How The World Has Moved

1910

Less Than a Century Ago Railroads and the Telegraph Were Deemed Impossibilities

Alexander Wells, an old citizen of Wellsville, Ohio, has a copy of an interesting and novel document issued by the school board of the town of Lancaster, Ohio, in 1828. The question of steam railroads was in its incipient stage and a club of young men had been formed for the purpose of discussing the points at issue. They desired the use of the schoolhouse for purposes of debate. This was looked upon by the members of the board an innovation bordering upon sacrilege as indicated, which is the document in the possession of Mr. Wells. It reads as follows:

"You are welcome to the use of the schoolhouse to debate all proper questions in, but such things as railroads and telegraphs are impossibilities and rank infidelity. There is nothing in the Word of God about them. If God had designed that his intelligent creatures should travel at the frightful speed of 15 miles an hour, by steam, he would clearly have foretold it through his holy prophets. It is a device of Satan to lead immortal souls down to hell."

Such sentiments possibly reflected the feeling, to some extent, in the days of 65 years ago, but they sound strange at the present time, when the "device of Satan" is daily carrying people over the land at the rate of 60 or 70 miles an hour. The world has progressed somewhat since 1828.