourths of an inch in diameter, and the others very much smaller. -All were protected by movable lips. I soon discovered that these were for -the purpose of breathing, the air being constantly inhaled and exhaled -through them. I have no doubt the lining membrane of these breathing -tubes was sensitive to odors and was therefore an organ of smell. As to -ears, there was one plainly to be seen on the upper part of each arm, and -I observed him move his arm in the proper directions to catch the sound. -In the long conversation I had with him I cannot say that I heard any -articulate voice. There was a slight humming noise, rising and falling -in very agreeable musical cadences, and these appeared to accompany -the enunciation of his ideas and thoughts when he addressed me. When I -spoke to him, I used articulate words in plain English and he appeared -to hear in the ordinary way. But his thoughts came to me like waves or -pulsations and appeared to be injected bodily into my brain without any -distinct sensation of hearing them. In short I directly came to perceive -that it was a case of the telepathic transfer of ideas, experiments in -which are known to most people, but which was in this case vastly more -complete and perfect than I had ever imagined possible. In the report of -the conversation between us that I give herein it is to be understood -that I do not quote his language, but give the impression of his thoughts -upon me in my own language, and the best I have been able to do, I am -sensible, forms a very inadequate dress in which to set off the beauty of -his sentiment or the strength of his reason. - -When my visitor had finished whatever arrangement he was making with his -car, he turned partly around and I saw he had in his hand a small spool -of copper wire, two strands from which connected with the car. Next he -performed some slight manipulation with his coil of wire, the nature of -which I could not make out, but which produced the surprising result, -that the car slowly rose from the track continuing upward till stopped by -the wire, then my visitor drew it gently to one side and pushing a stout -iron pin into the ground, he attached the spool and coil to it and left -it there, picketed out, precisely as a cow-boy pickets his mule, except -that the car floated in the air gently pulling on its tether. I had for -some moments been casting about in my mind for some appropriate manner in -which to address my singular visitor. The more I observed his actions, -the higher my opinion rose of his character, abilities and position in -the scale of existence. Royal and aristocratic titles, such as Your -Majesty, My Lord etc., are very awkward in the mouth of an American and -seemed by no means sure to be appropriate in this case. Then I thought of -our American titles, General, Colonel, Major, Judge, Squire, Governor, -none of which of course would do. But the surprise and curiosity excited -by this performance of picketing the car in the air would in another -minute have overcome the tension of diffidence and doubt and I should -have addressed him as _something_, even if no better title than plain -_Mister_ occurred to me. - -But he saved me this necessity, by opening the conversation himself. He -seemed to know what I had been thinking of. - -“A title of address,” said he, “should be significant of facts. It -is ridiculous to call a man Honorable, because you have sent him to -the legislature, or to congress, or another person ‘Majesty’ whose -understanding is below mediocrity. You may call me, ‘Sir,’ which title -as you know means simply an older person and I will call you by some -title, that means young—if it means _quite_ young, it will still be very -appropriate, eh?” - -This was accompanied, by a queer, but decidedly jolly and good natured -expression of the eyes and a gentle poke with his right middle hand -described above. - -“Then,” said I, “you think you are the older. The fact is, I am so well -preserved, that almost everyone rates me ten or fifteen years younger -than I am, and perhaps you do.” - -“I am nineteen,” he said. - -“Why,” I exclaimed, “I am more than three times that old.” - -“Nevertheless, I am very much older than you,” he replied. - -“You talk in riddles,” said I, “I don’t understand you.” - -“Well, I will explain. You understand, that every race is made by its -environment and the same is true of each individual of the race.” - -“Certainly, that is my pet theory.” - -“Well, the environment of the race is in reality, the environment of -every individual in it, for every individual inherits the impress made -upon the race during all past ages. For this reason a human infant just -born is a being of far greater experience than a mature elephant; the -experience of the race is his and it is expressed in the structure of his -brain and body. In like manner an individual of our race has the long -life of his race behind him and is older at birth than a human being is -at 80, because our race has a vastly longer history and experience than -yours.” - -“Your idea is ingenious, but yet it must be admitted that a mature -elephant knows more than a new born human infant.” - -“That depends on what you mean by knowledge,” he replied. “The most -knowing person has no knowledge when he is asleep, but he possesses the -potentiality of getting it when he wakes up, and when he is awake, his -knowledge extends only to the things about which his brain is active for -the moment, while as to other things, the most that can be said is that, -he may possess the potentiality of knowing them when the activity of his -brain is directed to them, by appropriate stimulations. In like manner -the potentiality of all the knowledge belonging to his race, slumbers -in the new born infant; and as he gradually wakes up in the process of -his growth and development, this knowledge, upon proper stimulation of -the brain, flashes into view. Therefore everything depends upon the race -to which one belongs. Our race had already reached a high degree of -cultivation before yours was distinguishable from four footed beasts.” - -My disposition to generalize, unwittingly influenced no doubt by my early -Sunday School education, here led me to make an observation, that a -moment later I perceived to be crude and ill considered. It was to the -effect that this great age to which his race had attained, had made their -superior mental development possible and had given the time necessary for -their physical evolution through and from the human form. - -His answer to this was a loud and prolonged, ha ha ha! That is to say, I -heard nothing quite like that, but was impressed by a sensation that his -mental state exhibited in human expression would be laughter loud and -long. - -Said he; “the conceit of the human race is the laughing stock of all our -people, but you are a very young race and you will know a great deal -more when you get older. Individuals of our race and kindred races have -visited the earth, and allowed themselves to be seen. And descriptions of -them have been attempted by some of your ancient seers. - -“The human race having become dominant on earth, they have entirely -overrated their importance and not only fancy that they will some day own -the rest of the solar system, but imagine that they will sprout wings and -develope into beings like us; but any of you that have studied natural -history and your new theories of evolution, ought to know that beings -having twelve limbs could never be evolved from a race having but four. -The only possible evolution by which your race could ever possess wings, -would be the conversion through use and habit of your arms into wings, -which has actually occurred in the case of your bats and birds. - -“The families on earth that are related to and resemble us are the -insect tribes. In fact we trace our origin back to an ancestry, which -according to many of our best scientists is exactly parallel with that -of your insects, and they alone of mundane inhabitants could ever expect -to evolve a posterity at all like us, and they never will, for the -conditions on earth will forever keep them in a subordinate position to -the present dominant race.” - -During this speech, notwithstanding its intense interest to me I was -becoming impatient and nervous with the apprehension that he might leave -me without telling me where he was from and how he made that car of his -disregard the law of gravitation. In the solution of this last riddle -especially I could readily see a utilitarian outcome of overwhelming -importance. I am afraid that my questions were put with an undignified -eagerness and precipitancy, which no doubt he observed, for he first -proceeded to say that he had much information to communicate to me and -was glad to see me desirous of receiving it. - -“You understand the law of the _attraction of_ gravitation”—I nodded -assent—“but you know nothing of the _repulsion_ of gravitation.” Indeed I -did not. I had never heard of such a thing. - -He continued: “All polar attractions are accompanied by repulsions. -This you see in magnetism and in electricity, and it is equally true in -gravitation. The force with which bodies fall toward each other consists -merely of the _difference_ between the attractive and the repulsive -force. Ordinarily the attractive force takes hold of the _near_ ends -of the molecules of ether contained in solid or fluid bodies, and the -repulsive force affects only the further ends of the same molecules, so -that by reason of the difference in the distances over which these two -forces operate the attractive force always over-powers repulsion. But we -have discovered a way by which the action of these forces is reversed, so -that the work of repulsion is performed on the near end of the molecules -and attraction on the _further_ end, and then attraction being the weaker -of the two, the body, as a whole, is repelled. We imitate in fact the -action that takes place when the attraction between two electrified -bodies turns to repulsion. Repulsion also takes place between the sun and -the tails of comets. The comet’s tail is attracted toward the nucleus of -the comet and at the same time repelled from the sun. We have not been -able to make bodies discriminating like that in their attractions. - -“But,” said I, “it must take as much power to make this change as the -changed condition yields after it is made and I cannot see where you get -the power; you cannot make something out of nothing.” - -“Very true,” said he, “but the resistance to the change is in -reality—very small, and it is accomplished, even by neuro-magnetism in a -wonderfully simple manner. The proportion of force required to do it is -no greater than that required to move the slide valve in the steam chest -of one of your steam engines, by which the enormous force of the steam is -alternately shifted to first one end and then the other of the cylinder. -We can generate the force required for this, in our own tissues and it -accumulates in electric organs possessed by us similar to those of your -electric eels. I will show you.” - -With that he reached out and touched me on the mouth. There was a flash -and a sensation as if a coal of fire had touched me, and a smart shock -passed through my limbs. I was easily enough convinced that he possessed -large electric storage capacity, and he told me he could give me a shock -100 times as strong as the one I had received. I was willing to take his -word for that. But I was by no means satisfied with his explanation of -the reversal of the forces in gravitation. It seemed to me to involve -a mechanical fallacy and I half suspected he purposely avoided giving -me the true explanation. Although I have since given the subject -considerable thought I have not been able to clear it up. Theorize as I -might however, there was the fact that gravitation was somehow suspended, -in the case of the car. - -I said to him earnestly, that I would give anything I possessed to be -able to understand and apply these principles as he did. - -“I have no doubt at all of that,” said he, “but it is our secret, and -I could commit no more heinous act of treason against my people or our -planet, than by divulging it.” - -“For goodness sake,” I exclaimed, “tell me what planet you inhabit, and -what harm could result from giving this invaluable information.” - -“My home is the moon,” he said quietly, and I have ever since wondered -how I came to receive the announcement without the slightest degree of -surprise as if it were an every day occurrence to meet people from the -moon. - -“The discovery you wish me to reveal to you, was made by our ancestors -over a million years ago,” he went on, “the population of the moon was -then as great as the planet would support in comfort, and its regulation -and maintenance had been reduced to a strictly scientific basis. It was -seen at once and soon experimentally proved that our people could by the -use of this principle easily visit the earth, and if the discovery should -be communicated to the earth people, there would be nothing to prevent -flooding the moon with an undesirable horde of adventurers, who would -like a swarm of seventeen year locusts proceed to lay claim to everything -in sight and seriously disturb the lunar peace and prosperity. And so -the communication of this secret was forbidden on pain of the terrible -punishment of projection.” - -My inquiring look showed that I did not understand this, and he continued. - -“Projection is the extreme penalty of our laws. In it the criminal is -locked up in a spherical shell of cast iron having two small glass -windows and furnished with compressed air in alumina flasks, and food -sufficient to last from a few days to two years according to the severity -of the sentence, the larger amount of food going with the more severe -sentence. After he is fastened in, the repulsion of gravitation is turned -on and the ball instantly projects itself into space bounding off at a -terrific speed. Yet no matter what direction it takes it can never come -into collision with any body whether planet or sun, but whenever it -approaches one it is instantly repelled, and thus it continues to be -hurled from one to another forever, and the longer the criminal lives -to perceive and reflect that he is an outcast from all worlds, the -greater his punishment is supposed to be. It is a theory of some of our -scientists that a projected person continues to be repelled from sun to -sun till at last he reaches the edge of creation and is hurled completely -out of the universe. However this may be, the friends of a projected -person never know where he is.” - -“I hope,” said I, “that you are not often under the necessity of -inflicting such a terrible punishment as that.” - -“No one has been projected for over forty years, but 500,000 years ago -the punishment was frequently resorted to.” - -“In traversing the space between the earth and the moon, I suppose you -will first move by repulsion from the earth?” - -“Yes, I use repulsion for the first part of the journey. This gives me -a rapid send off from the earth. My speed constantly increasing till -I reach the distance of 216,000 miles from the earth, at this point -the repulsion of the moon—which by the way is exerted against me from -the time I leave the earth—is just equal to that of the earth, but -the momentum acquired by that time carries me almost home, the moon’s -repulsions constantly diminishing the speed and at last bringing me to a -stand still or sheering me off to one side. It is then necessary to turn -on attraction, which causes me to approach the moon with a speed which -is easily checked and regulated by using repulsion when necessary.” - -“The terrific speed with which you travel or fall, as we might say, from -one planet to another, I should think would overpower you—take your -breath away.” - -“We have to guard against this, while we traverse the atmosphere, both -at this and at the other end of the journey, but once clear of the -atmosphere we fall through empty space without the slightest sensation -of motion and realize that we are going only by the rapid decrease in -the apparent size of the globe we are leaving and increase of the one we -approach. It is impossible to conceive a more thrilling experience than -is conveyed by the perception of the growth in a few hours of your earth -from a ball six feet in diameter as it appears to us at the start, to the -vast and illimitable expanse of variegated beauty it gets to be before we -reach it. - -“On the journey, it is necessary to guard against the blistering heat -of the sun’s rays upon the side on which they fall, and the intense -cold which we encounter on the shady side; and we must look out that -neither ourselves nor any of the loose articles we carry in the car -such as our flasks of compressed air, our food etc. are repelled from -the car and allowed to fall to earth or moon by their ordinary gravity, -for the change to repulsion only applies to the iron part of the car -and not other things. It cannot be applied to wood or to animal or -vegetable tissue etc. We guard against all these contingencies by having -a stout cover over our car, supported by steel hoops, when we are on an -intermundane trip. When we travel on the ground, this is folded up and -not used.” - -“Then I suppose the wheels of your car come into use when you travel -on the ground, for I can see no use for them in your “intermundane” -journeys.” - -“That is true. This car I have with me is my ordinary carriage at home. -It is a railroad car as you see by the flanges on the wheels. Railroads -with us are public free highways, built and maintained by the state. -They have from four to twelve tracks. Every person who is qualified by -his education and training to manage a car is furnished with one by the -state. The propelling power is nothing but gravity either in attraction -or repulsion, the former being used on down grades and the latter on up -grades, the car having rollers that hook under a flange at the top of the -rail to prevent the car from rising bodily from the track. - -“The surface of our planet is very rough, but still the grading for roads -is light, as it is possible to ascend grades of 100 per cent or even -steeper. Level grades on our roads are always avoided, and in districts -where this cannot be done, we use electric roads. - -“The cars are so constructed that different parts are electrically -insulated from each other, by which means a part of the car can be placed -under the influence of attraction and the rest under that of repulsion. -This is done on down grades. The weight of the load and of part of the -car pulling down and the weight of the rest of the car holding back. It -is always arranged to have the car heavier than its load, and the driver -can regulate the force used by balancing one against the other, so that -a car of many tons shall press on the rails with the weight of only a -very few pounds. Thus the wear and tear on road beds and rails is almost -nothing and the roads are practically everlasting.” - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -The Moon and Its People. - - -“I am amazed,” said I, “to learn that the moon is inhabited and by a race -apparently more advanced than our own. Our astronomers have assured us -that the moon is a desolate played out barren world without air or water; -totally unfit for inhabitants.” - -“The astronomers could only report what they could see, and the side of -the moon visible from the earth is as they describe it, but they have -never seen the further side and never will, for that side is always -turned from the earth. But the population of the moon is not far from -half that of the earth and the people live in greater comfort. But there -is no population living on the surface on the hemisphere facing the -earth—I see this puzzles you,” he said. - -It certainly did. “Do you mean that the Lunarians live under ground?” I -inquired. - -“I will explain. The moon is a much lighter body than the earth bulk for -bulk, a cubic yard of it containing on an average only six tenths as -much matter as an average yard of earth. The reason of this is that a -very large part of the moon’s bulk is made up of interstices, caves and -openings. Now it is a remarkable fact that the hemisphere of the moon -facing the earth is much lighter than the further one, so much so that -the center of gravity is 33 miles further from this side of the moon -than from the further side. This fact has been suspected by some of your -astronomers. The consequence of it is that the sea has all gone to the -further hemisphere, and the near hemisphere is in the highest place, -about 33 miles above the level of the sea. It is much as if a concave -cap, the material of which is 33 miles thick at the center and tapers -to zero all round the rim, were fitted on to a sphere. This rim is at -the edge of the moon, as seen from the earth. Our atmosphere like yours, -gets lighter as we ascend and is too thin to support life at a height -of five miles, so that the great plateaus of our hither hemisphere are -over 20 miles higher than any appreciable atmosphere. So you can see the -impossibility of life on the hither surface of the moon if you reflect a -moment what the conditions would be on a mundane plateau 33 miles above -the sea level. Your highest mountains are only between five and six miles -high, and you know the impossibility of either vegetable or animal life -at even that altitude. - -“On the earth such elevations are regions of perpetual snow, and the -hither surface of the moon would be such a region if it possessed water -and an atmosphere. But while the surface on this side is uninhabitable, -there are immense tracts of underground space, that have been converted -into habitable territory. This underground country lies so far below -the surface that it is practically near the sea level throughout. It is -approached at all parts of the rim of the cap just described, and there -are many thousands of tunnels entering it all round this rim, especially -in the equatorial parts of the moon. A great amount of labor has been -expended, not only on these entrances, but on the internal cavities to -which they lead; but compared with the work performed for us by nature, -our own labor is but an insignificant item—hardly so much as the labor -of your race in fitting up the earth for your residence. The entrances -are all volcanic craters, and the vast cavities to which they lead, were -excavated long ages ago by volcanic action. The material blown out of -the volcanoes, mostly fell upon the hither side of the moon increasing -the bulk of the cap; most of the volcanoes being on this side. But even -the material thrown from the lateral regions was drawn this way by the -attraction of the earth and after describing a longer or shorter curve, -fell on the hither side of the moon. - -“Nearly all the moon’s volcanoes are on the hither portion, the volcanic -region occupying about two-thirds of the whole surface of the moon. -The weight of bodies on the hither side is appreciably less than on -the further side. These facts are supposed to be due to the earth’s -attraction neutralizing that of the moon and having resulted in building -up the vast protuberance or table land (of light and porous material) -on this side, the latter is often called, by us the “Mundane Hump” in -recognition of the earth’s instrumentality in its formation. The interior -continent is often spoken of as the “Pocket” by the people on the -further side; or sometimes as the “Chest”, and the “Hump” is called its -Lid. - -“The further side of the moon is called the Exterior Continent, but often -humorously designated by the people of the “Pocket”, as the Out-door -Continent.” - -“But,” said I, “what a strange life it must be in those underground -cavities. I suppose of course you can have nothing better than artificial -light there?” - -“True,” he said, “our light is mostly artificial, but it is made as -bright as we can bear it. It is electric light, but it is regulated to be -quite equal to sun light and it never goes out. There is no night in the -underground country, as there is outside.” - -“This is wonderful!—But where do you get the power to furnish this light? -Have you got waterfalls and coal beds down there?” - -“We have many waterfalls, but do not utilize them to any great extent for -their power and we have a considerable amount of coal, which however we -do not use for fuel, but reserve for food purposes, to be drawn upon as -may be required.” - -“Is stone coal what you have to eat then?” I here broke in. With -exasperating deliberation, he gave me an admonitory poke with his right -joker. - -“One thing at a time—one thing at a time. You wanted to know where we -get power to turn into electric lighting. It is the power of gravity. If -one of your perpetual motion cranks understood the secret of the use of -the repulsion of gravitation, he could contrive a perpetual motion in -an hour and a half. We have many forms of such machines that have been -in use for ages. One of these is the pendulum machine. This consists -of a pendulum weighing from a few pounds to many tons and so contrived -that when it reaches the lowest part of its swing it automatically turns -on the repulsion of gravitation, which reinforces its momentum on the -ascending part of its arc, enough to compensate for the work done by -it and the friction of the machine. Another machine is the oscillating -balance. This consists of weights at each end of a beam balanced in the -middle and so governed by an automatic shunting apparatus, that one of -the weights is under the influence of attraction while the other is -under that of repulsion. When the former has reached the bottom of its -oscillation and the latter the top, the force is reversed in each and so -the motion is perpetual. - -“Another machine is the Automatic hammer, which is a literal hammer -though it may weigh many tons. The end of its handle is confined by a -stationary wrist, while the hammer rises and falls under the effect of -repulsion and attraction automatically alternated by shunting apparatus. -Then we have the vertical parabolic railway; which consists of two steep -inclined tracks, meeting each other at the foot. A car runs alternately -down one and up the other on much the same principle as the pendulum -machine. There are numerous other machines, but they all operate on the -same principle, just as you have many forms of water wheels, all operated -by the weight of water. So you see our power costs us nothing at all -after the machine is built, except for the oil for its lubrication. As -these machines have been known and used by us for many thousands of -years, you may readily perceive what changes we have been able to make -in all those conditions of our planet, that relate to our comfort and -general purposes. You may add to this, that any exertion we make relating -to the movement of heavy bodies, is ten times as effectual as the same -exertion made on earth. Water and air with us are only one-sixth as heavy -as on earth, and the average soil and rocks one-tenth as heavy; so that -our laborers handle wheelbarrows holding a cubic yard of material as -easily as yours do their little barrows containing two or three cubic -feet.” - -Here I interposed again. “You speak of your atmosphere being only -one-sixth as heavy as ours. That agrees with what our astronomers -have told us, and they have pointed out that even if there is such an -atmosphere, on the moon, animal life like ours is not possible there, -because the air is too thin.” - -“Your astronomers do not consider that animal life and activity depend, -not on the amount of air the animal is surrounded by, but by the amount -of it he can use. The fishes in your waters have less air to the cubic -foot of space than we have, yet are active, but if you take them out of -the water and surround them with ten times as much air as they had, they -nevertheless die, because they have not lungs suitable for breathing it. -But furthermore it is not the amount of air that is of such consequence -to animal life, but the amount of oxygen. Your air consists of about 21 -parts of oxygen to 79 of nitrogen, and mixed with it is a considerable -amount of carbonic acid and other impurities. In our air the proportions -of nitrogen and oxygen are about reversed, and there is a far less amount -of carbonic acid gas. There is also a much greater quantity of ozone, -which as you know, is a concentrated and more active form of oxygen. And -so on the whole, when I take a breath of air here on your earth, I get -but a slightly greater quantity of oxygen than at home.” - -“Then you are not greatly inconvenienced in being transferred from lunar -conditions to those of earth?” - -“Well, not with respect to breathing, but when we are at the surface of -the earth we are greatly oppressed by the weight of your atmosphere and -by our own increased weight as well. Ten or fifteen minutes is as long as -we can stand it at one time. But we can get speedy relief by ascending -ten thousand miles or so, and when we have come to earth to make extended -studies of things here, we are compelled to interrupt them by frequently -going up and remaining awhile.” - -I had become not only intensely interested in the extraordinary -information communicated by my visitor, but greatly fascinated by his -person and presence; and his last speech made me painfully apprehensive -that I was about to lose his company, and so I expressed the wish that if -he felt obliged to go up stairs to recover himself, he would return and -continue the interview as soon as possible. He replied that he would be -compelled to return home as soon as he left me, but added that he would -remain with me for a considerable time longer, observing that he felt -exceedingly glad to impart information to so willing a listener. I could -not at the time reconcile his intention of remaining a considerable time -longer with what he said about not being able to remain at the earth’s -surface more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time, as I thought he had -already considerably exceeded that. But not wishing to lose time by -having him reconcile his observations, I hastened to get back to the -thread of his discourse, by asking what sort of food the Lunarians live -on. - -“The Lunarians are exclusively vegetarians and live chiefly on grains and -grasses and leguminous plants in some degree resembling those on earth, -but of an entirely different habit, for they all or nearly all, mature -in the period of one-half of a lunar month or about fourteen of your -days. But this will not seem so surprising, when you reflect that we have -continuous sunshine without night during the whole time. Of course this -observation applies only to the exterior continent on the further half of -the moon. Our plants were all developed on that side and became adapted -to the seasons there, and they generally retain their habits of growth -since their introduction to the interior continent, or Pocket. But in -many cases, by changing the conditions of nourishment, new varieties have -been developed, having a longer or shorter period of growth. Much more -than half of our food products are produced under extremely artificial -conditions. The artificial heat we require for cooking, for warmth etc., -is produced by means of electricity and so is our artificial light; -moreover, we do not allow any organic matter, such as dead bodies, dead -trees or vegetables or any sort of refuse or excrete matters, to rot -either in the open air or in the ground, and the manuring of the soil -is strictly forbidden. Our air therefore is very poor in carbonic acid -gas, (or carbonic dioxide), which constitutes almost the sole food -required for the growth of plants. In fact about all that the air gets -of this gas is that thrown off from our lungs in breathing. To use this -up, we cultivate various air plants that grow with little or no roots -and yet cover the ground with an agreeable carpet. Some of these are -eatable. All organic matters, when they become refuse, are carefully -collected in great air tight and powerful tanks, in which they are heated -under an enormous pressure until their original organization entirely -disappears. The dimensions of the tanks are reduced during this process -by the gradual forcing in of the walls, which are made movable for that -purpose, and when the contained material has become reduced to about the -consistency and constitution of your ordinary lignite or soft coal, it -is forced through a number of cylindrical holes on one side of the tank, -by which it is moulded into round sticks of coal, and is then ready to -be used over again. The whole process is an imitation of that by which -mineral coal is produced in nature, both on the earth and the moon, -except that it is accomplished artificially with us in about 50 hours, -while nature takes thousands of years for it. The fluids and nitrogenous -and other volatile substances pressed out, are secured and saved by -proper absorbents. These together with the coal are used by our food -growers in producing their plants. - -“The planting is all done in vats or chambers with air tight roofs. The -bottom of a vat is covered with a few inches of soil specially prepared -and appropriate for the plant intended to be sown. After the seeds -germinate the vat is covered and the inside is brightly illuminated -with electricity and filled with carbonic dioxide, obtained by burning -a proper quantity of coal in a retort, which is also accomplished by -electricity. All the conditions necessary for rapid growth are supplied -to the plants and they are forced forward to maturity without any pause -or delay, such as takes place in the growth of plants on earth, through -the intervention of cloudy or stormy weather, too much or too little -moisture, too much or too little heat, the darkness of night etc. - -“The same method of cultivation prevails to a great extent on the -exterior continent, although as the sun shines on that continent about -350 hours at a time, which constitutes the length of the day there, the -vats are often merely covered by air tight glass roofs and the sun is the -growing power instead of electricity.” - -“I understand now,” said I, “what you meant by saying you reserved your -mineral coal for food purposes. You draw on it only when the steady -supply of artificial coal fails?” - -“That is correct.” - -“But if you rigorously save every particle of your organic matters to be -reconverted into food, I don’t see why it should ever fail unless your -population increases. But you have not informed me on that subject.” - -“The control of the reproduction of the population has been in the hands -of the state from the remotest antiquity,” said he; “and no increase in -the total number has ever been permitted unless there had already been an -increase in the means of supporting the population by the discovery of -improved methods or new appliances. The tendency and policy has always -been to allow the population to keep up near the limits of the means of -support, and occasionally it has crowded a little too close. Then there -are occasional losses by fire and a more or less steady unavoidable waste -of food materials in their ordinary handling. Some are lost in the sea. -But as long as there is a store of mineral coal to draw upon, no such -losses can entail more than a temporary inconvenience. One thing that -has a considerable effect on the food supply, is the change in fashions, -that often takes place in a manner that the authorities cannot foresee or -provide for.” - -“Then fashion holds sway in the moon as well as the earth! Well, I am -surprised! But as your clothes appear to grow on you I don’t see how -fashion can interfere very much, or how it could affect the question of -food.” - -“Fashion with us has nothing to do with dress. As you say, nature has -provided us with a dress at once suitable and beautiful. Whatever faults -we have, personal vanity is not among them. Our attention is but little -absorbed in ourselves, but is constantly directed to others and to the -service of the community. If anyone should betake himself to personal -frills and ornaments, I fancy he would be told he was getting like the -Earthlings, and, he would be advised to go up and live on the Hump, so he -could be near the people he was trying to ape. - -“But there is much variety and change of fashion with us in the -construction and ornamentation of our buildings, grounds and resorts, and -the fashion prevailing in relation to the transmutation of the dead is -making a steady inroad upon our total food supply.” - -I wondered what he could mean by the transmutation of the dead—but said -nothing, awaiting his explanation. - -“You may have thought,” he went on, “that our dead were utilized and -turned into lignite like other effete organic substances.” - -“Certainly,” I said, “that disposition of a useless body is preferable -to any method that prevails on earth. Here as soon as a man dies his -presence becomes so intolerable to us, that we are obliged in self -defense to consign him to earth. Even then the corruption resulting from -dissolution is disseminated through the soil contaminating the water -supply and starting epidemics of diphtheria and typhoid fever, besides -occupying room that sooner or later is begrudged to him. Cremation is -certainly an improvement on inhumation, but even that is a considerable -expense, and when it is over, we have only a handful of raw mineral ashes -left. The best part of the man has gone off in smoke and we have not -three or four pounds of good coal left to show for him as you have. And -then it ought to be a source of gratification to the defunct himself if -he could know it, that his ‘corpus’ was turned to some useful account.” - -He here turned his vast eyes upon me with such a deep expression of -mild and sorrowful reproach, that I instantly felt as if I had made an -exceedingly flippant speech and had said far too much or much too little, -but he gave me no time to amend it. - -“We are much more sentimental than that,” he said; “our dead are not -cremated in the manner practiced on earth, but are totally disintegrated -by electricity, and turned into their component elements. No portion of -their substance is lost or dissipated, but the material is all conserved -and caused to form a new organism. The fashion originated many ages -ago, to use the materials to grow some common sort of a plant or shrub -from the seed, such as something resembling your grass or fern or some -cereal. This was done in the garden vats I have described to you. Plants -grown under these circumstances or any circumstances for that matter, -very often sprout or grow into forms differing slightly from the normal. -Taking advantage of this, our botanists have produced food plants having -a wonderful concentration of nourishing qualities in small compass and -accompanied by the least possible quantity of waste products. And in -like manner our undertakers have developed a great variety of plants to -be grown from the constituent materials of the dead. It was formerly -the fashion to preserve only a portion of the plants, thus grown. A few -leaves were distributed among the friends of the deceased and pressed in -herbariums for preservation. But the growing veneration for ancestors -and consideration for each other together with the prevalent belief -among us that we are formed in the very image of the Deity, finally -brought about the practice of preserving entire, the plants produced -by transmutation. Thus there is already a vast accumulation of these -vegetable representatives of deceased Lunarians, and our economists point -out that if this goes on, we will be compelled to constantly draw on our -natural food reserves, and that finally these will all be consumed and -everything eatable will at last become transmuted into these sacred and -inviolable forms. In short the living race will finally become transmuted -into dead dry plants. These arguments of the philosophers have as yet had -no effect on the people and their priestly leaders. They denounce the -philosophers as being unfaithful to the religion and traditions of the -race, and as advocating cannibalism. - -“They say: ‘you would reduce us to the level of the necrophagous -Earthlings, who from time immemorial have consumed the elements of their -ancestors and friends and enemies alike, with beastly indifference’.” - -“But,” I interrupted; “you know they are mistaken in this opinion of us. -Only a few savages on earth are man eaters.” - -“True,” said he, “but what they mean is, that from your manner of -disposing of the dead, when they become decomposed, their elements are -dispersed in the air and absorbed by the soil from which they pass into -plants and finally become your food. I have heard a Lunarian say he would -starve rather than eat a grain containing a molecule of nitrogen or -carbon, that had once formed a part of one of his ancestors.” - -“Well, I think that is the culmination of scrupulosity. I am glad such -phenomenal squeamishness does not exist on this planet.” - -“I do not defend it nor approve of it,” he replied, “any more than -you do. But still I think your complacent congratulations of your own -race rather out of place. You are quite as much under the dominion of -indefensible ideas as we. For example, you have an ancient book whose -doctrines and precepts you think you must accept and obey whether they -are agreeable and suitable or not, although the men who gave them, -have been dead two or three thousand years, while scarcely two of you -agree as to what the precepts are and each generation has a different -interpretation of them. You have a sect that believe that your Deity is -mortally offended with all who do not submit to be immersed under water, -while others think he will be satisfied with their having a few drops -sprinkled on the face. You have sects that believe your Deity is greatly -displeased to see people hopping around on their legs, or dancing as you -call it, while one sect employ dancing as the most satisfactory mode -of worshipping him. You have a sect that believe that pictures, music -and ornaments, and coats with collars that turn down are offensive to -the Deity, and who think he is best pleased with silent worship, while -others think he likes to be flattered in loud speeches and louder songs -addressed to himself, and that he is indifferent whether coat collars -stand up or lie down. You have a sect that believe that buttons on the -clothes are offensive to him and who therefore fasten their clothing -with hooks and eyes. All these sects and many more equally absurd, -get their various contradictory notions from the same book, and they -adhere to them with such tenacity that in many cases they would die -rather than give them up and would if they dared, murder other people -for not accepting them, and in times past have done so in thousands of -instances. In former times it was a common opinion, that your Deity had -an arch enemy called the Devil, who opposed, bothered and thwarted him -in the most provoking manner, and among other things inspired and aided -thousands of unattractive old women to turn themselves into wolves, cats -and other beasts and to become witches, and in these conditions to attack -and injure their neighbors and bring strange diseases upon them. For -these offenses these old women were judged by your sacred books and were -burnt by the thousand. And yet many of the men of this generation, while -still holding to the sacred books, have not only repudiated witchcraft, -but even the devil himself, and an attempt to burn a witch would now be -met by an insurrection. Then you have a sect, or a nation rather, of -people, who claim that they are the peculiar favorites of your Deity, -who chose them from among all the nations and set them apart as his own, -and ordered them to practice a certain peculiar mutilation on the bodies -of their children as an evidence and seal of his promises to them. No -one of these people would consider himself entitled to hold up his head -if it were not for his mutilation. Notwithstanding the claims of these -peculiar people are admitted by the rest, no people on earth have been so -despised, persecuted and maltreated as they. For over 2,000 years they -have been kicked and cuffed about the earth, robbed, driven repeatedly -from one country to another, and have never in all that time possessed -the sovereignty of a single township. Then again your race believe they -are made and formed in the very image and likeness of your Deity, yet you -conceal that likeness with garments as if ashamed of it, and such are -your notions of propriety that if a man should show this divine likeness -in public, naked or even half naked, he would be sent to prison, or a -mad house. And then consider the fashions of these garments. Those whose -business it is to make clothes, constantly demand changes in the fashion, -so as to secure more employment and profit for themselves, and whenever -certain ones, who have appointed themselves to be the leaders, say the -word, everybody feels obliged to procure new clothes of such sort as -these leaders require, notwithstanding those they already have may be -good, useful and becoming, and that those prescribed, may be hideous, -unsuitable and unhealthful. Many of you are actually so infatuated with -this bondage, that if you could not comply with its requirements, you -would regard life as of no account.” - -During the delivery of this tirade, the flashing eyes of my visitor -showed how much his feeling was enlisted in the subject and during the -whole time I continued to reproach myself for having started him off on -such a rampage, by an unlucky, if not impertinent remark of my own. I was -made to recall the adage that people who live in glass houses, should not -engage in throwing stones; and it was forcibly shown me how very much -“human nature” the Lunarians possess, since while he was willing to -point out, criticise and condemn the follies of his own people, he would -not allow an outsider to do it. I was greatly relieved when he paused -and gave me an opportunity to change the subject, which I did with a -precipitancy, that evidently amused him and brought back the good natured -expression that habitually possessed his eyes. In fact I believe that -the change I had observed was due to intellectual activity and was not -accompanied by any real feeling of resentment or passion. Said I, “One of -our wise men has expressed the opinion, that the people of the earth, are -“maistly fules,” and I believe that most other wise men agree with him. -So I beg you will waste no more of your precious time in arraigning our -race, but go on with your intensely interesting and instructive account -of your own race and your remarkable planet.” He thereupon goodnaturedly -resumed. - -“Organic existence must everywhere be to a great extent the same. The -elements that enter into the composition of organisms, are subject to -certain laws of chemical affinity, that demand their own conditions, and -will not operate when these conditions are absent. The chief of these -are furnished by the radiations of the sun in our solar system and no -doubt by those of the stars in other systems. These radiations impressed -upon organized materials become light and heat and where they are either -in excess or deficiency organic development is not possible. These -conditions obtain throughout the solar system, and no doubt in every -system composed of the same sort of elements. But of the solar system -we can speak with some confidence, for we have been able to visit a -considerable part of it. - -“The inhabitants of the different planets differ from each other in the -same way that the various animal races of earth differ from each other. -You have on earth four sub-kingdoms of intelligent animals; vertebrates, -articulates, mollusks and radiates. These have all been evolved from a -common worm-like ancestry, and each form possesses the potentiality of -receiving an equally high development, both physically and mentally. -The development of any of them in all cases depends upon the way they -are impressed by their surroundings and the proper surroundings can -develop high intelligence in either of the forms. On earth the highest -development has happened to the vertebrate branch, but with us the -articulates have always been the dominant branch, while the vertebrates -have never attained to a condition above that of your salamanders -and small lizards. The ascendant race with us as with you has always -contributed to keep the others in the background, by destroying the most -advanced and aggressive of them and pursuing them till none but the -smallest, weakest and most harmless of their tribe remain. Indeed until -this is done, the position of the ascendant race is not secure. Your own -race has had experience of this in the struggle with and subjugation of -other races. In the early history of the earth, it was for a long time -doubtful whether it was to be dominated by the human family or by a tribe -of reptiles. At that ancient period, a tribe of reptiles had become -developed that walked erect on their hind legs, and whose fore limbs -supported wings and terminated in excellent hands, having four fingers. -There were several related families of these animals, some of which were -almost or quite the equal of man in intelligence. The final triumph of -man over these advanced reptiles, was due to his superior compact social -organization. While they relied on their superior personal prowess and -often fought single handed, men always fought in bands, and hung together -in all their enterprises. The reptiles being finally vanquished and the -tribes most advanced and most to be feared having been exterminated, -the rest had two modes of escape. They could use their wings and thus -by flight keep out of the way of their enemies or they could hide by -crouching down in the grass and weeds and making themselves as small, -sly and inconspicuous as possible. Some pursued one of these courses and -some the other. The descendants of those that flew away gradually became -developed into the birds as you now have them; while those that resorted -to hiding and crouching down, were thus deprived of the opportunity to -use their limbs generation after generation and so the limbs gradually -became shrunken and useless, finally disappearing completely, or almost -so, causing the body to come down flat on its belly on the ground, and -thus were produced the serpents as you now have them.” - -“No doubt,” said I, “the serpents originated in that way. They formerly -possessed limbs, because many species still have the rudiments of them. -In some cases these remnants show themselves like little hooks on the -outside of the skin, while many others are covered up by the skin and are -not seen at all. But all that retrogressive adaptation by which they -lost their limbs, must have been practically completed before our race -possessed any semblance of their present form and condition.” - -“The earth,” he proceeded, “was full of contending races, and of course -the backset that was imposed on the snakes, was contributed to by others, -as well as men, but the latter were among the last and as regards the -particular family of reptiles in question, the most formidable and -effectual opponents. Some of your ancient traditions and literature -contain allusions to this contest, the reptile being styled _Nachash_. -You preserve an allusion to this ancient competition, in the legends of -the Devil, who represents the reptile, and is often called the serpent -etc. I recall this history, only to show you that the essential qualities -of predominance do not inhere in any particular animal form. Your planet -escaped the final domination of a reptile instead of a mammal, by only a -little. As you have already perceived the dominant race on our planet is -an articulate.” - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -Life In and On the Moon. - - -“I confess,” said I, “that you have demonstrated the possibility of -a development among the articulates quite equal at least to that of -mammals. You must have animals of some sort in your seas and lakes; what -do you do with them?” - -“We have some large soft bodied animals, something akin to your large -mollusks and others having a cartilaginous frame, but we have no bony -fishes. These animals are sometimes caught and turned into food products, -the same as other organic refuse, but never eaten directly, as we -are vegetarians. The amount of water surface on our planet is quite -small compared with yours. The seas are narrow, but of immense depth. -Indeed, some of them are known to have passages communicating directly -through the planet and connecting the waters of the exterior continent, -with those of the “Pocket”. The fluctuation of the tides takes place -bi-monthly, with enormous force through these “bores.” When the moon is -between the earth and sun the tide rises on the exterior continent, and -when on the opposite side, it rises in the interior continent, the amount -of the rise being very great in the neighborhood of these “bores,” but -inconsiderable elsewhere.” - -“Your climate I suppose is very different from ours—of course it must be.” - -“Yes certainly, and the climate of the interior continent differs -greatly from that of the exterior. On the polar regions of the exterior -continent, we experience the extreme change of seasons, that occur on -earth, from a very cold winter to a very hot summer—all in the space of -about 29½ of your days or 709 hours. In the equatorial regions, however, -the extremes are greatly tempered by the winds, which always blow toward -the position of the sun, by the great evaporation that takes place during -the day, and by the fact that the air of the equatorial belt is both -higher and denser than that in the polar regions. In many cases, the -upper air is charged with heavy clouds, that remain suspended all night -or all winter, as you choose, and these prevent the land from becoming -very cold.” - -“Vegetation must come on very rapidly during your little summers,” I -observed. - -“Yes, it does. We have grasses that grow from the sown seed and mature -their grains in eight days. But, we have others, whose habit requires -that they be sown about midwinter, and they are harvested in midsummer. -Other plants are annual, dropping their leaves soon after darkness sets -in and putting forth new ones again as soon as daylight returns. Our food -plants are, however, chiefly raised artificially in both the exterior and -the interior continents. The farms are often immense buildings covering -several acres and consisting of from ten to twenty stories, each story -comprising a farm. As our space can thus be multiplied indefinitely, and -as we can raise twelve or more crops a year in the same space, you see -a single acre can be made to be equal to one or two hundred. It is not -necessary to use this degree of economy of room in all cases, and so, -many farms consist of but a single story on the ground, and often on the -exterior continent only the suns rays are employed instead of electricity -to furnish energy for the growth of the crop. Even this method gives us -about 13 crops a year. The artificial methods are generally preferred, -however, as they are far more certain and reliable. In the interior -continent of course these methods prevail exclusively.” - -“It seems strange,” said I, “that the spaces in the interior continent, -should be great enough to hold any considerable population. We have on -earth some large caves, but put them all together and they would not -afford shelter for the inhabitants of a small city.” - -“The caves that are at present accessible to you, are small and due to -the action of water. All springs, by carrying out mineral matter in -solution from below the surface, are constructing caves, and much more -extensive ones than might be supposed. But those formed by the action of -volcanoes, your explorers have had little opportunity to study, and, but -few probably have any adequate idea of the sizes of the holes left under -the surface, by the ejection of materials by volcanoes. - -“Some of your scientists estimated that the volcano Krakatoa, in the East -Indies, during a couple of days in August, 1883, discharged a cubic mile -of materials. The volcano has had a great many eruptions in times past, -and has thrown out a great many cubic miles. The materials composing -the mountain itself, have all been thrown from its crater, and the same -thing has happened in the case of all the volcanoes on earth, of which -there are thousands. The spaces left in the crust of the earth by this -process, have amounted in the aggregate to hundreds of thousands of -cubic miles. Many spaces thus formed, have been filled again by melted -materials pressed up from below, by the pressure of the crust upon the -melted interior. But a vast amount of empty space yet remains and will -continue to be added to for millions of years to come. As the earth grows -older and colder, internally, the crust will become thicker and more -unyielding, so that as new subterranean spaces are formed by volcanic -activity, fewer of these will be filled up again and the final aggregate -of them will doubtless in time reach millions of cubic miles. The spaces -comprising the “Pocket” continent of the moon, above the sea level, are -estimated by us to amount to about 1,500,000 cubic miles.” - -“This then,” I observed, “must give you a continent in there of something -like 1,500,000 cubic miles, supposing the space to be a mile high.” - -“Yes, but that is not the shape of the interior. The ground floor of our -continent at or near the sea level is only about 800,000 square miles, -and it consists of thousands of separated chambers, varying from a few -rods to many miles in extent, and of every conceivable shape, some being -circular or oval, some long and narrow, and straight or crooked. There -are a great many of the long narrow sort, extending in some cases as much -as 400 miles, widening in some places to as much as ten miles and again -narrowing down to half a mile. These are nothing less than cracks in our -planet. They run in many directions, often intersecting each other, and -they extend far down toward the center and upward in some places eight -or ten miles before the sides arch together in a mighty dome. There are -water marks high up the sides of these great chambers showing the sea -level to have been much higher in ancient times than at present, and the -action of the water on the sides has greatly widened the spaces, the -materials being washed into the bottomless fissures, that extend toward -the center of the planet.” - -“How do you account for the changes in the sea-level?” I inquired. - -“As the moon cooled off, a great deal of water was taken up by the rocks, -while crystallizing and thus chemically united with them, a great deal -more was absorbed by them mechanically, by their pores, while a still -greater quantity occupies large fissures and chambers, penetrating in -all directions through the planet communicating with each other and -connecting the interior waters with those of the exterior continent. The -action of the water has greatly contributed, not only to the enlargement -of the spaces in the interior continent, but to the creation of a -pulverized soil and pleasing landscapes. The chambers that are inhabited, -are of course all connected with each other, but besides these, it is -quite certain there are great numbers of very extensive ones in the -masses of materials that bound the inhabited chambers. Artificial tunnels -are constantly being cut into these walls and so new countries are often -discovered and connected with the rest and opened for settlement. In -addition to those chambers that come down to the sea level the aggregate -of the area of which I told you is about 800,000 square miles, there -are vast areas situated at higher levels in the material, that bounds -the sea-level chambers. These elevated areas are at all heights from -one-fourth of a mile to four or five miles above the sea-level. There -are known to be many above these, but they are not habitable, on account -of lightness of the air. The elevated chambers are connected with each -other, and with the lower ones, by means of sloping passages at all -grades. In some cases chambers are located directly on top of the thick -roof of others and are reached by long and circuitous routes. In a number -of cases, the walls of sea-level chambers, after closing in almost -together to form an arch over them, widen out again above and thus form -other chambers above, and sometimes these stories continue one above -another until the surface of the hump is reached, where the openings -appear sometimes as channels, and at others, as circular craters.” - -“No doubt,” said I, “the craters that our astronomers see in such -vast numbers on this side of the moon communicate with your interior -continent.” - -“Yes they do.” - -“Then is it possible, that they sometimes see down to your interior -habitations? They report some of these craters, as appearing to be many -miles deep.” - -“They cannot see down to our habitations, for two reasons. In the first -place, although the craters connect with the vast labyrinth of passages -and chambers below, with few exceptions they bend and subdivide into -numerous dividing branches long before they get down to a habitable -level. In the second place there are perpetual clouds standing in -all those passages, that lead to the surface of the hump, at various -elevations of from two or three to eight or ten miles above the sea -level. Of course it is not possible to see down through these—nor up -through them either—except when they are cleared away for a special -purpose, as is done sometimes for the benefit of our astronomers.” - -“They sometimes look out through these craters then, do they? How do -they get rid of the clouds?” - -“I will describe one of the craters used by the astronomers for an -observatory. It is the shape of a funnel with a diameter at the surface -of the hump of twenty-five miles. From there it tapers rapidly inwards -till at a distance of about 29 miles below the surface, it has narrowed -down to a mile in diameter. This is the entrance, down to what was -originally a vast dome shaped chamber. This chamber is now filled to -the roof on one side, by material poured down through the funnel, while -on the other side the material consisting of volcanic ashes, scoria, -rocks etc., slopes down for three miles, the over-arching dome finally -closing down to it leaving only a few narrow passages through into other -chambers. Well up on this slope and nearly under the center of the great -funnel, our astronomers established their observatory. This is for the -special purpose of examining the earth, which is always in sight from -this point, and as it rolls itself over every twenty-four hours, without -apparently moving out of its tracks, it is seemingly on exhibition for -our sole benefit. As we revolve around it every month we are enabled to -see both poles alternately, while the whole of the equatorial parts can -be seen every twenty-four hours. - -“We are thus enabled to make far more complete and perfect maps of the -earth, than you have yourselves. We have powerful telescopes. The one at -the funnel observatory I am telling you of, can bring the earth within -forty miles.” - -“If it brought it eleven miles further it would stop up the funnel and -become invisible, wouldn’t it?” said I. - -His eyes expressed a slight gleam of humor, which I fancied was tinged by -a shade of compassion, as he recognized this for a joke, and then he went -on: - -“As to the clouds—they are cleared away whenever we wish, by means of -artificial thunder storms. Metallic conductors have been put in place -up the sides of the lofty chambers, and at the proper heights are fixed -with their poles pointing across the space, the positive on one side and -the negative on the opposite. Heavy electric discharges are then made, -the spark which is often one-fourth of a mile long traversing the cloud -and speedily condensing it into rain. The observatory, I have spoken -of, is too high to be often affected by clouds, but when the funnel is -hazy, it can soon be cleared out. There are several observatories on this -side of the moon situated like this one, and their chief business is the -examination of the earth, which is our most interesting celestial object, -and which can never be seen from the external continent, except at its -extreme east and west ends, from which position it is seen low down on -the horizon.” - -“It must be extremely handy,” said I, “to be able to produce a shower -whenever you wish. The formation of these clouds however presupposes -great evaporation.” - -“Yes, evaporation takes, place from the numerous sheets of sea water -in the various chambers, the aggregate of which is estimated at about -120,000 square miles. There is more or less of this sea water in -almost every one of the sea-level chambers. Besides the evaporation -from these bodies of water, more or less evaporation occurs from every -one of the industries in which water is used, and so the aggregate is -very considerable. But it is always nearly uniform in quantity, in the -interior continent. As the suspended moisture comes into contact with -the upper walls and roofs of the lofty chambers, it is being constantly -condensed, and the fresh water thus formed trickles down the walls and -slopes in drops, rills and brooks, and finds its way through the ground -and porous rocks. Many underground streams are formed that find their way -into the high-level chambers, which are thus supplied with pure water. -The inhabitants of others have supplied themselves by tunnelling through -into the upper parts of lofty chambers, that have their floors at the -sea-level, and thus they tap the clouds themselves.” - -“Our astronomers tell us that some of the Lunar craters are 60 or 80 -miles in diameter or even more, which indicates that an enormously -greater amount of volcanic action has taken place on the moon than on the -earth. How is that?” - -He replied, “Our opinion is this: The volcanic action in the moon -toward its close and final cessation, was enormous. The planet had -already been completely honeycombed by former convulsions and the seas -had poured themselves into the underground openings, until there was -almost as much water below the surface as above. This water kept up -a continual contention with the melted interior, resulting in still -greater explosions, sending out enormous quantities of volcanic matter, -forming cones in some cases twenty-five miles high and over 100 miles -in diameter. The enormous weight of these volcanic cones in many cases -proved too great to be supported by the crust, that separated them from -the interior cavities their materials had been blown out of, and so -they broke through—that is the central part of the cones broke through, -leaving a margin of their bases all around, standing like the walls of a -crater. But these are not the original craters, as you can see. If they -were, they would be on top of elevated cones of enormous height, which -they are not.” - -“This view appears to me very plausible and I feel the more interested in -the subject, because the idea constantly impresses itself upon me, that -the earth is repeating the history of the moon. According to our theories -of evolution the two bodies separated from each other, when they were in -the condition of hot expanded gases, and as the moon contained only 1/81 -part as much matter as the earth, it cooled down and became a habitable -world, many millions of years before the earth. Since you have been -talking to me, the impression has constantly grown upon me, that your -moon history is really an anticipation of our own, and it becomes the -more interesting on that account.” - -His eyes expressed extreme satisfaction, as he replied that he was glad -that I had seen that point. - -“We have in one of the provinces of the interior continent, an immense -university, devoted to the study of mundane affairs, past, present and -future. The duty is assigned me of holding a professorship in this -university, in the college of ‘Mundane Prognostication’. As this college -has been in operation for over 100,000 years, we have had abundant -opportunity to verify our system of prognostication, and you would be -surprised at the accuracy with which our predictions have been realized -in your history. Of course, we could have done nothing, but for the basis -our own history gave us to work on.” - -“Well,” said I, “I can’t say that I am sorry to know that my time will be -out long before the earth reaches the conditions that makes it necessary -for the inhabitants to retreat underground. These spaces below must -indeed be queer places to live in, for it don’t seem like they would be -exposed to storms, as if out of doors, and yet not cosy and homelike, as -if in a house, and I don’t see how they can be otherwise than cold damp -and gloomy—that is, viewed from the stand point of earth. Am I right?” - -“No,” he replied, “you are not. Those abodes, as we have them fixed up on -the moon, you would regard as more delightful than anything you have on -earth, and as equalling your dreams of paradise. There are as you suppose -no storms and no extremes of temperature. There is always a very light -breeze blowing, half the time in one direction, and half in the other. -This is caused by the action of the sun on the external continent, as -it progressively passes over it from east to west. There is always fog -and cloud at all the entrances to the interior continent that prevent -the radiation of heat and help preserve an even temperature within. All -the inhabited chambers are made as bright as sunlight by immense and -numerous electric lights, which are placed with reference to the best, -effects both from a utilitarian and an artistic point of view. They are -generally placed at great elevations, and are often arranged to imitate -the constellations of the heavens, so that looking up, one may see a -portion of the sky as he would see it from the external continent, and -by traveling about among the various interior provinces, he can see the -whole of it. In some of the chambers, the lights are made to represent -the members of the solar system and each one is caused to make the -movements properly, belonging to it, the whole constituting a planetarium -on an immense scale—in some instances—several miles in diameter and three -miles above the floor.” - -“I can well imagine the glory of such scenery and such possibilities,” -said I, “but I do not see by what mechanism you can accomplish such -results.” - -“You must remember,” he replied, “that we have resources, that your race -does not possess. With you a great many things would be practically out -of the question that with us are very easy. In the first place, we are -a flying race as you see, and this means a great deal on the moon’s -external continent, and still more in the internal continent, where on -account of the attraction of the earth and the hump, our weight is much -reduced without a corresponding reduction of strength. The fluttering and -flying about of crowds overhead is one of the pleasing features of our -life. - -“In the second place, the power of neutralizing the gravity of metals, -as I have explained to you, enables us to erect works miles above the -ground more easily than you do at the surface. In fact the works erect -themselves and the most we do is to tether them at the proper height -to keep them from going too far. When motion is required to be given -them, the globes of light are sometimes attached to a car that is made -to run on a single rail elliptical track, which may be suspended at any -elevation and reduced to a minimum weight by proper adjustments of its -gravitation, the light globe being either suspended from the car or -floating above it. The elliptical orbit is inclined enough to enable -gravity to propel the car. An automatic shunt turns on repulsion when -the car reaches the lowest part of the orbit and it is then forwarded on -the up grade portion, shunted again at the top and so on perpetually. -Another machine often used is a hollow cylindrical stem suspended from -the dome, having a series of wheels, concentric with the cylinder, one -above another and caused to revolve horizontally at different rates, by -clockwork inside the cylinder. Globes of light are suspended by long -wires to these wheels, which by their revolution, at varying rates, cause -the globes by centrifugal motion to describe large or small orbits as -desired. All sorts of eccentric and peculiar motions are imparted to the -globes by variations in the regularity of the revolutions of the wheels, -the spheres falling toward the center when the motion is slow and flying -outward when it is fast. The mazes of a cotillion are often imitated, -and the performance is called the ‘dancing of the spheres’. This is -also accompanied by music, sometimes by local bands situated on the -ground playing in concert with the movement, at other times by immense -instruments operated by the same machinery that drives the spheres. - -“It is not difficult for you to imagine the beauty and grandeur of some -of these overhead scenes. Of course the power used is electricity, and -it is used liberally and freely since its cost is merely nominal. Heat -as well as light is supplied through the same means and used for all -purposes, domestic, industrial and public. Our houses are very tasteful -and often highly ornamental. The architecture is light and graceful and -suited to a mild and quiet climate, for we have the pleasant air of -your tropics without their storms or excessive heat. A slight sprinkle -of rain is all we ever have in the shape of a storm in any part of the -interior continent, and these sprinkles are rendered periodical by -artificial means. There are no wide agricultural tracts with us, nor -densely populated cities, but the population is distributed in towns, -and continuous villages line the roads, each of which is devoted to some -principal productive industry. There are principal streets that run -miles, passing through and connecting these towns, and often bending -so as to make a complete circuit. The streets are wide and we are -always furnished with a number of rail tracks, and paved with a hard -smooth material—sometimes stone and sometimes iron or alumina. The only -vehicles used on the streets, besides the rail cars are light, private -and pleasure carriages, propelled by storage batteries. The roads that -unite the various internal provinces to each other and to the external -continent, are chiefly the gravity roads, that I have already described -to you. In some cases to save room, the roads are built in stories, one -track above another. The work shops and farms, are situated conveniently -near on streets parallel to the main thoroughfares, and their products -are conveyed from them, and their materials to them, on roads laid on -those streets.” - -“I should like to know something about your social and political -arrangements, your industrial economy and your form of government,” said -I. “If the government controls the increase of population, I suppose it -must control labor and production; and consumption too—how is that?” - -“The sort of control, which the government exercise is almost exclusively -advisory. There is no government control in the sense of the term as used -on earth. All productive labor is expended for the creation of common -property, to which, when created, every individual has equal title. -Not the slightest compulsion however is put upon labor, nor the least -prohibition upon consumption.” - -“Do you mean to say that nobody is obliged to work, and yet everyone can -take what he wants from the common stock?” - -“Yes.” - -“Then yours is an angelic race, truly. We have not anything like that on -this earth, and I reckon, we never will have.” - -“The human race, as a whole, is not yet like it, although the tendency is -certainly that way and it would be rash to predict it never will be, but -there are other and older races on earth, that you overlook. Consider our -relatives the Bees; did you ever see a lazy bee or one that wanted more -than a reasonable share of the common property?” - -“Yes,” said I, “it has become instinctive with them to work and their -wants are likewise, only such as instinct dictates.” - -“Instincts,” he replied, “are only crystallizations of reason. They are -habits become hereditary to such a degree that the person is liable to -fall into them with little or no teaching. I know that the people of the -human race pride themselves greatly on the assumed fact that they act -from reason, while other animals act from instinct, but the fact is, that -99 out of every 100 good acts that human beings perform, are done through -instinct or inherited disposition to do them, while only one is reasoned -out. And your teachers appear to understand that your instincts alone are -to be depended upon to produce good actions, since they always depreciate -and throw suspicion on good acts not done from the “heart” that is, not -done from instinct. They give little or no credit for such actions, -and strive by cultivation of the emotions to substitute disinterested -impulse or in other words instinct, for mere calculating reason. Now, -we Lunarians have long since passed this stage. Lazy Lunarians are -as impossible as lazy bees. To work is instinctive with us and so is -consideration for the rights and dues of the rest, and as everyone can be -relied on to obey his instincts, it is not necessary to watch any one to -keep him from plundering the public or shirking out of his duties.” - -“There have often been socialistic communities with us,” said I, “that -have endeavored to live on the principles you speak of. But their lives -have been of the most monotonous dead level sort. There is no chance -for individuality or for the development or exercise of the superior -talents, which some are certain to possess in a higher degree than -others. They are merely little despotisms and endure only while their -leaders are people of exceptional ability. We do not regard such a state -of society as desirable even if it could be made permanent. - -“With us,” he replied, “the greatest liberty is accorded to the -individual, but so well grounded is our predisposition to work for the -benefit of the community, that no one has any fear or suspicion that -another is not doing what he ought, or is able to do for the common -good. There are extensive colleges for art, literature, science and -invention, accessible to any according to their several tastes. If a -person thinks, for example, that he has the conception of a valuable -invention, he is admitted to the college of invention where there is -every facility and appliance for developing the idea and constructing the -machine or instrument. In these colleges there are depositories of models -something like your patent office, and professors are on hand familiar -with physics, chemistry and kindred sciences to advise and assist the -inventor. As they are all working for the good of all, the inventor is -not afraid his idea will be stolen, he finds the assistance he gets -invaluable, and is often saved the useless labor of doing something -that has been done already or attempting something in contravention -of the principles of physics and therefore impossible. An invention, -when made, is the property of the public, and if it lightens labor in -any direction, it allows it to take on greater activity in some other -direction. - -“All articles that can be produced in quantities by machinery are -distributed to everybody desiring them, but individual works of art as -great pictures and statuary and rare and curious things, are placed in -public art galleries, libraries etc., accessible to all.” - -“Well,” said I, “this is extremely pretty and no doubt it works all right -with you wise Lunarians, but I cannot help imagining what sort of a mess -we should make of it on earth, if we adopted the same policy. I admit -that many of us are workers by instinct or at least a semi instinct, that -controls us after some habit got by practice, and it is also instinctive -with us to care for the young and those who are helpless from disease -or old age, but there are plenty of people with whom it is equally -instinctive never to do a lick of work if they can help it, and at the -same time their instincts allow them to help themselves to the proceeds -of the labor of others without any limit, except that of forcible -restraint.” - -“The trouble with you,” said he, “is that you have no control over the -production of your people. You are like the civilized Indians, that once -inhabited some of the western parts of your country, who were constantly -threatened and invaded and finally exterminated by wild and barbarous -neighbors, except that they were physically too weak to help themselves. - -“It is true your civilization is now in little danger from foreign -savages, but you allow yourselves to be steadily invaded by fresh -generations, of them born in your midst, and the crudeness and injustice -of your political and social conditions, are such as to give but -slight encouragement to the development of the unselfish instincts in -anybody. Wealth carries power and power commands respect. Your wealth is -distributed without justice, sometimes by accident and to those who are -merely lucky, at other times to those who are simply selfish greedy and -unscrupulous, and generally least to those who create it, and so luck and -greed become prominent objects for your attention and emulation. How very -young your race is and how much you have to learn!” - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -“Mundane Prognostication”—The Profile of Time. - - -“You said something about a college of “Mundane prognostication,” you -have on the moon where you study our affairs and forecast our future. -I should be infinitely gratified to know what your learned college has -figured out for us—if it is no secret.” - -“It is no secret at all,” he answered, “and I shall be glad to give you -such insight in your future, as our profiles in their present condition -afford.” - -With this he drew from a receptacle something like a pocket under his -right lower wing, a cylindrical roll of paper three inches in diameter, -and ten inches long, exactly resembling a roll of profile paper, such as -civil engineers use in plotting the profile of a survey for a railroad. -Familiarity with such things together with the idea that he intended -handing it to me, caused me almost involuntarily to reach out for it, but -he retained it in his own hands and began with great dexterity unrolling -it, holding the scroll in his right hand, while with his left he rolled -up again the unrolled end. As he held these two rolled ends in his front -hands a yard apart with that length of the profile open between them, he -used his middle pair of hands to point out the various marks and lines -on the paper to which attention was directed. I could not help observing -what a vast advantage one has with four hands instead of two. When we -hold a profile thus, there is nothing left to point with, but the nose. - -In plotting the profile of a railroad survey, the engineer uses paper -several feet long and 8 to 12 inches wide, covered with fine horizontal -lines, running the whole length of it and ruled so close together, that -there are from 20 to 50 lines to the inch. Then there are other lines -drawn across the paper at right angles to the first, and one-fourth -of an inch apart. These last represent distances of 100 feet each; or -“stations;” while each of the spaces between the horizontal lines is -called a foot. Having the survey of a line of stations with the relative -height of each, ascertained by a leveling instrument, the line is plotted -on this paper so that its distance from the lower edge of the paper at -each station corresponds with the height of the ground at that station. -The irregular line thus formed is a fac simile of the surface of the -ground with its vertical undulations and irregularities. The engineer -then draws a grade line on this profile of the ground, that indicates -the position of the surface of the road bed, as he intends it to be when -finished. In some places this line is above the ground line and this -indicates that here is to be a fill. In other places it runs below, and -this shows a cut. - -Now the profile that the Lunarian Professor of “Mundane Prognostication” -held in his multiple hands (I shall call him the Professor hereafter) -very much resembled in appearance that just described, except that -instead of only one there were several profiles on this one strip of -paper, one above another. In each one there was the irregular surface -line accompanied with the more or less straight grade line showing -cuts in some places and fills in others. The professor explained -these profiles to be graphic exhibits of the state of various human -institutions and conditions as they appeared during a continuous term of -time beginning in the past, and extending into a far distant future. - -After examining these profiles a short time, I had little difficulty -in getting the ideas intended to be conveyed by them. They will be -readily understood without much explanation. Thus the line of “muscular -development” is shown in the remote past as being almost up to grade, but -as gradually falling below it in the course of time, then rising again -and coming almost to the grade line about the year 2500, but after that -gradually falling away again. Selfish instinct, which has always shown -heavy cutting, comes down nearly to grade, about the year 7200. While -altruistic instinct that regards the common welfare and has been below -grade, always, but at times higher than at present, is seen to rise and -come to grade about the same time. Health has always shown a fill, often -a large one, but gradually rises almost to grade about the year 2500. -Crime has always been a cut, but disappears in the future about the same -time as theology. - -_Peace_, which is a condensation or composite of all the rest and the -end for which they all exist, has always been a fill and always must be -until human actions become absolutely instinctive and unconscious, which -they never can do until men have been acted upon and molded by habit by -every stimulation possible to their environment. Reasoned acts are those -which arise from stimulations, that are new or unusual to us, and new -stimulations will continue to come as long as knowledge increases or -continues to be pursued, or to be thrust upon us. If the accumulation -of knowledge should stop, actions would finally become instinctive, and -unconscious. This would be complete absence of misery, and also absence -of happiness, but perfect peace. So the grade line of Peace is a dead -level. Above it is the ragged line of misery always a great cut, and -below it is the line of happiness always a fill, somewhat lighter than -the cut above the line, and terminating in grade soon after it. - -I inquired of the Professor, the principle, upon which predictions -of the future were worked out. He replied, that the principles were -exceedingly simple, although the actual working out of any scheme of the -future involved the consideration of such a vast number of details and -conditions, as to render it a labor of magnitude. “Prediction,” said -he, “is only past history, projected forward. If we know precisely what -happened in the past, our knowledge will include the antecedent causes -of the events. Events beget events, and they succeed each other as one -generation succeeds another. Knowing the character and condition of -one generation and the modifications that have been made in it by its -environment, we have the principal data for estimating the character of -its successor and so on. The principal uncertainty we encounter, is in -the prediction of changes in the environment itself. Thus the invention -of a self portable power like steam made the invention of railroads -possible and the construction of railroads completely changed the -environment of the succeeding generations. - -“Now it is difficult to forecast just what particular turn invention -will take, but it is not impossible, because inventions constitute -a race with generations one begetting another. Knowing all that is -known to-day makes it possible to see what this knowledge will lead to -to-morrow. The trouble is for one to know all that is known. As I have -already mentioned, our own Lunarian history greatly aids us in our -study of your future, for we have passed through an experience, which, -while it is different from what yours has been or will be, is parallel -and comparable with it. And making due allowance for the difference in -physical structure of the two races and considering that we are 500,000 -years older than you, we have only to consult our past in order to get -your future, or something much like it, for many generations to come.” - -“These profiles of yours, Professor,” said I, “are evidently the result -of much learned detail work and they are of extreme interest and value -to the philosophical and scientific student. But to common people the -details themselves are more interesting, because they are more easy to -be understood and come nearer to the common life. Could you not favor -me with some of the future history of our planet and especially of the -United States and of the State of Minnesota. Any of the facts that you -have prognosticated and from which you have deduced the generalizations -that you embody in your profiles, would be of great interest.” - -He seemed a little disappointed at this request, as no doubt his habits -of thought had made him familiar with and attached to the comprehensive -and wholesale treatment of these questions, and he looked upon the -detailed story as a means to an end and containing but little interest in -itself. But it is easier to generalize from details, than to construct -the details. However he complied, observing that he would be compelled -to get these details in part from his memory, which however would be -prompted and refreshed by the general profile he held in his hands. - -“I will take my stand,” said he, “at about the year 2,000 of your era, -and then by looking forward and backward along these lines, I think I -can recover the principal factors that have entered into their make-up. -This will also allow me to give you the descriptions in the past tense as -events that have been accomplished up to that time and from that date we -will also look forward, for the events subsequent to it.” - -It occurred to me that he must be tired of holding the profile so long -between his outstretched hands and so I offered to hold it for him -awhile, or at least hold one end of it. At that he shifted the rolls from -his front to his middle pair of hands, by which maneuver he gave me to -understand that he had abundant resources for resting himself without -outside help. How I did envy him that extra pair of hands. - -He then began as follows: - -“The close of the 19th century, was remarkable as being a turning point -in American affairs and the beginning of a new era. Previous to that -time the United States had been a nation very much to itself. It had -kept aloof from the politics of the rest of the world and had no policy -in regard to it except to prohibit European nations from meddling in -affairs of the western hemisphere or acquiring any further possessions -in it. But before the century was out public opinion was accustoming -itself to the idea that the foremost nation of the earth ought to take a -more active and influential part in the general affairs of the world. -The first thing designed to give weight to the influence of the country -was the development of a powerful navy. It is power that inspires the -consideration and respect of others. It was a favorite idea with many of -the leaders of political thought that arbitration might become the last -resort in the settlement of international disputes instead of the ancient -plan, by which the contestants temporarily laid aside such civilization -as they might have acquired, reduced themselves back to barbarism in -murdering each other, destroying property, plundering commerce, and often -spending more money several times over than the matter in dispute was -worth. But even these statesmen saw that a plan favoring peace would come -with much more force and authority from a nation having power to enforce -it by war, and so all were glad to see the great navy built. - -“As the public lands became transferred to private ownership and -prices steadily went up, attention was turned to the sparsely settled -territories of neighboring countries, and the elements of a great party -in favor of their annexation were developed in the ranks of all the -parties, at the same time the theories of the land tax advocates received -additional attention, especially from mechanics and the manufacturing -classes. They reasoned that the increase in the value of land ought to -belong to the state instead of to the people who had bought the land, -and if the state had that increase, the interest on it would support -the government and taxes could be abolished. The enormous amounts -raised by taxation came at last from labor, they said, part of it in -the way of tariffs on goods imported and consumed by workers and part -by direct taxation on the products of labor and even on the means and -appliances—tools shops and factories—by which wealth was produced. -This mode of taxation they said was, as far as it went, a ban placed -upon industry and a penalty upon the creation of wealth. They proposed -therefore to take all the taxes off from the products of labor and seize -the rents of land or so much of them as might be required for the support -of the government, in that way getting the interest on the increase in -the value of the land that had taken place since it passed into private -hands and which they denominated “unearned increment.” This agitation -began in your day—you must remember it.” - -The expression “in your day” had at first a singular effect on me. I -had quite unconsciously but thoroughly entered into the spirit of the -Professor’s method and had gone forward with him to the year 2,000 -and followed closely his discussion of things that happened 100 years -ago—from that standpoint. The sudden realization that my day had gone by, -was startling—“Yes,” I said to myself, “that is so, ‘my day’ has gone -by, my existence has been continued over a space during which I have not -lived. Memory has nothing to say of it. It is as if I had slept it away. -Well if one is asleep, one day to him, is as 1,000 years—aye, eternity! - -“What can hurt him who is asleep? Nothing, unless it wakes him up.” - -All this flashed through my brain in an instant and then my attention -suddenly returned to what the Professor had been saying. “Remember it? -Yes I remember it well. In my day there was a society in Minneapolis -called, I think the Single Tax League, devoted to this agitation. Their -ideas were those of Henry George, as set forth by him in his able book -called: ‘Progress and Poverty.’” - -“Yes, well, to the labors of this persistent and aggressive society -are to be attributed in a great measure, the radical change in ideas -of political economy that soon came about. After much discussion, -petitioning of the legislature, agitation in the newspapers, the -organisation of auxiliary societies, the presentation of the subject in -labor associations etc., the working classes in the cities and even the -landless laborers on farms were persuaded that their interests lay in -the abolition of all taxes, except those on land. It was not long before -these classes constituted a majority by reason of the rapid growth of -the cities. As soon as they found themselves in power, they proceeded -to get the constitution of the state amended to enable the legislature -to release all classes from taxation except those who possessed land. -In your day, about half the taxes had been raised from land and the -other half from the buildings and improvements on the land and from -personal property. It was estimated that relieving the latter half, would -simply double the tax on land and so make it about four per cent on its -valuation. It was argued that the farmer would experience no change at -all, because the additional tax put upon his land would no more than -equal that taken off his houses, barns, stock and tools. The only persons -who would lose by the single tax would be the speculators, who held -unimproved land and were waiting for the labor and improvements of their -neighbors to raise its value, so they could sell out and get an increase -in value which they had done nothing to earn. As these people were looked -upon as a sort of parasites, they were not regarded as having any rights -in the matter that need to be respected. All that was necessary in -their case was simply to out-vote them. The benefits of the new system -it was expected would fall upon the industrial classes especially and -directly, but would be shared by all. Manufacturing industries relieved -of the repression of taxation, would bound forward like a spring suddenly -released. Nothing would any longer artificially limit the production of -wealth and the great stimulation it would receive would result in making -even articles of luxury so common as to place them within the reach of -everyone. - -“The land speculating class, while admitting that the rest of the people -would be benefitted by the single tax, claimed that it would be done at -their expense and unjustly. They had bought the land and paid for it and -the state had got the money. With this money, and the interest on it, the -state had built the university, the state capitol, the penitentiary, the -charitable institutions and innumerable school houses. In other words, -they had given the state the interest on their money and taken in lieu -of it the anticipated increase in the value of the land. Moreover, they -had paid taxes on the land as they would have done on the money, if -they had retained it. And so they maintained that the increment in the -value of the land was not unearned. It was simply the interest on their -money which would have brought a like profit if it had been invested in -mining manufacturing, banking or steamboating. They admitted that in some -cases this profit had been greater than that derived from other sorts -of investments, but in many cases it was far less. They said the single -tax meant a confiscation of the land and the resumption of it by the -state that had once sold it; because it would very soon, if not from the -first, take the entire amount of the rent which would make the fee of the -land worthless to the owner. It would no longer be possible to mortgage -it or to sell it and the owner would lose his investment and be reduced -to a mere tenant, who could hold it only as long as he paid the rent to -the state the same as any other tenant, and if it were unimproved, the -owner would have no inducement to pay the rent and would simply abandon -it. In view of that, they said, that the state should at least pay back -the purchase money it had received with interest at the rates prevalent -during the time that she had possessed it, or failing that, she should -postpone so radical a change or make it gradual by annually increasing -the assessment upon land and diminishing it upon other property, and thus -consume at least thirty years in making the transfer complete. - -“The impatience of the tax reformers would not allow any such -postponement as this. They said they did not propose to wait a whole -generation to have this wrong made right. - -“They said the state never had any right to sell the land in the first -place. The people’s ownership therein was inalienable and any pretended -sale was void the same as the sale of the property of a minor for taxes, -or the sale of a stolen horse. The real owner had a right to take his -property wherever he could find it, without compensation to the pretended -owner who happened to be in possession as a party to a fraudulent sale. -So they held that the people could take possession of their land if they -saw fit, but they agreed that it would be better policy, to leave the -claimants in possession and merely take all the rents except a small -percentage to be left in the hands of the claimants as compensation to -them for collecting and paying over said rents to the state. These rents -moreover were to be called taxes instead of rents. - -“The majority having without serious effort brought about a -reconciliation between their logic and their interests, proceeded to -put their conclusions into operation. The constitution of Minnesota was -amended in due course and the new plan put into execution with much -growling and protest on the part of the land owners, but without violence -or serious trouble, all the rest of the country looking on with great -curiosity. - -“The effects very soon began to show themselves. Nearly the whole tax -being removed from shops and factories, profits and manufacturing -became at once very considerably enhanced. This induced numbers of -manufacturers to emigrate from other states and from Europe to Minnesota, -and so the population and wealth of the cities increased with unexampled -rapidity. By the year 1925, the population of Minneapolis had reached -1,780,000 and that of St. Paul, was over half as great.” - -“Then,” said I, “the cities must have grown solidly together and formed a -continuous town.” - -“Not at all,” he replied, “University and Como avenues, became continuous -streets, with good residences. But both cities became compactly built up -with tall and substantial buildings for offices, dwellings and factories. -Nearly everybody that paid rent lived in flats. These buildings were ten -to 16 stories high, fire proof, furnished with elevators, electric heat -and light. In connection with many of them, were cook shops, in which -the tenants could get their provisions cooked at cheaper rates than they -could do it themselves, and save their own time for other employment. A -great many women who in your day, would have been kept at home all day -to cook the meals for a small family were enabled to seek profitable -employment in various kinds of shops factories and offices, or had their -time for recreation or leisure. - -“Cooking became a regular profession and people no longer cooked -for themselves to any greater extent than they doctored themselves. -Kindergartens were likewise attached to these great co-operative -dwellings, in which those too young to go to school, were looked after in -the absence of their parents. - -“As mechanics and people of moderate incomes could live not only -cheaper, but far better in these buildings, than in separate homes at -long distances from the business and industrial centers, as well as -enjoying far better opportunities for society amusement etc., they soon -came to adopt that sort of life exclusively and separate residences -continued to be maintained only by the rich. The growth of the cities -continued for many years to be confined to the large spaces that in your -day were left vacant far within the corporate limits. People owning -such property, were anxious to get it improved so as to get their taxes -back in the rents of buildings. Those owing suburban lands and lots -soon found that it would be useless to improve them as people would not -occupy them till all the more central lots were occupied. Much dispute -arose as to the way in which such property should be taxed. At first the -assessments of valuation on the lands were as high, as they had been -before the adoption of the single tax plan. But it was soon found that -the land no longer possessed such value. The value had been prospective -or speculative, and people had paid as tax far more than the land would -rent for, and held it and paid taxes on it for what it was expected to -bring in the future. But now so much of the speculative value was taken -out of this suburban land that the owners refused to pay the taxes in -many cases, and nobody would buy it at the tax sales because the tax was -more than the rent for agricultural purposes, and to buy for the future -was like leasing property and paying rent on it for some years before -occupying it.” - -“But,” I interposed, “the single tax people in Minneapolis disclaimed the -intention of taking a full rental of the land in the way of taxes, but -only enough to support the government, and thought that four per cent of -its value would do that. As money was then worth 6 per cent and rents -would average about the same the owner would clear 2 per cent. This they -said would be sufficient to make the owner retain his interest in the -property.” - -“Yes,” he answered, “that was their notion, but the events turned out -very differently. - -“When the tax was two per cent and the rents, six per cent, the owner -got clear the equivalent of six per cent on two thirds of the value of -the property. But when the tax was increased to 4 per cent, he got the -equivalent of six per cent on only one third of it. Thus his net income -being reduced to one-half of what it was, the selling and buying value of -the land was likewise reduced one-half. This made no difference to the -tenant paying rent, he still had to pay the same, but, two-thirds instead -of one-third now went to the state. But within the corporate limits -of Minneapolis, St. Paul and other cities, there was a great amount -of unused land, that produced no rent. This unused land constituted -about three-fourths of the total areas of those cities and represented -one-third of their total land valuation. The very first assessment of -the new tax was the signal for the reduction in the value of all this -property, fifty per cent or more at once, and every acre was immediately -thrown upon the market. By the time of the next assessment the assessors -were obliged to recognize this depreciation, and so all this land was -returned at half or less than half of what it had been. The loss of -tax money thus sustained had to be made up by a higher rate, and the -second levy was placed at 5 per cent instead of 4 per cent. This worked -a further reduction in the values of unoccupied lots and by the time of -the third assessment these lots were estimated as having only the value -of farm or garden lands; and so it became necessary to still further -increase the rate of taxation, which was now established at six per cent. - -“In the meantime it began to be discovered that the owners of improved -lots had lost all the money they had invested in them. A certain person -who had bought a lot on Nicollet ave., for $40,000 and erected a building -on it at a cost of $40,000 more, did not for two or three years discover -any great difference in his tax, because although it was transferred -from the building to the lot the whole amount was nearly the same. But -after the tax assessment reached six per cent, the building was burned -down just after the expiration of the insurance policy. The gentleman -thought he had lost half of his property by neglecting the insurance, -but in reality, he had lost it about all. He could not mortgage the lot -for enough to build a house, nor even for enough to pay one year’s tax. -Nor could he sell it for one-tenth of what he gave. It was his only on -condition that he continued to pay a full rent for it and this he could -not do unless he could rebuild. Even if he rebuilt, his net income would -be only the interest on the cost of the building, he would get no return -for the lot, or at best, but little. Thus the owner found himself no -better off than a lease holder. He simply had the first right to pay -the rent for his lot in the way of tax. And so it came about that if an -owner could not immediately build something on his lot that he could -rent to advantage, he simply defaulted on his taxes. The selling of -vacant property for taxes became impossible except those lots wanted for -immediate improvement, and not even those if several years’ taxes were in -arrears. So the collection of back taxes became impossible on all vacant -property. - -“The effect of the single tax on farming land was much the same. Not -over seven-tenths of the arable land in the state was under actual -cultivation. Large tracts were held by nonresident speculators. When -the increased tax came to be levied, these lands were all thrown on the -market. The depreciation in prices of these lands at first brought a -considerable access of population, but this soon became checked, because -the farmers found that on account of the loss of taxes on these lands, -the rates had to be increased and the additional burden fell on the -resident farmers. These in almost all cases owned considerable land they -did not cultivate, but were saving for speculation or for their children. -Often a farmer owing 160 acres, cultivated, but 40. As the burdens fell -heavier on this class, they commenced throwing up the uncultivated parts -of their farms, so that from these various causes in a few years almost -three-fourths of the arable land was without claimants, and of course -yielded no taxes. The farmers, then found themselves greatly reduced in -wealth, the lands they had counted on as belonging to them, now being -thrown out as commons; and even for the acres they cultivated they paid -more in the way of taxes than would have been considered a fair rent -in Wisconsin or Iowa. Their net wealth was in fact reduced to their -buildings, live stock, and tools. - -“The lands themselves, they could neither sell nor mortgage. It was -not practicable under these conditions to compete with the farmers in -adjoining states, and so in a few years, the markets of Minneapolis and -St. Paul came to be supplied chiefly from adjoining states. Many of the -farmers ruined and disgusted, gathered up what they could and left the -state. Others moved into the cities, which were booming, and went into -other business. - -“There now began to come into the rural districts of the state, two -classes of settlers or rather occupants of a different character. The -first of these were drovers with herds of cattle from adjoining states. -They drove their cattle about from place to place, over the abandoned -lands, but never settled anywhere and as cattle were not taxable, and -they claimed no land, they paid no taxes. They also escaped taxes at -their legitimate homes in other states, because their cattle were -conveniently away at assessing time. - -“The other class of new occupants that came in, were poor squatters. -These brought little or no capital, and no enterprise or ambition beyond -enough to supply the essentials of existence. A family of this kind -would alight on an unoccupied spot, construct a cabin or a dug-out, -cultivate four or five acres of grain and potatoes, and eke out the -rest of a living with a few cows and pigs. Little or no tax could be -collected from them, and of course little or no public improvements, such -as schools, bridges, roads etc., were accomplished where they squatted -in any considerable force. In short, it gradually came about that the -inhabitants of the rural districts did but little more than sustain -themselves. And the state ceased almost entirely to be an exporter of -agricultural products. The cities however suffered nothing on this -account. They got their supplies largely from the neighboring states, -and they became large producers and exporters of manufactured articles, -competing in that respect with some of the famous manufacturing towns of -Europe; and they became enormously wealthy. - -“The question of taxation was however always a difficult one. The lands -near the centers of the towns of course were the most valuable. But lands -were never sold—only the buildings—and any given lot came to be valued -by the kind of building and the amount of business on it. So assessments -finally had to be fixed by an arbitrary rule—the rates decreasing at a -fixed ratio according to distance from the center of greatest business -activity. The rule had a tendency to verify itself by compelling the -most valuable business to be done in the places subject to the highest -rates, since the less valuable could not afford it. By this rule the -rates in the suburbs were low, and since the buildings paid no tax, it -often happened that a millionaire living in a $100,000 house paid little, -if any more than a laborer living in a $300 shanty. But in the course -of time it came to pass that notwithstanding the general prosperity, -there were many who were wretchedly poor, made so by bad management, -extravagance, indolence, ill health, dissipated habits, disappointment -and ill luck. These became squatters in the vacant lands around the -outskirts of the cities. They paid no rent and no taxes. It was found -that it was useless to evict them as nobody could be found with money -who could gain anything by paying their taxes, as long as there was -plenty of unoccupied land. There also came to be a positive sentiment -against eviction of the poor and so this non tax-paying class constantly -increased and finally included many who were able to pay, but who shirked -out, satisfying their consciences by the plea that the government had -no right to discriminate, and exempt some and not others. These ideas -expanded and finally crystallized into a political creed to the effect -that a poor man ought not to be taxed for a spot on which to exist and -bring up his family. Thus it came about that neither the very poor; nor -the very rich whose property was chiefly in fine buildings, stocks, bonds -and other personal effects, paid any considerable amount of the taxes. - -“The taxes were paid by such of the farmers as had still too valuable -improvements to justify their abandonment, and by the mechanics and -merchants whose business and whose residences were packed in tall -buildings on small areas of ground in the cities. - -“The great stimulation of the growth of the Minnesota cities, and their -apparently great prosperity, attracted the attention of the whole world -and aroused the spirit of emulation in the cities of the United States -and of the northern states in particular. In most of the northern states, -the city populations controlled the politics of the states, and there -developed a violent mania for following the example of Minnesota. There -was much opposition from the conservative classes, and the people were -warned that a policy that might benefit a small section of the nation, -was not necessarily good for all. But it was held by many to be simply a -measure of self defense for cities to compel their states to adopt the -single tax, since those where this was done, not merely flourished, but -flourished at the expense of those who remained under the old method. For -they attracted from them, their manufacturing establishments and this was -naturally followed by their wholesale trade. The result was that in a few -years, all the northern states and several of the southern states adopted -the single tax. The effect was not so marked in those that came into the -plan among the last; but the first experienced much the same stimulation -and rapid growth that distinguished the Minnesota towns, so that in a -few years the majority of the population had crowded into the cities. -This effect was brought about by the action of two causes. The first -cause was the superior attractions of the cities as places for profitable -employment and as places for the enjoyment of life. The cities rapidly -became socialistic in their policy, and constantly extended the scope -of the functions of the government. The municipality soon acquired the -ownership of the lighting plants, the water works and street car lines. -These were run at first as speculative enterprises, the cities selling -light and water to private individuals, but the people soon demanded that -these things should be free as the public libraries, schools, university -and parks, were in your day. And this was gradually brought about, the -cities furnishing at first so much water and so much light and so many -street car rides free to each person, and at last taking off all limits, -only making the citizen responsible for unreasonable waste. Then the -populace demanded free amusements and entertainments and these were -provided in the form of the concert, lecture, theater, circus etc. All -these things cost money and the tax rates kept getting higher and higher. -These were paid in the form of rents on the land, the buildings stood on -and of course at once transferred to the rents paid by tenants for rooms, -flats, shops, stores etc. Rents soon became higher than they had ever -been known before the adoption of the single tax. To lighten these rents -in the cities, it was now proposed to increase the rents of lands in the -country.” - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -Confiscation of Lands. - - -“The former owners of these lands had now been practically dispossessed. -Many of them had gone to the cities and engaged in more profitable -business than farming. Many who were mortgaged had been sold out, -bankrupted and ruined, and had settled down into the condition of -peasants. The lands were now regarded as the property of the state. -This process of the transfer of the lands to the state went further in -Minnesota than the other states, because she was the first to adopt the -new plan of taxation. After the other states adopted it, the advantage -their farmers had over those of Minnesota was lost. Rents under the name -of taxes were levied, farming rendered unprofitable and the uncultivated -portions of the land abandoned by their owners. The few southern states -that did not go into this new plan could not reap much advantage from -their position, because their products were different from those of -the northern states and could not replace those whose cultivation was -repressed. - -“Agricultural products fell off to such an extent, that in a few years -the United States ceased to be an exporter of them. The cities having -gained control of the states, it came to be a political theory that -each state was a community, and that the lands abandoned or forfeited -for taxes belonged to the Community and therefore came indirectly under -the control of the cities. From this position it was an easy step to the -idea that the taxes—or rents as they were designated—of the “people’s -lands” might be spent where most beneficial to the majority, that is, in -the cities. It was attempted to be pointed out by the more conservative -that this was class legislation. But the radical progressives replied -that it was in line with the theory of the single tax which was class -legislation if anything could be. And they asserted that the adoption of -the single tax carried with it an endorsement of the principle of class -legislation when demanded by the interests of the majority. Whether their -reasoning was sound or not they carried the day, and a great stride was -taken toward the centralization of power and population. It now happened -that when more money was wanted it was raised, not by increasing the -rents of city lots, but those of farming lands, and after a time the -principle revenues came to be derived from them. Although the exportation -of grain, flour, beef etc., had practically ceased, still the people -had to eat and their food had to be raised on the land. The business of -farming gradually took on entirely new features. Large operators took -large tracts on lease from the state at prices determined periodically -by appraisement fixed in proportion to the needs of the state. Lands -taken on these terms were guaranteed to be kept free from the competition -of squatters, so that the lands remaining vacant were cleared of -squatters, or else the latter were restricted to a mere garden patch. -Thus the country was no longer occupied by farmers residing on the lands -with their families as in former times. The agricultural districts were -inhabited only by a poor and thriftless class of peasants and during the -summers by the employes of the large contract farmers who made their -headquarters and resided with their families in the cities. In the -winter, only such hands as were required to care for the stock remained -in the country, the rest all flocking to the towns. - -“One result of the increased rentals charged for the agricultural lands -appears not to have been anticipated. That was the great rise in the cost -of food. Of course the rents of the lands were simply added to the cost -of the production of grain and other foods, and finally were paid by the -consumer. It came to be seen after a time that the public revenues raised -out of the agricultural lands were finally paid by all the people in -proportion—not to their wealth or ability, but to their appetites and the -amount they consumed—so that a laboring man with a vigorous appetite paid -more to support the state than a dyspeptic millionaire. And a poor man’s -family of six or eight ravenous offspring contributed many times as much -as the scanty and sickly progeny of the exclusive aristocrat. It speedily -became a cause of great dissatisfaction and disappointment when the poor -and the working classes found out that the fine promises of the single -tax had so far failed that instead of lightening their burdens it had -increased them. And that the confiscation of the lands of the farmers -instead of adding to the prosperity of the common people had increased -the already plethoric wealth of the rich. A school of politicians now -arose who declared that the taxation of land was the taxation of the -poor man’s bread and butter and was all wrong. Instead of farming land -paying the bulk of the taxes they said it ought not to pay any. Every -facility and encouragement ought to be given for the production of cheap -food. People ought not to be taxed on what they consume, but on what -they save. Neither labor nor the laborer should be taxed, they should be -made as free and unhampered as possible for the production of wealth. -But when wealth was once produced then it should be taxed wherever found -and a necessary portion of it taken as the revenue of the state. The -laboring classes were in a mood to listen to this logic whether sound or -not. The lands having passed out of private hands, however, there was -no disposition to allow them to pass back to them again. And the new -party advocated state superintendence of the lands and free occupancy by -private individuals of such amounts as each could actually cultivate to -advantage. As the population and demand for land increased, the amounts -allotted to individuals was to be cut down proportionally, and a grade -or standard of cultivation and quantity of production was to be exacted, -and the state was to fix the prices at which the products were to be -sold. Eventually it was proposed that the state should be the purchaser -and distributor of these products so that speculation in them should be -prevented. The advantage possessed by some on account of their nearness -to market would be equalized by the state paying a less rate for their -products than for those further away. - -“Taxes for revenue were then to be levied upon every piece of personal -property that could be found of every sort whatever including buildings. -In the cities a graded rent for lots was to be assessed according to -locality, beginning at zero in the vacant suburbs and increasing toward -the center of greatest activity and demand. A thoroughness in assessment -and the employment of methods that were called by their critics, -“odiously inquisitorial,” were to be adopted, but the fact was the mass -of the people were drifting rapidly toward socialism in their ideas, and -they asserted that the “inquisitorial methods” were alright. They said, -it was high time to know how much wealth people had and how they came -by it, and that reluctance to tell on the part of the possessors of it -indicated that either they had acquired it by questionable methods, or -wished to avoid the fair responsibility, that its ownership entailed. -They went further and declared it was high time that more scientific -processes were discovered and put into practice for the equitable -distribution of wealth. A thousand men contribute to the production -of $1,000,000 of wealth, all of which is gobbled up in a few weeks or -months by the scheming of a single “financier.” The board of directors -of a railroad, a mining company or a manufacturing company, may issue to -themselves certificates of watered stock for which they pay not a cent, -and which represent wealth having no existence, but which they are in a -position to compel the public to make good. A gang of speculators may get -up a corner on wheat or cotton or stocks of some sort and artificially -raise the price while they unload at the advanced rate thereby securing -wealth they never earned. Combinations and trusts in oil or sugar, -screws, nails, coal, whisky, gas-pipes or binding twine, arbitrarily -advance the price of the articles whenever they want more money, and thus -take as many thousands or millions from that patient ass, the public, as -they see fit without a pretense of returning an equivalent. All these -things the politicians of the new school declared must be stopped. They -said people should not be allowed to secure wealth without in some way -earning it, and if they had managed to secure it without rendering an -equivalent for it, it would be no more than right to confiscate it for -the benefit of the public at whose expense it must have been acquired. -The party advocating these ideas rapidly came into power and proceeded -to put their views into practice. It was found after much discussion and -some experimenting that people would not work and do their best unless -they were paid better for their best than for their worst. The experiment -of making the state the buyer and wholesale seller of all articles that -could be made the subjects of combines and trusts was found to work well. -The state did not at first undertake to manufacture or produce anything, -but monopolized its transfer from producer to consumer. For example the -producers of anthracite coal were required to sell their product to -the government, and it was unlawful for them to sell to anyone else. -The price of mining, handling and transportation and the selling rate -were each fixed by a board of arbitration and remained fixed till the -conditions changed. There was no such thing as striking among the hands, -for if they were dissatisfied all they could do was to leave and allow -others to take their places. If no others were willing to do the work it -was an indication that the rate was too low and the board of arbitration -raised it. It had been settled before this that the mine owner had no -royalty rights. These were regarded as the property of the state. So if -the mine owners attempted to combine to raise the price to the state or -from perverseness refused to furnish the amount required their properties -were placed by the state in the hands of receivers to be worked till such -time as the matters in dispute were regulated. - -“Other mining industries, and the production of coal-oil, sugar and -other articles capable of control by trusts, were regulated and handled -in similar manner by the state. As to railroad, telegraph and express -properties, they all passed into direct government ownership before the -middle of the twentieth century.” - -The Professor pausing here for a moment to shift his profile, I ventured -to say that I had in my day anticipated this move on the part of the -government, but many people had been unable to see how it could be -carried into effect without simple confiscation, because they said it -would bankrupt the country to buy the roads etc., and pay their value -for them. - -“There was no difficulty at all in the matter,” the Professor continued, -“the owners of the roads received for them all they were worth, and yet -they did not cost the country a dollar. First the government had the -roads appraised on a capitalized basis, in which account was taken of the -actual value in cash of the property as it stood regardless of the amount -of stock and bonds outstanding against it. Next, account was taken of its -power to earn money. - -“The government now provided for the issue of consolidated railway bonds -guaranteed by the government. These all bore the same rate of interest, -three per cent payable annually. They were in five series, due in 20, 40, -60, 80 and 100 years respectively, an equal amount of each. They were in -denominations of $20.00, $50.00, $100.00, and $1,000, with coupons for -the interest attached, the lower denominations payable at the earlier -dates. - -“These bonds were issued in exchange for the railway securities on the -following terms. Bonds at their face value were allotted to each road to -the amount of its estimated cash value, plus its net earnings for that -one year next preceding the passage of the act of purchase. Many roads -earned only enough to pay their running expenses, and these received -only the amount of their appraised valuation. For the purpose of the -distribution of the allotment of the purchase bonds to the holders of -the railway securities in any given case, account was taken of the -market quotations of the several sorts of stocks and bonds at a date -one year previous to the act of purchase, and the value of each person’s -holding thus ascertained. Then the purchase bonds were distributed to the -individuals pro rata to these values. When seven-tenths in interest of -the proprietors of any road accepted the terms of the government purchase -the other three-tenths were obliged to accede or lose their interests. - -“A few roads held out for a short time, but after the ice was broken -they all at once became eager to transfer their properties to the -government. The railway consols at once became popular and were rated -above par, the government guaranty making them in reality national -bonds. A new cabinet office—secretary of transportation—was created. All -the employes on the roads from the superintendents of transportation -down, held their places under civil service rules, and this branch -of the administration never came under political conditions, but was -managed upon strictly business principles like the post office. The -income from the roads, from the very first year not only paid the -interest on the railroad consols, but yielded a handsome surplus that -was annually laid aside in safe investments to serve as a sinking fund -for the redemption and cancellation of the bonds as they should mature. -Before the end of the twentieth century one-half of these bonds had been -retired and great reductions had been made in passenger and freight -rates and the service had vastly improved over what it was in your day. -Strikes, freight and passenger rate wars with their terrific waste and -demoralization of business were things of the long past. Many other leaks -of railway earnings were stopped when the roads became the property of -the government. Many small pieces of road became consolidated under -one superintendence; hordes of directors, presidents, vice presidents, -general managers, general agents, solicitors of business and other -officials were dispensed with; many of whom under the former regime, -not only drew salaries for supposed services, but absorbed besides in -various mysterious ways, vast wealth that of right should have gone to -the stockholders. - - The total mileage of the railroads of the U. S. in 1893 was 173,370 - - Total capital stock $5,021,576,551 - - Total bonds 5,510,225,528 - - Total actual cost $45,000 per mile 7,801,650,000 - - Total earnings, one year 1,208,641,498 - - Total net earnings 358,648,918 - - Amount of the railroad consols to be issued in payment - of the R. R. 8,160,300,000 - - Annual interest on same at three per cent 244,809,000 - - Surplus of railway income after paying interest on - railroad consols to be applied to sinking fund 113,839,918 - - Amount of sinking fund after twenty years to be used - in the extinction of one-fifth of the consols 1,632,060,000 - - Net income of roads increased to 400,000,000 - - Surplus to be used in betterments 41,351,082 - -(The above figures I have worked out to accord with the Professor’s -suggestions—as he did not give details. I have put the average value of -the roads at $45,000 per mile which is much more than it would cost to -replace them.) - -“I suppose,” said I, “that these bonds, especially those of the lower -denominations would circulate to some extent as currency.” - -“They did, and those of the $1,000 denomination were used as the basis -of paper currency. But now at the close of the twentieth century over -half of these bonds have been retired and the currency based upon them -withdrawn. The railroad, telegraph, transportation, express, and car -companies have all disappeared and the entire business is conducted by -the general government. All of the roads will soon have been entirely -paid for and the rates for the transportation of passengers, goods and -messages are reduced almost to actual cost of the service including wear -and tear. You would doubtless be surprised by the schedule of prices. For -example, passenger rates for ten miles or under three cents, 20 miles -five cents, 50 miles ten cents, 100 miles fifteen cents, 200 miles 25 -cents, 500 miles 50 cents and greater distances at the same rate provided -it is a continuous ride in the same train.” - -“In my time,” said I, “electricity was being introduced as the motive -power on railways. Did it prove successful?” - -“It did, eminently so, and entirely superseded steam locomotion, although -steam stationary engines were used principally, throughout the century. -But when we come to look forward into the twenty-first century, we shall -find some remarkable changes. But we have not reached that yet.” - -“I am curious to know how the currency question was settled. After the -retirement of the railway consols, I suppose they fell back on gold or -paper based on it, did they?” - -“The use of gold and silver money was never discontinued entirely, and -both were coined. Near the close of last century, the free coinage of -silver was strongly demanded by the people and strongly opposed by the -financiers. Finally they compromised. The government gave up the task of -maintaining the parity of the metals at any ratio, but coined both. - -“The silver “dollar” with its fractions, half quarter and dime was coined -in quantities to accommodate the business. Silver was made a legal tender -for limited amounts. This gave silver the character of “fiat money,” or -money that is legal and current at inflated values. They made gold the -standard of value. In this they were right. There could logically be only -one unit of value. But the debtor class strenuously opposed the plan. -They said it worked great injustice to them, because their debts were -contracted at times when money bore inflated values; when for example -silver was intrinsically worth only half as much as gold. These debts -were therefore now payable in money twice as valuable and twice as hard -to get as that for which they had gone into debt. In other words they -paid back twice as much as they fairly owed and the creditor received -twice as much as he fairly loaned. There can be no doubt this is true -of debts of long standing. But most debts were not affected materially -by the rise in the value of gold, because they were not contracted at -its bottom value, but at various grades of value while it was on the -ascending movement. However as long as it was rising the creditor class -was reaping an unjust advantage over the debtors. The government issued -bank notes; some based on silver and some on gold; each kind redeemable -in the metal on which it was based. The quantity of this paper money was -regulated by the national legislature so as to insure a circulation in -proportion to the volume of business. The extended use of bank checks -has furnished a substitute for or supplement to the currency. When the -currency question was finally felt to be settled, the conditions were -practically accepted and the producing class was set to work, and in -an incredibly short time, replaced the wealth that had been abstracted -from them and more. Then came an era of speculation and the scattering -of wealth. Obligations rashly incurred in flush times, had to be met -when times became tight. This led to panics and the whole routine -had to be repeated about so often. But panics could not be entirely -eliminated by doctoring the currency, because currency is not the only -factor. No matter how much currency a man has, he is not likely to buy -articles he does not want. If mechanics have spent their time in the -production of something the public do not require or a surplus of what -they do ordinarily require, there will be difficulty in disposing of -the product. If two classes of mechanics each make things with the -expectation of selling them to the other class, and they turn out to -be such things as are not wanted in either case, there is sure to be -stagnation of exchange and consequent suffering. Where all are working -in ignorance of the requirements of others there are sure to be produced -many things for which there will be no demand. This had been partially -recognized by the government in your day and commissioners were appointed -to collect statistics and make estimates in regard to the production of -and probable demand for certain farm products. As the government became -more intimately the servant of the people its services in this direction -were greatly extended and inquiries covered many other departments -beside that of farming. The government itself became a large consumer -in operating its railroads, telegraphs, etc. Additional mileage had to -be constructed to meet the growing business besides the renewals on -account of wear and tear. By the publication in advance of the probable -demands on the various sorts of industry it became possible to estimate -approximately what amount of and what kind of product could be disposed -of. A still more fruitful source of financial trouble was to be found in -the spirit of recklessness and extravagance with which people spent their -money when times were prosperous or booming. It seemed so easy then to -get money and to pay debts that many thought it hardly worth while to -do it, if there appeared a chance for a profitable speculation, and so -instead of paying old debts they were very likely to incur fresh ones. -But as the state became more and more involved in business affairs, -it was able to advise what products would be in demand, when it was -advisable to use caution and economy and when activity would be rewarded. -The functions of the state as a medium of exchange between the producer -and the consumer became rapidly extended, and before the close of the -century it became the chief and in many things the only buyer and seller -of the products in most common use, as well as the sole factor in all -monopolies and in banking, insurance, and public amusements. It had not -yet gone into manufacturing or farming except to the extent necessary to -prevent combinations and private monopolies.” - -“I think I can see the advantage of this,” said I, “they probably held to -the principle that competition is necessary to keep men up to their best -in exertion and industry.” - -“That is correct,” he replied, “until work becomes an instinct it is -necessary to stimulate exertion by the better rewards that extra industry -can procure. The socialists in your day proposed no plan that calculated -sufficiently upon the selfishness of the individual. They expected that -everybody would accept the position assigned to him and work faithfully -for the good of all. But it was too soon to expect this. Your race is -very young. It is not so long since your ancestors ceased to depend -on the spontaneous productions of the earth for their sustenance, and -began to supplement them by their own exertions. With some of your -races work is beginning to be instinctive, but there are yet enough -in every nation, who, by their hereditary aversion to exertion are -ready to shirk out of labor and make the burden of the instinctively -industrious intolerable. Your race is too young yet, here at the close -of the twentieth century, to take on the purely instinctive socialistic -conditions as we Lunarians have them.” - -“You think then that socialism to be successful must be instinctive as it -is with the bees?” - -“To be permanently successful it must be founded upon such an instinct -for industry, that makes it more agreeable for a person to work, than -to be idle, or to be merely amused. That is, the individual must love -work for the sake of the work rather than for the reward that is to come -after it. It is indeed true that only the stimulation of the reward at -the end could ever have created or kept up the habit of work until it -became instinctive, and it is true that if this reward at the end should -habitually cease to be realized to at least some degree, the instinct -for the work would in course of time become undone—unwound as we might -say. The expectation of the reward if it is as constant as the work, -would naturally become a part of the instinct. But there are often -disappointments as to the reward, while the work itself remains constant, -so that this part of the instinct learns to be satisfied with smaller and -smaller results until finally the necessaries of painless existence in -which the working apparatus is kept in proper operating order are all the -reward that the instinct requires.” - -“Then,” said I, “in this supreme ideal of socialistic instinct, I -understand you, that the individual lays aside all expectation of -personal enjoyment, or the possession of anything in the way of luxuries -or superfluities. It seems to me such an existence must be a very narrow -one.” - -“The possession of superfluities,” said he, “does not contribute at all -to enjoyment of life. That is why they are superfluities. A luxury, -however, is something that gives or is supposed to give unaccustomed -pleasure, and it presupposes conditions or times in the ordinary life -of the individual in which he fails to get perfect returns of happiness -or satisfaction. But suppose there are no such times or conditions, and -that he has no possible desire that his habitual work does not satisfy. -Then his work is his luxury and no diversion to any unaccustomed function -would procure so great a luxury. As to such existence being narrow, it -all depends on the breadth of the work. If the work is circumscribed, the -life is narrow. If the work is wide, diversified and complicated, then -so is the life, whether it be accompanied by the elements of contingency -and uncertainty of mind as with you or the assurance of settled and -triumphant success as with us. - -“All the same however true socialistic conditions are not realized to a -nearly perfect degree up to this close of the twentieth century, although -the advance toward them has been what the conservatives of your day -would have regarded as alarming. In all cases where honest competition -in the production of anything can be maintained, it is the policy of -government to refrain from interference; but if the articles produced -are necessary to consumers or are required as materials in the production -of other goods that are, and the manufacturers of such things form trusts -or combinations for the purpose of increasing the price, the government -appoints receivers for such business and has it operated long enough to -ascertain the cost of producing the article. The price is then fixed by -the government.” - -“But what if the parties decline to sell at the prices fixed by the -state?” - -“They do not decline unless they want to go out of business,” he replied, -“because when the state interferes in such cases it amounts to notice to -the parties that the state is ready, as an alternative, to undertake the -business itself, when it speedily destroys extortion by furnishing the -required product at a fair price.” - -“It would seem then,” said I, “that the state has become a large factor -in the business of the country, and there has been a great centralization -of power.” - -“That is true,” he answered, “there has been a remarkable evolution -and yet a perfectly natural and logical one. The very first principle -on which a state is organized is the defense and protection of all—the -weaker as well as the stronger members—against a common external foe. -The second principle which is easily derivable from the first is the -protection of the members of the society from each other. Under this -principle the weaker will be protected from the stronger, first in his -person, second in his property. It was the theory of many in all former -times that the functions of the state ought to end there. Some said, -that to go any further would contravene the wholesome natural law of -selection, and interfere against the survival of the fittest. Nature left -to herself, would put down and finally exterminate the weakest of the -race mentally and physically, leaving always the strongest and best to -survive, and so constantly improve the race. But if that consideration -were to prevail there should never have been any protective organization -of tribes and states in the first place. If when a community were -attacked each individual ran away or hid as best he could, the enemy -would catch and destroy the less swift and strong and the less shrewd and -wary, and so select the best for survival. But under the organization, -they stand together, and if the enemy is beaten off, the weak and -inferior members are saved with the best. The only consideration on which -this is right must be that the weaker members of the society are worth -more to the state than they cost, and therefore to the extent that they -are protected by the organization they are selected by nature in this -roundabout way for survival, for the benefit of the state. - -“The further defense of the weak against the strong within the social -organization, must be on the same principle. And this principle having -been admitted there is no logical end to it short of protection against -every advantage the strong or the superior or the more wary can possibly -take or attempt. In a civilized society the oppression of the weak is no -longer so much from personal violence or robbery, but it takes the more -subtle form of absorbing their wealth under forms of law and business -formulas, so that in such a society the weak and unwary are valuable to -produce wealth, but are robbed of it, practically by a few. - -“If the state would get the benefit of the exertions of its members, it -must protect them from these depredations, whether they are perpetrated -under the forms of highway robbery or of the laws of trade. In short the -protection of the individual by the state cannot logically terminate -till it prevents everyone from acquiring property he has not earned and -rendered a fair equivalent for.” - -“Then ought it not also to protect society against the extortions of -anyone who would compel it to pay too much for something he alone could -produce?” - -“Of course that is included in the first.” - -“Well then, does not that imply also that the state shall insure a fair -return for the work of every individual to himself?” - -“No,” said he, “that does not follow, unless the individual performs such -work as the community wants. If a man is free to do as he likes, and he -must be, he may sometimes choose to do something of no use to anyone -else. Then of course no one else should be obliged to take the useless -thing and pay for it. But if a man has nothing to do, the state should -upon his application furnish him employment and pay him for his work when -done under instructions.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -Women’s Rights. - - -“I suppose there has been a change in the position of women since my day?” - -“In politics and in business, there is now no distinction on account of -sex. A woman may be president or governor of a state, a senator or judge. -Women are to be found in every department of business, and are fully as -successful as the men. This materially disturbed the organization of -the family, as it was before your time. The man was then the legal and -often the actual head of the family, and both the wife and the children -were supposed to be under his authority within certain limits. But as -the sphere of woman extended and she became better educated, she soon -passed the condition in which she was content to be subordinate to the -man. She insisted upon and of course secured a position of equality -as to legal rights and equal authority in the family. In your day the -principal occupation of women was in domestic life, keeping the house and -rearing the children. As women became interested in wider activities, -many of them began to seek ways of avoiding family cares. Co-operative -house-keeping was tried in many cases, kindergartens taking charge of the -children. - -“The state had for a long time asserted an interest in the education -of children, first providing the means of education, then making it -compulsory. Finding that some were kept from school from the inability -of parents to provide books, the state provided books to those who -needed them. Then because the pride of those who accepted this bounty, -was wounded by this advertisement of their poverty, it became necessary -for the state to furnish books to all children, both of the rich and the -poor. Next it was found that want of suitable clothes kept some from -school that ought to attend, and so the state commenced to supply school -clothes to them and by a similar process of evolution finally came to -supply a school uniform to all children. It was also perceived that the -interest of the state in the individual did not end when it had taught -him the three R’s and the two G’s; in fact it had only fairly begun. It -was all important to the state to know whether the child she had educated -was going to employ his talents for good or for ill. It was expected he -would carve his way and make his living, but if he were not given an -opportunity to learn an honest vocation, was it certain that he would not -drift into a dishonest one? It was seen to be the duty of the state to -see that every youth of both sexes were given such opportunity to learn -some trade or occupation. This became the more necessary on account of -the trades unions and combinations amongst working men who naturally were -anxious to prevent their ranks from being crowded and jealously threw -obstacles in the way of apprentices, so the state found it necessary to -care for the individual until he had attained the equipment essential for -his self support. - -“At first the state schools of trades were simply free to all; later -they became compulsory, following the experience of the common schools. -Scholars in the common school were educated with reference to the trade -they fancied, and when they entered the trade school they were on trial -for a limited period and were sorted according to their ascertained -aptitudes. It became a necessary branch of the supervision of the state -to ascertain the proper proportion of workmen required for each branch -of business and when this proportion was being seriously disturbed by -unequal selection by the scholars themselves, it was restored by state -selection on examination according to aptitude. - -“So much of the care and education of the youth having thus been assumed -by the state, the way was opened for more. It was said that half the -people who had children did not know how to bring them up properly; and -teachers often complained that the example in bad manners, deportment, -language etc., that the children got at home to a great extent -neutralized the good lessons in these things they received at school. - -“The kindergartens became by almost insensible degrees enlarged in the -scope of their functions. At first, as in your day, they were merely -stopping places for the children during the day, they going back to -their parents to spend the night. As the mothers came to be more and -more engrossed in affairs away from home, the kindergartens extended -their care over the children, furnishing them their meals, then their -lodging, then medical attendance as well as education and amusement, -finally assuming all the care and expense of maintaining and rearing -them. At first the expense was paid by the parents, but was gradually -assumed by the state by degrees till it finally became responsible for -all. The advantage of these public nurseries was at first of course most -marked in favor of the poorer classes. But as their functions and scope -developed, the care and training of the children became more scientific, -their powers, tastes and aptitudes were more thoroughly brought out. -The wealthier classes at first objected to having their children reared -in association with the plebians. But the children of plebians were no -longer plebian when removed permanently from the influences of their -parent’s homes; and they turned out a larger percentage of successful -men and women than those of more comfortable position. In physical and -mental ability they were superior, and in morality at least equal to the -others. It was seen that these kindergartens were better adapted for the -care of children than even the better equipped homes, and they received -the patronage of a constantly increasing proportion of the people. At -first there was nothing compulsory in this patronage. Parents left their -children when it suited them, and took them away when they chose. But -after a time this was outgrown. It came gradually to be understood that -the state—that is the whole community—was really as much concerned in -the destiny of the growing generation as the parents; and it was said -that it was better that the children should have the constant care and -attention of those intelligently qualified and perfectly equipped, than -that their development should be interrupted when the caprice of parents -craved them only for pets and playthings. So the selfishness of parents -in this respect was gradually outgrown in favor of the more important -welfare of the children. But economy as well as sentiment supported this -evolution. The cost of caring for the children by the state was vastly -less than under the old system, and it no longer fell with such crushing -weight on those least able to bear it; for it was notorious that the poor -were the most prolific. With the better care they received the mortality -amongst the children was greatly reduced and a far greater proportion -reached maturity. Another important consideration in the state nursery -system was the cultivation of the democratic sentiment amongst the -children, and the destruction of exclusiveness and aristocratic ideas and -feelings.” - -“From what you say,” said I, “it appears that the state has undertaken to -take care of the race during their age of helplessness, from infancy to -manhood.” - -“That is correct,” he answered, “the state takes the child as soon as -it is weaned, sometimes before, and keeps and provides for it every day -till it is prepared to be selfsupporting. Every one is taught a trade or -a profession according to its bent and the demand for services in the -several callings, it being the policy of the state to so regulate these -things that the value of services is about the same in all callings.” - -“Then can a mechanic make as much as a doctor?” - -“About the same. As soon as any difference is observed, more are -encouraged to enter the calling that tends to the higher pay, and so made -to preserve the uniformity.” - -“Well, if the state begins when the child is weaned, to take care of -it, why should it not begin before—a long time before in fact? For -ante-natal influences are often of the most powerful kind; and when they -are mischievous, no amount of subsequent education is able to neutralize -or rectify them. That was all thought out in my day by the more advanced -thinkers.” - -“O they have “maternity hospitals” and “Homes for Ladies” and all that -sort of things—of course—but what you mean; not yet. That is still in the -future—but we shall find it by and by in a way that will surprise you.” - -“Well it seems to me, to get even where they are they must have met and -solved some rather difficult riddles,” said I. “For example in my day -there was a desperate struggle between Protestants and Catholics in -regard to the religious education of the children. The Catholics hated -the public schools, because they were “godless.” They insisted on having -their children brought up in their own faith. They wanted a share of -the public money so they could have schools of their own and mix their -catechism with the rules of grammar and the rule of three. How did they -ever settle this difficulty—or did they settle it?” - -“O yes,” he said, “they settled it, or rather it settled itself. At -first the Catholics and in some places the Lutherans and other sects of -Protestants insisted on maintaining their own schools, kindergartens -etc., but the state institutions were so far superior to what these -sectarians could furnish, that the laity broke away from the control of -their priests in this respect and followed their interests in putting -their children under the care of the state. As however the state -monopolized more and more of the pupils’ time, it was conceded that if -the whole population was not to become “godless,” it would be necessary -to allow religion to be taught in these public institutions in some form. -So they compromised. The different religious bodies were allowed to hold -Sunday schools and classes for religious instruction of the pupils in the -creeds professed by their parents. The children were also taken to church -according to the same rule. This was at first made compulsory if desired -by the parents, but after a time compulsory attendance upon religious -instruction was remitted at the age of 12 and the pupils were allowed -to choose their religion. This arrangement preserved the proportions of -the sects to each other fairly well, but in the meantime there arose -conditions that made this preservation of small moment. These were such -changes in the spirit and feeling of the members of different churches -toward each other, and such a liberalizing of creeds that all were -brought together and became not only tolerant, but even cordial toward -each other. The schools themselves did more than anything else to bring -about this result, for as the older scholars were given their freedom -of choice, it gradually became a fashion or fad amongst the pupils and -finally a part of the regular curriculum to attend each other’s meetings -and interchange ideas and arguments. As the ability grew amongst all, -both the young and old, to reason more justly and logically, all sides -became less tenacious of the dogmas they found themselves unable to -prove. When these were lopped off from the various conflicting creeds -their professors found themselves all standing on practically the same -platform of facts and plain human duties. The things they differed on -were mostly mere hypotheses. They still continued to differ, but no -longer regarded their differences of such vital consequence as formerly. -It came to be generally admitted as absurd that the future post mortem -condition of men should depend on their intellectual convictions -regarding unprovable metaphysical theories.” - -“Doubtless the bringing together of the children of all creeds and -educating them in each others notions had much to do with this -liberalizing process; had it not?” I asked. - -“It had of course, but the education of the children together, was itself -a result of a liberalized public opinion. The fact is the human mind -was constantly undergoing a process of expansion and growth. It could -no longer be satisfied with the crude and childish notions of former -generations, and was outgrowing them as children outgrow the fables of -the nursery. Until men got capacity, argument and logic were of no avail. -Education in the great facts and discoveries of science and philosophy -gave them capacity.” - -“From what you say, I should suppose there has been a great modification -of creeds?” - -“There has been. No church remains the same either in theory or practice -that it was in your day. Several of the minor protestant sects have -entirely disappeared. - -“In several cases two or three have united to form one. The whole -number of sects is less than one-fourth of what it was. Creeds have -become extremely simplified and in many cases practically ignored. The -government among the protestant sects, is in most cases congregational -and democratic. They no longer engage in missionary work for the -conversion of the heathen, as there are no longer any heathen whose -conversion is desired; and no organized effort is necessary for -charitable work at home, because that is amply provided for by the state. -But the church is useful as a social organization, promoting personal -friendships and associations, providing intellectual and educational -entertainment for its members fostering and fortifying the moral virtues -and elevating and refining the manners. In many of these protestant -congregations, the worship of God by prayer and ceremony is entirely -discontinued, it being held that all worship is unworthy, and based -upon a false notion of the relationship between God and man. Man they -say cannot worship or serve God directly. God is not childish enough to -want it. All man can do is to help his fellow man and himself and that -constitutes his whole duty.” - -“These,” said I, “would probably have been called free thinkers or -agnostics in my day. But what of the Catholics?” - -“The Catholics,” he replied, “are far more numerous than the Protestants. -Forty years ago there was a great schism in the Catholic church, the -American branch of it separating completely from the European, and -setting up for itself as the “American Catholic Church.” At the same -time important changes were made in the interpretation of the doctrines -of the church and radical innovations in its government. The latter is -now largely republican in form and the laity have representation in -the councils of the church and a preponderating influence both in its -doctrine and its temporal policy. The tendency toward this development -showed itself strongly in the beginning of the twentieth century, and -originated from the general increase of intelligence and feeling of -personal assertion and responsibility among the laity and the example -of the freer people about them. The clergy instinctively resisted this -tendency, and called upon the Pope and the European church to help them -to stop it. The help they afforded only stimulated the movement. The -interference of the Europeans was resented as impertinent; the exercise -of the papal authority was looked on as a display of superannuated -tyranny. The Pope asserted that the American Church by its liberal -practices and tendencies was corrupting the church in other parts of the -world, and declared they were doing it more damage as members, than -they could do as open enemies outside of its pale, and he threatened to -excommunicate the whole American body. The immediate cause of the final -act of separation was first the persistence of the laity in having the -ownership of the church property in their own hands, represented by -trustees of their own selection. Second, their demand to share in the -government of the church, to which end they proposed a representative -legislature composed of two houses, one composed of laymen and the other -of clergy. - -“Third they asserted the right of private judgment without prejudice to -their standing as Catholics, on all questions of mere faith, except the -cardinal principle of Christianity, requiring only the observance of the -sacraments and the practice of charitable works and a moral life. - -“They repudiated auricular confession. These innovations were not all -consummated at once, but the controversy once begun, found no logical -settlement short of these demands and the rupture of the church. -Liberalized in this way in regard to creed and government, and freed from -the domination of the Italians, but retaining much of the ancient ritual -and the pomp of public worship, the American Church, became very popular, -and soon received large accessions of membership from the protestant -bodies. In fact the more conservative and spiritual protestants found -the new catholic church more congenial to them than the new protestant. -The former church advanced toward them as the latter drifted away into -rationalism.” - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -Marriage and Divorce. - - -“You said that the occupations of women became varied and ceased to be -domestic in a majority of cases; what effect did that have on marriage -and divorce?” I enquired. - -“Various causes tended to make marriage almost universal and celibacy -became the rare exception. The chief cause was the assumption by the -state of the care and education of the children. Another was the ability -of women to support themselves. Men did not feel it such a burden to -be married when they did not have to greatly exert themselves for the -support of either wife or children. Women did not feel it such a burden -when they were released from the care and responsibility of a household -of children and servants. Marriage moreover has become less of a lottery -than in your day, because men and women meet each other in business -relations in which they act their natural selves. Neither is obliged -to marry in order to live, and less art and deceit are used for the -purpose of entrapping a partner. The property of neither man nor woman is -affected by marriage, and neither acquires any rights over the property -of the other except, that each is bound to care and provide for the -other in case of sickness or disability. There are fewer conditions that -are liable to produce inharmony, because greater freedom is conceded -to the parties, and there are fewer points on which absolute unanimity -is essential. Marriage is on the whole much happier than formerly, and -although divorces are easily obtained they are much less frequent. These -conditions have had a marked effect on the increase of population as you -might suppose. There is no longer any temptation to avoid the natural -results of marriage, and those unnatural expedients women formerly -resorted to for that purpose, ruinous to health and morals, are now -almost unknown. The health and strength of women have vastly improved. -Women dress sensibly, and live natural hygienic lives, and the terrors -of childbearing have practically vanished. As Americans took upon -themselves the furnishing of native born citizens to people this country, -immigration from Europe fell off rapidly and practically ceased sixty -years ago. But notwithstanding this, the population has more than doubled -three times, and for the territory that formed the United States in your -day it is now over 600,000,000.” - -“Six hundred millions!” I repeated. “What an enormous number! It takes my -breath to think of it. Is it possible so many people can be supported in -that territory? Nearly all the really valuable land seemed to be taken up -when the population was but 70,000,000.” - -“Aye,” said he, “six hundred millions are easily supported, and supported -in greater comfort than when the population was but 70,000,000; and they -may even double several times more before the capacity of the country is -exhausted.” - -“I am amazed at what you say,” said I, “but there must be a limit. -Let me see, if 600,000,000 are doubled three times it will amount to -4,800,000,000. Is it possible the land could produce food and clothing -for so many; and yet from what you say about the rate of increase that -enormous number of people will be in this country before the end of the -twenty-first century.” - -“We will not cross that bridge till we come to it,” he answered, “we -will explain that when we come to look forward into the twenty-first -century. It is true we shall find a limit. The breeding instinct of any -race of animals, not excepting man, would if unchecked and unopposed in -the course of time absolutely fill up the earth till it could support -no more. Man has for many ages been the dominant animal of the earth. -Yet he has failed to stock the world to its capacity or anywhere near -it for reasons you can easily supply yourself. In the first place the -profession of arms or the art of keeping down the population by war has -always held the most honorable rank among human employments; second the -human race has been the absolutely helpless victim of pestilence and -plague. Hundreds of different kinds of microbes, vibrios, bacteria and -zymases have from age to age apparently whenever they saw fit, or thought -men were getting too numerous, unseen and unsuspected, planted their -colonies in their vital organs, and swarmed in their blood, living at -their expense and sweeping them to death by myriads and millions. Next, -men were at the mercy of the elements both on sea and land. Whenever a -crop failed from drought or flood there followed a famine, and millions -were periodically swept away by gaunt starvation, because there was no -way of conveying to a needy district, the superabundance that might -exist in another. But even where all nature was favorable, and nations -happened to be at peace there was always the native and hereditary -stupidity of the individual that blinded him to all rational ways of -taking care of himself or his dependents and made it impossible for him -to rear to maturity more than one out of five of his children. Thus many -causes conspired to kill people off almost as fast as they were born and -sometimes faster, and many times to prevent them from being born when -they ought to have been. These inimical causes have all practically been -eliminated. The destructive agencies supplied by nature for limiting the -increase of the population having been set at defiance by art, it is -evident that art must likewise find a way for limiting the increase of -population, or else sometime in the future that increase will by its very -success put a stop to itself, and the brutal methods of untamed nature -again assert themselves. After all, art is only a subdivision of nature. -It may modify the action of nature as to details, but cannot set aside -the principles that govern it.” - -“You spoke a little while ago of the territory of the United States, as -it was in my day. This would appear to intimate that the boundaries have -changed since then, is that so?” - -“Well yes, you will think so, when you know that the United States of the -present day covers the entire Continent of North America, and embraces -besides, New Zealand, Australia, the English Colonies in South Africa, -Ireland, Cuba and most of the West India Islands, and numerous islands in -the Pacific ocean. I see this astonishes you and I will proceed to tell -you how it happened. If we begin at the beginning, it appears to have -been very largely due to the construction of railroads in Asia by the -Russians; that is it, would never have happened if these roads had not -been built. The great transcontinental Siberian road was completed from -St. Petersburg to Vladivostock on the Pacific ocean in 1904 and formally -opened with a great flourish by the Russian emperor. The Russians were -not entirely satisfied however with this road. It was essential as a -military road, and as a means of settling a vast extent of fertile -country in Siberia, but as a commercial line it did not meet their rather -sanguine expectations. - -“Their ambition was to monopolize the trade between China and Europe. The -new road by going around the east side of Mantchooria instead of through -it to Pekin, imposed on that trade an unnecessary transportation of 1800 -miles. They saw directly that they needed a line to Pekin and Teentsin, -from Irkutsk. They obtained a concession from the Chinese government -and built this line for commercial purposes. Then, later, they found it -desirable to build another line west of the first and reaching the ocean -at Shanghai. They also tapped the western part of the Chinese empire by a -line from Bokara. - -“From these lines others soon grew, commanding the business of the -country and mostly owned by the Russians. In no long time jealousy -of the enterprising “foreign devils” on the part of some of the more -conservative and reactionary of the Chinese, led to outrages on their -part which furnished a good pretext for military occupation of the -country and finally to its conquest and annexation by the Russians. -These encroachments of the Russians had been bitterly, but ineffectually -opposed by the English. Their opposition provoked the Russians to place -England on the defensive with regard to her Indian possessions so -they pushed their railway line through Tartary to the very borders of -northwestern India and threatened it with a large army of invasion. The -Hindoos who had for years been waiting for such an opportunity to throw -off the British yoke now revolted. They had been taught the art of war by -their masters and now practiced it upon them, turning upon their teachers -the weapons they had put into their hands and taught them to use. The -very soldiers that were counted on to repel the Russians took their side -against the English. Between the Russians and the Indians the British -power in India was totally crushed, and several independent kingdoms were -set up under Russian protection. France also assisted Russia in this war, -especially on the ocean. British commerce was almost destroyed by Russian -and French cruisers. After the war was over these two nations almost -monopolized the Indian trade under discriminating commerce regulations, -the Russians by land carriage over their railway and the French by sea. -In the end the Russians became masters of almost the whole of Asia. -Turkey was dismembered, the city of Constantinople and all Asiatic Turkey -falling to the Russians.” - -“Professor, in my day there was a great war between Russia and Japan, -which you have not mentioned. Was it not a factor in the settlement of -the Asiatic questions?” - -“No, it did not assist in making a settlement, for none was made, its -only effect was to postpone a settlement. The events I have narrated -were greatly to the advantage of the United States. The destruction of -England’s commerce largely involved her manufacturers also, and in like -degree made room for and stimulated those of the United States. Her -trade with all the British Colonies soon eclipsed that of the mother -country herself. As the tremendous natural resources of the United States -became more and more developed under the energy and skill of the most -enlightened methods, the contrast between America and England enforced -itself on the attention of all. - -“Treaties looking to the abolition of war, and the settlement of all -international questions by arbitration had already been adopted between -the United States and Great Britain and her Colonies, and there had -been a strong feeling and agitation for a closer political union of all -the English speaking people. The aggressive foreign policy of England -stood in the way of this. But to her, this aggressive policy appeared -essential. She had held India, Birmah and large territories in Africa, -by conquest, and her trade to these countries depended on her continued -military control over them. - -“After the war with Russia and France in which she lost India, her -commerce, and her prestige, England still felt her only chance for -retaining her importance as an influential factor in the politics of the -world, to be in cultivating her interests in Birmah and Africa. She could -colonize neither of these countries to any great extent. All she could do -was to conquer and rule them and compel them to trade with her on terms -that turned all their surplus wealth into her coffers—as she had done in -India. Her misfortunes had soured her temper and made her more truculent -and bulldozing than ever. Her manner towards her colonies changed. They -had been of little or no assistance to her in her struggle with Russia, -and had but little sympathy with her foreign policy and the truculent -and aggressive bearing towards weaker nations that had made her to be -thoroughly unpopular in some parts of the world. England now began to -resent the cold attitude of the colonies toward her, and to talk of the -duty of the daughters towards the mother. She began to be sorely pinched -for money. The war had doubled her already enormous debt, and halved her -resources. The number of her unemployed at home had greatly increased -by reason of the diminution of her trade and the foreign demand for her -manufacturers. Taxation enormously increased and the rich were reduced to -poverty in providing for the poor. Millions emigrated to America and to -the colonies, generally people of the thrifty and productive classes, -thereby reducing the resources of the country without diminishing her -liabilities. She now proposed to the colonies to tax themselves for her -benefit. This they were not inclined to do. They were all comparatively -poor. They needed all the money they could raise for public improvements -in their own settlements. Most of them were heavily in debt. Canada was -hopelessly so, practically bankrupt in fact. Finally the colonies all -declined to be taxed for the benefit of the mother country. The condition -of affairs in the British empire gave a great impulse to the idea of -confederation with the United States. The plan gained favor rapidly with -the colonies. No nation on earth was so prosperous then, or possessed of -such vast resources as the United States. The country was out of debt and -enormously wealthy. - -“Her army was small, but she had a powerful navy. She was respected by -all the world and had great influence, as much from her fairness and -justice to other nations as from her known reserved power and ability -to enforce justice to herself. The British felt the need of an alliance -that would place them in the front rank of nations again, and all the -branches of the empire appeared anxious for the consolidation with the -United States. This country was desirous of obtaining Canada, and this -made it the more ready to adopt the union, because it was supposed it -must be with all or none. As this country was by far the most populous -number of the proposed union, it was conceded that Washington should be -the capital of the new empire. The constitution of the United States was -taken as the basis of the new government with certain modifications. The -President and Vice President were to be elected by direct vote of the -people, a plurality to elect. They were to serve six years only. They -could not both be from the same continent or state. The President was -not to have the veto power. The Representatives were to be 600 in number -apportioned among the states according to population. The senate was to -consist of 100 members elected by the people. The term of office for -both houses was to be two years. Each natural division as a continent or -island or group of islands was to be divided into senatorial districts -following state boundaries when practicable, but throwing together -small states or fractions of large ones when necessary to give the -proper quota of population. All bills were to originate in the House of -Representatives, but were also to pass the senate before becoming laws; -but that body could not alter or amend—only veto or approve, and the -House could pass any bill in spite of the senate by a two thirds vote. -The President was to appoint his cabinet with the approval of the senate, -but all or any one was to be required to resign upon a vote of “want of -confidence” by the House of Representatives. Both the President and Vice -President could be removed from office by a two-thirds vote of both House -and senate and a new election ordered to fill the unexpired term. - -“There was to be free trade amongst all the states under this -constitution and also between these states and foreign nations -except that a tariff on importations might be imposed when ordered by -a three-fourths vote of the Congress. The general revenue was to be -collected by the County Commissioners and Treasurers of the counties of -the several states, such officers being for such purpose, officers of the -general government, and levying such rate of tax as ordered by the law -of Congress in addition to the taxes ordered by the state, county, city, -ward, or school district authorities. - -“Suffrage was to be restricted to men and women who could read and -write the English language. Foreign immigrants were not to be permitted -to settle in colonies in any of the states or to maintain public -schools—except high schools—in which any other than the English language -is used. - -“No state could engage in aggressive foreign war, but might repel -invasion. Only the general government could engage in war. - -“This scheme of government was prepared by a joint commission appointed -for the purpose, and submitted to the people of the several countries -interested, the British Colonies, each separately, England, Ireland, -the United States and Scotland. All the colonies, the United States and -Ireland voted for the plan; England and Scotland voted against it. They -were dissatisfied with the provision prohibiting them from going to war. -They had always enjoyed this luxury and were loth to be deprived of -it. They had hoped the plan of union would allow them to pursue their -schemes of settlement and annexation as before with the right to call on -the confederation for succor in case they were hard pressed by foreign -enemies. They argued indeed that actual active assistance would never in -any probable event be required, because with the mere moral support of -such formidable backing they felt sure that almost any nation would put -up with any amount of insult and injury rather than resent it against -such odds. - -“It was supposed by many that the failure of Great Britain to ratify the -general constitution would defeat the whole scheme. But the colonies -and Ireland had become very much in favor of it, and hated to be balked -by what they termed the selfish action of the mother country; and they -demanded her consent to the union, of as many as might choose to join -it without her. She was in no condition to resist their demands if they -should choose to enforce them. But it would have been folly to have come -to blows or even to words over such a question. The colonies had never -been a source of profit to England, but rather a bill of expense. She -traded with them, but did not possess a monopoly of their trade, and paid -their tariff dues the same as other people. The United States enjoyed a -larger trade with Canada than she, and had almost driven her out of the -trade with several of her own West India Islands. Whatever the position -might be that she held with reference to this commerce, it would not be -made worse by this proposed union, but rather better, for free trade -would take the place of tariffs. She would also enjoy free trade with -the United States, which alone was worth to her a dozen colonies. The -union of England with her colonies was chiefly one of sentiment. They -governed themselves according to their own ideas, and were practically -so many independent nations, which she was in sentiment bound to protect -when they got into trouble, but which had little or nothing to give her -in return for her maternal solicitude and worry. Their relationship to -her tended to make them impertinent and presumptuous in their intercourse -with other nations. Canada in particular by her bumptiousness had -more than once come very nearly involving her in ruinous war with the -United States, in which her loss would have been the destruction of her -commerce, and her only gain, the loss of her pert colony. All these -points were discussed by the English. It was urged that if Britain tried -to keep the Colonies against their will, the time would surely come -when she would have to give them up against hers. They recalled the -Controversy with the United States and reflected how much better it would -have been for England if she had permitted them to go off as friends -rather than enemies. And they averred that if she should give her cordial -approbation to the new union and send off the colonies with the maternal -blessing to join their big brother Jonathan, it would go far toward -curing the unfilial, but not entirely causeless feeling of bitterness he -had entertained for her since 1776 and 1812. - -“As a result of all these reflections and many more of the same sort, -the conclusion was finally reached and the parliament gave its solemn -sanction to the new State, but with characteristic foresight exacted -one promise to which all the states acceded before the final act was -consummated, and that was, that the said new nation should forever -be the friend of Great Britain and in case her existence as a nation -were threatened it should be bound to interpose in her behalf, and if -necessary take up arms in her defense. The name proposed for the new -nation was the “Pan Anglic Union.” When England failed to ratify, “Pan” -was dropped, and the name became simply the “Anglic Union.” But it was -playfully nicknamed the “Lion’s Cubs,” the “Old Hen’s Chickens” etc.” - -“When did these things happen?” I inquired. - -“They were finished by the year 1950,” he replied. - -“Did not the various states have to do considerable remodeling of their -forms and procedure to fit them for this consolidation?” - -“Very little, their governments were all much like that of the United -States. Like this country, they had already turned over to the control -of the state all monopolies, such as railroads, and had reached the same -conclusions as to money, the suffrage, taxation and most other questions. -They had their legislatures and executive and judicial branches of -government, all about alike. Ireland had for a decade or more enjoyed -home rule. She came into the new Union as two states, Ulster and South -Ireland. These were soon afterward reconsolidated into one—Ireland—the -causes that led to their separation, viz, religious jealousy and the -teaching of religion in the schools having been eliminated by the -severance of all connection between church and state, which the new -constitution required. - -“The new nation had hardly got settled down to business, before new -annexations and consolidations were proposed and after much hesitation -and reflection were agreed to. Mexico, Central America and Japan -proposed to come into the Union, and shortly after Chili and Argentine -made application for admission. The fact is that in forming the “Anglic -Union” the promoters were building far more than they realized. Time had -without their knowing it reached a new epoch, and was about to turn over -a new leaf. Men were becoming educated and mentally developed by strides -instead of inches, by moles instead of molecules. In forming the “Anglic -Union” they had given expression to a new feeling into which mankind was -just being born, a feeling of human brotherhood, a new instinct that -drew men together and acquainted them with the fact that they were all -the result of common natural causes and animated by common loves and -hopes and fears. It showed them they were not naturally and necessarily -enemies, but might and ought to be friends and mutually helpful to each -other. It was the beginning of the end of war, the epoch of peace and -good will. - -“When they began to think of taking other than English speaking nations -into the “Anglic Union,” it was at once perceived that the name was -inadequate, and so was the constitution. The name was changed to “The -Great Union” and the constitution was amended in regard to the official -language so far as the non-English speaking nations were concerned. -English however was to be taught in these nations and it has gradually -superseded the other languages. Schools have everywhere been established, -and the church has been rigidly separated from the state. The state -protects the church, but contributes nothing to its support, nor does -it compel any unwilling citizen to contribute to its support by the -exemption of its property from its due proportion of taxation.” - -“Have any other nations joined the Great Union up to the present time -besides those you have mentioned?” - -“None others have been admitted into full membership as equal states, -but all the states of South America have been taken under the protection -of the “Great Union.” They are being settled and developed by northern -people and the native population gradually educated up to the required -standard. The equatorial climate is naturally unfavorable to enterprise, -and development proceeds slowly. The church has been a serious obstacle, -claiming time and attention of the natives that ought to be devoted -to business and education. The country is being covered with railways -by northern enterprise. The most important of these is the great -international road extending from the city of Mexico through Central -America and the isthmus of Darien and traversing the whole length of -South America, even into Patagonia. Branches from this trunk diverge -toward all important points and enormous progress has been made in -agriculture and mining. The resources of this continent furnish a vast -support to the teeming population of North America.” - -Mention of these railways led me to inquire of the Professor concerning -the progress of transportation, and commerce and whether any radical -innovations had been introduced. - -“All the old methods of transportation,” said he, “have been greatly -improved upon, but none of them entirely superseded. Flying machines have -been brought to a reasonable degree of perfection at the expense of much -thought and many experiments, many fortunes and many broken necks. But -they cannot take the place of the freight car or the steamship. They are -more rapid, easily making 100 to 150 miles an hour, but they are as yet -of limited capacity carrying light letter mails, and a few passengers, -but at too great an expense to compete with the improved rail and water -carriage of the present. Besides most people would rather be near the -ground in case of accident. I mentioned to you the greatly reduced -cost of railway transportation in North America where all the lines -are operated by the state. In most of the South American states, the -roads are merely controlled—not owned—by the state and there is active -agitation in favor of the annexation of these states to the Great Union, -in anticipation in part of the advantage that will be obtained by the -state control of roads that will follow. - -“The most beneficent service that the flying machine has rendered is -its potent contribution toward the abolition of war. Men have indeed -been rapidly educated out of the spirit and habit of war, but the -flying machine simply prohibited it. Without it, an age of peace would -undoubtedly have been reached in the future, with it, the age of peace is -here. International warfare is at an end and probably forever.” - -“I don’t quite see how,” said I. - -“It is very easy. One of these machines can carry enough dynamite, gun -cotton and other destructive explosives to devastate a city of 100,000 -inhabitants. It can at will, fly over any place and drop its deadly stuff -precisely where it will do the most execution. It can select the palace -of the king, the houses of parliament or congress, the barracks, the -citadel, or the magazine, or the thickly peopled camp of a great army. -It can do this with little risk, deliberately, in broad daylight, poised -two or three miles above its victim out of reach of practical gunnery; -but in the night it can drop death upon defenseless and unsuspecting -sleepers without a moments warning. Battle ships are equally useless. A -charge of dynamite dropped from a flyer being able to reduce the greatest -ship to scrap iron and send it to the bottom in a moment. As personal -armor became a useless encumbrance, when gunpowder was introduced, so the -armoring of ships has entirely passed away in the presence of the flying -machine and naval warfare is no more practicable than war or land.” - -“I should think,” said I, “that the “flyer” could be converted into -a dangerous instrument for criminal use. What’s the reason pirates -and robbers could not sail down upon a community small enough to be -overpowered by them, and then sail off again with their booty to some -inaccessible or solitary place?” - -“That has been done,” he answered, “but it is no longer easy. Whenever a -fresh emergency arises in human affairs, a fresh remedy is found to meet -it. It often brings its own remedy. The flyer is as great an agent in the -hands of the police as it is in the hands of the criminal. As to solitary -places, there are very few left on earth that are habitable, and there -is not a spot that has not been seen by men, and that is not subject to -police surveillance.” - -“Then,” said I, “they must have discovered the north pole.” - -“Yes they have, and the south pole too,” he replied. “The first trip to -the north pole was made from Cape Prince of Wales in Alaska. The party -flew in a straight line from that point, in midsummer, north over the -pole and continuing in almost the same direction to the south, reached -Hammerfest in Norway a distance of 3,000 miles in forty hours without -stopping. Parties have gone from Minneapolis by way of the north pole in -an air line to the town of Tomsk in Siberia a distance of 5,500 miles, -stopping at the pole twelve hours, and finishing the journey within four -days. These trips have often been repeated and many similar ones made. It -is possible to make the circuit of the earth in twelve days by means of -relays at certain continental points and on some of the Pacific Islands; -but it can also be made by rail and water with only four changes, two to -rail and two to steamer in fifteen to seventeen days. Railroads run to -Alaska reaching Bering Sea and the Pacific at several points, and are met -by corresponding roads on the Russian side. The water carriage in summer -is only across Bering Strait, but in winter on account of ice the passage -is made further south and is longer.” - -“Why don’t they tunnel Bering Strait,” I inquired, “or bridge it?” - -“They will in the future tunnel it part way and build a dam or embankment -the rest of the way,” he replied, “and utilize the enormous power of the -current passing through there to drive the trains 1,000 miles on each -side of the strait, but the time has not yet arrived. A bridge would not -stay there, it would be swept away by the ice.” - -“Isn’t there danger of collision between these flying machines?” - -“Many fatal collisions took place when the flyers were first introduced. -It was found necessary to regulate them by government supervision. The -routes between all points have been carefully laid out and the going and -returning paths separated by a wide and safe space. - -“You mentioned the abolition of war. I hardly see how it could be while -there were any uncivilized nations on earth,” I observed. - -“I said international warfare was abolished.” he returned. “After Russia -had taken possession of Asia and settled its ownership, and Africa had -been divided up amongst the western European nations, the governments of -all nations were civilized. The regulation of such barbarous subjects -as they might be responsible for, was simply a question of policing, not -war. An insurrection by them could not succeed against the destructive -weapons held by the government. But as international affairs are now -settled, there is no excuse for any responsible body of men to resort -to force. The principle of arbitration first adopted between the United -States and Great Britain was subsequently extended to all civilized -nations. Later there was framed for the guidance of Arbitrators of -international questions, an international constitution or law of nations -agreed to by treaty between the principal nations and finally ratified by -all. This constitution described the boundaries of all nations, which it -was agreed were not to be disturbed except on consent of all the parties -concerned, thus doing away with wars for conquest. - -“A criminal code was enacted, by which all crimes between subjects of -different nations were to be tried, and an international court was -established, composed of Judges from every nation. When a suit is brought -before this court, those judges appointed by the nations parties to the -suit, are excused from serving, and the case is tried by the others. -Questions of damages by one nation and its decrees when finally reached -are acquiesced in without hesitation, because it is keenly recognized -that any settlement even when not entirely satisfactory, is preferable -to war. In fact war is not recognized as a practical method of settling -anything.” - -“If war is at an end, what have the European Nations done with their -great armies,” I inquired. “In my day most of the surplus wealth of -those nations went to support their vast armies, and the masses of the -industrial classes were kept in poverty, because their earnings were so -largely diverted to that purpose. And yet there appeared to be too many -workers, for their wages were very low. If the soldiers were set to work -at peaceful occupations and married and raised families, the population -must have increased and the wages gone still lower. How was that?” - -“Well, not quite like that,” he replied. “The more workers the more -wealth, provided they have plenty of raw material to work on. The -abolition of war gave a great impetus to the production of wealth in -Europe. A great demand was created for raw materials, such as wool, -cotton, timber, iron and other metals and for food stuffs. A large -part of these supplies had to be furnished from other countries. The -United States furnished vast quantities. This increased commerce, and -as the population increased, emigration was stimulated. As the United -States filled up, the emigration was diverted from this country to South -America and to Africa. The products and exports of these countries -correspondingly increased. The equatorial regions are most prolific -in all the products of the soil. The temperate zones furnish the most -vigorous people for consuming these and turning them into wealth. The -relations between these two regions are reciprocal and complemental -rather than competitive. Free trade was first established in those -directions and it soon forced itself in others, until it became the -rule the world over. The history of western Europe during the twentieth -century, is bound up with the development and settlement of South America -and Africa, especially the latter. Modern Africa is as much a child of -Europe as America is, and the native races and tongues are being rapidly -displaced by the European. Population in Europe naturally increases in a -more rapid ratio than ever before, due to the suppression of the ravages -and waste of war, the more scientific treatment of disease, and control -of epidemics, the greater comfort and prosperity of the people. But -with their increased possibilities for comfort have come, an increased -standard and expectation of life, so that it cannot be said that the -people are any better satisfied with life than they were before. The -struggles are as intense and the disappointments as stinging as ever. The -incentives to emigration have not diminished while facilities inducements -and flattering prospects to the immigrant are vastly greater than ever. - -“Europe is the great breeding ground for Africa, as it was formerly for -North America. And the human inundation that formerly poured itself into -the United States is diverted chiefly to Africa, but in four fold volume.” - -“Surely,” said I, “the capacity of the earth for supporting the human -family must be almost exhausted. It is sickening to contemplate the -suffering that will be entailed in the struggle for existence that it -seems to me must inevitably come soon. Evidently from what you say, -Europe must be about as full as it will hold. I suppose the great -migration you speak of represents the surplus crop of folks that the -continent must get rid of in order to let those that remain live in -tolerable comfort. When Africa and South America get to be as full as -Europe and the United States, so that they can no longer receive this -tide of emigration, then what is to be done? For anything I can see -famine will have to sweep away some of the race in order that the rest -may exist, and after all is that any better than war?” - -“At any rate,” said he, “we have not reached that yet. We have now -reached the beginning of the twenty-first century. The population of the -earth has reached the very considerable number of 4,000,000,000 or almost -three times what is was in your day. Yet we concede a three fold increase -of that figure before starvation or some other repressive agency will be -necessary to stop the increase of the population and that will only be -reached by the year 2070.” - -He here pulled out a pencil of curious make and with his middle left -hand dashed off some strange looking characters on a blank space on the -profile. He was evidently figuring, for in a moment he went on to say -that he found that when the 40,000,000 square miles of habitable land on -the earth were divided equally between 12,000,000,000, of people they -would have about two acres each. - -I ventured to say, I did not think two acres enough to furnish an -individual with food, taking his chances of bad seasons from droughts, -floods etc. Besides men could hardly live without timber and they could -have none if all the land were cultivated. Moreover, they must have -animals to furnish leather, wool etc., and land would be required for -their sustenance. - -Land must be also devoted to cotton, flax hemp and so on for clothes -etc. When you allow for such things as these, I said, I thought the area -devoted to the production of food would not be much over one acre to the -individual by the year 2070, if he was right about the number of people -there would then be. - -“You are only thinking of the crude methods people had in your day of -getting their food from the earth,” said he. “They were at the mercy of -the uncontrolled action of natural forces and accidents. The rain and -sunshine naturally falling on an acre of land enabled them to raise so -many bushels of wheat or beans or carrots or beets. But if the rain did -not fall or the sun failed to shine or there was too much rain or too -much sunshine or the weather was too cold or the wind too boisterous, the -farmer was at the mercy of the fickle elements and his crop a failure. In -a few places irrigation was practiced, men got a partial control of the -conditions, but these places were limited, and the control incomplete. - -“If you will call to mind the information I have given you of the -artificial production of food and other necessaries of existence among -the Lunarians, you will readily see that the resources of the earth to -sustain its population do not depend altogether on the amount of land -surface that men can cultivate to beets and potatoes—the amount on which -the sun shines and the rain falls. Surface you must have of course for -people to live and to move on. But when you learn how to utilize it there -is material under every acre on an average, more than sufficient for the -sustenance of all the people that could stand on it. The soil in which -you plant your seeds is nothing but the disintegrated rock of a thin -layer of the surface of the earth. Below it are rocks of the same sort in -quantities enough to make millions of such soils. If you knew how, you -could make your food products out of the soil directly instead of waiting -for the growth of plants in it, and if the soil should give out you could -make them from the rocks below.” - -“Yes,” said I, “but will mankind ever find out how to do this? Will you -wise and experienced Lunarians show us?” - -“No, it is not necessary that we should. You will find it out fast enough -yourselves. Your chemists even in your day had begun to take lessons in -chemical synthesis, and as time went on, and the necessity increased, -their efforts were stimulated and constantly became more successful until -now they can produce a number of artificial foods from the original -elements without the necessity of raising vegetables or animals by the -action of natural growth. Looking over into the twenty-first century, we -see that they will easily be able to produce food from the elements as -fast as required. Their abilities and facilities will keep pace with the -population. This implies that the race will not have to be checked in its -expansion by lack of food. The feature of evolution and selection of the -fittest by means of a struggle for food will be entirely eliminated. The -matter will be entirely in the hands of the people themselves.” - -“How about clothing,” I asked, “will they produce that too by the aid of -chemistry?” - -“Yes they will. Sheep will not be required for their wool any more than -their flesh. A substitute will be found for leather as well as beef. -Better and more durable clothing will be made directly from minerals than -were produced in your time from vegetable and animal substances. Metals -and artificial mineral products began early in the twentieth century and -even before, to supplant wood in buildings and many other structures. -So at present the use of wood is greatly reduced and during the coming -century it will be almost discontinued; a great many things are now made -of Alumina that were formerly made of wood, and that metal has become -cheaper and more abundant than iron. Glass is also very much used, and -methods have been discovered of giving it any desired temper, so that it -is made flexible and tough like pewter or firm and elastic like steel. -It can also be made fibrous and soft as cotton and can be spun and woven -into textile fabrics.” - -“But what are they going to do for power and fuel?” I asked. “If there -is to be such an increase of population, an enormous consumption of fuel -and power will follow. Of course they will use the coal while it lasts, -but the supply of that limited, and if that is the only dependence, all -industries will sooner or later be brought to an end.” - -“The coal,” said he, “was an excellent makeshift for temporary use until -a more enduring supply of power was discovered to supersede it. But even -now it could if necessary be almost entirely dispensed with and yet there -are still vast deposits of it untouched. In the long distant future the -time will come when the coal will be regarded as a deposit of food for -your race as it is now with ours, but it will not be consumed for its -heat or its power except in that way.” - -“Have our people then learned how to get power as you do from the use of -the principle of the repulsion of gravitation?” - -“Indeed they have not,” he answered, “and they are very unlikely ever to -find out how to do it unless instructed by us; and that will never be -till the Lunarians become lunatics. The new power that has been developed -and already brought into considerable use and which will soon become a -substitute for all others and endure as long as the earth is habitable -is simply sunlight; and the discovery that is to prove by far the most -valuable ever made by your race is the direct conversion of its force -into electricity, which can as you know be conveyed hundreds of miles and -applied to any sort of machinery required. When coal is used to produce -electricity, the process is after all an indirect way of utilizing the -force of the sun’s rays. Ages ago these rays created the vegetation that -afterwards became coal, and in burning the coal now, the force of the -sun’s rays consumed in its production is again brought into action in -heating the water, that expands into steam that drives the engine, that -turns the dynamo, that creates the electric current. It was seen long ago -that if some process could be devised by which the force of the sunlight -could be consumed in the creation of electricity directly, the suns rays -of to-day could be utilized in the production of power instead of using -up the coal that was produced by them in former ages. It was discovered -in your day that sunlight falling upon the metal selenium is turned in -part into electricity. Acting on this hint your scientists experimented -with that metal and others, and tried hundreds of combinations and -alloys. They have discovered many compounds that possess this property, -which is found to depend on the sizes and shapes of the spaces between -the molecules of the metal. The impact of the undulations of the ether -that give rise to light, striking into the ether confined in these -peculiarly shaped spaces impart to it the sort of motion these shapes -make it competent to take, which is the new form of motion, electricity. -They were largely assisted and guided in their investigations by spectrum -analysis. The apparatus for the production of electricity in this way is -necessarily of large dimensions presenting large surface to the sun, and -as yet is rather expensive, but once made, it lasts forever and produces -electricity whenever the sun shines. Improvements are constantly being -made that reduce the cost and increase the efficiency. These machines are -arranged to turn automatically, a certain face to the sun, revolving on -a horizontal plane diurnally and changing their declination vertically -to follow the north and south movement of the sun through the seasons. -The electricity is transmitted to storage batteries and a surplus thus -accumulated during sunshine to be used at night and in cloudy weather -or carried off to be used elsewhere. These machines yield especially -good results in tropical latitudes and in localities where clear weather -predominates, such as southern California, Arizona, northern Mexico, the -Sahara desert, Egypt, Arabia, Tartary, Central Australia, etc. In all -such countries railroads are operated at nominal expense. - -“Stations at intervals transmit the power several hundred miles on -either side. As there is practically no limit to this power it has come -to be used for the accomplishment of undertakings that were hardly -dreamed of before. The irrigation and development of deserts by means of -artesian wells and by streams brought from a distance, followed by the -construction of roads, settlement and cultivation are being vigorously -prosecuted in all parts where the climate is not too cold. Large tracts -notably in the Sahara and Gobi deserts and in Arabia and Tartary, have -already been made productive and populous. This power can be conveyed to -great distances from the point where it is developed, and made to do work -in places practically inaccessible to any other form of power. Excavation -of canals, railway cuts, tunnels and mines with the transportation -of materials for embankments is prosecuted with tremendous energy. -Innumerable mines are being pushed far into the bowels of the earth and -the interior explored and honeycombed in many directions. This work is -however destined to be of vastly more importance in the distant future -than at the present. But I think you can now see that with practically -unlimited power and unlimited raw materials for the construction of the -human race placed in the hands of the race itself your fears that the -increase of population will ever press uncomfortably on the means of -subsistence are not well founded.” - -“Yes I do begin to see that,” said I. “It is all very wonderful. What a -career the race has before it! Why it has hardly got out of its cradle -yet. What a misfortune that I was not reserved to be born two or three -centuries later so I could see some of these future glories!” - -“Nay, nay,” he replied, “that is a vain wish. You may be as happy in your -own time as you could be in the future. In all the ages of the past, -people have been found expressing a poor opinion of their own times, -extolling the golden age that was past or the millennium that was to -come; and it will be so in the future. If you were to live two centuries -hence you would see as many defects and shortcomings, and anticipate as -many still future improvements and achievements as you did in your day.” - -“Well, I suppose, that must be so; and yet with such an apparently -absolute control over the earth it would seem that mankind might make -themselves comfortable and contented.” - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -The Problem of Over Population. - - -“Notwithstanding all that has been and will be accomplished by your -enterprising race,” said he, “there are some things about the earth -that they will never be able to control or improve. There are two in -particular of essential importance. One is the area of the earth’s -surface, which your race can never increase no matter what its -necessities may be; the other is the slow but very certain refrigeration -of the earth’s climate by which we may be sure that a time will be -reached in the long distant future when the habitable surface shall -gradually be reduced till at last no part of the earth’s surface will be -tolerable to any living creature. So in effect while the demand of the -race will be for more room it will constantly be required to put up with -less.” - -“But,” said I, “isn’t that a good ways off? The extreme refrigeration -of the earth is a process involving millions of years according to our -scientists.” - -“Yes, it will be a long time before any important reduction of area can -take place, but not long before the present room will become very much -cramped. Only a few moments ago we reckoned that by the year 2070 there -would be about two acres to each of the 12,000,000,000 of inhabitants, -on which to live and move and produce the means of subsistence. If the -race should then be doubling every thirty years, in 2100 there will be -but one acre for each; and if they keep on increasing in 2130 a half -acre; in 2160 a quarter; in 2190 an eighth, in 2220 a sixteenth; in -2250 a lot thirty-three by forty-one and one-fourth feet, which in 2280 -is reduced to thirty-three by twenty feet 8 inches and this in 2292 -four hundred years after the centennial of the discovery of America by -Columbus that was celebrated in your day at Chicago, will be reduced -to thirty-three by sixteen and one-half, or two rods by one. If the -population should get to be as numerous as that the entire earth would -be a city inhabited twelve times as densely as the city of Minneapolis -was in your day. This of course is the average. Some places are more -desirable than others and these would be more densely packed. Already at -the close of the twentieth century many of the pleasanter parts of the -earth have become uncomfortably populous, not from want of the means of -subsistence, but from want of room to carry on the business and pleasures -of life. And yet the growth of population may be said to be just fairly -commenced. It is obvious from what can already be seen that it will very -soon be necessary to place some artificial restriction on the increase -of population or else there will be such suffering among men as will of -itself operate to keep down the number of people by killing them off -faster and shortening the average duration of life. These questions are -already being seriously considered by the philosophers and wise men, and -many plans are being discussed. - -“There are some pessimists who declare there is no remedy. They say it -was an egregious blunder on the part of society to attempt the banishment -of suffering. It was suffering that had in all ages kept down the -population, so that the world remained roomy enough to live in with some -comfort. They hold that suffering is a necessary concomitant of comfort -and we are bound to have it both before it, as a necessary antecedent -and after it, as a necessary consequent. It is the law of nature and it -is vain to try to evade it. By banishing war and want and disease, and -reducing the problem of life to an easy pleasant certainty, society, they -say, has caused herself to be invaded by fresh innumerable hordes of -human beings that step into the arena of life from the secret caves of -non-existence as if attracted by the feast of good things that she has -provided for herself. When the repressive hand of suffering is lifted a -little the human species breed and grow like rabbits until they feel its -hard pressure again. - -“Nature, they affirm, is no sentimentalist. Her ways are all direct, -hard, cruel and brutal. She is extravagant and wasteful of effort and -parsimonious of results. She creates a thousand seeds of grain or grass -or tree, only one of which will become a grown plant and reproduce its -kind. She is even more prodigal with the spawn of fishes destroying -millions for one she brings to maturity. There is nothing to show that -she cares any more for the human race than for fishes. When men get too -numerous she destroys them as ruthlessly as if they were so many herring -or clams. They assert it is impossible to evade or even to improve upon -the methods of nature. They point to the teeming multitudes that have -swarmed upon the earth during the last century in such comparative -security and comfort as to invite a still greater inundation during the -century to come; and they declare it to be one of the characteristic -stratagems of nature, only restraining her grim and malicious humor in -order to make it the more tragic and appalling when she does give it -play. And they aver that it would be better even now to drop a large -part if not all of the artificial stimulations to the expansion of the -population that have by insensible degrees been grafted upon state -policy during the last century. Let every tub stand on its own bottom, -say they, let natural selection secure the survival of the fittest, and -let the unfit be quietly eliminated by whichever of the numerous methods -nature finds most applicable. In opposition to these are the optimists -who hold that the human race is nature’s pet. If she could be said to -plan anything or to have any preferences in favor of anything, it was -the human family. After making trial in succession of the Trilobite, the -Orthoceras, the Shark, the Megalosaurus, the Pterodactyl, the Mastodon -and others, she put them all down and brought forward man and placed -him over them all, and made him master of the earth. He was a frail -insignificant helpless creature without weight, power or dignity. Other -animals could beat him swimming, diving, flying, running, fighting. -There was only one thing he could do tolerably well and that was to -climb a tree. That was his capital, his stock in trade as one might -say, for it developed his hands and quickened his senses. Nature took -this unprepossessing, unpromising creature, educated and developed him -in her stern school and by her untender methods, put brains into him, -civilized him and fitted him to control the world and finally to govern -himself. This last lesson he has not yet perfectly mastered, but he is -learning more of it every day. Progress, say they, never takes a back -track. The pessimistic theory that nature’s plan is to let every fellow -look out for himself and the devil take the hindmost, is no longer true. -The race has passed that place and the new ideal is; every fellow for -all the rest, and no one left behind. Until this is practically realized -they say the race will not have fulfilled its destiny, and retreat is -impossible. Moreover it is not necessary; for the new departure is after -all as natural as the old way, and is in fact only a continuation of it; -a turn in the road as it were; and it may quite as well be depended upon -to rectify all the difficulties of its own creation. If the principle of -mutual succor, sympathy and assistance leads to over population, the same -principle must furnish the remedy. The optimists admit the contention -of the pessimists that this trouble is looming up, and the philosophers -of all schools are beginning to feel serious. They are discussing such -figures as we had before us a few moments ago and endeavoring to fix the -date at which a halt will have to be called, and the means devised by -which it is to be accomplished. Some say the population is dense enough -now. Others point out that with the increased means of subsistence there -need not be anything uncomfortable in a population of 12,000,000,000 -which they estimate will not be reached till 2070, or 70 years from the -present (A. D. 2000.) And they are hopeful enough to believe that by that -time, human wit will have discovered some way of controlling population -without violence to human happiness. All agree that if society is to be -maintained on the present scale it is high time to settle the manner in -which the great question of population is to be met and handled. It is -the most difficult question that has ever demanded human attention. - -“In your day there was already beginning to be some discussion in regard -to stirpiculture and the scientific regulation of the family and rearing -of children. But it did not at that time reach a practical stage. No -scientific conclusions on the subject of marriage have yet been able to -displace sentiment and instinct. But soon, as I have already told you, -the rearing of the children was undertaken by the state and removed from -the caprice of sentiment and ignorance greatly to the advantage of the -children and of course the race. But the question of marriage remains -the same sentimental business it was in the days of Jacob. And with the -increasing independence of women it has become even more a question -of the feelings than it was in your day when women often married for -a home and men sometimes for money. As the problems of life, marriage -etc., have become questions of state, inviting and even requiring ample -and public discussion, the squeamishness and false modesty with which -they were approached in your day have entirely disappeared. The public -interest and the rights of the state in the question of the perpetuation -of the race are freely admitted and discussed. The public mind has been -gradually prepared for this by the gradual assumption by the state of the -care and education of the youth, and by its experience in the treatment -of criminals. Where the treatment of all the youth is uniform and some -after all, turn out to be criminals as they occasionally do, the cause is -looked for in their parentage. The state is in condition to keep track -of ill born children, and after leaving the schools they are still kept -under the eye and guiding advice and restraint if necessary of a special -department of the police service. In this way the criminally disposed are -known in advance, and much crime is no doubt prevented. The criminally -disposed are regarded and treated as mentally diseased. - -“There has been much discussion pro and con of this mode of punishment, -or—as some prefer to express it—mode of treatment. But it is now -generally conceded that society is entirely justifiable in employing -this mode of defense, especially since capital punishment has been -abolished, and this is the maximum penalty that is corporally inflicted. -The public mind having had before it the operation of this treatment as -a sort of object lesson is the more ready to listen to the proposition -that is now being discussed to use this same treatment for the defense -of society against herself. The question is one that must be approached -with the utmost consideration and tenderness as well as fairness and -justice applied after the most careful and expert selection and with -due regard to the character and physical and mental qualities that are -due to be expected from such conditions. It is natural selection they -say, artificially applied without the circumlocution and tedious delay -of nature’s ordinary methods. Left to herself, nature in the long run -provides for the survival of the fittest. We now propose say they to make -the same provision in the short run. We are now approaching one of those -crises in human affairs in which something has to be done, and if men -have not the wit to do it themselves, nature takes hold and performs it -in her hard way with small tenderness for anybody’s feelings or notions -of propriety. If we are competent, we will find some way out of this -difficulty without losing our civilization; if we are not, nature will -put us back in the primer of barbarism, to learn it all over again as -she has done a dozen times before. We have it in our power, and it is -our obvious duty to reduce the population, or to stop its increase, and -to do it in the very scientific manner that is at our disposal, by which -the best blood is selected for transmission and the poorest is quietly -eliminated without shock or pain to the individual or to society. Not -only can the best blood in general be made exclusive, but any particular -brand of best blood can be picked out to receive special encouragement. -We can preserve a class of talent invaluable to civilization that nature -could not be depended on to select for preservation in the hard struggle -for existence—the gentle, the unselfish, the intellectual worker and the -poet. Nor can she be depended on to eliminate the ruffianly, brutal, -criminal and selfish members whose room is better than their company. -Rather these are the very ones she would be likely to save. - -“This is all in our hands, say they, and if we have the nerve to carry it -out, we can make the earth a perpetual paradise. All we have to do is to -disqualify in their infancy the stirps whose posterity we prefer not to -see.” - -The Professor paused here and changed the profile to his ‘jokers’ or -middle pair of hands and proceeded to roll up the 20th century and expose -the 21st. - -“I believe,” he resumed, “that we had better step forward another -century, take our stand at the year 2100 and survey the century -retrospectively, as we have done the 20th. It seems more natural to speak -of it in the past tense since we have become accustomed to that way.” - -“All right,” I answered, “consider it done. I am already there.” - -“Do you not remember,” he went on, “that a little while ago you expressed -a wish that it might have been your lot to live say 200 years later than -you did, so as to share and experience the glory your race would have -attained by that time? Well you are in effect now there, and while you -shall never experience it in your own person, you shall have a close -glimpse of it and be able to compare your anticipation with the reality. - -“We are now celebrating January 1, 2100. As you look around, you see -very much that is unfamiliar and miss many things you used to see. Take -a map of the world and examine it. You will find only three general -governments on earth. First is the “Great Union of Free States”, which -you have heard of, but now comprising all America, the Pacific Islands, -Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, The West Indies, Ireland and -Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, New Guinea and the Philippines. -Thus you see the principal change in this government during the century -consists in the full annexation of all the South American States north of -Chili and Argentine, and the Annexation of England, Scotland and Wales -and the Scandinavian states. The language of this great empire is almost -exclusively English, which however, has been greatly corrupted, some -say, or enriched according to others, by the incorporation of a large -number of foreign words, mostly Spanish, due to the intimate relations -between the English speaking peoples and those who used the Spanish and -Portuguese. South America has been settled and cultivated and is the most -productive county on earth; a fairy land, a paradise. Nothing can compare -with it except some of the finest portions of the Sahara desert, which -has been developed by the French; and some of the East India Islands. - -“Next is the Russo-Asiatic empire that comprises Russia in Europe and -all Asia except Arabia. It is styled the ‘Russasia.’ The government is -a limited monarchy, very much like that of Great Britain in your day. -The Russians in Europe and Siberia are represented by a parliament, -which is the supreme legislative authority for the entire empire. The -Asiatic States are governed by governors appointed by the emperor at -St. Petersburg and most of them have local legislatures that regulate -their local affairs. All China and parts of India, Persia and Tartary, -and Afghanistan are divided into convenient sized states possessing this -local autonomy. All of this territory is being developed by the combined -enterprise of the Russians and the Chinese, the latter scarcely second to -the former. Mongolia and Mantchooria have been supplied with railroads -and settled by both Chinese and Russians. The Chinese have also migrated -in great numbers into Tartary and settled up what used to be the western -end of the Chinese empire. They have even settled in great numbers in -Russia and in western Asia. A great change came over the Chinese after -their war with Japan in 1894-5. They perceived that they were beaten by -western methods, and they suddenly conceived a respect for the ways of -the foreign devils as extreme as their contempt for them had been before. -They had always been on good terms with the Russians while they disliked -the English, French and Americans. Having determined to adopt western -ways, they selected the Russians for their instructors and welcomed -their capital and enterprise in the introduction of railways, opening -mines, improving their water ways, introducing western machinery and -manufactures. When the Russians in order to protect their interests -began a military occupation of the country, they were not opposed, but -rather welcomed by the progressive party. The Chinese were not a military -people, and were really in need of a coalition that would enable them -to resist the aggressions of the nations of western Europe, and the -Japanese. The remodeling of Chinese institutions under the tutelage of -the Russians advanced rapidly. Probably the most radical and important -innovation was the introduction of the Russian alphabet and the phonetic -spelling of the Chinese language by its use. This enabled the Chinese -youth to learn their own language much more easily, and it led directly -to the study of the Russian which became very necessary to a large -extent, on account of the intimate intercourse between the two people, -and on account of the new ideas, processes and things, the names of -which were Russian without Chinese equivalents. This finally led to the -universal use of Russian by the educated Chinese. - -“After the formal annexation of China, the Russian became the official -language, and the Chinese language has gradually fallen into disuse and -is now almost extinct. The Chinese say of their ancient tongue and the -bug marks and turkey tracks that constituted its written expression, “we -were little children when we used that language.” - -“The Russian has also to a great extent superseded the Tartar, Turkish, -Persian and other tongues current in Central Asia. In doing this, -however, it has become considerably corrupted itself. - -“The third great empire comprises all the territory not included in the -other two, and embraces all of Continental Europe except Russia and -the Scandinavian States, and all of Africa except that part south of -the 10th parallel of S. Lat. and Arabia. It is called the Euro-Afric -Confederacy. Tremendous activity has been displayed by the Europeans in -the settlement and improvement of Africa during the past two centuries. -The whole continent has been gridironed with railroads, all of it has -been civilized and the most unpromising part—the Sahara desert has been -made a vast garden. - -“The French have been most active in the northern part, the Italians in -the eastern part, the Portuguese and Germans in the central portions, -the English in the southern. The Congo and German States being open to -free trade, they came to be frequented by merchants from all Europe and -these were soon followed by permanent settlers. After a time these people -became tired of being governed from Europe, and set up for themselves, -declaring themselves independent, much as the United States did in -1776. But in this case there was no opposition for the principle of -free intercourse and unrestricted trade having been firmly established, -the mother countries did not care to superintend the internal affairs -of the young states, and readily consented to their independence. But -this independence proved to be the forerunner of a more extensive union -namely the Euro-Afric Confederacy. It was the last to be formed of the -three great empires that now cover the world. The states comprising -it are mostly republics. But a few in middle Africa, Guinea and the -Sondan, are limited monarchies. The native races of Africa are rapidly -being displaced by the Europeans and will totally disappear in a few -generations as the North American Indians did in your day. A large -migration of Negroes took place from the United States to Africa during -the 20th century, but they did not thrive, and the race is vastly reduced -both in Africa and America.” - -“That is strange,” said I, “for in my day the negroes were very numerous -in the southern states—a majority in some places—and the question how -they were to be disposed of constituted one of the questions of state of -that period.” - -“True,” he replied, “but up to that time there had been no very severe -competition for the means of living. But it became more and more -difficult from that time on to make a living, and wherever there is -strong competition between men, the strong positive, vigorous and hard, -are sure to crowd the softer and weaker out, and take the prize they are -struggling for. In your day the negroes were generally content, in fact -were compelled to be content, with such humble employments as the whites -did not care to engage in because there was enough of a more ambitious -sort to employ them. But when the whites found it necessary to compete -with the negroes for the work they had before monopolized, they easily -beat them. The defeat of men in the struggle for life affects them in -two ways; it discourages, worries and exhausts them mentally; and it -destroys their vigor through want and starvation, physically. The latter -of these effects tells at once in shortening the existence of the -present generation, and both of them tell on the general force and vigor, -the deterioration of which is seen in the reduced numbers and virility -of the succeeding generations. Wild animals newly domesticated, fail to -breed through mental strain and worry. The same is true of savages when -the mental burdens of civilization are too suddenly laid upon them, and -the same principle holds in civil life when from any cause the burden of -life becomes too heavy—as, to the poor man when he struggles against odds -for bread for his family, and to the rich when he struggles doubtfully -for the superfluities required by fashion. The negro race is not extinct -by any means even in the United States, but its extinction is only a -question of comparatively short time easily estimated from the advance in -that direction already made.” - -“But it seems to me,” said I, “that there can no longer be such a -desperate struggle for existence since the means of livelihood are within -the reach of all, and the exertion required has been so much lessened by -the state’s care of the young etc.” - -“The means of mere existence,” he said, “are, in most of the states of -the “Great Union,” within the reach of all, and no one need go hungry or -naked. If he is able to work, the state will give him employment if no -one else will, and if he is not able he will be cared for anyhow. But -the style in which a man lives depends altogether on his ambition and -ability. If his ability is equal to his ambition, he obtains what he -wants and is happy and contented; unless, as often happens his ambition -grows by what it feeds on and excites him to fresh exertions by a new -allurement after every success. And so the wearing struggle may go on -forever. People are mimics and none of them more so than the negroes. In -imitating a stronger race they give out and gradually succumb. While they -were slaves they were free from this competition, and rapidly increased. -The African tribes were also free from it. But both have now been exposed -to it for six generations and it has told on them heavily.” - -“It would appear then that competition and selection go on under the -present conditions of life almost as much as ever, for the law must apply -to the weaker whites as well as to the negroes.” - -“So it does, and always must, as long as men are competent to -discriminate between the costly and the cheap, and continue to prefer the -former, to the latter.” - -“The reason for such preference,” I infer, “must be that more enjoyment -of life is found in the possession of the more costly things. Is that -your view?” - -“It does not follow at all,” he replied. “Costly things give a fictitious -enjoyment in anticipation while they are being pursued, but after they -are obtained they give no more enjoyment than if they had been cheap. -The possession of many things that have cost great worry and exertion -frequently leads to nothing more than a perception of their vanity, and -the uncovering of a new perspective of something bright and equally -illusory beyond. From time immemorial your philosophers have sounded -the praises of contentment. Contentment is nothing more nor less than -happiness, and it is little to the purpose to ask a man to be happy -unless the suggestion is backed up by the conditions of his environment. -When people have absolutely nothing better to look forward to, they can -almost always settle down to a comparative degree of contentment with -what they have. But with an environment constantly showing chances of -preferment, wealth, distinction, etc., and examples of the attainment -of these things by others, contentment is constantly being unsettled -and happiness always deferred to the future. A guest taking his dinner -‘out’ will reserve part of his appetite for the unseen, but commonly -expected, desert of pudding and pie, but if he is informed that he “sees -his dinner” before him, he will make himself quite satisfied without the -desert. - -“The fact is, the absolute contentment or happiness that your poets dream -for you, and your priests sell to you in their heavens and nirvanas, is -absolute satisfaction with whatever is. It can only come to an instinct -in perfect harmony with its environment. People can never be perfectly -happy except in a finished unchangeable state of existence. They may -approach it under conditions in which change is very slow and slight.” - -“Is our race likely to attain it or anything like it on earth?” - -“Things on earth to-day look far more unsettled than ever before, and -yet they are getting into a shape that promises peace and permanence in -the not very distant future. When the earth gets as full of people as -it will hold and they learn how to live by moderate exertion and above -the fear of failure and want, the millennium will have come to the extent -that it can come.” - -“Well from what you said a while ago, I suppose the world must already be -as full of people as it ought to be, and if everything is in equilibrium, -the millennium ought to have already dawned. But you have not told me -whether this equilibrium has been made secure and stable. For evidently -if means have not been found to keep the population uniform and steady at -its maximum limit of comfort, even a perfect equilibrium would soon be -disturbed by its increase and the millennium set back again. - -“You told me the stirpiculturists in the 20th century proposed to -accomplish the two objects of restricting the race and at the same time -improving it, by select limitation. How did the plan succeed?” - -“It did not succeed at all,” he replied. “The population increased -more rapidly than before. A state of society something like a corrupt -and clandestine polygamy supervened. The tone of society instead of -being elevated was distinctively lowered. Thus both of the objects they -so hopefully set out to accomplish, disastrously failed. When it was -definitely given up by the progressive party that they were defeated -and obliged to confess they were on the wrong track there was a fearful -revulsion and upheaval of society, as there always is when opinion is -forced to fly from one extreme to another. Many persons felt they had -been wronged—treated as criminals when they were only unfortunates. - -“The danger from this class was now imminent, and they had the sympathy -of many in the better walks of life. But the time soon rolled round -that drove people to think of nothing but themselves. But this was one -of those deliberate movements that nature seems to delight in dealing -out to us. She dangles it over us like the sword of Damocles. There -was time to think; before the thread snapped, if there was only the -wit. It was a time of common danger, and there was no inclination nor -profit in recriminations between the parties. In the presence of an -appalling calamity they were both awed. They no longer contended with -each other, they were both at their wits ends, and in fright they rushed -into each others presence to consult not to fight; and trembled alike at -the disaster that overwhelmed them both; like tigers slinking into the -presence of their human enemies when threatened by a common danger; as an -earthquake. - -“All admitted, the disappointment and failure were complete.” - -“It seems to me that might have been foreseen,” said I,—“what did they do -next?” - -“They were in a great quandary, and did not know what to do, many wild -propositions were offered and discussed. The pessimists although as -largely interested as anybody in the success of any plan aiming at the -public welfare, were really pleased at the failure of this, because it -fulfilled their evil predictions. They now said there was nothing to -be done but to return to the ancient plan of nature in which every one -looked after himself and his children. - -“If one failed, it was nature’s sign that he was not wanted, and he -had no business to have children. But the optimists declared it to be -impossible to return to the barbarous conditions that prevailed in -ancient times among savages. Nature, said they, has evolved civilization -and altruism, and these are therefore as natural as barbarism. But nature -preserves a certain congruity of relationship between things, that we -cannot easily set aside, and so if we are going backward in regard to -the care of our young we shall lose the advantages that we have gained -in the improved quality of the citizens, we have made out of them. For -if we throw all the responsibility on the parents, while we cannot -depend on a reduction in the number of the children, we may be sure of -a deterioration in their bringing up and education. If we go back to -barbarism we must take all that barbarism imposes. The human race they -said was born to luck. Whenever it got into a tight place, some lucky -turn of fortune’s wheel always supplied its need and brought it out -of its troubles, and they avowed their faith that something would yet -turn up to tide the race over the present crisis. In the midst of these -discussions, a great discovery was made or accidentally stumbled upon -that gave confirmation to this hopeful philosophy, and relieved the fears -of those philosophers who were in the habit of taking the destiny of the -race very much to heart and who felt more or less responsibility for -its future. That was a discovery of nature’s secret of the determination -of sex. It enabled people to control the sex of their children, a -power that had been ardently wished for ever since the days of Adam -and scientifically sought after, at least as far back as the time of -Aristotle. They thought that in this “option of sex,” as they styled it, -they at last possessed the infinitely important power of the control of -population. They had seen before this, that no restriction could succeed, -not founded on the support of all. All discussion in this direction was -brought to a sudden termination, by this timely discovery. All felt as if -the great problem was solved in the most acceptable manner, not only in -accordance with refined sentiment, but with the pressing requirements of -society, because this vital condition that so intimately concerns us all -is taken up by the state and administered for the benefit of the whole -race. - -“In your day you doubtless remember that generally boys were in greater -request and more welcome by parents than girls. And there continued to -be such a feeling until quite lately—for no very good reason, except -the habit of heredity—since men could hardly be said to have had any -advantage over women for the last 100 years. At any rate this prejudice -assisted the state in the policy it adopted of reducing the proportion -of females, and within two generations the census showed a reduction -of fifty per cent in the number of females while the _total population -remained the same without increase_. This result was peculiarly -gratifying to the political economists and philosophers, for as they -declared the state had now complete control of the population and could -on a tolerably short notice increase or diminish it as the comfort of the -race might demand.” - -I interrupted the Professor here to express with some pardonable -enthusiasm my congratulations that this vital question had been so -successfully and thoroughly met. I said I always had confidence in my -race and now more than ever. I felt proud of the honor of being an humble -member of it; and more to the same effect; to which he listened with some -impatience and then proceeded. - -“There were some results that were not anticipated, that followed -from the practical operation of the “option of sex.” One was the very -rapid elevation, almost deification of women. As there was now but one -woman to three men her value and importance rose in the inverse ratio; -and it became the habit to say that women were worth three times as -much as men. They were in fact worth a good deal more than that, for -they soon perceived that they held the key of power and the destiny -of the race and were able to construct the conditions of life to suit -their own whims and caprices. They became in fact the ruling sex. They -demanded for themselves and easily obtained all the easy and profitable -positions in business and official life, and remanded men to those least -desirable. The wholesome civil service principles that had become pretty -well settled in the law, thought, and practice of the country were now -habitually evaded or openly set aside in favor of the sex. Nothing they -asked for was denied them and hardly anything was good enough for them. -In your day the women in America were extravagantly petted and coddled, -but the attention and reverence they received then was nothing compared -with the adulation and servility that has of late been rendered to them. -Such a condition of things could not fail to encourage tyranny and -arrogance, and to create them where they had not been before. Sentiment -and favoritism became the controlling forces and business principles were -ignored. - -“There were three candidates for every woman’s hand, two of whom were -bound to be disappointed, and so one-half the population—two-thirds of -the masculine part—were doomed to a life of single misery. They did not -accept the situation with fortitude or resignation. There was no end to -quarreling and personal antagonisms and violence between rivals, and -there arose what there had not been for several generations, and that was -a “dangerous class.” It became unsafe for married people of either sex -to appear on the streets unguarded. The “social evil” that in your day -was so sore a question had long since under the conditions of universal -matrimony, died out, and had practically ceased for a century and a -half, now came again into existence in a more virulent form than ever. -All classes felt the relaxation of the former restraints, and immorality -became frightfully prevalent. Divorce which had become almost obsolete, -now came to be an every day occurrence, not often, however, upon the -complaint of the comparatively helpless husband, but upon that of the -fickle wife who had succumbed to the superior attractions of a newer -affinity. Divorce was now practically in the hands of the wife, and -she dismissed her husband when he failed to please her, or when a more -eligible mate presented himself. All women of course were not like that, -but they all had the power to be, and a frightfully large proportion of -them were.” - -“The wise men of our race,” said I, “especially those of ancient times -have generally regarded women as being not merely inferior to men -physically and mentally, but as being essentially depraved and incapable -of being good except under the stimulation and wise and pious discipline -and example of men. Does the state of society you have described to me -bear out this opinion? It seems that the women have broken loose from the -wholesome restraints that were imposed on them in the former constitution -of society in which men were supreme; and like a runaway team they are -about to smash the wagon and dash out their own brains.” - -“No,” he replied, “the state of affairs I have described does not at all -confirm the opinion of the old blockheads you call your wise men. If they -had been really wise they would have known that both women and men are -created, formed, moulded and finished by their environment. Now woman -constitutes a part of the environment of man and man constitutes a part, -but in old times he constituted a relatively much larger part of the -environment of woman. So it might be said, that if man was better than -woman, it was because her influence on him was better or at least less -harmful than his influence on her. - -“But the fact is that under equal conditions the influence that each -exerts on the other is equal, and they are mutually benefitted. The -nearest to a golden age your race has ever come was during the one -hundred years from the middle of the 20th to the middle of the 21st -century, and that is the period of the most complete equality of the -sexes in all respects—numbers, liberty, similarity of occupations and -equal duties and responsibilities, and the total ignoring and rejection -of the notion of any difference of ‘spheres’ for the activities of the -two. The reciprocal and essentially exclusive functions involved are -peculiar to each, but these do not essentially, and at the present, do -not really interfere in any of the active employments people choose to -engage in.” - -“Nursing the children is essentially the woman’s business is it not?” I -inquired. - -“Not at all,” he answered. “Mammary glands belong to the male as well as -the female.” - -“Functionless ones,” said I. - -“Only functionless,” he replied, “because they are not used. In your -day there were occasional cases of well developed male mammae and -professional male wet nurses, now they are common and it is doubtful if -there are as many female as male nurses. There are and always were women -who could not nurse their children, and these are more numerous now than -ever. It is simply because there are other things they prefer to do, and -so the accommodating function suppresses itself just as it did in the -male because he for ages suppressed its use. So you see that even in -nursing and rearing the children there is no exclusive female “sphere” -any more than a male “sphere.” In the golden age I have just spoken of -there was greater harmony and happiness than ever before, one of the -essential conditions of which was the almost perfect equality of the -sexes. But the termination of this golden age and the beginning of the -social anarchy that commenced about the middle of the 21st century was -traceable chiefly to the disparity in numbers between the sexes brought -about by the operation of the “Option of Sex.” If we are to charge it -to the corrupt influence of one sex on the other it was the corrupt -assault of the unavoidably unmarried of the male sex on the institution -of wedlock. If the women were willful arrogant and naughty, it was only -because there were men about them in the proportion of three to one—for -which they were not to blame—nor the men either, but the limited capacity -of this globe, and nobody was to blame for that. Thus whatever they are -or do in either sex is traceable to their environment.” - -“Well,” said I, “since there has been such a failure, I am glad after all -that my day was ended long before these evil times came. But what is to -become of the race now! Will they discover a way to hold their own?” - -“There never was,” said he, “a lack of wise doctors amongst men who were -always ready with a sure cure for the ills that beset the race. Some -of them now proposed as a remedy for the social maladies a plan of life -that was not new nor original, but which differed as far as possible -from the hereditary notions of the western nations. This was nothing -less than polyandry or the plurality of husbands. They said, let every -woman have three husbands and harmony and peace will be restored, and -vice be deprived of excuse. They said this was no experiment, but had -been practiced successfully amongst some of the eastern nations from time -immemorial. They referred to the case of the Ladaks, a highly civilized, -steady and religious people of the Buddhist faith, who inhabit the lofty -and circumscribed valley at the head waters of the Indus. The place -will support only so many people. If too many were born they could not -emigrate to a lower country on account of the oppression of the heavier -air. For a converse reason no immigrants ever attempt to settle there. -But the population is kept uniform and steady by the simple plan of -giving each wife three husbands. This has been successful for a thousand -years on a small scale and there seemed no reason why it would not work -on a large scale. But this scheme was promptly and emphatically rejected -by the women of influence and authority, the moment it was proposed. They -asserted there was no civilized relationship except Monogamy. That alone -brought equality of the sexes and equality alone stood between the race -and barbarism. - -“It was true that polyandry was already practiced surreptitiously to a -certain extent in America, but it was the disreputable exception and they -did not propose to make it the honorable rule. They denounced the plan -as being scarcely one remove from the “social evil” itself. Polygamy, -they said, is natural, made so by immemorial usage. The race was brought -up on that and is built with reference to it. But polyandry, No! nothing -in nature so repulsive and revolting. That settled it.” - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -The Third Sex. - - -“It is a painful tale you have told me, Professor,” said I, “I sincerely -hope you have got a pleasanter sequel to take off its sting. Well, our -race has always had its ups and downs. The one seems always to breed -the other. So as it has received a check now, that must be a prophecy -of better times ahead. After all I shall be disappointed if human wit -has been so completely baffled by that problem of population that it has -failed to find a way for its regulation without violation of the generous -instincts of humanity.” - -“Your confidence in human wit is commendable from a patriotic point of -view,” returned the Professor, “but for this particular occasion it -is not entirely justified. The fact is that not many years ago your -race in North America and Europe had so crowded upon its conditions of -comfortable existence that it was in imminent danger of a disastrous, -if not total collapse. The efforts then made to prevent this, resulted -almost in the disorganization of society to such an extent that a -collapse from this cause was seriously threatened. Your race and -nation have been saved from such collapse and a repetition of one of -its numerous relapses into barbarism, not, however, by human wit this -time, but by the wisdom and generosity of the race I have the honor to -represent.” - -“What! the Lunarians?” - -“The same. Our people saw the straits to which the human family was -reduced, and willing that it should be spared the distress that they had -been compelled to undergo before the discovery of the means of protection -against themselves, they sent messengers to earth with the necessary -facts and instructions.” - -“I am amazed, and gratified,” said I, “for this signal proof that -benevolence is not confined to any one world or race; but I am impatient -to know what this wonderful and essential secret is, that defied the -penetration of the wise of my own race.” - -“Our belief,” said he, “is that it would not always have eluded them, -but they would have failed to apprehend it in time to save the race from -present disaster. The Lunarians have always taken a deep interest in -Mundane affairs, and have given many hints to man, some of which have -been acted upon with good results. But many others could not be properly -acted on or even fairly understood, because the education of your race -had not prepared them for it. We are often tempted to exclaim “what a -stupid race.” But then we remember how very young and immature you -are, and we remember too that once we were in a like state of infancy -ourselves, and so we exercise charity.” - -“But what was the secret you told us?—I am anxious to learn at once, lest -some accident shall forever bar my opportunity.” - -“Well the secret is the simplest thing in the world, and your scientists -have been reproaching themselves all over the earth for not having -discovered it themselves. In fact, as they say, they did discover all -around it when they lit upon the “Option of Sex.” It is simply the -conditions for the production at will of the _Third Sex_.” - -“The Third Sex!” I echoed in amazement. - -“Yes the Third Sex. I prefer that name, though some have called it the -neuter sex, others name it the Double Sex, or the Epicene or Common Sex, -others the Hermes-Aphrodite. In some respects it is all of these, or -either, or neither. But it is at any rate Third. I am not going to give -you the recipe,” said he, “for if I do, when you leave here, and now and -go back to the Nineteenth Century, you will be sure to let out the secret -prematurely by two hundred years. But I can say that the development -of the third sex is in reality no development at all, but an arrest of -development, at a particular prenatal period. If you are informed in the -science of embryology, you know that in the earliest stage of the embryos -of all sexual animals, the sex is not determined, and at that stage -there is nothing to distinguish whether the coming individual is to be -male or female. It possesses possibilities of either and therefore the -germs of both. At a second stage the elements of the essential organs of -both sexes are developed in each individual and then the individual is -both male and female, but not fully matured or developed. At the third -stage the organs distinguishing one of the sexes are carried forward -to functional perfection, while those pertaining to the other, are not -developed any further, and in some cases are partly undone again. Now if -the developement of the embryonic sexual organs be arrested during the -second stage of growth or before it, the individual will be neither male -nor female, but will belong to the third sex. The manner in which this -arrest can be accomplished is the secret we imparted to you 20 years ago, -and by means of which the important problem of the control of population -can be solved by you as it was long ago done by us.” - -“Then you have the three sexes in the moon?” - -“We have had them for many ages, in fact, we would not know how to exist -if we had but two.” - -“It is a wonder to me how you ever could have fallen upon so wonderful an -arcanum—that nature seems to be carefully hiding from us.” - -“Nature dropped the hint in this as in so many others of our discoveries. -There were occasional examples of the third sex produced by nature and -born into life, as there have been in the case of the human race as you -must know. These examples excited curiosity, which led to the discovery, -that they were due to arrested development. Further investigation and -experiment showed this arrest to be due to deprivation of a certain -class of food, or rather of food in a certain dynamic condition, that -is, under certain electric tensions. This condition again depends on -the molecular structure of the food elements. When the food is deprived -of the constituent plastidules[2] required for the nourishment and -development of the tissues composing the embryo organs of sex; these -tissues do not mature. And since the emasculation or invalidation of -the food does not extend to, or affect the process of assimilation -of the same nourishment by the other tissues, such as muscle, brain, -nerve, bone, etc., the individual is built up to a symmetrically sexless -maturity. And the development of sex is said to be arrested. - -“If your people had been as wise as the bees they would have known how to -produce the third sex simply as the bees do by supplying the appropriate -sort of nutriment; for they, from the same sort of an egg, produce either -a queen, a drone or a worker, the latter being of the neuter or third -sex; simply by variations in the food and treatment. - -“It is said, that it was by observing and following such hints as these -that our ancestors learned how to produce the same results the bees have -accomplished.” - -While the Professor was making this explanation, the question arose in -my mind whether this discovery, surprising as it was, was sufficient to -rectify the ills that our race had encountered. Would there not be some -unforeseen drawback as there had proved to be to the other schemes, that -would neutralize the anticipated benefits, or work another disaster as -great as the one it was intended to cure. Was the third sex in itself -a desirable or happy kind of condition to have. The contemplation of -this subject, at first repulsive; when viewed philosophically becomes -exceedingly interesting as one of the curious flights of nature. It is -true that the specimens of these people she has furnished us on earth, -we have commonly regarded as unhappy monstrosities.—But that is no doubt -due to ignorance and prejudice, and to the anomalous conditions into -which they are born. I expressed myself somewhat in accordance with these -reflections, after which the Professor with some hesitation proceeded. - -“In your day the family was spoken of as the basis and the bond of -society; and by the family was meant a father and mother and a brood of -children, all living together and working and caring for each other. -The family was the laboratory for the creation and preparation of the -citizens of the state. As an instrument for the education and development -of the young citizens it was discovered to be, in civil life, inefficient -and costly very unequal in its results and entailing an unequal and -unjust distribution of its burdens. The state gradually assumed one -after another of these former family duties and burdens in the rearing -and development of the young, and in doing so, gradually disintegrated -the family until there was nothing left of it except a pair of people, -a man and a woman. But in this the state only consummated a process -that had been begun generations before by the invention of labor saving -machinery. The family of your day was already a very much dwindled -affair, compared with that of ancient times. Then the members of the -family made for themselves their clothing and everything they required -and they constituted a military body of which the father was the chief. -But when machinery and gunpowder were invented, labor and employment, -in both peace and war, became specialized, and in the division of labor -that followed, families were gradually separated so as to use the labor -of their individual components to greater advantage and new combinations -were formed that crossed and obliterated family lines. - -“When the families gave up their children to the state to be brought up, -it was a continuation of the same process in accordance with the eternal -law of economy, and because the machinery of the state for the care of -the young was so much better and cheaper than that of the family, that -the latter could no longer compete. When this was accomplished the family -had lost every function that had ever made it a necessary or important -subdivision of society. - -“In former times the state of celibacy was regarded as censurable and -blameworthy, because the unmarried by failing to raise and provide for a -family of children were considered as shirking out of a duty they owed to -society. But when it was no longer the business of individuals to provide -for the growing citizens, it became a matter of total indifference to the -general public whether one was married or not. It became unimportant -to the public to know even of what sex any individual might be, and the -ancient laws that required the sex to be advertised by their clothes, -were repealed and everybody was allowed to dress according to the demands -of their business or their fancy. All artificial distinctions of sex such -as employment, civil rights and dress were abolished, and the personal -pronouns and titles of address that recognized sex were of necessity -dropped out of the languages. These things have already transpired in -your country and in all the more advanced countries of the world and -this has prepared the people to view the introduction of the third sex -with philosophical interest and appreciation, instead of vulgar and -unreasoning prejudice. You must make allowance for the advance people -have made since your day in education and the comprehensiveness of their -views. The third sex was looked upon in your day as a monstrosity, -because it was rare. Did they regard a seedless orange or lemon or grape -as a monstrosity? If you had ever seen a horse with three toes on each -foot you would have called him a monstrosity, but the time was as you -know, when the horse commonly had three toes and the monstrosity was the -animal with only one, such as you regarded in your day as a perfect model -of beauty and utility. - -“Your race will not regard the third sex with aversion or depreciation -when they understand its relations and experience its value.” - -“Please tell me,” said I, “what the relations of this sex to the others -will be. I suppose of course it will be subordinate to the others, -especially the male.” - -“Well,” he replied, “your experience in this matter will closely follow -ours. As it is in Luna, so it is beginning to be on earth. You are -greatly mistaken in supposing our sex to be subordinate to another.” - -At the expression “our sex,” I involuntarily gave the Professor a -surprised glance. - -“Then your affiliations are with that sex?” - -“I have indeed that honor.” - -I was greatly astonished at this avowal and was greatly mortified to -reflect that I had unwittingly said things that must have hurt his -feelings, although he gave no sign of being in the least offended. I -began an embarrassed apology, but he silenced me by a deprecatory wave of -his right joker. He appeared amused rather than offended and evidently -excused my unlucky observations as due to the ignorance and inexperience -of the human race; which indeed, they were. I am now in doubt about the -propriety of these masculine personal pronouns that I have applied when -speaking of him but I shall continue to use them for I do not know what -sort to substitute for them; certainly none of less dignity would seem -appropriate to so dignified and noble a personage. - -“In the moon,” the Professor went on, “there is perfect equality -between all individuals, regardless of the sex. But the third sex is -numerically far the largest and in case of disagreement would easily -dominate the other two. But there is and has been from time immemorial -perfect harmony as between the sexes, their functions being of necessity -complemental and in no way antagonistic. The most responsible places -in the state, and the leadership in education, in religion, in public -works, engineering and architecture as well as almost all the common -occupations, such as manufacturing and storing goods, agriculture etc., -are in the hands of the third sex. They are preeminently people of -affairs, and for most occupations are decidedly superior to the other -sexes, because they are less liable to be distracted from their chosen -occupations. - -“The males and females generally marry and then their first duties are to -each other, otherwise they are employed like the third sex people. - -“Married people are desired to conform to the policy of the State Bureau -of Population in regard to the distinctions required by it. Otherwise -they are under no restriction or obligation. The population is thus kept -uniform or increased or diminished in an almost exact and scientific -manner. As I have already informed you, all Lunarians are by nature -industrious and they take the keenest sort of pleasure in their work. -Nevertheless they also play and amuse themselves, and devote much time -to intellectual occupations. They have numerous societies and clubs, and -the third sex people in particular are organized into associations for -said purposes. So are the others also, but their club life is more or -less interrupted and broken up by their connubial relations and duties. -The third sex people are distinguished for their personal friendships -which are very close intimate and tender and of life long constancy. -These friendships founded on compatibility of character, similarity of -tastes and pursuits the subtile attractions of reciprocal intellectual -and spiritual qualities, we regard as finer, more elevated, more noble, -more exquisite and more absorbing than the unions formed on the basis of -sexual attractions, and they are notably more permanent.” - -“Then,” said I, “you have no jealousies of the other sexes—no envy?” - -“Why should we have when it is plain we are as happy—we think -happier—than they? We would not change places with them, any sooner -than you would with a fish, because it can dive into depths you cannot -penetrate, or a bird, because it can soar where you cannot. You know you -would lose by the exchange. In a society where there are no artificial -distinctions on account of sex it is not possible to find any one who -would willingly exchange with another. Why should not a non-marrying sex -be happy? Do you not remember that one of the great teachers of earth -declared that in the kingdom of heaven they neither marry nor are given -in marriage? Certainly the third sex is in a better condition to comply -with this celestial regulation than either of the others. The same great -teacher was apparently so impressed with the superior conditions for -happiness possessed by the third sex that he recommended to those of his -followers who were able to receive it, to attach themselves to that sex -by artificial means[3], and not a few of them have from time to time -attempted to do so. But there is a vast difference between the artificial -and the natural, the spurious and the genuine. Those who are of the third -sex by natural development, are formed symmetrically; the brain and the -mind depending on it, with its desires and aversions are formed in unison -and harmony with the other bodily parts and organs. - -“The same causes that suppress the formation of the latter also prevent -the development of the corresponding pieces of brain and mind. There is -therefore no clash between mind and body, no mental instincts that the -body is physically disqualified from executing. The artificial imitation -on the other hand is a mutilate. His symmetry and balance are destroyed -because he retains a sexual brain and mind. He is out of harmony with -himself, necessarily unhappy, and often a wretch. - -“Intellectually the third sex is superior to the others. It is less -emotional, more cool, dispassionate, patient and rational. It is more -gentle and sympathetic, yet more firm in its conclusions and persistent -in its purposes. In size it is between the other sexes the male being the -largest—as with you—and from the same cause, polygamy, which as in your -case, was practiced by our ancestors. But our sex is physically finer, -stronger, more wiry and tough, more skillful in all the arts of life and -twenty-five per cent longer lived than the others. In short we possess -all the good qualities of the others in an increased degree, as if the -material that nature saved by the suppression of sexual qualities, she -used for the purpose of re-inforcing and augmenting the remaining ones. - -“You are I think now enabled to judge what your third sex is like, that -is just now being introduced as an active factor in human affairs. Your -race is now for the first time in its history, able in a perfectly -scientific manner, to defend itself against its own encroachments. Your -long looked for millennium dates from this very moment—the practical -introduction of this new factor. The disorders of the past half century -that seemed to many to mark the beginning of a chaotic anarchy in reality -mark its termination. From this time forward, law and liberty will -gradually grow together until, at a period long before the end of this -millennium, they will precisely coincide. Things will not be perfect at -first. Men will learn better every day how to live and every day will -subjugate more and more of the energies and materials of nature to their -own ends. The millennium that begins now will be succeeded by ninety-nine -more before your race will have passed its high tide and begun its final -ebb.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -The Millennium. - - -The Professor here begun to roll up his profile. He was evidently -preparing to leave, but as long as he had been with me, and it seemed as -if it were days, I was more loath than ever to part with him. My dread -of the separation rapidly grew into a veritable panic, and I became so -desperate as to beseech him, if he must go, to take me with him. He was -evidently much amused, and I thought gratified as well, but explained -that it would be impossible at that time, as his storage capacity for -compressed air was only sufficient for one, and his car was in fact -hardly suited to carry double. - -“Then,” said I, “give me a few moments longer if you possibly can. I do -so wish to know something of our posterity ten millenniums ahead—twenty—a -hundred. But no I am selfish—you are doubtless suffering now from your -long stay and I ought not to ask anything more.” - -“Say no more,” he said, “I will stay a few moments longer. I am not -seriously inconvenienced as yet. But I cannot give you continuous history -as that will take too long, but I will post you on a few prominent points -that will interest you. - -“One thing you will consider remarkable in the beginning of the first -millennium, is a growing disregard for the accumulation of great wealth. -The day of millionaires passed away before the close of the 20th century. -Legislation looking to the reduction of great estates and the prevention -of such overgrown accumulations in the future, was enacted at the -beginning of the century. But the spirit of greed was not outgrown until -the creation of wealth became so easy and under such control by the state -that more than enough for comfort and ease was placed at the command of -every one. No one was obliged to pay for anything, more than it cost, -because the state would furnish all that was necessary on those terms, if -no one else would. Speculative profits were abolished and the cost of an -article was made up of wages only—the wage of the man in getting the raw -material, the wage of the factors and the machinery in its fabrication, -the cost of transportation, the wage of the salesman etc., all added -together. The accumulation of excessive wealth was possible only when the -speculator got hold of something it was necessary for other people to -have, and who then made them pay for it much more than it cost him. This -was all stopped as I said, before the close of the 20th century. But it -was reserved to the beginning of the millennium to produce wealth in such -abundance that it was not possible for anybody to have a single thing -that it was essential for anybody else to have. - -“The material means of comfort and happiness exist on the earth as -abundantly as the air for breathing. The education of the human race -consists in their learning how to take and use them. Having learned this, -the abundance of wealth is its security against the monopoly of the -greedy, and so your millennium begins with available wealth so plentiful, -that its surplus accumulation has no longer a sane object, and there is -no more reason in a man hoarding it than in his eating the surplus food -on the dinner table after he has had enough. - -“In your day if all the wealth of the world had been equally divided -among its inhabitants there would hardly have been enough for each -person, to maintain him one year. The people lived from hand to mouth, -and if the earth had failed to bring forth her bounty in crops for one -year, half the population would have perished. Now if sun and rain should -fail to mature the crops, the giant laboratories of artificial food can -soon supply the deficiency. The tendency of the times is to depend less -and less on the cultivation of the natural foods that are liable to the -chances of unfavorable wind and weather, and to rely on the artificial -products the creation of which is a matter of scientific certainty and -accuracy. - -“Let us now put ourselves forward again; this time one hundred -millenniums, and look into the past as we have done before. We shall see -that before the middle of the first millennium the principal articles -of food are artificial productions identically like the natural foods -formerly used such as milk, flour, meat, butter, fruits, vegetables -etc. In addition to these many other foods were invented similar and -equivalent to these natural productions. Later on the artificial products -came more and more to consist of the proximate principles and condensed -forms of food, fats, oils, sugar, and starch, gum, gluten, albumen, -fibrin, casein, gelatine etc., directly from minerals, especially coal, -or from cheap vegetation such as weeds that in your day were destroyed -as worthless, sea weed etc., also from sea animals. Nothing came amiss, -chemistry could produce rich and nourishing food from what in your day -were the most unpromising materials, and at a merely nominal cost too, -because power was furnished by the sun as I have explained to you. The -constant tendency of chemical discovery was toward the production of -foods in their purity, unmixed with the bulky residuum that goes with -natural foods and that in the process of assimilation has to be rejected. -As the foods thus became more condensed and pure a few spoons full became -the daily food of a man, the pleasures of the table became less keen and -protracted and gradually fell out of fashion. Other methods of recreation -were more cultivated, such as music, oratory, the lyceum, theater, -scientific lectures and experiments, games, etc. In many other respects -the habits and fashions of life changed during the first millennium. The -practice of walking was almost discontinued; flying machines having come -into universal use. They reached perfection and were so inexpensive to -operate, that they became a part of the equipment of everybody. Gentlemen -went to their business, ladies went shopping, children went to school, -with their flyers, as they formerly used to do to a less universal -extent, with their bicycles. - -“The changes that took place in the habits of the people in respect -to eating, walking and other things, reacted upon their physical -development, slowly and imperceptibly, however, unless comparisons were -made between people of several generations apart. The tendency as you -know, is, toward the suppression of organs not habitually used. Use and -habit keep all organs in good running order and develop them in size and -health, whereas disuse allows them to become shriveled and reduced, and -if it is persisted in for too many generations the organ will be reduced -to an unrecognizable functionless remnant or disappear altogether. All -animals including man have lost organs by ceasing to use them. Very many, -as the ox, sheep, dog, deer etc., have lost toes, many have lost part -of their intestines, some have lost a part or the whole of one lung. -Most vertebrates including man were derived from ancestors who once -possessed—but lost—an eye on the back of the head. The whales and snakes -have lost their legs and feet in whole or in part. - -“You will not be surprised therefore to be told that the man of the -second millennium began to be perceptibly changed from the one you knew -in the 19th century. But when we come to the tenth millennium the change -is astonishing. Let me describe him. - -“His average height is eight inches less. His legs are short and -spindling, his feet are small, and his toes reduced to small nubbins -or mere warts. He has no teeth and the males and third sex people have -not hair enough to make a scalp lock, even among the young, and it all -disappears before middle age. The females however still maintain enough -for a few bangs and spit curls. The external ears are reduced to a low -rim of cartilage around the opening, about one inch in diameter. The -lower part of the trunk is small and weak. The upper part containing -the heart and lungs is, however, very well developed. The arms and -hands are well formed strong and symmetrical. The head is very large -indicating large mental power. All these deviations from the average -man of your day became more pronounced with time, and if you could see -a man of the one hundredth millennium you would have to inquire what it -was. His stature now is but four feet, twelve inches of which is head, -eighteen inches trunk, and the other eighteen inches legs. His chest is -very broad, and very thick from front to back. His arms are stout and -long enough to allow him to reach to his knees while standing. They are -much larger and stronger than his legs. He is bald as an orange from -birth. He has an immense mouth which he uses much in singing, laughing -and speaking. He has not the vestige of an external ear nor any hair on -any part of the body. No teeth of course and no sign of a toe. The foot -is also much shortened and his walk is neither graceful nor vigorous. -Foot ball is no longer his best hold, although his ancestor in your day -may have belonged to the Sophomore foot ball eleven, of the Minnesota -University. It would probably astonish you to see him eat. If not, it -would be because you did not know what he was doing. His food is a -liquid, an artificial preparation digested and assimilated ready for -absorption by the tissues. He does not take it in at the mouth, but by an -orifice leading into the abdomen. This orifice is in the position of the -navel, and is the opening of the umbilical cord through the outer wall of -the abdomen to its connection with the vascular system inside. - -“In ancient times the umbilical cord through which the embryo received -its nourishment became pinched off on the outside after birth, while -the part of it that remained inside of the body cavity became reduced -to a mere string, a useless rudiment. But now that inside piece is -kept in use from birth, the child being fed in the same way after as -before birth. This opening by hereditary habit has developed wonderful -changes for which, however, the long ages of use have furnished ample -time for adjustment into a perfect adaptation of the parts and functions -concerned. But really the changes are by no means so radical as they seem -at first view. The change made in the mode of life of a new infant is in -reality the same in effect now that it was in your day. The essential -operation in both cases is the introduction of nourishment into the blood -and it is accomplished in both cases by osmosis. The history of this -evolution is interesting, but I can give you only a bare outline of it. - -“As the business of the world came to be done almost exclusively by -machinery directed by men’s brains, there was but little use for muscular -exertion, especially of the legs and body. The use for legs in locomotion -was also superseded by artificial modes of conveyance. Every road and -street in the world was as smooth and clean as a parlor floor. On -these were unlimited facilities for inexpensive transportation, public -and private, the power being electric. Besides these were the flyers, -also public and private. The life became almost exclusively a sitting -life, even when in motion, sedentary in the most literal sense. This -was, however, accompanied by the most intense activity of the brain. -These conditions were decidedly antagonistical to the old system of the -nourishment of the body by the stomach and intestines, because that -system had been developed in connection with an active muscular body, -and could be kept in good health only by vigorous muscular activity. -Formerly four-fifths of the blood went to support digestion and muscular -activity, and one-fifth went to the brain to support the mind. Increasing -mental activity diverted more and more of the circulation towards the -brain, until now it consumes three-fifths, muscular work takes not quite -two-fifths and digestion and assimilation almost none. The result of -the changes that constantly pressed in this direction, was that the -first millennium was an age of dyspepsia. The increasing disability of -the stomach for digestion, encouraged the use of digested foods, and -these by excusing the stomach from doing its proper work, increased its -disability. Children at first were usually born with good stomachs, but -these by middle life or before, commonly degenerated into instruments of -misery. Finally they would not even tolerate digested food and it became -necessary to convey food within by some other means. Any method by which -the nutritious matter properly digested can be introduced into the blood -will support life. It became necessary to adopt hypodermic injections and -other similar expedients. As this sort of treatment had to be applied -earlier and earlier in life as time went on, even in some cases in -childhood and infancy, they finally hit on the plan of using the ancient -natural entrance of the umbilicus and not allowing it to close at all -during life. In this way the ancient system of support and nutrition for -the body through the stomach has been entirely subverted. The chemical -processes of digestion, selection and assimilation of food are all done -outside of the body, by artificial processes, and the cavity of the body -is no longer filled with a series of brewing vats, soap factories, gas -works and receptacles for refuse filth and foul water. For we may truly -say that digestion consists of processes of fermentation of several -different kinds and saponification or soap making. Little or nothing that -is now taken into the body requires to be excreted and the only excretory -organs are the skin and lungs, for moisture and carbonic dioxide. This -radical change was not all effected at once, but was extended over many -generations, and was not fully consummated till the second millennium -was well spent. But before that one was finished, the atrophy of the -digestive functions was so far complete that cases of possible reversion -to them were extremely rare. The people of the present time look back -with amusement, commiseration and disgust upon the walking laboratories -that constituted their ancestors.” - -“I think,” said I, “that if the people of my day could see them the -amusement would be mutual.” - -“Probably it would,” he replied, “but if you should come to compare real -advantages, I am of the opinion they would be entitled to laugh the -loudest. They have decidedly the advantage of you in the simplicity of -their construction and in their reduced liability to get out of order. -An autopsy of this latter day man would reveal a little shriveled up bit -of parchment in the place where the stomach used to be, and another in -the place where the bladder was, a handful of shoe strings in the place -of the intestines, the total reduced in length at least one-half; some -little fleshy nodules like so many beans and peas and hickory nuts to -stand for the kidneys, the pancreas, the spleen and that ancient terror, -the liver. It is strange that after these organs are thus discarded -and atrophied, nature continues to perpetuate the remembrance of them -by reproducing in every individual that is born, these odd and grim -caricatures, like a miserly old woman that carefully hoards her cellar -full of old tin cans and broken jugs, bottles and dishes—of no use to -anybody.—But this is nature’s way. Even in your day your scientists -pointed out numerous remnants of played-out organs that your race then -had about them, such as the coracoid bone, the tail bones, the vermiform -appendix, the ear muscles, the pineal gland and many more. But now there -are to be added, this fresh batch. They will be constantly reduced in -size, one generation after another, but your race will hardly exist long -enough to get rid of them entirely; but they may congratulate themselves -that they have ended their mischief and are no longer functional. - -“There are also notable changes in the skeleton of the present man. He no -longer has 33 segments or vertebrae in his back bone as folks had in your -day, but only 23. The seven neck and twelve dorsal segments remain the -same, but the five lumbar vertebrae are reduced to two, the five sacral -and four tail bones are reduced to one each, much diminished in size, the -tail a mere button. So he is much shortened from the diaphragm down.” - -“Professor,” said I, “I confess I am disappointed in this man of the -latter days. It is doubtless true as you say that he has been greatly -improved by getting rid of his troublesome insides. I was somewhat -shocked when you first told me of it, but on reflection I have no doubt, -that although it seemed at first so strange and unnatural, it was all -for the best. But his stature—I cannot get over that. He is nothing but -a big headed spindle shanked dwarf. Our dreamers and prophets of the -nineteenth century always pictured the coming man to us as a Hercules -with brawny limbs and muscles of steel; he was never to be less than six -feet high, and he was to be as graceful as he was powerful and all that. -He was to be intellectual, too, of course; a Daniel Webster in brain. And -they seemed to have the experience of the race in their favor in this -prognostication, because it does not appear that the average stature of -the race diminished any, but probably increased, during the 4,000 or -5,000 years before the 20th century. Now if it did not decrease for that -period, why should it in the periods following?” - -“During the 4,000 years or more you refer to, the conditions of life on -which stature depend, did not materially change, for which reason stature -did not. War and field exercises, tend to large stature. Sedentary -employments, tend to reduce the stature. The latter mode of life has -prevailed for 100,000 years, and besides the general causes there has -been the additional special one in this case, of the loss of function in -a considerable portion of the trunk which would of consequence lose size -in an increased proportion. - -“But after all it is not physical stature that commands respect, but -mental stature. Many of your greatest men have been of small stature. -You speedily forget one’s size when attending to the actions of his -mind. The most dignified presence is that which impresses itself as the -strongest mentally. We consider that to which we are accustomed, as the -most correct and proper, in stature as in everything else. If you had -been most accustomed to people four feet high, you would regard six -feet people as coarse unwieldy overgrown monsters, and when you become -accustomed to the people of these times with their gentleness patience, -industry, unselfishness, sympathy and kindness and unfailing good humor, -their ability ingenuity, almost divine wisdom and learning, their stature -and form will be transformed before you to become your standard of -perfection. In the abstract, that is the most perfect form that admits -of the accomplishment of the greatest ends. By this standard the man of -this latter day is far in advance of all that preceded him, because in no -other human form would it ever have been possible to properly sustain so -great a brain. - -“It may interest you to know that the latter day man has almost entirely -lost the sense of taste, the sense of smell was already much decayed in -your day. It is somewhat poorer now, but still fairly good. The sense -of touch is far more delicate than formerly, hearing equally good, -and sight better for near objects, but not so good for far ones. The -telepathic sense has been remarkably developed and is one of the subjects -of study and drill in the schools. The adult people of the third sex wear -hats ten inches in diameter. The heads of the other sexes are somewhat -smaller. The longevity of the race has increased to an average of 200 -years, some occasionally reaching 300. The cause of this is due in part -to the greater purity of their food and the smaller quantity of mineral -impurities, such as lime, that is allowed to clog up the tissues and -vitiate the circulation.” - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -Universal State and Language. - - -“Soon after the beginning of the first millennium, the three great -governments of the world were consolidated into one. This was found -desirable in order to have equal and uniform laws regarding the -regulation of population, education the administration of justice and the -establishment of a uniform language. This latter object was accomplished -by means of the universal state schools. A language was invented on -scientific principles, as to its grammar, with words borrowed from -different languages. This was taught, in every school together with the -native language of the country in which the school was located. This was -kept up for 50 years, by which time practically everybody understood -the new language, and then the others were dropped from the curriculum -and only the new was thenceforth taught. There continued to be some -differences of race however for several thousand years, but it is now -difficult to trace any race distinction. - -“The population of the earth is not now quite so great as it was in the -year 2070. It has gradually been contracted to about 10,000,000,000. -It was much larger during the first millennium, but the people were -much given to flitting about, following the seasons like the birds, -in consequence of which in some places the crowds became too great -for comfort. Rather than make arbitrary rules to repress travel, they -contracted the population by increasing the proportion of third sex -children and diminishing that of the others. You understand no attempt -was ever made to regulate the size of the family—that was left to -nature—only its sex. The average number of children to a family has -long been about 18, sixteen of whom are of the third sex. The people -live mostly in cities, but the land is cultivated to such crops as -clover, alfalfa, the grasses etc, the entire crops being chemically -treated and the food principles extracted from them. Large tracts are, -however, reserved for the public. They are beautified and adorned in -every direction—and parks and flower gardens are everywhere, and here the -people are fond of congregating in pleasant weather wheeling their motor -cars over the solid smooth roadways or flitting about in their flyers. As -eating and drinking are no longer fashionable or practicable pastimes, -there is a conspicuous absence of restaurants and saloons. Yet many of -the people are supplied with little vials containing their standard food -of which they partake if need be. But they have no stated hours for -eating, no cooking, no cooks, no meals. Each one eats when his feelings -tell him he needs it, and is not governed by the appetite of others. Yet, -as a practical fact, most persons do fall into habits of some regularity. -Nature is a stickler for habit.” - -“I suppose,” said I, “the state furnishes many things that were left to -individuals to do in my time, but how is the state supported? Who does -the work?” - -“Everybody works, but not much is required of anyone. The society is -largely but not exclusively socialistic. The state makes everything -necessary for existence, but no superfluities. In these necessaries it -has the monopoly, and no one else is allowed to make or sell them. The -state thus makes all food and clothing and clothing material builds -all houses, makes all furniture, carriages, flying machines, furnishes -heat, light and power, takes care of the young and educates them. -Everybody works; is obliged to work in fact for his living. Eight tenths -of the people work for the state, and not over two-tenths directly for -other employers. In this two-tenths are included authors, ministers -and priests, lecturers on new and unaccepted theories, artists, some -milliners, dressmakers etc. - -“The state fixes the wages it will pay according to the desirability or -undesirability of the work, the undesirable of course being the best -paid—the kind that would have been the worst paid in your day. An average -of one hour a day of labor for the state will furnish lodging food and -necessary clothing. So in five or six weeks one can lay up enough to -maintain him a year, and have the rest of his time to do as he pleases. -Notwithstanding the cheapness of everything, nothing is sold by the -state except at a trifling advance upon its cost, which constitutes the -only kind of taxation that is imposed. The surplus thus raised pays the -expenses of state officials, courts, education etc. If anyone wants more -than the modest living he can get by working at the rate of six weeks in -a year; he can get it by working longer. By working steadily for a year -he can accumulate enough to travel around the world. Or he can indulge in -a fine painting or two, or a musical instrument or contribute money to -some institution not supported by the state, as a church or philosophical -society. Or he can lay up money in the state savings institution, until -he accumulates a fortune for some pet enterprise or for use in old age. -For several thousand years little or nothing has been spent on new public -works. Everything really needed was long since built on principles of -eternal durability, and repairs are light. Railways, canals etc., of -course pay their own way. On the surface of the earth almost everything -may be said to be practically finished. The largest fields for discovery -are under ground. Stores of mineral wealth never dreamed of in your day -have been unearthed and utilized. Thousands of miles of tunnels have been -constructed and some mountain ranges have been perforated in so many -directions that their interiors are more familiar than their bleak and -inhospitable surfaces. Enormous unsuspected caves and openings have been -found, from many of which the contained material was ejected by volcanic -action in ancient times. - -“In a great number of places tunnels have penetrated to regions of -insupportable heat, and this heat transformed into electricity has been -conveyed to the surface and its power distributed to great distances. -This plan has been largely practiced in the mountainous regions of Asia -and South America, Scandinavia, Alaska and other countries. In such -regions heat can be reached without descending, and so the tunnels are -self draining. This source of power helps out the sun in the rainy -seasons etc.” - -“You mentioned something about state savings institutions just now; I -suppose they receive the money of the people and pay interest on it—or -how?” - -“The state savings institutions receive money and take care of it, but -they pay no interest. They do not loan it, so get no income from it -and cannot pay any. In fact their fundamental ideas of business have -undergone a radical change for these many ages back. They deny that it -is fair business to take a profit on any transaction. If a man lends -his money to another he is entitled to pay for the time it takes him to -make the loan and collect it, but he is not entitled to interest for use -of the money. If a man borrows a plow worth ten dollars and wears it to -the amount of one dollar, he should pay the owner the one dollar, but -it is for repairs, not interest. If he borrows ten dollars in money and -returns the full amount there is no wear to make good. If a man borrows -ten dollars for which he must pay one dollar interest, then buys a plow -and wears it one dollar’s worth he is out two dollars. So he must charge -one dollar above its cost, for his crop, when he sells it, and this -is called profit. He does not keep it, however, but must pass it over -to the capitalist. He might charge two dollars profit, in which case, -he would keep one for his profit and give the other to the capitalist -for his. In both cases they say, it is wrong and unsound as a business -transaction, because it is getting or giving something for nothing. The -idea of the legitimacy of profits and interest arose in ancient times -in connection with the uncertainty or the gambling element that entered -into all business. This was due to individualism or the practice of each -one doing business for himself, taking his own risks and chances in a -thousand ways. If one spent his time and money in making something to -sell, he was not absolutely sure he would be able to find a buyer. And if -one loaned his money to be used in business he shared the risks of it and -could not be absolutely sure of getting it back again. Up to the amount -of the risks, profit and interest were under the conditions legitimate. -But while under the individual system everybody charged for the risk -of loss, the losses in reality fell on only a part, and so the rest -got something for nothing. When insurance companies were organized to -distribute part of the risks, making those who did not lose, contribute -to make up the loss of those who did, the risks of all were diminished, -and the profit and interest charges on that account reduced. If insurance -with its distribution of risks had extended to every form of risk, and -if the members of the companies or insured persons had embraced everyone -in the community instead of only a part, then the special risks to each -one would have been altogether eliminated, the insurance would have -become a part of the cost of the goods to be added to their sale value, -and profits above this no longer legitimate. For if one is entitled -to profits so are all those with whom he exchanges and nobody gains; -unless the profits of one are higher than those of another in which case -someone is cheated or in other words robbed. Now when the state undertook -practically all business and all transportation, and owned all houses, -shops and factories, all risks of all forms were at once distributed to -all the people, without the ceremony of insurance. If a building burned, -or tools, or machinery became superseded by better ones, or goods became -unsalable, or employes dishonest, or incompetent, the loss was fully -insured, for it fell upon all, and there was nobody outside of this -“all” to make it good. There could therefore be no possible honest end -to be gained by profits; and interest on money falls with profits. As -all the people work some time or other and receive wages, all have a -bank account, for they are taught to be careful and economical, and they -understand that one cannot spend a dollar and still have it.” - -“How do they encourage and pay for inventions and discoveries—or has -everything been invented and discovered?” - -“No, they are discovering something new all the time. A good many people -who have got something ahead and have leisure find congenial employment -in invention. If they produce anything valuable the state takes and uses -it paying them for their time, and also distinguishing them by honorable -mention and in some cases by decorations or medals. If the development -of the idea requires the use of expensive machinery or materials, it -is submitted to the judgment, of experts whether the would be inventor -shall be furnished these things at public expense. If they think his idea -not of sufficient value, he must either drop it or pursue it at his own -expense, and take his chances of getting the glory and the pay when it -is demonstrated, and these considerations seem to be enough to bring out -their best endeavor in that line.” - -“Then it seems they don’t value brain work any higher than hand work?” - -“They value brains, but do not pay extra for them for the reason that -they regard them as owing their best thoughts to the state. They say, -that whatever one is, the state has made him, and if he is above the -average he owes more than the average.” - -“Did you say, Professor, that the houses belong to the state?” - -“Yes the state has built houses enough to accommodate the whole -population. In each town or city the houses are of uniform height for -that place. Thus there are two story towns or four or ten story towns. A -very large place may be twenty or thirty stories in the middle and lower -further out. But no differences are allowed on any block. The roofs are -flat and continuous over each block and connected with neighboring blocks -by bridges over the streets. The flyers are all kept on the roofs and -the flyers’ entrance to the buildings is by a roof entrance connecting -with the elevator. Wheeled vehicles are kept upon the streets. There -are generally vacant apartments to be had if any one wishes to move -from one city to another. But the population has its fads and whims and -sometimes the popularity of some place will attract more people than the -houses can accommodate. In that case the government will build some new -houses. Houses are rented by the year for one per cent of their cost plus -the one-fifth of one per cent for repairs. The latter sum is paid back -to the tenant if the repairs are not required. Thus if a house costs -ten thousand dollars, the rent would be one hundred, the theory being -that its cost would be repaid in 100 years. But as houses last 1,000 -years—in fact are indestructible except by an earthquake—the state has -accumulated a large fund from rents of houses that have long since paid -for themselves, and this fund builds new ones when they are wanted.” - -“I suppose there is no woodwork used in building a house.” - -“They use what they call wood, but it is an artificial product made of -mineral. It is almost as light as wood, can be cut and formed as wood -can, but is much stronger and cannot be burned and never rots. By slight -differences in its manufacture several varieties are produced imitating -various sorts of wood. It has totally displaced wood and is used for all -purposes from fine furniture to railway ties. It is the accumulation of -indestructible things that makes existence so cheap in these latter days. -The people enjoy the fruits of labor performed ages ago. And the things -they make now are all made to endure. Even their clothes are made to last -a life time—textile fabrics from mineral wool and mineral cotton. Even -their food is provided for years ahead. It is put up in vials, and sealed -up to keep a hundred years if required.” - -“What is it composed of?” - -“It is in several modifications suited to different ages. In infancy -and youth its composition is almost exactly that of a hen’s egg. For -mature and old people the proportions are slightly different, the lime is -entirely left out for the old, and a larger proportion of phosphorus is -used in the food of the middle aged and mentally active.” - -“If they can put together the material for a hen’s egg,” said I, “what’s -the trouble with hatching a chicken out of it.” - -“They can make all of the egg except the germ. That has been proved in -this way. They take the germ out of a real hens egg, and put it into a -shell filled with the artificial food, then apply the proper temperature -and it is hatched in the usual time and all the food consumed. This is a -common experiment.” - -“That is good proof that their food is the right material for chicks at -any rate.” - -“Well there is plenty of scientific proof of the correctness of all -the different modifications. Analyses have repeatedly been made of -human bodies of different ages and their exact constituents with their -proportions ascertained and thus it is known precisely what they require -for food. And when this is taken with a sufficient quantity of distilled -or electrically purified water there is no liability of being hungry -and little of being sick. At any rate the general health and regularly -increasing longevity of the people proves better than any theorizing -the general correctness of their way of life. There is no longer any -such thing as a patent medicine, a pill, or a powder, and there are no -medical practitioners. There are surgeons; and there are scientific -chemical professors, whose advice regarding the proper food is sometimes -asked. But almost all distempers they are liable to, are rectified by -self treatment; study of hygiene and the conditions of animal life -being taught in the schools, not in a sciolous or smattering way but -thoroughly and scientifically; for they say no knowledge is so essential -to all people as this. It is by using scientifically adapted food that -they have succeeded in extending the average duration of life, and they -claim that they will yet raise it to a thousand years. They are right in -saying that decay and death from old age are due to the clogging up of -the system with foreign matter that can neither be assimilated and taken -into the tissues, nor ejected from the system. Their remedy for this is -the prevention of the introduction of such substances by keeping them -entirely out of the food. This they have nearly succeeded in doing, since -the body is no longer the tenement of a chemical works to so very large -an extent, as it used to be. Manufacture of these deleterious residuums -inside the body is nearly stopped. The intelligent selection of the food -then, with cleanliness and protection from cold constitute the principles -of their treatment. Epidemic diseases have long since been entirely -abolished. - -“The organic germs that caused these diseases depended on swamps, -stagnant pools, and decaying animal and vegetable matter for nests in -which to be cultivated, and from such places they were conveyed by -the air or water and so reached the fluids of the human body in which -their further cultivation went on, to the great grief of your race. Now -there is not a swamp nor any such thing in all the world, and nothing -whatever is allowed to decay. Everything that grows is either utilized -or cremated. All refuse from the numerous chemical works is treated -electrically and returned to the soil as a fertilizer. The water in -their sewers is often not so very much worse than that which used to -run in your water pipes, but it is all electrically treated and the -precipitated sediment returned to the land while only the clear water is -turned into the rivers.” - -“I suppose they no longer keep domestic animals,” said I. - -“They no longer keep them for use to any great extent, but they have -preserved specimens of all the domestic animals, and some of those that -were wild in your day as objects of curiosity. They also have some in the -country as pets. There are a few wild animals in some of the large state -parks that having never been disturbed have practically tamed themselves. -Animal power passed out of use ages ago. The people are scrupulously nice -in their ideas of cleanliness and so no animals of any sort, not even -canary birds are allowed in the cities. In this respect they look back -with unlimited disgust upon the people of your day with their filthy -horses and dogs perambulating and befouling the streets, their stables, -stores and meat shops full of the odors of decaying vegetable and animal -matter, their accumulations of ashes and cinders and dust, and of filth -and garbage in foul cess pools, barrels, gutters, vaults and sewers, -their personal habits of eating and drinking with their sequelae and the -necessary cooking and dishwashing, and their smoking and tobacco chewing -and spitting. All this is done away with, and the people can hardly -understand a mode of life in which it was included; much less necessary. - -“The streets of the cities are as clean as a drawing room, and it is easy -to keep them so since there is so little occasion for them being soiled. - -“They use only electrically purified water or rain water, and far less -than was consumed in your day. The houses are all fireproof and the fire -departments have very little use for water, using chemical extinguishers. -The factories for the manufacture of food stuffs, the mineral wood, -furniture, vehicles, textile fabrics etc., are usually placed in suburbs -at a little distance from the cities, and the working people pass back -and forth by the cars or flyers. The usual day’s work is 4 to 6 hours and -all sorts of work is paid by the hour. Manufactured goods are stored in -the business quarters of the cities, and delivered where ordered as in -your day, but by more exact and complete means. - -“There has not for many ages been any sexual distinction in clothes, and -the slavery of fashion was long ago abolished. The costumes show the -individuality of their owners and are extremely various; a mixed company -looking like a congress of the nations of your day.” - -“How do they manage their political affairs?” I inquired. - -“They can scarcely be said to have any local political affairs to be -managed. They have very large and extensive business affairs, and they -are managed as business and not as politics. All the employes in the -several business departments of the state are first taken from the -schools where they have been educated and prepared for the occupations -they wished to be qualified to follow. All vacancies to responsible -places are filled on civil service principles. The foremen receive a -little higher wages than the common hands, but nobody receives any -profits except the tax or tariff the state puts on goods it makes and -sells. - -“The workers in each particular trade or occupation in any state form -a society or guild, presided over by a board or commission elected by -the members of the guild from a list of candidates who have passed -examination for competency. There is another board elected by the -whole people that has the general oversight of all business and the -equalization of wages. - -“The guild board receives from the state the raw material it consumes -and is charged with it. It sees to its distribution among the shops of -the guild, receives and turns over to the state the articles made by -the guild, certifies to the pay rolls, and to the cost of the articles -made. It determines the amount of material required and the number of -men that shall be employed, basing its regulation on the requisition of -the general board for the goods which in turn gets its data from the -store keepers who make requisitions on the board according to the public -demand for the goods. The guild board determines the number of men it -can employ and if it has too many the fact is reported to the general -board whose business it is to find work for the surplus men in another -trade. The guild board naturally anxious to preserve the credit of its -own guild, always selects the least competent of their men for transfer. -The general board is constantly posted as to the demand for labor in the -different guilds and can usually assign the men to places suited to their -capacity, which commonly admits of more or less variety of employment, -their school education being conducted with that view. If the trades are -all full or if the men prove unfit to perform such skilled labor as is -required, they are furnished laboring work not requiring skill of which -there is always plenty in the procurement of raw materials for food, -minerals, agricultural products, building materials etc. As most of the -things produced including food can be kept an indefinite length of time, -there is no objection to a considerable accumulation ahead. When this -happens and it often does, the community is in a prosperous condition -for it has more than enough. It is a sign that the workmen have saved -their money instead of buying goods with it. They may knock off work -and take holiday till the stocks are reduced. Sometimes the fashion -changes, and the state has something on hand it cannot sell. Like any -other manufacturer it must sell at a sacrifice for what it can get, and -use better judgment next time. The general board looks out for that. -This board also equalizes wages in the several trades, lowering the pay -in those trades into which there is the greatest tendency to crowd and -raising it in those that are deserted. Striking in a body is not allowed. -But many or all the members of a guild may give notice of an intention -to leave, and they are then allowed to do so, a small number at a time. -The general board inquires into the cause of the dissatisfaction and -rectifies it if possible. If the wages are high enough the fact will be -proved by other workmen coming from other trades or other places to take -the job, in which case the disgruntled men must take such other work as -the board can find for them or remain idle if they prefer to. If they are -not high enough the vacancies will remain unfilled till the board raises -them. - -“When men are idle, by no fault of their own, but because all places are -filled, the state is bound to feed and clothe them. This is the theory, -but it is very rarely put into practice. Since they prefer to let them -work at something rather than be idle even if the work is not in great -demand.” - -“They seem to have but little use for apothecaries and doctors, how about -lawyers and courts?” - -“There is no such thing now as the practice of law as formerly -understood. In your day the lawyer was called an officer of the court. -But in reality he was a partizan of one of the litigants bent on gaining -a victory for his client regardless of the justice of his cause; and -he often gained it when he knew it was unjust. Each town or district -is supplied with a board of lawyers three, five or seven according -to population, and these comprise the court. They are elected by the -people from the law graduates of the state school, for a definite term. -Any small case is heard by either one of the lawyers upon whom both -litigants can agree, both sides being heard and witnesses examined by -him. If either litigant is dissatisfied with his decision he may appeal -to the full bench, whose decision by a majority is final on questions -of fact. But if a minority dissents on points of law a further appeal -as to the law is allowed to be made to the Supreme Court of the state, -the dissenting minority preparing the case for the higher court, and the -majority preparing the counter case in defense of their decision. The -defeated party pays the costs. These, however, are comparatively light, -lawyers receiving no higher pay than mechanics. But as the position -brings distinction there are always enough candidates for it. They -are only paid as lawyers for the actual time spent by them, and often -increase their income by other employment; for there is but a small -amount of litigation. - -“The criminal procedure is almost as simple. A person accused of a petty -crime is brought before a single lawyer who examines the witnesses for -both sides and decides the case, if the accused is not satisfied he -appeals to the full bench, and the minority of that bench may carry an -appeal on questions of law to the Supreme Court. In important cases -the legal bench may summon the bench of a neighboring town or district -to sit with them in the case and share the responsibility. There is no -criminal class and crime of any sort is very rare. It is regarded as an -insanity and a family in which it is developed is at once prevented from -going further in the hereditary transmission of it. There is no capital -punishment.” - -“Well,” said I, “they are an interesting people; they seem to have things -about the way they want them and I reckon they ought to be happy.” - -“Yes,” he said, “they ought to be, and they are; as much so as any -intelligent creatures can be. You may know they are good natured, jolly -and generous from the size of their mouths. The size of their heads is a -guaranty that whatever is knowable on earth they are pretty sure to find -out, if you give them time enough; and renders probable the inference -that they know that they are well off, and know enough to be contented. -And as a matter of fact they are; and while they congratulate themselves, -they never fail to call up in grateful remembrance the ancestors through -whose martyrdom they have attained peace. Well we must now take our leave -of this large hearted and large headed posterity of yours and return to -the nineteenth century. - -“Ah! here we are!” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -Mars and the Martians. - - -The Professor at this point turned about, took hold of the wire that -anchored his car and slowly pulled it to the ground. I saw I was about to -lose him, but felt that I ought not to try to detain him any longer. - -I thanked him cordially for the invaluable visit he had given me and told -him I hoped it might be repeated. He nodded his head in acquiescence, -by which I understood, I might expect him some time again. I went on -to congratulate him on the happy home he was returning to and the long -agreeable rest that awaited him there after this fatiguing journey. - -He smiled with his great eyes, and thanked me for my good wishes, but -said he was destined to no such rest as I wished him. - -“From the moment I reach home,” said he, “I shall be as busy as I can be -for a week, preparing for my journey to Mars.” - -“Your journey to Mars!” I exclaimed, “do you mean to say you go to Mars?” - -“I have been there only three times myself; but our people have visited -that planet for the last ten thousand years, and there is quite a colony -of Lunarians permanently settled there looking after our interests.” - -“So you have interests on Mars! Well now this is interesting. I wish I -had known this before. I would give anything for information about Mars -and the Martians.” - -“Well it will take me a little time to arrange my car and I can talk to -you while I am doing it. You see our folks first went there about 10,000 -years ago. They found the planet inhabited by two bitterly hostile races -that did little else than hunt each other.” - -“They must be like our race then,” I observed. - -“Yes,” he said, “in respect to their warlike instincts, but not as to -their forms. They are not human nor even vertebrate, but they are built -on the radiate plan. In short they are almost exactly like your star -fishes, but enormously bigger. I have seen them as large as twelve feet -across, though their more common size at maturity is six to eight feet. -The difference between the two races is that in one there are six spokes -or limbs radiating from the central body and in the other there are but -five. These limbs may be called either legs or arms, for they serve as -either and are sometimes one and sometimes the other. There is a fleshy -disc that forms the extremity of each limb, around which like the petals -of a flower are the fingers or toes, about like so many thumbs. There are -six of these in the six legged race and five in the five legged. This -disc with its thumbs forms the foot when the individual walks on land. -Two of them are always on the ground when he is standing, while the other -four are free to be used as hands, these thumbs being opposable and able -to grasp tolerably well. - -“When they move on land it is always in an upright position, and they -roll along edgewise like a wheel destitute of felloes rolling on the ends -of the spokes. The central piece or hub constitutes the body including -the stomach, heart, lungs etc., as well as the sense organs, and brain. -The shape of the body is like a short stout cylinder tapering to a -rounded point at each end from one and a half to two feet in diameter, -the legs radiating from the sides. At the center of one end of this -body is the mouth, and the brain is located all round it in what we -would call the cheeks. There is no neck. There are six eyes immediately -around the mouth corresponding with the six legs, and just outside of -the eyes are six ear holes with closable lips, but no outside flaps or -shells. Outside of these are six breathing or blow holes leading into -the lungs. The mouth is round and the lips pucker together when closing. -There is no up or down to the Martian man, he stands equally well on any -pair of his legs and handles equally well with any of his hands, and -this is one of his greatest drawbacks. He has a thick horny skin which -appears to have been the only skeleton possessed by his ancestors, but -in addition, he has a light internal skeleton developed later by the -practice of standing and running on his limbs, which consists of a lot of -plates and hoop like ribs in the body, and what would pass for thigh and -leg bones in each limb. These last are hung with ball and socket joints -both at the articulation with the body and at the elbow and wrist. The -limbs are thus remarkably supple and when the Martian has a mind to, -he can walk extremely well sideways on two legs, that is, the head or -mouth going forward. And this is the way he should walk as our people -long ago pointed out to the Martians. He can walk on the same two feet -continuously edgewise as the wheel goes, but to do this he must merely -drag the rear foot up to the front one, and then throw the front one -forward again, or else sling them around past each other alternately in -an awkward manner as a cow does, for the reason that they are all on the -same plane. They greatly prefer the rolling motion and roll off on their -spokes with surprising speed, twenty miles an hour being a common gait on -a good road while some of the gigantic twelve footers can if necessary -reel off forty or more. - -“They are so extremely fond of traveling off in this manner, that -it is difficult for them to confine their attention to any sedentary -employment. In order to attain a high civilization people must be -settled, and occupy themselves in some definite and constant modes of -employment. We pointed out to them long ago that they could never have -well differentiated arms and hands, unless they set apart certain of -their limbs to be used exclusively as arms, and never allow the hands -thus set apart for handling, to be used as feet. - -“They objected, that, to confine themselves to two legs for walking -would reduce their gait to five or six miles an hour. This would be -a great drawback in war, and give their undifferentiated enemies the -advantage over them. This objection no longer has much weight, since war -has entirely ceased among them, the five legged race having long since -been defeated and practically exterminated, the few that are left being -glad to accept the most obscure positions that will secure them a bare -existence.” - -“They must have been terrific warriors.” - -“I saw a regiment of the six legged men drilling once. They were -marshaled on a large plain in two ranks, and rolled backward and forward -fast or slow according to command with great precision. They then were -commanded to load and advance. Around the body in the spaces between -the limbs they had artificial leathern pouches in which they carried -their ammunition. When they received the command to load they took out -of these pouches six stones one for each hand, and they advanced with -them clasped between their stumpy fingers. Then they were commanded to -double quick and discharge, upon which they advanced at terrific speed -and at a given signal let fly the stones one after another as the hand -containing it came to the proper position for the most effective throw. -The centrifugal force they acquired from the long revolving arms sent -them with tremendous force, some going at least a mile. In real war they -used cast iron bullets. They have plenty of iron on Mars and our folks -taught them how to smelt and work it. The regiment then charged up to -a hand to hand encounter with an imaginary enemy. In this charge they -were armed with a heavy circular iron disc in each hand, the disc having -a handle on the back side by which it was held. Then they charged with -terrific fury the discs flying around like lightning, chopping into mince -meat, (in imagination) any enemy that dared stand before them. - -“The government is a despotism, the king having about the same authority -as the emperor of Russia, although he has a council of state whose -advice he listens to, and then does as he pleases. Since the subjugation -of the five legged race this king is the supreme ruler of the whole -planet. In some districts the people have made considerable advances in -civilization, confining themselves to the use of two legs, and walking -sidewise instead of rolling edgewise. But the king does not want all -his subjects to adopt these innovations, for he is very proud of his -soldiers and thinks them more efficient on six legs then two. Besides, -for certain kinds of labor, especially drawing wagons and carriages, the -old way is the best.” - -“Why don’t they use horses,” I inquired, “or haven’t they any?” - -“There are no such animals on Mars, nor in fact any other sort of animals -except radiates. There are many genera of these, mostly living in the -water and all small, except the dominant race, which I call the Martians. - -“But there are great differences in the conditions of life amongst the -people of this race, some being fairly civilized while others are only -beasts of burden, and still others take the place of dumb machines. They -are specially adapted to act as wheels for light carriages. The axles -of the carriage are terminated at each end with a six pronged fork, the -prongs arranged in a circle or cylinder so that when a man is to play -the role of wheel, he is impaled on this fork one prong of it fitting -snugly between each pair of his legs. A vehicle of this kind is specially -adapted for soft roads as the broad disc like feet prevent sinking. - -“The king has a phaeton mounted on twelve foot specimens of these lively -wheels, in which he dashes around at a thirty or forty mile gait when the -fancy strikes him. He also has a royal barge propelled by the same sort -of wheels, the legs acting as paddles. - -“The king is imitated in his fads by the nobility and gentry as far as -they are able, and so one may quite often see these live wheel phaetons, -and live-paddle boats moving about. - -“On the public roads, vehicles are used having wheels such as you use, -and drawn by these creatures, yoked together in pairs by the pronged -shafts or axles like those I just described. From 5 to 10 pairs may -sometimes be seen tugging at one of these heavy freight wagons. They -are tremendously strong and their strength counts for vastly more on -the planet Mars than it would on the earth, because Mars being so much -smaller everything weighs very much less. I have seen some of those big -fellows after rolling a few hundred yards with great speed give a leap -from the ground and fly whirling through the air for two hundred feet -before they lit.” - -“They are a wonderful race,” said I, “but it seems difficult to connect -intelligence with a tribe of star fishes or to imagine they could ever -become highly developed. You know those we have on earth are very low in -the scale of existence.” - -“Intelligence,” said the Professor, “does not depend on the form. Any -form on which it is possible for the forces of the environment such as -light heat contact etc., to make an impression, already has intelligence; -the ability to be impressed is intelligence. If any organism can -be impressed, then if you give it time enough it can be impressed -indefinitely, because each impression differentiates it and adds to -its sensitiveness, that is, its ability to be further impressed. The -reason why inferior races so generally remain inferior is the jealousy -and hostility of the superior. The dominant race is always hostile to -any other race that shows any intelligence, and proceeds to kill it off -for fear it will become a rival. It is thus that the race of man has -no rivals that compare with him in intelligence, no “connecting links” -between him and the monkeys. He was jealous of them and exterminated them. - -“On the planet Mars there were never any forms of animal superior to the -stars so they have received all the development. Their differentiation -would have advanced further if the planet itself had not been so -backward. It has a great deal more water on it in proportion to its size -than the earth. It is destitute of high mountains, and very much of its -surface is but little raised above the level of the sea. A great deal -of it is marshy. It is only in recent geologic times that it has become -well suited to life on land. When it became so, the star fishes crawled -out, and by degrees became accustomed to that mode of life as well as -their aquatic mode. If there had been any land animals there to attack -them when they first ventured to leave the water, of course they would -have been prevented from ever rising. But there were no enemies and they -gradually developed lungs by which they were enabled to live continuously -out of water. At first they crawled about like spiders with all their -feet on the ground at once, but after awhile they learned to raise -themselves up on edge and finally to roll from one foot to another, and -so gradually adopted a new and wonderfully advanced mode of locomotion. - -“They are still semiaquatic and amphibious, and they have both lungs and -gills. They do not bring forth their young alive, but the female lays -eggs in the water, the wealthy families having little tanks kept at a -proper temperature. The females of the poor and rougher classes simply go -to the nearest pond and deposit their eggs and leave them to their fate. -Nine times out of ten, however, the warmth of the water is sufficient to -hatch out the tiny stars which swim around in the water without any care -or bother to their parents. They then use only their gills for breathing, -but in a few weeks their lungs are developed enough to permit them to -crawl out on land and remain awhile. They do this daily and finally are -able to remain out continuously. Some of the lowest classes, the savages -as the are called, never lose their gills, but continue to be amphibious -all their lives. They spend their days on shore and mingle with the -rest, but at night retire to the water in which they sleep and eat, -feeding upon a tender and nutritious grass that grows in the water and -in marshy places. This grass also constitutes a considerable part of the -food of the better classes, but they generally cook it. In winter time -these savages burrow in the mud at the bottom of the ponds and marshes -and canals and go into a sort of torpid condition and remain there till -spring. The more advanced classes cannot do this, they remain out of the -water continuously after they are fairly weaned from it, and lose the use -of their gills so that they cannot breathe under water at all. So there -is almost as much difference between different varieties of these strange -people so far as civilization is concerned as between men and some of -their domestic animals.” - -“Professor,” said I, “a moment ago you mentioned the canals. Our -astronomers have seen these and puzzled themselves greatly in regard to -them, now you can tell me all about them I am sure.” - -“Yes, I intended to tell you about them, I understand their history well. -That’s where we sunk our money, or at least a great part of it.” - -“What, in the canals?” - -“Yes—that is, in their construction.” - -“Do you mean that the Lunarians went and dug those canals on Mars?” - -“I will explain. As I said awhile ago when our folks first visited Mars -the people were in a very barbarous state, but still seemed to have -some idea of bettering their condition. They were much impressed by the -superiority of the Lunarians and were anxious to get their advice as to -the best way of improving their own situation. The inhabitants then all -lived along the shores of the seas while the interior of the continents -were uninhabited and for the most part unexplored. The Lunarians by -the help of their wings and their repulsio-gravitation cars were in a -position to make the exploration and in a short time gained a general -knowledge of the topography of the planet. They found high land over both -the poles, but all the middle parts are low. There were numerous ponds -and lakes of fresh water, with marshy outlets to the seas, which are very -salty. There were no rivers except a few small ones in the high lands. -As the Martians were amphibious and had always been accustomed to salt -water, the Lunarians doubted whether they could live in the interior -where the water was fresh. But they saw that it would be necessary to -scatter the people away from the sea shore, divert their thoughts from -war by finding peaceful occupations for them, and to create artificial -wants for them since their very few natural wants were all bountifully -supplied with little or no effort on their part. The climate of Mars is -much like that of the temperate parts of the earth, but its polar regions -are never so cold nor its equatorial regions so hot. - -“In summer time these people had no use for clothes, for it was warm -enough without them. In winter they had always gone into winter quarters -under water remaining in a torpid inactive condition till spring. When -they found the Lunarians never did so, they were anxious to imitate them. -But they could not stand the cold without clothes and houses artificially -heated. So some rude clothing was made of grass, and some huts built -under instructions from the Lunarians and the king and some of the better -classes undertook to keep alive, as they called it, all winter. They were -quick to perceive that they could thus add much time to their lives, for -the winters of Mars last some 300 days out of the 687 that constitute his -year. At first it was hard to work into the new way, but after one or two -generations had been kept from hibernating from childhood, it came to be -a second nature to their descendants, and now all the better classes have -outgrown it, only the savages, who are merely beasts of burden continue -to go into the torpid state and not all of these. This change of nature -in these people, made it essential to have houses and clothes and also -to secure food to be kept through the winter thus creating the wants -that would compel the people to employ their muscles and brains, and so -insure their cultivation and development. The chief food of the people -consisted of the grass I have mentioned which grows only in water and at -that time only in salt water. It grows in thick pulpy stems and is very -rich in sugar oil and gelatine. This vegetable product was obtainable -only along the sea shore in shallow water and in salt-water marshes -formed by the sea. The new way of life demanded at least one half more -food than the old for each person, and it also led to a rapid increase -in the population. These causes made it essential to devise some way -of increasing the production of food, the most obvious way being the -increase of the area of shallow salt water. This the king undertook to -do, but made small progress, for neither he nor his council knew anything -about engineering, or the management of such works. - -“The Lunarians who had been observing matters and things, and studying -the situation very closely and shrewdly, now came forward with a -proposition for a very comprehensive scheme of public works—or rather -several schemes in one.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -The Canals. - - -“First was a plan for increasing the salt water area by means of a -system of broad channels or canals reaching inland from the oceans with -a view of extending them from ocean to ocean as soon as practicable so -as to enable the tidal currents to flow entirely through, thus insuring -sea water in the very interior. It was proposed to make these narrow at -first, but to widen them as the population increased and greater area -became necessary for cultivation. After the main canals should have -become well advanced it was designed to build branches and intersecting -lines in such directions as might be deemed most advantageous. - -“The Lunarians proposed to the king to have this work done by a great -stock company, one-half the stock to be owned by the king and the other -half by them. They were to make the surveys and direct the work and -handle the funds of the corporation making use of their mechanical and -executive ability and great experience in finance and engineering. The -government was to pay a bonus to this company of 100 kiks[4] per acre -for every acre made available for cultivation. The capital stock was -fixed at 200 kiks per acre to be issued to the stockholders as fast -as the work was completed, the king to receive 100 kiks as his share -and the Lunarians the other 100. As fast as the canals were completed -they were to be turned over to the state and become its property, and -in payment for this the state was to guarantee an annual dividend or -interest of five per cent on that portion of the capital stock owned by -the Lunarians. The king was not well informed on financial matters and -inquired the meaning of five per cent interest, and was told that it -meant the payment of half a kik to the owner of every ten kiks of stock -which such owner was to receive in lieu of all other profits and reward -for his labor and investment and which he the king as the head of the -government was to guarantee. The king was satisfied to do this—more than -satisfied in fact. - -“He said: “Gentlemen, I am a great King! what care I for half a kik.” -Then with a prodigal wave of all his disengaged limbs he exclaimed “make -it a whole kik.” - -“But our Lunarians were not to be outdone in liberality by the king, -and while admitting that five per cent was ridiculously small, modestly -declined to take any more. The king then inquired why they did not -include his stock in the proposed guaranty. “Why should not I be -guaranteed as well as you?” To this they replied that they purposely -left his out because, first, he was himself the government, and so he -would simply be guaranteeing himself; in the second place, if his stock -were not named in this guarantee he need not be confined to 5 per cent, -but could as well take 10 or 20. The king having been satisfied on this -point they cautiously unfolded their next proposition which was that they -should have security in the shape of a mortgage for the payment of the -5 per cent interest, and that in case of default on the payment of said -interest it should become a lien against the state and thence forward -be entitled to draw interest the same as the original stock. “O king,” -said they, “we sincerely wish you might live forever. If we were sure you -would we would never think of asking security. But Martians and Lunarians -all die when their time comes, while this great corporation will be -immortal. Some time in the future a king may arise who, while enjoying -the blessings and comforts of civilization will forget what, they were -due to and will refuse to carry out Your Majesty’s contract, about paying -this interest.” - -“Well,” said the King, “what security do you want?” - -“They said they would be contented with a mortgage covering Faithless -Jack and Blind Lucy, and the two frigid zones of Mars.” - -I may say here that the frigid zones of Mars cover the polar ends of -the planet and extend 28°. 42´ from the poles. I understood this much, -but did not know who were meant by Faithless Jack and Blind Lucy. The -Professor proceeded to explain. - -“Mars as you know has two funny little moons. Your Astronomers have -named them Deimos and Phobos. But the Martians call them by names that -are equivalent to Faithless Jack and Blind Lucy. These names belong to -an ancient mythical legend, which I will relate to you. In very ancient -times there were a pair of lovers named Jack and Lucy. Lucy was reputed -to be the most beautiful lady that ever walked on six feet. Her six eyes -were quite unique, being alternately red and yellow—three of each color. -She was over eight feet high when she stood up and was noted for the -grace and dignity of her manners, and the captivating way in which she -walked, her feet coming down one after another in perfect time and with -a rhythmic pit-a-pat pit-a-pat almost inaudible from the softness of her -tread, but which was nothing less than inspired music. Her disposition -was as charming as her person. She had a kind word for every one, and was -always doing some one a favor. - -“Jack on the other hand was exceedingly ill favored. It could not be said -exactly that he was the ugliest or the most disagreeable young gentleman -in the community, but a great many were his superiors in every way, and -how it happened that Lucy fell in love with him could never be accounted -for, but she did, to an excessive degree. To look at the Martians you -might not suspect them of being very sentimental or affectionate, but -they are, and their form in a manner compels them to be demonstrative. -When a couple walk together they cannot lock arms or take hold of each -other’s hands as you do, since their limbs are all employed in walking. -But if they are friends they hold on to each others cheeks with their -lips, which have a suctorial force like an air pump and which would -raise a blister on a skin less tough than the integument of a Martian. -When lovers walk out with each other they apply their lips together in an -affectionate kiss of most uncommon adhesiveness. Jack and Lucy they say -could have been seen any day walking about glued together in that manner. -As this was common it was considered proper, but under the circumstances -was not altogether prudent, for it roused the jealousy of Jack’s rivals -to an almost murderous pitch. Jack was not so tall as Lucy by a foot, -being only a little over seven feet high. This brought his mouth six -inches lower than hers, and made it necessary for him to elevate himself -on his toes (or fingers) as much as possible, and even then Lucy had -to meet him half way by bending the limbs that happened to support her -at the moment in a manner that detracted considerably from her natural -grace. Some of the disappointed lovers attempted to relieve their chagrin -by speaking of Jack contemptuously as “Tiptoes” and making ungallant -remarks about Lucy. But this was small comfort to them, while the loving -pair were so much devoted to each other as to be quite heedless of the -angry and jealous comment they were causing. - -“At last Jack’s rivals entered into a conspiracy to “do him up.” They -would beat and tar and feather him at the very least and if he provoked -them by resistance they would do worse. So they planned, and one summer -evening when Jack and Lucy were taking their usual loving promenade, -these disappointed suitors took after them. But the lovers stimulated -by a panic of sudden terror made a miraculous race and distanced their -pursuers. The latter declared that the lovers did not run at all in fact, -but glided along in some miraculous way not touching the ground, but -gradually rising and sailing off getting constantly higher and higher, -they at last disappeared behind a cloud. And they all declared that there -could not be the least doubt that they had been translated to the sky to -associate with the innumerable stars that had gone before them. There -was nothing at all incredible in this to the Martian people, because it -was a cardinal principle of their religion that their great heroes in -ancient times had all been transferred from Mars to the sky. The proof -was patent to anybody that had eyes, for there they were to be seen -without any change of form, some with six radiating limbs and some with -five. And these two hostile races carried their resentments to heaven -with them and often engaged in direful warfare, hurling at each other -thunderbolts, meteors and aerolites as might be seen almost daily or -nightly. The celestial history of the lovers is tragic. They no longer -had to walk, because there being nothing much to walk on, the celestial -mode of locomotion is a delicious glide, consequently they were able -occasionally to give their lips a rest, and hand in hand to quietly slip -along with the glittering crowd thinking of nothing whatever unless it -were of each other. But this happiness at last came to a sad ending. -They were sauntering along as thoughtless and careless as children, when -suddenly and without the least warning, an immense aerolite came dashing -through the sky and before Lucy even perceived it, it crashed into her -face knocking out every one of her pretty eyes, smashing her lips and -disfiguring her in the most terrible manner. In the confusion she was -separated from her companion, and when she sought him, distracted by -pain and blindness she took the wrong track, and from that day to this -she skurries across the sky in the most feverish haste, rising in the -west sailing overhead and setting in the east from two to three times -a day, while all the other stars including the sun, and Jack with the -rest, rise in the east and set in the west. As for Jack, when he found -how changed and hideous she had become—his love turned to aversion. When -she sought him, he avoided her, and passed by far on the other side. -And now, although they pass each other every few hours he always looks -the other way and she, poor thing, cannot see him. “There used to be a -serious dispute among the Martians as to the particular sort of star -that threw that rock. One sect of theologians stoutly maintained that it -was hurled with malicious intent by a malignant five legged star, and -struck the fair mark it was aimed at with terrible precision. Another -sect held that it was only an accident; the missile was probably fired -by a friendly six pointer, missed its mark and unfortunately struck -where it was not intended to. As there was not a particle of proof for -either side, affirmations and assertions took the place of argument, and -were dogmatically made and maintained with no little acrimony on both -sides. But they all agreed in rendering divine honors to Lucy with their -sympathies and condolences: Poor Lucy! Perfidious Jack! - -“When the King learned what the Lunarians wanted him to give them a -mortgage on, he laughed heartily and thought it a good joke. He could -hardly be made to believe they were in earnest. “As for the poles if -there is anything there except snow and rocks,” said he, “whoever gets -them will earn them, I warrant you. - -“As for the moons, I shall never undertake to deliver them in case you -foreclose on them, and your mortgage must distinctly state that you are -to take them running.” - -“The King thought the idea of mortgaging his moons was peculiarly -comical; and after the deal was consummated and the papers all signed, he -would sometimes stand on the door step and call out to Lucy as she rushed -along overhead with the speed of a cannon ball, and ask her how she felt -to be mortgaged. In addition to the scheme for the construction of the -canals, the Lunarians asked and easily obtained a charter or concession -from the king for an easement or right of way twenty miles wide, ten -miles on each side of the equator, and reaching entirely around the -planet, for the purpose of one or more lines of telegraph and cables for -the conveyance of electrical power and for railroads etc. This region was -entirely uninhabited, and not suited for the occupation of Martians, but -the Lunarians said they would have use for it in the course of time and -wished to have it understood so they could know what to depend on. - -“All the preliminary negotiations being at last concluded, and the -contracts signed, they went to work with a will. The bonus or subsidy of -100 kiks per acre was raised by taxation, those who had no money being -compelled to work out their tax on the canal. The route selected for -the first line was across a low swampy country. The work was light and -much of it in the water where the Martians were at home. The Lunarians -had flat boats constructed on which the excavated muck and earth were -loaded and floated to the deep places which they partially filled up or -deposited on the dry land. The canal was made 200 feet wide at first, -one-half of which was kept entirely clear, while the other half was -planted to the sea-weed. - -“It took several years to finish the first line, and as soon as it was -done they commenced the work of widening it, adding a strip 200 feet in -width, which when completed made the canal 400 feet wide. This process -was then repeated and has been going on constantly not only in the -first canals but in all subsequent ones of which there is an immense -number. As much material was carried to the banks and deposited there in -the construction of each strip, a good deal had to be moved more than -once. When this accumulation became too great to be profitably moved -it was skipped and the next channel constructed parallel with the main -canal, but separated from it by the strip of solid land on which this -waste earth was piled from a few rods to a quarter of a mile in width. -On these strips are located the villages of the working people that -cultivate the sea weed, work on the canal and are engaged in navigation -etc. - -“The total width of some of these canals is now as much as sixty miles, -but they generally consist in reality of numerous wide channels separated -by narrow strips of land. This plan of canal making has been steadily -adhered to for several thousand years. Lines parallel to each other -and several hundred miles apart have been constructed, and many others -connecting with these and intersecting them at various angles. These -canals not only constitute the principal fields for the cultivation -of their staple food, but also furnish what was for a long time their -best and chief mode of transportation. Their chief commercial and -manufacturing cities sprung up at the intersections of the canals. - -“The building of these canals had a wonderfully stimulating effect on -the development of the Martian people. The population promptly increased -in proportion to the increase of the means for its support as it always -does, on all planets. With the increase of population came diversity of -employment, new ideas, tastes, and wants, new inventions, more culture -and refinement.” - -“How did the Lunarians come out on their contract?” I asked. “They must -have made a lot of money I reckon.” - -“I was just coming to that,” said he. “Yes they made lots of money if -they could only have got it, but that was the rub. For a few years while -the amount of the acreage of the canals was small, it was comparatively -easy to raise and pay over the five per cent due the Lunarians, but by -the time the first great canal was completed through at a width of 200 -feet, their interest amounted to 375,000 kiks per annum. By this time -the king had discovered a good many new uses for money, and it went very -much against the grain to pay over this interest. He began to think the -Lunarians were going to be rather too well paid for the services and -“investment,” they had talked about; and he congratulated himself that -they had not availed themselves of his effusive offer, of ten per cent -instead of five. However while he grumbled, he paid; and continued to do -so as long as he lived, although towards the last the interest amounted -to the very handsome sum of 1,000,000 kiks per annum. But that is all, -after the death of that king who is yet affectionately referred to by the -Martians as the “father of the canals,” the Lunarians for 7,000 years -never got a kik. However, what they had already received was enough -to make every member of the colony many times a millionaire if they -had divided it amongst them. But this they did not do. The Lunarians -are socialists and they regarded this money as belonging to the whole -Lunarian race, to those at home on the moon as much as to themselves. -They invested it to the best advantage in various enterprises, consuming -on themselves only what their simple and modest personal wants required. -The bonus or subsidy of 100 kiks per acre generally paid the entire cost -of construction and the Lunarians had their interest money. At the death -of the king there was one year’s interest due amounting to 1,000,000 -kiks. The successor to the throne was not satisfied with the contract -to pay a dividend on the stock the Lunarians held in the canals, and -in fact repudiated it all except the 1,000,000 kiks then due which he -said he would pay when he got around to it. But he never did, and the -claim continued to draw interest which was computed and audited at the -beginning of each subsequent reign, but always put off for some reason or -other and not paid.” - -“Why didn’t they foreclose their mortgage?” I asked. - -“Well they did not want to do that until they were ready to improve the -property so as to make it earn something. They reasoned that the canal -claim, as it was called, was making money at a tremendous rate. The -interest on it 2,000 years ago or, over 6,000 years after the work on the -canals was commenced, amounted to thousands of millions of kiks every -minute, and they had not been able to devise any plan by which they could -make any satisfactory use of the mortgaged property; and so they let the -money remain in the canal fund.” - -“But,” said I, “suppose it was earning so many millions of kiks, I don’t -see what good it did them if they never got it.” - -“Why you see,” he replied, “they got out of it in that shape, all they -could have got if the money had been in their hands. And it was safe. -It could not be stolen and nobody would be tempted to assassinate the -owners in order to get it. When people have such enormous fortunes they -can come into personal contact with only a small portion of them. An -individual owning many millions can only use on himself a few hundreds or -thousands, and the rest of it buys him nothing but the respect homage, -consideration, obsequiousness and sycophancy of the crowd. For all this -he does not have to pay a cent, but must own or be supposed to own -millions. The funds which our Lunarians owned in canal stock made them -the lions of Mars. Their personal abilities, accomplishments and graces -would have done that anyway, with a certain class, but the addition of -all that wealth gave them an influence and consideration amongst the mass -of people who had no great appreciation of any other sort of merit. - -“All sorts of odd stories concerning the wealthy foreigners found -circulation amongst the masses. Once it was reported that if the canal -funds were not paid before the next Christmas, the Lunarians intended to -fill up all the canals again. It was well known for ages that there was -not enough money on Mars to pay the canal debt, or even its accumulation -for one year. Not very long ago it became reported that the Lunarians had -sold their claims to capitalists on the earth, and that the latter were -going to get out an attachment for Mars, bid it off at sheriff’s sale and -take it for another moon to the earth. The story even settled the route -it was to run on—half way between the earth and the moon.” - -“That was a likely tale indeed!” said I. “They didn’t know our -capitalists very well or they wouldn’t have imagined them going into a -scheme that did not promise to pay pretty big.” - -“O, but it was to pay well as they had it planned. First the speculators -were to sell short for future delivery all the gas and standard oil -stocks in the world: then they were to bargain with the various great -cities to furnish additional moonlight at so much for each added moon -power, measured by our moon. They calculated that Mars placed 120,000 -miles from the earth would reflect upon the earth 16 times as much light -as the moon does. This would make the night about as bright as day. This -would reduce the value of oil and gas stocks almost to nothing and the -speculators would then buy them up for delivery on their sale contracts -and make an enormous sum. The most of the Martians were keen for the -enterprise to be consummated. They said that they would gain more than -the earth by the change, for both the earth and moon would act as moons -for Mars, and he would get four times as much light from the earth as he -would give it. He would also get far more light and heat from the sun -than he did where he was. When it was announced that the story was a -hoax many people were actually disappointed. Others said they were glad -to have escaped the disgrace of being sold out at a bankrupt sale and -degraded from a full fledged planet to a mere satellite to be towed off -to play second fiddle to another world.” - -“But how did they think Mars was to moved over to the earth?” - -“O they supposed the Lunarians were going to see to that part of it. They -had got the idea the Lunarians could do anything.” - -“But could they have accomplished such an undertaking as that?” - -“That question was never settled; but they would not have done it if -they could. The Lunarians always felt very much mortified that the moon -is only a satellite and not a full planet. They have got some little -satisfaction, however, in the great amount of attention, the moon has -always received from the people of the earth. In old times in fact the -earthlings used to pay divine honors to our globe, as well they might. -But if Mars were to become a satellite of the earth it is easy to see he -would monopolize all the attention that has heretofore been lavished on -us. We wouldn’t like that. No it looks as if you may depend upon it, the -Lunarians would never lend themselves to a scheme like that. But a hoax -like that has wonderful vitality. - -“A little over a thousand years ago the Lunarians began to think of -foreclosing their mortgage. They had the polar regions of Mars quietly -explored, and were agreeably surprised to find large deposits of coal, -iron, gold, silver, tin, copper and many other metals and valuable -minerals. They were already posted as to the nature of the little moons -Jack-Deimos and Lucy-Phobos. It was a difficult and perilous task to -effect a landing on them, but after much effort it was accomplished. It -was found that Jack Deimos, which by the way is about seven miles in -diameter and twenty-two in circumference—you could ride clear around -it on a bicycle in four hours—is about one-half iron, the rest rock -containing gold, silver, lead and tin. Deimos always has the same side -turned toward Mars, and on the opposite side is a lake about a mile in -diameter and frozen solid to the bottom, which melts down a few inches -every day and freezes up again at night. There is a little thin air, that -does not extend more than one or two hundred yards high. The mass of this -little moon is so small that its attraction for anything on it is very -slight. An ordinary man weighs less than an ounce. He is considerably -lighter on the side toward Mars than he is on the opposite side. One -might stand on that side and shoot an arrow toward Mars, and it would not -return to him, but continue its flight till it reached the planet. - -“There is in several places quite a growth of a hardy plant something -like an alga, although the temperature on the shady side is 40° below 0. -It is hot on the sunny side. The difficulty of getting on this little -moon is due to its small attractive power. When we approach a large body, -such as the Moon or Mars its attraction draws us after it and gradually -brings us to its surface. But Deimos attracts with so little force -that we have to get up speed and force from some other body and so run -alongside and catch him. He flies around his orbit at the astonishing -speed of 3,610½ miles an hour or more than 50 miles a minute. In order -to get up such a speed as that our folks had to go off a million miles -from Mars in a direction opposite to the sun and then allow themselves -to fall toward Mars until they were near the orbit of Deimos; then they -turned on repulsion which sheered them off and caused them to describe an -orbit around Mars in the same direction as that of Deimos. Deimos passed -them several times before they could get into his attraction close enough -to be pulled in by him. - -“They afterwards boarded Lucy-Phobos in the same way. Her attraction is -a little stronger than Jack’s as she is over eight miles in diameter. -But her speed is still more terrific than his as she goes at the rate of -4,777 miles an hour or more than 79.2 miles a minute. She, too, always -presents the same face to Mars. - -“Having made up their minds how they would improve the property when -they got it, they informed the King that they desired to foreclose the -mortgage. He made no defense and instructed the authorities to throw no -obstacles in the way. The foreclosure was advertised in the usual way and -when the day of sale arrived there was the usual crowd of loafers, but no -bidders except the Lunarians. They bid three million kiks for the whole -outfit—one million each for the two frigid zones and one million for the -two satellites, and the property was of course knocked down to them, -considering the importance of the sale it was a quiet, tame affair.—The -King was not a little displeased when he found they had bid in the -property for less than the billion, billion, billionth part of their -claim, thus leaving the debt practically unreduced. He supposed they -would bid the face of their claim and thus wipe out the debt. Still, -however, he made no attempt at redemption; in fact nobody would have -given any more for the property than was bid. The title was confirmed to -them by the court and they entered into possession.” - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -The Great Debt. - - -“The King began to be much concerned in regard to the great debt. He -called his bankers together and had them compute it down to date. Then -after brooding over the matter for some days he called his council and -the Lunarian claimants together and made them a speech. He declared he -was sick and tired of “paying interest.” True, he had never paid any, but -it constantly added to the already most appalling debt to be found in the -solar system. “In fact it is so great (said he) that we have no single -words to express it. It is written by setting down 20 and then annexing -to that a string of 153 ciphers. The original debt left by my illustrious -ancestor the father of the canals was 1,000,000 kiks, at least that is -all his successor assumed, and it is that insignificant sum that has -grown to such overwhelming proportions. - -“Take 20,000,000 septillions of kiks and multiply by 1,000,000 -sextillions; multiply this product by 1,000,000 of quintillions and -this by 1,000,000 quadrillions; this by 1,000,000 millions; and -finally multiply this by 1,000,000. Now from this inconceivably great -sum subtract _one kik_. That kik is the principal; all the rest is -_interest_. As the whole principal was 1,000,000 kiks, our whole debt -is 1,000,000 times the above sum.[5] I have for several days been -endeavoring to master the financial principle applicable to this case. -Our Lunarian professors have told us that the normal advance of natural -modes of motion is by undulation, or the progressive rising and falling -of one wave after another, as in the ocean, the movement of heat and -light, the ebbing and flowing of the tides etc. I have observed that the -same law holds in the accumulation of wealth. It undulates. It is lively -awhile, then dull. Business men accumulate a pile, then lose it. It is -the same with money engaged in business, it sometimes gains, sometimes -loses. A man may drink twenty hogsheads of wine, but he cannot accumulate -that much inside of him at once. - -“It may be possible for one little kik in the course of 7,000 years to -earn on Mars all the wealth both real and personal that there is on all -the planets in the solar system and much more besides. At any rate it has -done it on paper according to the figures and the claim of our Lunarian -friends, but evidently it could only be done by its dropping a lot of -it occasionally and earning it over again. So the undulatory movement -applies here as a physical necessity. But the papers in this case so -far, represent only the swelling of the wave without the complementary -sinking that completes an undulation, and makes its continued movement -a physical possibility. These papers relate only to the ascending or -crescendo half of the wave, but fail to provide for the diminuendo side -of it. This wave has been swelling for 7,000 years. It is high time it -had reached its culmination or greatest amplitude and I think it has. -Seven is a mystic number and in this case evidently marks that epoch. -Time alone was competent to enable a little kik to pile up such an -accumulation of debt against us, and what time has done, time can undo. - -“I propose now to issue a diminuendo bond that will in the course of -7,000 years reduce this debt back to the level it started from. Instead -of bearing interest, this bond will bear discount. This discount the -first year will be precisely what the interest was the last, and each -year in the descending future the bond will be reduced to the same amount -to which it was increased in the year as far in the past as it is in the -future counting from the date of the bond. So that 1,000 years hence -the amount of it will be the same that it was 1,000 years ago and so -on. Coupons shall be attached, representing the amount of the discount -each year which the holders of the bonds shall detach and present to the -treasurer to be cancelled. Thus the debt will be reduced every year and -it will cost nobody a kik. - -“At the end of 7,000 years all the accumulation of interest will have -been dissipated and only the principal will be left. This if not paid -then will begin to draw interest again, because by the undulatory theory, -the wave having reached its lowest ebb must thereafter rise.” - -“This was the substance of the king’s speech, and it was highly applauded -by the whole assembly, except the Lunarians. They said it looked to them -like repudiation, and they told the king they feared it would hurt his -credit not only in the Moon, but on the Earth, and Venus, Juno, Pallas, -Ceres, Vesta and all the rest. The King replied that he would be sorry -to do anything that would impair his credit in the other planets and for -that reason would not on any account repudiate. That was why he gave this -bond. If he intended to repudiate he would not need to give any bond. -By this arrangement they would get their million kiks in the course of -time—would no doubt have got them long ago—if that load of interest had -not been piled on top of them. The object of this bond was to remove this -interest. According to the undulatory theory of finance that he had just -announced, the total amount of loss of money employed in business exactly -equals the total amount of gain, since money does not change in amount by -being used. But in particular cases there may be net gains at the expense -of loss somewhere else. And he said that the shrewdness of the Lunarians -would have insured to them a measure of net gain; but by no possibility -could it have amounted to many times itself even in the course of ages. -“It is labor, not money, that creates wealth. If you bury 100 kiks in -the ground and after a year dig them up you will not find that they have -increased to 105.” - -“This talk of the king convinced the Lunarians that he did not intend to -pay the interest on their claim and as they could not afford to quarrel -with him, they proposed a compromise, and it was finally settled that -they should receive 1,000,000 kiks in addition to the property they had -taken on the foreclosure, and a bond for ten million kiks to be paid at -the option of the government without interest or security. They did not -regard this bond as very valuable, and as a matter of fact it has not -been paid off to this day, but still constitutes a “claim.” After all, -however, they did well enough notwithstanding their astounding loss. - -“They were now recognized as men who through no fault of their own had -sunk the most stupendous sum of money ever known to exist in one fund, -and this circumstance gave them as much notoriety and almost as much -influence and importance, as if they still had to their credit the sum -of 20,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, -000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, -000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, 000,000,000,000 -kiks.” - - -Deimos and the Great Cable. - -These financial questions being settled the Lunarians went to work to -improve their new property. They commenced work on the south polar -region, opening extensive mines of coal and iron and starting furnaces -and rolling mills. It soon became known what they were up to, which -proved to be nothing less than the capture of Jack-Deimos and setting -him to work. The first thing to do was to construct a cable long enough -to reach from the pole of Mars to Deimos. Deimos is 14,547 miles from -the center of Mars and a little further from the pole viz 14,690 miles. -The cable was made about 25 miles longer than that. It was composed of a -vast number of strands of tremendously tough steel wire and put together -in the most marvelous way, for they were in small bundles insulated -from each other as to the attraction of gravitation and also insulated -by sections of their length. By this construction a part of the strands -might be made to be subject to the attraction of gravitation, others -alongside of them to repulsion, also a strand might be made subject to -attraction in one part while in another it could be subject to repulsion, -and these conditions could be reversed, or all the parts could be caused -to be in the same state. The effect of this was very remarkable. When the -cable was completed it was stretched out a section of one to two hundred -miles at a time, and tested, an alternating electrical battery being used -to alter the gravitational conditions. By proper manipulation, the cable -could be made to rise bodily from the ground, or it could be made to rise -by sections, one section on the ground and another humped up like the -back of an angry cat, or when lying down straight it could be made to -roll over, by causing one side to be attractive and the other repelling. - -“This cable was eight inches in diameter. The lower end was doubled -on itself to form an eye five feet in diameter. The other end for 25 -miles was left free, the wires all being separate and loose with balls -of iron attached to their ends. When this end of the cable was tested, -a considerable section, by being subjected to repulsion, rose from -the ground and assumed a perpendicular position, the loose ends of -the wire parting and repelling each other like the hairs on the head -of an electrified person. This was what was required and the test was -pronounced a perfect success. - -“Over the south pole of Mars is a mountain some 8,000 feet above the sea -level. They found the exact pole not far from the highest part of this -mountain which was a lucky circumstance. Here they planted a great steel -shaft deep in the hard rock, its end sticking up so as to receive the eye -of the cable. A good deal of grading and leveling off of obstructions -that stood up above the proposed sweep of the cable, had to be removed. -But the largest part of the work was the construction of the circular -railway. This railway was built in a circle around the pole and 285 miles -distant from it. The diameter of this circle was 570 and the length of -the road was 1,791 miles. There were two purposes to be served by this -road. A person standing at the pole of Mars cannot see Deimos on account -of the bulge or convex surface of the globe. And it is only when he gets -285 miles from the pole that he can look over the bulge and see the -little moon. So a rope drawn taut from Deimos to the pole of the planet, -would drag on the ground for the 285 miles next the pole, but outside of -the 285 miles the line would gradually leave the ground. A large heavy -car was made to travel on the railroad to hold up the cable as it swept -around. Attached to this car there was to be a train holding the dynamos -in which the power was to be turned into electricity. - -“When everything was ready to hook on to the little moon, the cable was -caused to erect itself by repulsion. It tended to stand directly out in -line with the pole as if it were a continuation of the axis, and care had -to be taken to prevent it slipping off its shaft and going off bodily -into space. This had been anticipated and provided against however. -After standing a few hours under the influence of repulsion it became -rigid and perfectly straight. One-half of the strands throughout the -whole length of the cable except the last twenty miles were now placed -under the influence of attraction and the other half under repulsion. -This left it still rigid, but indifferent and movable in any direction -by a very small force like a water soaked log in the water. Attraction -was now turned on a very small portion of the lower end of the cable and -it began slowly to incline toward the ground. When it got down almost -to the ground it was found that the ground where the railroad was built -was running under the cable from west to east at the rate of 72½ miles -an hour. Some very delicate manipulation was required here. The cable by -having been erected at the pole had no rotary motion as the planet had. -The planet revolved from west to east at the rate of 521.4 miles an hour -at the equator, but, at the circular railroad this was reduced to 72.6 -miles. At the pole of course it was nothing. As the railroad track and -the car for carrying the cable were whirling along at that rate while -the cable itself was stationary, it became necessary to give the cable a -rotary sweep corresponding in direction with the diurnal revolution of -the planet, and at somewhere near the same speed. This was accomplished -by compelling work to be done by the revolution of the planet. Several -little circular tracks were laid around the pole and close to it on which -were placed cars carrying heavy steel beams that projected on either side -and dragged cutting and scraping tools. The cars being attached to the -cable, as the planet revolved they were made to pare down the mountain, -and as this process continued long after the successful attachment of -the cable to Deimos the part of the mountain immediately at the pole -became shaped like an immense pin or capstan. The doing of this work by -this steady pulling on the cable gradually set the cable to revolving -around the shaft at the pole, the speed constantly increasing until at -the railway the cable had developed a speed of 60 miles an hour or within -12.6 miles an hour of the rate the surface of the planet at the railway -was traveling. A locomotive was now attached to the car or truck that -was to carry the cable, and by running it from east to west at the rate -of 12.6 miles an hour it could be kept directly under the cable. Before -lowering it, however, it was necessary to hump or raise up that part of -it extending from the pole to the railway, to keep it from dragging on -the ground which if straight it would do on account of the rounding of -the globe of Mars. That was done by turning on repulsion over that part -of it, and simultaneously putting on attraction in the region of the -railway. This tended to cant the loose end of the cable toward the plane -of the planet’s equator and brought it very near to the orbit of Deimos. -The cable was settled upon its truck without trouble. This truck with the -cable now had an apparent motion from east to west of 12.6 miles an hour -its real motion being from west to east 60 miles an hour and that of the -railway track also from west to east 72.6 miles an hour. The loose end -of the cable swept around with a speed proportional with its distance -from the pole of Mars. This speed was 3,062½ miles per hour which is 46 -miles faster than that of Deimos which is 3,016½ as I mentioned before. -Of course it was now only necessary to tip the cable over a little more -so as to get it into the equatorial plane of Mars in order to bring it -into contact with Deimos. This was done by applying attraction to a -short section of the cable just outside of the railway track. The cable -slowly moved at the switch end and came into line with Deimos about 43 -days after having passed him. So as it gained on him only 46 miles an -hour, it took about 40 days after this to catch up. This gave ample time -to get the cable into exact position so there would be no danger of -missing him. This most exciting race was now closely watched by every -body on Mars that could get near a telescope—and our folks had introduced -some very excellent ones. The cable gradually crept up on Jack—so the -spectators said—like an old woman with a broom. As the final moment -approached the excitement became intense. The cable like a vast arm -terminated by an immense hand with extended fingers came up threateningly -behind and at the fated instant gave Jack a spank on the rear with a -shock of 46 miles an hour which sent all the fingers flying around him -and clasping him with a tremendous grasp. - -“At that moment full attraction was turned on to these clasping -strands of wire and their hug was made permanent by the attraction -with which Deimos held them down to his surface. This was considered -by the Lunarians the greatest feat in engineering that had ever been -accomplished up to that time.” - -“Or since that time either I should imagine,” said I, “it was wonderful! -What else has ever been achieved to compare with it?” - -“Well, the catching of Lucy-Phobos”— - -“O, I forgot about Lucy-Phobos. What did they do with her or him?—Did -they hitch Phobos to the other pole of Mars?” - -“No, I’ll tell you; but let me finish with Deimos first. When the cable -struck Deimos of course its speed was at once checked. The shock caused -quite a wave to pass down the whole length of the cable, but no damage -was done, and when things got steadied down again it was found the -truck that carried the cable was making a speed of 13½ miles an hour -from east to west instead of 12.6 which it was doing before the cable -struck Deimos. The reason of this was that Deimos was slower than the -cable and Mars dragged the track out from under the car 13½ miles faster -than Deimos dragged it forward. It was no trouble after this to go up to -Deimos by way of the cable. A car was built around the cable consisting -of four stories, one above another. Friction rollers pressed the cable -on all sides to steady the car and there were brakes to hold it when -necessary. Its chambers were air tight and it carried compressed air for -the use of its passengers together with all the modern conveniences. Of -course it ascended by repulsion and came back by attraction. It entirely -obviated the trouble they first experienced in making a landing on the -little moon, since the cable traveled as fast as it did. Frequent trips -were made to Deimos and it was always quite the trip for the strong -nerved traveler to take. But the main advantage of this work of course -came from the enormous power that it afforded for industrial purposes. -A long train of trucks were attached to the one carrying the cable, and -these contained dynamos driven by gearing connections with their axles. -The electricity generated in this way was carried to wires running -parallel with the circular railroad, and from these, radiating wires -running north, convey the power to all parts of the south temperate zone.” - -“They made considerable and remarkable changes in Deimos itself. One -thing they did was to import a large stock of air. As I mentioned before -the air was very light and thin, and visitors at first had to depend -on their flasks of compressed air to a great extent. But after they -got to making such frequent trips, it became a rule to always take up -large flasks of compressed oxygen which was prepared and kept on hand -to be carried up whenever a trip should be made. This was set free on -the little moon. In that way in the course of time the air has been -made quite passable. In order that visitors might not consume it and -replace it with carbonic acid gas, they built several lines of tiny -railroads reaching around Deimos on which they built movable gardens. -These moved around the whole circuit of the little globe every 30 hours -and 18 minutes, that being its period of revolution around Mars. These -little gardens thus kept themselves directly under the sun all the time, -and were thus always in a tropical climate. Their growth consumed the -carbonic gas that accumulated there, and so kept the air pure. The power -that moved the gardens was electricity generated by sun light. A large -number of machines were placed at intervals all around the little moon so -that the sun should always be shining on several of them.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -Phobos. - - -“Deimos is exceedingly valuable also as a sort of stepping stone from -which to get onto Phobos. Once on Deimos and it is as easy getting onto -Phobos as to step from one car to another in a running train. Phobos -is 5,807 miles from the center of Mars. When the three are in line -it is 8,740 miles from Deimos. Deimos travels 3,016½ miles an hour, -Phobos 4,777. A body thrown off from Deimos towards Mars will retain -the velocity of Deimos and will acquire in falling that 8,740 miles an -additional velocity enough to bring its speed up to that of Phobos. So -our Lunarians by close calculation and timely departure from Deimos have -had little or no trouble in lighting on Phobos without a perceptible jar -and have conveyed by that route all the machinery and apparatus they -needed in making their improvements there.” - -“Was Phobos worth improving then?” - -“No, its motive power was simply harnessed so as to be utilized on Mars. -They did it in this way. - -“A large number of powerful steel magnets were prepared on Mars together -with the materials for a large basket or crate stout enough to hold -them, also four cables made of wire, each two inches in diameter. These -materials done up in proper shape were taken up the cable by repulsion to -Deimos then again by repulsion cast off with a company of Lunarians in -one of their cars to sail down to Phobos.” - -“I should think that being encumbered with such a lot of stuff would have -added greatly to the risk of the trip,” said I. - -“Not at all, the more metal the better, since it can be made light or -heavy at will and so kept under control while other materials could -not be made light. It is always desirable to have more than half the -weight of our outfit in iron or steel on that account. Well, they landed -this material on Phobos and there put it together. The different parts -were insulated from each other to provide for the use of repulsion or -gravitation as the case might require. - -“They staked off an exact square five and a half miles on each side, -which was about as large a one as they could get on Phobos and at each -corner they firmly anchored one end of one of the cables. At the center -of the square Mars appeared directly overhead. At this point the crate -was put together upside down and its load of magnets arranged inside of -it also upside down. The cables 3,760 miles long were coiled in a pile -each to itself and the end fastened to the corners of the crate. On Mars -this outfit weighed many tons, but on Phobos it was so light that one man -could lift it. Wires connected with a battery passed through the cables -to regulate the weight of the concern. A small amount of repulsion -raised it and carried it to the limit of the attraction of Phobos. The -momentum taking it a little further, and within the dominance of that of -Mars when light attraction was turned on and the crate rose or rather -fell slowly toward Mars. When the cables were stretched out and the crate -hung by them, it was within a few feet of the ground in some places, at -others as much as one or two hundred. Its motion was from west to east at -the incredible speed of 1,160 miles an hour. Its actual rate of travel is -1,681 miles per hour, but the revolution of Mars on its axis is at the -rate 521 miles in the same direction, so the difference constitutes the -apparent motion of the crate of Magnets. In order to get electric power -from these it was only necessary to set up insulated slabs of soft iron -along the route of the magnets in such position that they would pass -close to them as they swept by. This was done at different places along -the route, and covered altogether, distances aggregating more than three -thousand miles. Of the remaining distance around the planet a part was -over the sea and some over low land, where the scaffolding would be too -high to pay. The electricity generated in these stationary armatures was -run off to storage batteries wherever required in the equatorial regions -of the planet. So, with the cable to Deimos and the big dynamo of Phobos. -Mars is supplied with unlimited power at nominal cost.” - -“But doesn’t the plant require renewal? I should think it would rust out -after awhile.” - -“Yes the cable has been renewed twice. The last one put up is 12 inches -in diameter. It is easy now to put one up, with the one already up to -steady and steer it. It only has to fall up as you might say, under -the influence of repulsion. The occasion of putting up the last cable, -however, was not rust, but a singular accident. During the winter there -are generally only two or three men left at the pole to keep the shaft -oiled and see that everything is all right. One winter the men left in -charge undertook to move some heavy timbers and steel beams that had -been left on the top of the mountain, and managed to get them into such -a position that they were caught by the cable which slowly carried them -around until they partly fell into a crevice and became immovable. The -cable bent itself around the obstruction, and in doing so was thrown -so far down over the edge of the mountain which as I told you had been -turned off to resemble a capstan, that it began to be wound around it as -if it were a great spool. The men telegraphed to the general manager who -came up with a crowd of engineers and workmen, but they could not do a -thing except to keep the cable raised by repulsion as much as possible -to keep it from catching some obstruction on the ground. The cable made -the complete circuit of the railway track in a trifle over 5½ days. The -mountain stem had been whittled down to about a mile in diameter so that -each revolution wound up a little over three miles of cable, which was at -the rate of a little over half a mile a day. - -“The cable was so injured where it had been wound up that they were -afraid it would break if they loosened it, and so they concluded to make -a new one. There did not seem to be any great hurry about it, and so it -dragged along for four years without much being done. By that time almost -700 miles of cable had been wound up and Deimos had been drawn up that -much nearer to Mars. Some thought this a good thing and proposed to let -him wind himself down within a hundred miles or so of Mars, so that he -would be of some account as a moon, for he gave very little light where -he was. Others wanted him pulled down to the ground so they could cut him -up and get the gold, silver, iron and other valuables he might contain; -enough they said to make all the Martians rich. But the more prudent -pointed out that if he was pulled down too far he would interfere with -Lucy Phobos and spoil her work. It had been observed that the cable had -been getting slower and slower and was now moving only a little more -than half as fast as it did at first, and the industries depending on -it were getting short of power. The mathematicians figured that Deimos -would never wind himself up any closer than 12,700 miles or 1,847 miles -from where he was in the first place, for the reason that drawing him in -towards Mars increased his speed so that when he was wound up to 12,700 -miles he would revolve around the planet in 24 hours and 40 minutes, the -same time it takes Mars to roll over. Consequently Deimos would appear -to stand over the same spot all the time, the cable would cease to move -and the winding up process would stop, and of course all the machinery -connected with it would stop too. After a full discussion of the matter, -it was concluded to let Deimos get back to his original orbit, so that -the manufacturing that had been started and was operated by the power -furnished by the cable might not suffer any further loss. - - -The New Cable. - -“The new cable was run up alongside of the old and the upper end fastened -to Deimos while the eye in the lower end was placed over the shaft. The -cable was then deprived of weight and the 700 miles of slack floated -about in space like a big cobweb. It was now supposed that if the old -cable was cut Deimos would rapidly move out to his old position. But he -did nothing of the kind. He seemed to be satisfied with his new route, -and for several months he persistently kept on without getting any -further away, his slack cable sagging out behind. They now undertook to -compel him, and they succeeded in this way. They gave the cable full -weight repulsion. This caused it to straighten out upward, and the -slack went on up 350 miles above Deimos curving back to him. The whole -thing looked like a fish pole and line with Deimos dangling at the -end of it. It had the desired effect, however, for its strain upward -exerted considerable power on Deimos disturbing the equilibrium that had -been established between the centripetal and centrifugal forces that -controlled his motion. It took about two years, however, to get him back -to his old route. He was tipped over twice in the process, on account -of the cable having been fastened on the underside; first while the loop -of the cable was above it, and second when it got out to the end of the -cable it was canted back again.” - -“It was a funny experience, the little moon had,” I observed. “I suppose -it got down to its former gait so as to allow of the old retrograde speed -of cable at the Mars end?” - -“Yes of course, the speed of Deimos decreased with its distance from -Mars. It has occurred to them since, that they ought to have had a still -longer cable, so as to have got him still further off with a still slower -movement. They would have got more power by it. - -“The last time I was on Mars a remarkable circumstance took place that -I shall never forget. I was one of a party that accompanied the King on -a visit to the pole to inspect the plant and view the landscape. From -this lofty elevation the view is charming, and there is also a strange -fascination in watching the solemn revolution of the great cable moving -with the deliberation and precise regularity of the hour hand of some -enormous time piece. There is a little cabin built over the shaft at the -pole which revolves with the cable. The man whose business it is to oil -the shaft constantly stays in that cabin, and even sleeps there. While -we were admiring the view we suddenly heard a scream from the man in the -cabin. The eye of the cable is oval and is not filled by the shaft at its -inside end. Upon rushing into the cabin we found the unfortunate man had -been asleep and allowed one of his feet to drop into this space and it -had been slowly drawn in between the cable and the shaft until it was so -fastened that he could not pull it out with the most frantic exertions, -and every minute took it further crushing as it went. At last the man -called for an ax, and it was handed to him, when without a moment’s -hesitation, with two or three strokes he severed his leg just above the -knee. I was terribly shocked, but the poor man made light of it, and -declared he would have another leg in its place as good as that one in -five months. Less than two weeks afterwards I saw him and his leg had -already started to grow out and in five months he was walking on it the -same as the others.” - -“That was remarkable,” said I, “but it is said the star fishes on -earth—what! are you going?” - -The professor during his talk had been arranging his car, a process I -had been endeavoring to keep the run of without losing his conversation. -He had erected a cab or house over the lower part or body of it, had -fastened it down with a sort of clamps, that appeared to make the joints -air tight, leaving open a small door on one side. The material of this -cab was a thick leathery substance, evidently very tough and stiff and -very transparent. He had also an instrument that I directly perceived was -an air pump, for he used it in pumping air into a number of flasks—those -that he had emptied, I suppose, on his trip down from the moon. As he -filled them he placed them inside of the cab and having walked around and -carefully inspected everything to his satisfaction, he paused and turned -his great benignant eyes upon me in a hesitating manner that seemed to -say that he had something more to tell me which nevertheless he hesitated -to communicate. After a few moments he overcame his scruples if he had -any, and reaching into one of his middle pockets he brought forth a thin -piece of stuff resembling parchment covered on both sides by an adhesive -substance like that used on postage stamps. In shape it was like the moon -at its first quarter. He pressed this piece against his forehead and left -it sticking there for only a moment then handed it to me with a gesture -that appeared to indicate that I should press it against mine. I did -this, but it did not stick and there came into my head a very strange and -muddled sensation not unlike a headache. I pulled it off. The Professor -was looking at me and evidently perceived my trouble, for he directed -me by a gesture to turn it over. The effect of this was as wonderful -as it was agreeable. The Professor seemed to me to be talking through -a telephone and while I could not say that I understood him any better -than by his usual method, it was, to me, a new method, and disclosed -new faculties and possibilities showing in a new light the genius and -versatility of this wonderful race. - -The information that he chose this novel way of communicating to me, -related to the rumor in circulation in Mars as stated sometime back, that -a company of speculators made up of Lunarians and extensive promotors -living on the Earth were actually planning to impose a new orbit on -Mars and had so far progressed with the scheme, that the stock was all -subscribed. It was understood the Lunarians were to do the actual work; -in fact it was conceded that they were the only people in the solar -system that possessed a plant at all commensurate with the magnitude of -the undertaking or were sufficiently skilled or experienced to handle -it. The Lunarians were too shrewd or wary to undertake such a contract -without assuring themselves of their ability to perform it. It was to -inform themselves on this point, that the Professor had agreed to make -the long trip to Mars directly after his return to the Moon. This was a -larger undertaking than they had yet attempted. They understood perfectly -the mathematical principles, involved, but the very immensity of the -apparatus required to be used and handled made an appalling task, and yet -they declared if they could do it at all, they could do it easily. They -relied of course on their great secret—the repulsion of gravitation. - -The great scheme was therefore not the hoax they were willing to have -the general public believe it to be, but a well considered project, by -some of the most astute financiers and physicists in the solar system. -The following are some of the principal names and firms enlisted in the -enterprise. U. L. & V; J. Y. & Co., K. G. Q.; A. W. Z. & Sons; H. O. & -Co.; R. H. R. Sons and Co.; M. D. C. C. C.; J. X. & J.; I. & P.; D. J. & -N.; L. H. I. & F.; N. B.; S. I. & Co.; C. M. & Co.; R. T. & X.; C. E. The -timidity of capital is notorious; likewise its gullibility and therefore -its instinct for secrecy and slyness. But the above array of names is an -ample guaranty against trifling. - -There had occurred to me from the first, the interesting question, what -the business could be that would impose such a long and fatiguing journey -on the Professor as a visit to Mars; I remembered the evasive reply he -gave me when asked in regard to the great scheme for the abduction of -that planet. I presume it was the tension on my mind, relating to this -subject, that gave him an inkling telepathically of my wish to learn -more of this great scheme and led him to pause and comply as related -above. As to their ability to work out so vast an enterprise; it may be -doubted. When Mars is in a direct line between Jupiter and the Sun, if -they could give it a vigorous repulsory push from Jupiter while the sun’s -attraction remains in activity, both his orbit and time would approximate -those of the Earth. It might take several such repulsory pushes to -secure the degree of conformity required for the adjustment of the three -orbits—Moon, Mars and Earth. There is no denying the imminent risk to be -incurred even by such experts as our Lunarians, in handling three bulky -globes in such close proximity, for it is not Mars alone that will be -involved in any change that may be brought about; but all three. It will -prove a much greater contract than handling Deimos and Phobos. - -These thoughts passed rapidly through my brain, while the Professor -after another hasty inspection of his car, suddenly stepped inside and -closed the door, fastening it with clamps like the rest. While he was -doing this I eagerly inquired if he would not meet me again sometime and -resume the story of my race in the far future beyond the one hundredth -millennium. - -He nodded his head affirmatively with a most benignant smile of his great -kindly eyes, and said something I could only partially understand—“I -will meet you here August — 9 — — —,” something preceded and something -followed the nine, but I cannot tell what. The nine probably refers to -the year—but nine occurs in every remaining year of this century, and -in every one of the next. He waved his hand to me, then reached forward -from his seat in the back of the car touched a button—or something—and -began at once to rise, rather rapidly from the first, and increasing in -speed so fast that the car as I gazed after it, dwindled with wonderful -rapidity and soon went out. Before he shut himself in his car I had -instinctively taken off my hat, and I stood there holding it in my hand, -but without sufficient presence of mind to frame an appropriate farewell. -The fact is, his personality was overpowering and in his presence—I speak -only for myself—one felt small and insignificant. - -“Well! can you make it out?” The words startled me and looking up I saw -Allan Ocheltree standing before me with a bucket of water in his hand. I -could not realize for a few moments where I was. Looking down I saw in my -hands the stake with the red blotches on that I had tried to read before -I met the Professor. But that was long ago. I had but little idea how -long, but it must have been tedious for Allan during the long period I -was interviewing the Professor. I wondered how he had occupied himself, -and why he had not disturbed the interview—though I was exceedingly -grateful that he had not. Perhaps he had seen the Professor himself. I -asked him. - -“What are you giving me?” said he, “I have seen no professor.” - -“But he has only this moment left me, perhaps he is still in sight,” -said I, and I at once turned an eager gaze toward the sky overhead and -directly descried a small black speck. “There! what’s that—I believe -that’s the Professor.” - -“That,” said Allan coolly, “is a crane, you can see it moving toward -the east. It is going home to Crane Island. What’s the matter, are you -dreaming?” - -I briefly explained. - -“Well,” said Allan, “you must have fallen into a doze and got to -dreaming. Don’t give yourself any worry about the way I have put in the -time, I have been very agreeably occupied getting this bucket of water.” - -“Do you mean to say,” said I, “that all this interview has taken only”— - -“I mean to say that you have been sitting down there on that bank holding -that piece of stick with the blurred keel marks on it, just long enough -for me to walk to that rock yonder dip up a bucket of water and walk -back. Here, time me with your watch and I will show you how long it took.” - -Whereupon he threw away the water in his bucket, walked to the rock, -refilled it and walked back—in one minute and forty seconds! Thus may -one get an idea of the quickness of thought. I had heard of it before, -but never realized it so completely. - -As we went on with our preparations for our dinner I gave Allan some -further account of what I seemed to have heard and seen, and he became -quite interested in it. - -“I think,” said he, “you ought to write it down, and do it at once before -you forget it. You had better go right back to your cottage at the other -end of the lake. I’ll go with you, perhaps I can help you. I can write -while you dictate.” - -I thought myself, I ought to write it down, and was pleased that he made -the suggestion. It was soon arranged. After dinner we piled our things -in the Sally Ann and were soon under way. Instead of rowing back to the -outlet of Halsteds Bay, we steered for a narrow depression in the long -point of land that separates the Bay from the upper lake. At this place -which is only a few yards wide, we made a portage by dragging the boat -over by main strength, and in a minute were in the lake, and just in time -to hail a little steamer on its way down. They threw us a line which we -made fast to the Sally Ann, and were thus towed back to Excelsior. Here -Allan left me to go and settle his board bill and get his things, with -the understanding that he would come over to my cottage next morning, -while the steamer pursued her way toward the St. Louis hotel. Opposite -Cottagewood I threw off the line and in a few minutes was back in my -cottage. This terminated the cruise of the Sally Ann. - -That night I dreamed over the entire interview with the Professor, I -believe verbatim. - -Next morning a messenger came with a note from Allan saying that he -had found awaiting him a telegram from a favorite niece demanding his -presence at her wedding due to come off at St. Louis at a time that -required his immediate departure. This he considered imperative and he -had accordingly started the night before. He would try and come back -after the wedding was over, he said. - -I began to write up the “interview” that day, and that night I dreamed -it all over again. It seemed to be now well fixed in my mind and I wrote -rapidly. A week later I got another note from Allan. Business had claimed -him again and he regretted that he would have to forego any further -outing till next season. I have never heard from him since. - -I wrote vigorously on the interview, and finished it in two weeks. I was -very tired and glad to get back to the city and to work so as to rest up -from the fatigues of my outing. - - - - -APPENDIX. - - -See page 17, Mitchel Discovery. - -The Reader will remember that the Professor stated that the alternating -gravity currents—the secret of which the Lunarians so tightly -gripped—could be applied only to metals and has no effect on organic -substances. In order to get the use of these currents for moving or -controlling such bodies, it must be acquired through the manipulation -of the metals. Thus if a piece of metal be attached to a block of wood, -according to the Professor, the greater quantity of the metal will -control the movement. If a box be constructed of metal so as to hold non -reversible materials of course they will share the movement of the metal. - -The following account of the discovery by Professor Mitchell, taken from -a paper of the period, is suggestive of a connection between that and the -discovery by the Lunarians. - -Sometime in the sixth decade of this century (19th) a very remarkable -discovery was said to have been made by the celebrated astronomer, Prof. -O. M. Mitchel, then of Cincinnati, and director of Dudley and Cincinnati -Observatories. He discovered either a new metal or an amalgam, alloy -or compound, which when formed into plates possessed the property of -preventing the passage through it of the influence of gravitation. In -short it effectually stopped the passage of the lines of force that -constitute gravitation, so that if a cage or box were made of such -material any solid body placed inside of it would lose its weight and -not tend to fall. If a man were to get inside of such a box, he would -find himself destitute of weight toward the ground. But if he should -open the top of the box he would admit the influence of gravity from -that direction, coming from the moon, planets or stars that might happen -to be in that direction at the moment and it would at once commence to -rise. Acting upon the obvious suggestions enforced by such experiments -the Professor caused a cage to be built large enough to contain 4 or -5 persons, and in order to secure secrecy had it conveyed in pieces, -together with all needed apparatus and stores, to a solitary and obscure -circular hollow or depression in the valley of the Mississippi not far -from Natchez, and called the Devil’s Punch-bowl. Here the cage was put -together and the numerous openings in the plates on all sides covered -by movable sliding lids of the same material, were carefully closed -and secured, all the scientific apparatus, the provisions’ flasks of -compressed air etc., were conveyed within, and lastly the voyagers -themselves. By opening the ports in the direction of the moon they -soon began to fall toward her. As they approached her, by a judicious -manipulation of the sliding doors they were enabled to make a complete -revolution around her. They did not land, reserving that adventure for -another trip. On their return to earth they steadied themselves in a -position some miles up, and allowed the earth to revolve under them -until the Devils punch-bowl came directly beneath them, when they dropped -into it. They dismantled and secreted their machine intending to return. -Shortly after this the Civil war came on, during which Prof. Mitchel -became a general in the service and died at Beaufort, South Carolina, -October 30, 1862, and the secret of his discovery as I suppose died with -him. - -P. S.:—Notice! If any of the companions of Professor Mitchell on the -above trip to the moon are still living they would greatly oblige the -author by sending him their address. - - -Over Population. - -See page 155. - -Taking our stand in the future alongside of the men and women that will -then be pressing their brains against the apparently insoluble problem of -over-population, we will share their amazement at the insane panic that -penetrated the American people of the 19th century to give away and on -any terms to get rid of their magnificent domain and have it pass into -the control and ownership of any undesirable bipeds that would take it -as a gift. They acted as if they thought land was an encumbrance and -something that was impoverishing and ruining the nation. If they had held -out an exclusive welcome to the hardy and liberty loving people of the -north of Europe, the stock that fought for liberty and independence in -the first place, it would have been at least more rational. But under any -conditions, why such a panic to fill up the country with people? Carlyle -speaking of the prosperity of America 50 or 60 years ago said: “You may -boast of your free institutions and your dimmocracy and all that, but -America is prosperous, because you have a great deal of land for a very -few people.” - -He was right. - -As long as land was abundant or rather as long as people were scarce, -there was enough of the necessaries of life to give a competence and -comfort to all. When the country is filled up there is no longer the -profusion that nature set out for us at first. The land that we ought -to have reserved for our children, educated in our ways and inheriting -our ideas is given to foreigners, and our own are disinherited. The -miraculous insanity of this, is that we view this prospect with more -than complacency and are anxious to help it along. We not only crowd -the country with immigrants, many of whom we are obliged to class -as objectionable, but we encourage a double rate of increase by the -Apotheosis of the parents of large families, as if fecundity were a merit -or there were any danger of “race suicide”. The danger is greater that -nature out of patience with our colossal stupidity will visit homicide on -the whole race, just as she has so often done on parts of it. - -The danger the Professor sees ahead is no dream. Neither is the final -remedy he so confidently proposes. Even now, are some of these vital -questions being solved, and along the Professor’s lines. We shall learn -to begin our study of sociology with the Bees and the Ants; older races -than we are, and in practical hard sense far ahead. - -Many people do not know that we have gone to sleep directly over a weak -spot in the Earth’s crust, that although it gives many warnings by -growlings and grumblings, it fails to wake us up. We turn over and half -awake, we mutter—it isn’t going to be much of a quake I guess. If some -crank does not succeed in sounding the alarm loud enough and none but -a crank will be likely to sound it at all, the citizen peers out—“’tis -nothing but that crank,” he says, and he rolls over as if he thought it -better to be overwhelmed by a quake than saved by a crank. So much the -worse if even the crank cannot save us. - -The questions that we seem desirous to push aside are the most persistent -in pressing for solution. What is the aim of the aimless multitudes that -swarm to our shores? What do any of us live for? To live? Is living worth -it, if it cannot be done in comfort? The old theological query shows -up—“What is the chief end of man”? As they answered; it was nothing at -all to man and of paltry insignificance to anybody else. - - -Worker Sex. - -See page 182. - -I inferred from a remark the Professor dropped that he regarded the -present human race as gradually developing a third or worker sex from -those present, especially the female; and this without any artificial -effort. It is evident to the most superficial observation that the women -are pushing ahead into occupations that a few years ago were monopolized -by the men. The men, are being dispossessed of their employments, and -the women usurp their places. Women thus employed and self supporting, -cannot reasonably be expected to see anything very alluring in a marriage -that presents a prospect to the woman of being obliged to support a -husband and children as well as herself. This condition of things will -certainly cause a decline in matrimony, has already done it in fact; -amongst the women of the greatest enterprise. - - -See page 199, Abolition of the Stomach. - -The Professor’s plan of the abortion or extinction of the digestive -apparatus is in direct continuance of evolution. There are many cases -in nature in which a process or system is abandoned or superseded by a -different one, and new organs and new functions may totally displace -others. For example the Amphibians are supplied with gills, and are able -to live continuously under water, but they begin to live part of the time -in the air, and lungs are developed which at first begin to do part of -the office of aerating the blood of the animal, and gradually assume the -whole of the function, the gills becoming atrophied and abolished. - -The prognostication of the Professor in regard to the metamorphosis of -the digestive apparatus is neither wild nor extravagant. The unborn -infant lives on food digested by its mother and introduced into its -system. After its birth the food is digested and supplied by its own -internal laboratory, instead of that of the mother. It might just as -well be supplied by a chemical laboratory. The only essential condition -is that the food be perfectly assimilable by the tissues and without -any surplus of substances not required. The transfer of the food supply -from the circulation of the mother to its production by the chemist -is reached by several stages or changes. First it is from the mothers -circulation supported by exterior supplies of food. Next it is furnished -by the circulation of the infant supported by exterior supplies; commonly -beginning with the natural lacteal secretion, then after a time the -demand changes from this to stronger food; also to acquired habits in -taste the use of stimulants, narcotics etc. Thus nature changes the -organism in the most radical way to keep it in conformity with conditions -that are necessary for its support, and likewise changes its environment -to furnish the conditions with which conformity is essential. If we -consider how great the changes are, in the structure and functions of -one body during the living of one life; we cannot feel surprised at the -changes in human anatomy that we know to have occurred in the long ages -up which we have so laboriously toiled, nor at the further changes which -the foresight of the Professor points out to us, and for which he helps -himself to such a prodigal allowance of time. The changes we have met -and passed are far greater than those assumed for the future. As to our -evolution we are certainly not yet half through. - - -See page 225, Notes on Mars. - -The following notes of the conditions of Mars and its tiny satellites -are furnished by our mundane astronomers, and will give an idea of -the problems that demanded solution by the Lunarians in their famous -contract. Gravity on Mars is four-tenths as much as on the Earth. The -atmospheric pressure is two and a quarter pounds per square inch against -15 pounds on the Earth. The climate of the poles is much milder than -the same regions of Earth, although there are heavy falls of snow. In -June and July 1892, 1,600,000 square miles of snow melted off in the -southern zone of Mars. April 9, 1890, 3,000,000 square miles of snow -fell. Ice is not formed anywhere except close to the poles in winter -time. The channels are connected from sea to sea. They are 60 miles wide -and from 3,000 to 4,000 miles long in a straight line. There are many of -the channels that are duplicates, the duplicate being parallel with and -200 to 400 miles from the main channel. There are from 7 to 20 of these -duplicate channels. Most of the surface of Mars is boggy syrtis, neither -sea nor good dry land. Clouds float 20 miles high—4 times as high as on -Earth. - -The year of Mars is equal to 687 of our days. His day is 24 hours and 37 -minutes. His diameter is about 4,500 miles; his distance from the sun -145,000,000 of miles; his nearest position to the Earth 35,000,000 miles. - -The moon Phobos is 8 to 9 miles in diameter. It is 3,760 miles from the -surface of Mars, and revolves around him in 7 hours and 39 minutes, at a -rate of 79.6 per minute. It rises in the west and sets in the east. Its -orbit is 36,486 miles. Deimos rises in the east and sets in the west, -so to Mars, does the Earth, Sun and Moon. The diameter of Deimos 6 to 7 -miles, distance from the surface of Mars 12,500 miles and his revolution -is performed in 30 hours and 18 minutes, rate 50 miles a minute. - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] After reaching home and looking over the notes of the survey, I found -the number of the stake to be between 1175 and 1185, and it was set on -Saturday afternoon, October 25, 1879. - -[2] Plastidule is the lowest, or unit molecule of protoplasm. - -[3] The Professor probably referred to the instruction found in Matt. 19: -12. - -[4] A Kik is worth about 10 cents American money. - -[5] I have gone over these figures and I find the King was correct. -Author. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Lunarian Professor and His -Remarkable Revelations Concern, by James B. 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