, > 
 
 
 CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME 
 OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT 
 FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY 
 
 HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE 
 
htp&f^ 
 
 BtW^rfW- 
 
 -m^ 
 
 :rlidra -r-¥--loa 
 
 DATE DUE 
 
 i^mrRLiag^^^.t^^^ 
 
 NQL Jlj^pt 
 
 U^iAtt* 
 
 N 
 
 PRINTED IN U.S A. 
 
 i.w-^^ Cornell University Library 
 HX811 1894 .W44 1895 
 
 From earth's centre; 
 
 olin 
 
 3 1924 030 366 722 
 
The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030366722 
 
FROM EARTH^S CENTER 
 
 A POLAR GATEWAY MESSAGE 
 
 S. BYRON WELCOME 
 
 * CHICAGO 
 CHARLES H KERR & COMPANY 
 1895 
 
HX 
 
 - 8 J/ 
 
 A 
 
 /19S' 
 
 ■SI5'5"( 
 
 Copyright 1894 
 By S. Bvron Welcome 
 
 Ltiraty of Progress, No. JO. Quarterly, 9i.()0 a year. March. MM. 
 
 Entered at the Postqffice, Chicago, as Second-class Mail Matter. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER. 
 
 A POLAR GATEWAY MESSAGE 
 
 PROLOGUE. 
 
 One evening, not long since, I received a mysterious 
 visit from a stranger, who introduced himself, dis- 
 creetly, as "Mr. Reubin. " 
 
 In spite of his fluent English, I felt sure that the 
 man was a foreigner; but 1 was unable to guess his 
 nationality. His peculiar behavior — his evident uneasi- 
 ness — convinced me that he came on an unusual er- 
 rand. He seemed wholly unaccustomed to his sur- 
 roundings; and when I sought to put him at ease, by 
 making coversational advances and asking some trivial 
 questions, my efforts in that direction served only to 
 increase his reserve. 
 
 With an air of secrecy and irresolution he produced 
 a package which bore my address. 
 
 "Is that your name, sir?" he asked cautiously, be- 
 fore he allowed it to leave his grasp. "1 wish to de- 
 liver this parcel personally — " 
 
 "Yes — that. is my name," I answered, smiling at his 
 hesitation^-"If you wish to secure yourself, I can give 
 you a receipt." 
 . He waited gravely, while I wrote and signed the 
 receipt; and then, without in the least relaxing his 
 serious demeanor, delivered the package to me. 
 
 3 
 
4 FR OM EAR TJI ' S CENTER 
 
 "It has come from a great distance," he remarked, 
 as I endeavored to loosen the fastenings — "I arrived 
 only this morning, after an air- journey from the inner 
 world." 
 
 Was the man crazy? I scrutinized his face to dis- 
 cover evidences of insanity; he returned my gaze 
 earnestly and calmly and seemed not even to suspect 
 my bewilderment. 
 
 "Do not let me interrupt you," he added courte- 
 ously. "With your permission, I will remain till you 
 have examined the parcel, which will contain an ex- 
 planation of my appearance here." 
 
 I recognized the writing as that of an intimate friend, 
 Ralph Spencer, who had left his home, with some ven- 
 turesome associates, to undertake an Arctic exploration. 
 As he had not been heard of for months, the perilous 
 nature of his undertaking led us to believe that he 
 had lost his life in the polar seas. 
 
 Before examining the contents of the package (which 
 proved to be a bulky manuscript), I read the accom- 
 panying personal letter. All uncertainty was removed 
 by the sight of the well-known signature. The'lettef 
 contained the following passage: 
 
 "I have instructed Mr. Reubin to trust you implic- 
 itly — but to trust no one else. He has valuables with 
 him which would imperil his safety in America, were 
 the particulars known. Though he might escape rob- 
 bers, he would be at the mercy of schemers and spec- 
 ulators. In his native land no one would condescend 
 to take advantage of an uninformed foreigner. Yoii 
 must, therefore, aid him all you can ; and see that his 
 mission in California rema'ins a secret until he has 
 left for home. 
 
 "If this experiment proves a success, he will prob- 
 ably make at least one trip a week in the future." 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 5 
 
 I put the manuscript aside to be read at my leisure. 
 
 The news conveyed by my friend's letter was of 
 such an extraordinary character, that I would have 
 called it incredible if it had come from any other 
 source. 
 
 Spencer had been my inseparable companion. He 
 was born wealthy; and so never lacked money to carry 
 out his enterprises. His two colleagues had been 
 fortunate in land speculation, and were able to under- 
 take an expensive project. As for myself, I also had 
 speculated in Los Angeles real estate, during the 
 "boom" some years ago; but I was not one of Fortune's 
 favorites — my speculations bore Dead Sea fruit, and 
 lack of funds made it impossible for me to join the 
 exploring expedition. Spencer, with' characteristic 
 generosity, offered to advance me my share of the 
 expenses; but I dared not go into debt for the purpose 
 of engaging in so hazardous an enterprise. Now I 
 feel a profound regret at not having done so. 
 
 Spencer was young, energetic and very ambitious. 
 He was at once reckless in action and deliberate in 
 thought. He loved America's free institutions, and 
 gloried in the nation's liberality and prosperity ; yet 
 he always sought a reason for everything new; and he 
 was so conservative regarding the established order 
 of things, that I often found occasion to accuse him of 
 undue prejudice. As a rule he was not to be hood- 
 winked into impracticable schemes; but his love of 
 adventure sometimes impelled him to deeds of extrav' 
 agant daring. 
 
 The bearer of my friend's message, Mr. Reubin, had 
 waited in patient silence while I read the lengthy let- 
 ter. As I finished he met my look of bewilderroent 
 with a reassuring smile, 
 
6 FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 
 
 'Are you ready to go with me?" he asked, rising, 
 as if in haste to start. "You now understand why it 
 was necessary for me to be so cautious. Mr. Spencer 
 warned me repeatedly. And 5'ou know, too, that I 
 have no time to waste. My merchandise is hidden in 
 a field, at a considerable distance. I shall be uneasy 
 until it has been disposed of. If you will procure a 
 conveyance we will start at once." 
 
 Fifteen minutes later we were on our way. Mr. 
 Reubin had lapsed into an uncommunicative mood, and 
 I thought best to curb my curiosity. It was nearing 
 twilight, and our road, after leaving the city, led across 
 a level country, overgrown with wild mustard, and 
 dotted here and there by isolated houses. 
 
 These country residences attracted the stranger's 
 attention. 
 
 "Why do people build their houses out there, when 
 there are vacant lots in town?" he asked. "Thej' are 
 surely deprived of many advantages by secluding 
 themselves so from civilization." 
 
 "We do not look at country life in that light," said 
 I. "The country is beautiful; and here one escapes 
 the push and the rush of the city. But the great con- 
 sideration is, that men must live here to care for their 
 property — the vineyards and orchards require constant 
 attention." 
 
 "I understand that," answered the stranger, "but I 
 can't see why the farmers don't live on those unoccu- 
 pied lots in town, instead of staying out here in the 
 wilderness." 
 
 The sun was setting behind a distant range of the 
 Sierras. Clouds, brilliant with orange and crimson 
 were massed above the snowy mountain peaks; and a 
 light wind was bringing in a fog fjom the ocean, 
 
FROM EARTH '5 CENTER 7 
 
 "It will soon be dark," said I, as I touched our 
 horse with the whip. 
 - "We are nearing the place, Mr. Reubin replied. 
 
 "A beautiful sunset," I observed. 
 
 "The most remarkable phenomenon I ever wit- 
 nessed," he responded. "Is it not something unusual? 
 — But here we are!" 
 
 We stopped in the middle of afield, through which 
 ^an our narrow road; and, without a moment's delay, 
 Mr. Reubin leaped to the ground, and led the way 
 into the tangled growth of mustard. Concealed at a 
 little distance from the road was his merchandise, 
 compactly done up in neat packages, some of which 
 seemed disproportionately heavy. In a few minutes 
 we had transferred them to our buggy and were jog- 
 ging staidly homeward. Mr. Reubin seemed disinclined 
 to conversation. His countenance wore an expression 
 of satisfaction, which increased as we neared the city ; 
 and when we had deposited his precious packages in 
 a safe place,, he appeared immeasurably relieved. 
 
 "And now," said he, after thanking me for my as- 
 sistance, "perhaps you would like to know what my 
 merchandise is? Well, sir, I have here a stock of sil- 
 ver and diamonds; and to-morrow, with your aid, I 
 wish to exchange these goods for gold." 
 
 Fabulous as it appeared to me, his statement was 
 true. A quantity of diamonds — magnificent stones, 
 such as I had never seen before — had really been 
 brought here by this queer foreigner. Under ordinary 
 circumstances he would have been subject to the pay- 
 ment of a tariff of over thirty thousand dollars ; but the 
 reader will readily understand, that this man belonged 
 to a nation too far advanced in the arts to be hampered 
 by a protective tariff. He traveled above the reach 
 
8 FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 
 
 of Custom-House officials, and lanijed near Los An- 
 geles with an air ship— a means of smuggling for 
 which, as yet, but one political economist had sug- 
 gested a remedy, viz: "to build a roof over the entire 
 country. " 
 
 It was a great pleasure for me to assist Mr. Reubin 
 in exchanging his treasures for gold. His curiosity was 
 aroused when he found that I was not willing to ac- 
 cept the terms of trade offered by the dealer we first 
 visited. 
 
 "What in the world was the matter with the mer- 
 chant?" he asked, as we left the store. "Was he not 
 willing to give us as much as the goods are worth?" 
 
 I explained that the merchant saw that we were not 
 experienced tradesmen, and therefore expected to take 
 advantage of our ignorance. 
 
 "What cruel injustice!" exclaimed Mr. Reubin, 
 with righteous indignation. 
 
 Finally we made what I considered a fair exchange. 
 Mr. Reubin insisted on presenting me with one of the 
 finest gems in his collection. 
 
 "Your experience gained me several thousand dol- 
 lars," he declared gratefully; "and since you will not 
 take a commission, you must accept this stone." 
 
 As we walked down the street together, after all his 
 business had been transacted, he watched, with the 
 utmost interest, the people we met. 
 
 "What a queer appeai-ance they make," was his com- 
 ment. "Half of them look as though they did not get 
 enough to eat; and some of them go about in ridicu- 
 lously shabby clothes!" 
 
 I explained, that clothes did not grow on bushes, 
 even in California, nor was food always to be had for 
 the asking; and that many of the poorly- dregged, iJI- 
 
FJi OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 9 
 
 fed people he saw were unable to buy a sufficiency of 
 either. 
 
 "That is strange," he mused, with a look of perplex- 
 ity. "I never heard of such a thing!" 
 
 My strange visitor was ready to depart on the fol- 
 lowing morning. 
 
 "I am going to leave you now," he said, as he bade 
 me good-bye in my office. "If no misfortune befalls 
 me, I will be back in a week with another load; but, 
 my friend," and the tears filled his eyes, "I may not 
 live another day. It is terriblp — but — I hope for the 
 best. Farewell!" 
 
 The five hundred pounds of gold which he had re- 
 ceived in exchange for his treasure had been conveyed 
 to the hiding-place in the mustard field, to which he 
 now betook himself alone, and whence he left for his 
 home, via. the atmosphere. 
 
 My first impulse, after receiving tidings from my 
 old friend, Ralph, was to make the information a mat- 
 ter of local news. On second thought, however, I 
 adopted a different plan: I have decided to publish 
 his "Message" in book form. 
 
 While there is ample room for improvement in the 
 literary quality of the narrative of this latest advent- 
 urer, no doubt it will prove more acceptable to the 
 public in his own words, than if it should undergo 
 the refining process of rhetorical correction. I shall, 
 therefore, send it forth on its own merits and without 
 revision. 
 
 I have known Spencer since childhood, and can 
 vouch for his absolute veracity. His life of travel and 
 adventure has especially fitted him for understanding 
 and explaining what to others, of les§ varied expfrj- 
 
lo FROM^EARTJI'S CENTER 
 
 ence, might prove wholly incomprehensible; and the 
 reader may feel assured, that he describes things just 
 as he found them. 
 
 With such a man, by chance transferred to a for- 
 eign demi-world, from which he cannot at present re- 
 turn — the reader is now requested to commune for a 
 time — to receive his revealed experience, tinctured, 
 though real, with a seeming romance, strange in it- 
 self, and to him the spice of life. 
 
 While we have reason to hope, that our mysterious 
 visitor will soon return to this country with a cargo 
 of diamonds, and his ship ballasted with silver bul- 
 lion, to trade the two commodities for American gold 
 • — protectionists need not yet despair. To them also 
 there is a fond hope extended — the probability that 
 Mr. Reubin will perish on his voyage home. He told 
 me, that the difference in the specific gravity of the at- 
 mosphere of his native land and our own presented 
 a serious obstacle to successful aerial navigation. 
 Coming, as he did, from a lighter to a heavier air, 
 favored the buoyancy of the ship; but returning he 
 anticipated trouble, and possibly, destruction. 
 
 Should Mr. Reubin meet with such a fate, his in- 
 vention will die with him; for he has kept it a me- 
 chanical secret. In that event, free America might 
 continue to enjoy the benefits of her restrictive tariff, 
 perhaps for many years to come. No doubt Provi- 
 dence will spare the "infant industries" of this great 
 republic from involuntary free trade, by sacrificing 
 one man, one air ship, and five hundred pounds of gold, 
 in preference to permitting the destruction of that 
 fatherly guardian of American prosperity— "Protec- 
 tion." 
 
THE MESSAGE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 When I left the known world, I was twenty -seven years 
 old. I had visited every civilized country on the globe,^ 
 but I regarded Los Angeles as my home. My parents 
 were wealthy^being owners of extensive tracts of very 
 valuable lands near the City suburbs; and their income,. 
 derived from ground rents, was enormous. Money was, 
 at my service whenever I wished to use it. There was 
 nothing to limit my undertakings, except the failure of 
 my own ingenuity in conceiving and executing them. 
 
 In my boyhood I gratified my love for mystery and 
 adventure by spending much of my time in the mount- 
 ains — climbing their snow-crested peaks, and exploring 
 the weird recesses of their caiions. 
 
 I was fond of boating, too, and, accompanied by my 
 friend Redcliffe,- took long sails up and down the Pacific. 
 Coast. Our little yacht, with its well picked crew, was 
 my chief delight; but after a time I tired of the monot- 
 ony of prosperous coasting trips, and longed for some- 
 thing new. 
 
 One day, as I sat alone in my room, inwardly chafing 
 at the dreary monotony of every- day existence, an idea 
 struck me which was the happy thought of my life. 
 The instant it dawned upon me, I resplved to carry it. 
 out at any cost; and I congratulate myself each day for. 
 having formed that resolution. It has been the means 
 of transforniing earth into heaven — all my restlessness 
 
 U 
 
12 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 has resolved itself into a quiet contentment; and I con- 
 fidingly look forward to the gratification of what once 
 Seemed extravagant ambitions. 
 
 Not that my idea was by any means new, however. 
 Hundreds before me had resolved to explore the Polar 
 regions. But the greatness of the undertaking — its very 
 difficulties — attracted me. 
 
 Three of my friends who shared my innate love of ad- 
 venture, agreed to become my companions; and, noth- 
 ing daunting by the obstacles to be overcome, we im- 
 mediately set about our preparations. 
 
 Here were we, in the "City of the Angels," surrounded 
 by luxury, amidst the orange groves of Southern Cali- 
 fornia — here were we determined to leave her sun -kissed 
 shores, and to pfenetrate the ice-bound regions surround- 
 ing the North Pble. 
 
 Ours was a congenial company, though each of us had 
 his own peculiarities. 
 
 Frank Hutchens, the youngest of our party, was the 
 only one not quite fitted for the exigencies of the expe- 
 dition. Indeed, I was more surprised than pleased when 
 he volunteered to join us; for he was accustomed to a life 
 of ease and pleasure, fond of feminine "society — a real 
 "ladies' man" in fact — and I fancied he would be rather 
 out of his element among the icebergs of the Arctic re- 
 gions. 
 
 Ricardo Fleming was in many respects Frank's op- 
 posite. He had worked hard, and made only a comfort- 
 able living, until, during the Los Angeles land "boom" 
 of 1887-9, he invested in real estate, which the influx of 
 emmigration rendered valuable. This streak of luck did 
 not in the least tend to destroy Fleming's stability of 
 character. He continued to discharge his regular duties 
 ^% head clerk in a whplesale establishment, and hardly 
 
FHOM EARTH'S CENTER 13 
 
 changed his mode of life. He was a Democrat by birth, 
 a Presbyterian by faith, and a gentleman under all cir- 
 cumstances. 
 
 I was two months Fleming's senior; but lacked some 
 of his virtues. Born of rich parents, I Was proud of my 
 family; — being a staunch Republican, I considered^ my- 
 self worth three common men — Democrats — and I prid- 
 ed myself upon my Republican sentiments, whether they 
 were right or wrong. 
 
 Owen Redcliffe was a philosopher, 1 never encount- 
 ered any problem he could not explain. He had re- 
 ceived a classical education, and was by profession a 
 civil engineer. What he possessed in the way of 
 wealth had been gained by his own exertions, with 
 the exception that he too had made a lucky real estate 
 deal whichclearedhim enough to pay his share of our 
 expenses. He was thirty years old; and, like many 
 a California boy, he considered life on this planet too 
 much a thing of chance to justify thoughts of matri- 
 mony. He was not tied to any hedge in creed or doc- 
 trinal theology, but inclined toward agnosticisMn. In- 
 dependent in politics, he never voted a straight ticket 
 in his life; but he had a strong taste for economics, 
 and always advrfcated free trade. 
 
 We waited with considerable impatience until we 
 were notified, by our San Francisco ship-builders, that 
 the vessel ordered for our expedition Was completed ; 
 but, when the day for departure arrived, we all felt 
 loath to leave. We belonged to the same circle of 
 friends (by no means a small one); and, realizing that 
 our dangerous undertaking might mean a divorce from 
 them — perhaps from all humanity — forever, it was 
 hard to bid them farewell. 
 
14 . FROM EARTH'S CEN TER 
 
 I can see every one of those dear friends' faces before 
 me now, as I write. Some were in tears, expecting 
 never to see us again; others tried to express hopes 
 of future meetings, and intimated that the first Arctic 
 breeze we encountered would satisfy our curiosity as 
 to tl},e land of eternal winter. 
 
 Half an hour before our departure, I was relieved 
 to see our junior member weaken. Attached to South- 
 ern California by more than ordinary ties, he suc- 
 cumbed to the entreaties of one dearer to him than all 
 the unknown regions of the universe, and abandoned 
 what she called our "wild goose chase." 
 ' Redcliffe, Fleming and myself now comprised the 
 exploring party. It was with melancholy faces that 
 we took the train for San Francisco, and thus began 
 the journey so pregnant with possibilities. But the 
 spirit of adventure was strong within us, and now that 
 the parting was over — now that our backs were "turned 
 upon fond friends and familiar scenes — now that we 
 saw the unbounded fulfillment of our wildest hopes 
 stretching out before us — we could shake off the dis- 
 heartening effects of tearful farewells, and set about 
 our final preparations with buoyant spirits and a right 
 good will. * 
 
 Our crew had to be selected with the utmost care. 
 Provisions and fuel were to be secured. Innutnerable 
 small matters required attention. Yet, by persever- 
 ance, though after what seemed almost an intermina- 
 ble delay, everything we could possibly need was on 
 board, the vessel thoroughly overhauled and 'found 
 to be in perfect condition, and we were all ready to 
 set sail, which we did, under full head of steam and 
 with colors flying, on the morning of July 2, 1890. 
 
 The first three days out we had lovely weather. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 15 
 
 There was nothing to disturb our equanimity. But 
 perhaps the very lack of incident gave us time to re- 
 alize the gravity of our undertaking. As the land of 
 our nativity grew more and more distant, its charms 
 seemed greater than ever before; while, in contrast, 
 the bleak shores to which we were sailing seemed less 
 and less alluring. 
 
 "No doubt that girl was right, when she called this 
 expedition a 'wild goose chase,' and took the last shred 
 of courage out of poor Frank," said Redcliffe, gloom- 
 ily, as we were walking up and down the deck late one 
 afternoon. 
 
 "Well, it's a good thing he came to that conclusion 
 before starting," retorted Fleming. "What kind of an 
 explorer would a man make with his thoughts cen- 
 tered on a Los Angeles girl? The idea of a lover on 
 an Arctic exploration! I hope you're not going to 
 weaken now, Redcliffe, when it is too late!" 
 
 "Don't be afraid, my boy," he answered with a 
 laugh. "I'm not such a dolt as that." 
 
 While they were talking I had thrown m5'self upon 
 a hammock which we had stretched in the bow of the 
 vessel. I lay there listlessly, watching the little 
 waves that stretched out behind us as we puffed and 
 steamed through the monotonous waste of waters, 
 while all sorts of improbable projects were racing 
 through my brain. My companions walked on and left 
 me. I could just hear the murmur of their voices, 
 as they continued their conversation ; and occasionally 
 Redcliffe's merry laugh would float back to me. I 
 had always been somewhat of a dreamer, prone to revel 
 in the improbable, so the various wild theories as 
 to the North Pole and the northern lights — the ro- 
 mantic speculations indulged in by some professed 
 
i6 PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 scientists regarding the interior of the earth, were 
 always fascinating to me. I dared not, however, sug- 
 gest anything to my companions that was not abso- 
 lutely demonstrable, or, at least, clearly within reason; 
 for, should they have suspected me of visionary 
 schemes, my influence over them would have vanished. 
 Still I longed to inform them of my conviction, that 
 there was an opening through the earth, from pole to 
 pole. 
 
 "Look here, boys," I began, with all the diplomacy 
 at my command, as they approached me again, "what's 
 the use now of looking for the flaws in our plan? It's 
 too late. As Fleming says, why not look on the 
 bright side instead, and think of its glorious possibil- 
 ities? Who knows but that, before this expedition 
 ends, we may be able to bestow inestimable benefits 
 on science? Look at the mystery which envelops the 
 Arctic regions. " 
 
 "That seems like looking on the dark side, don't 
 it?" interrupted Fleming. ."The mystery has proved 
 impenetrable, heretofore." 
 
 "So it has," I replied; "otherwise there would be 
 nothing for us to discover, and we would never have 
 entertained the idea of starting. The mystery is what 
 we are after. If it is hard to penetrate, so much the 
 more reason for perseverance and courage — so much 
 the more reason for fixing our minds steadily upon the 
 end in view, and not letting every little intimation of 
 difficulty and danger swerve us from it. 'Why, Took 
 at the possibilities for glory — for undying reputation," 
 I continued. "Look at the mighty questions to be 
 answered! Look at the opportunities for courageous 
 daring! Perhaps it may be our good fortune to solve 
 some of the greatest problems of the age — of any age! 
 
PROM EARTH'S CENTER 17 
 
 Is there an open Polar Sea? Is Professor Symmes' the- 
 ory a fallacy? Is — " 
 
 Here, to my surprise, Fleming interrupted me, and 
 proceeded to prove his acquaintance with the Symmes 
 theory by defending it with the zeal born of an earnest 
 conviction. 
 
 "You may call it unreasonable and a fallacy, Spen- 
 cer," he said; "but you can't prove it so! Its truth 
 or falsity can never be shown until the Polar Sea has 
 been navigated. How many other theories, denounced 
 as 'scientific absurdities,' have ultimately been 
 proved correct! No one now is in a position to prove 
 that there is not an inlet at the North Pole. For my 
 part, I can't see why there shouldn't be an opening 
 through the earth ; and would it be any stranger for 
 people to live in there than for the surface of a re- 
 volving globe to be inhabited? What do you say, Red- 
 cliffe?" 
 
 "Yes, Redcliffe, how does the idea strike you?" I 
 added. "Here is a rational man who believes there 
 are human inhabitants inside the earth." 
 
 "We may find out about that before We get through 
 with this job," answered Redcliffe, with a smile. "I'm 
 not going to be surprised at anything." 
 
 "What!" I exclaimed, "you too! Well, you have 
 surprised me. But this is just the crowd I want. 
 We will stop at nothing — go to the extreme, and learn 
 all th^re is to'" learn',' allowing neither prejudice _nor 
 d&nger to deter us! No doubt we'll see the time when 
 we'll wish ourselves safely back in our cozy homes, 
 among the best set of friends to be found in the 
 world; but here we are, and there's no give-up to us 
 — is there, boys!" 
 
 We shook hands all round; and with renewed deter- 
 mination each went about his duties. 
 
1 8 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 In the evening, while Owen and Ricardo played 
 chess, I was left to my own thoughts. I fell to 
 studying our family tree, upon which I could trace my 
 ancestry back a century or two. When my maternal 
 great-great'grandparents were living comfortably in 
 a rural district of Southern France, my twice-removed 
 grandfather, whose name was Turgot, was a great stu- 
 dent of political economy. This fact, however, inter- 
 ested me less than another, which -had come to my 
 knowledge as a family legend: These French ancestors 
 of mine had undertaken an expedition somewhat sim- 
 ilar to the one of which I was now the instigator. 
 Very few details were known to me; but I had heard 
 that there were some women in the exploration party, 
 and that it had never returned. 
 
 My musings took a speculative turn: "Now, sup- 
 pose," thought I, "that I should never return. How 
 well satisfied I could have been at home! And what 
 a comfort I might have been to father and mother. 
 This is a very risky business, sailing into Polar re- 
 gions and bound by a promise to persevere as long as 
 it is possible to advance. Still, if I should discover 
 anything of importance, what a glorious satisfaction 
 that would be. To be remembered as the famous ex- 
 plorer — could ambition ask more! Spencer, the dis- 
 coverer! — what a consummation! If my dreams should 
 be realized — if I should discover a region where, per- 
 haps, my ancestors landed a century or more ago — 
 and if their descendants have survived till to-day — But . 
 nonsense! I am building air-castles in the realm of 
 the improbable — the impossible. Of course they per- 
 ished — they nearly all do who venture among the ice- 
 fields." I shuddered at the thought. "If they had 
 found land, they would undoubtedly have returned, 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 19 
 
 and made known the discovery. Then too, their de- 
 scendants, if descendants they had other than those 
 they left behind them, have had a whole century in 
 which to make themselves known to the rest of man- 
 kind. No, no, common sense teaches me that my 
 dreams are 'children of an idle brain.' Still, even if 
 I can't find a colony of forty-fifth cousins, we are sure, 
 if we go far enough, to see things heretofore unknown. 
 There are many secrets frozen up around the North 
 Pole; and, if we can only get a little nearer than those 
 who have gone before us, why should we not startle 
 the world with something new?" 
 
 Yet, despite my matter-of-fact conclusion, an inner 
 prompting — something incomprehensible — whispered 
 of things seemingly beyond reason ; of discoveries be- 
 yond our wildest hopes, of an ultimate object, a tan- 
 gible something to be accomplished. While all this 
 seemed devoid of reason, I nevertheless had faith in 
 my intuition; and somehow, I could not help feeling 
 that the theory of an inner world^an inhabitable re- 
 gion within the earth's center — was involved in the web 
 of my destiny. Thus strangely urged, I was more 
 than ever resolved to push our cruise to the farthest, 
 and to make it one of absolute success or total failure 
 — a matter of life or death! 
 
 Several weeks had elapsed since we sailed from San 
 Francisco, and we were well up among northern lati- 
 tudes. So far we had had all clear sailing — no diffi- 
 culties, no delays. If any one of us had shown any 
 signs of weakening, there would have been abundant 
 strength in the others to buoy him up. We worked 
 in perfect harmony; and, as the days passed unevent- 
 fully by, we began to look forward with a feeling of 
 
20 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 certainty, to the successful termination of our voyage. 
 One morning a sudden storm overtook us. At first 
 we thought it nothing more than a mere squall; but 
 it grew steadily worse. All day long it raged, and 
 far into the night. Our little ship faced it brayely, 
 until our men became thoroughly exhausted — so com- 
 pletely that they could no longer control her, and she 
 tossed and pitched at the mercy of the waves. It 
 seemed as though we were bound to perish if we stayed 
 by her, nor was the prospect much better if we took to 
 the life-boats. At this critical moment our ship sprang 
 a leak, and the water poured in so rapidly that it was 
 all the pumps could do, working under full pressure 
 of steam, to keep the hold from filling; and our dan- 
 ger was greatly increased by the breaking of the main 
 pump. Fleming, Redcliffe and I worked frantically to 
 mend it; for there was danger of the water reaching 
 the furnaces, extinguishing the fires; and then, in- 
 deed, would we be at the mercy of the elements. A 
 wave had already swept the deck and partially extin- 
 guished one of them. It carried with it, too, an un- 
 lucky sailor, who was attempting to lower the life- 
 boat, against orders. Luckily, the storm now began 
 to abate. The wind lost its fury, the waves ran lower 
 and lower, and before long, having mended the pump, 
 we were able to get control of the leak, pump out the 
 water, and put things in ship-shape again. 
 
 The escape had been a narrow one; and as the sun 
 rose upon us at our work of repairing, we all turned 
 toward it with a look that our faces had never known 
 before. A few hours before we had scarcely hoped 
 ever again to see it rise— we had faced death for the 
 first time — not the last! 
 
 During the following week we encountered innu- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 21 
 
 merable obstacles. At times the prospects so depressed 
 us, that we felt as if there were a thousand chances 
 against us, without a ghost of a one in our favor. 
 Still, as we escaped time and again, from this danger 
 and from that, our courage rose — we grew bolder as 
 our trials increased. 
 
 Our calendar indicated Sunday, the twentieth day 
 of July. The sun was shining unusually bright, and 
 we greeted it for its comfortable rays. By our com- 
 pass and chronometer we could tell that it was early 
 morning in our native land. Where we now were, the 
 time of day made but little difference — the sun in that 
 extreme northern latitude being visible continually 
 during the summer months. 
 
 We ate our sailors' breakfast that bright Sunday 
 morning with good appetites. Owing to the loveliness 
 of the weather, we had little or nothing to do, but to 
 enjoy life and steam along. It had been a day or 
 more since we last sighted land; and, according to my 
 estimate, we had sailed several hundred miles into the 
 open Polar Sea. There is doubtless land nearer the 
 Pole than that we last saw; but we were not making 
 it a point to search for land — rather to steer clear of 
 everything, to avoid the icy regions and to confine our- 
 selves to the open current, which here seemed end- 
 less. 
 
 The warm stream which bore us along so steadily, 
 assumed more and more the nature of running water; 
 and our ship moved with the greatest ease, requiring 
 each day less steam power to make the same head- 
 way, though there was no perceptible wind to aid us. 
 
 We had been quietly sitting for nearly two hours, 
 wondering at the possibility of our progress in those 
 regions, and trying to account for phenomena altO' 
 
2 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 ether foreign to our comprehension and contrary to 
 ur expectations; for none of us had ever dared hope 
 D reach this latitude, yet here we were, moving along 
 lore swiftly and smoothly than ever. Suddenly we 
 iscovered- that a change had taken placei, which 
 aused us some uneasiness, though nothing serious 
 /as feared — the current, which had hitherto flowed 
 lue North, had veered slightly to the right. Fearifag 
 lo immediate danger from the change, we kept stead' 
 ly on, with ever increasing speed. The sailors, 
 hough, showed signs of uneasiness; and we heard' 
 ;ome mutinous mutterings among them. Presently 
 he mate approached us. - " ' 
 
 "Gentlemen," said he, his sullen tones quite at va- 
 lance with the courtesy of his address, "the men re- 
 use to go on. If we keep movin' at this rate, arid 
 :he current keeps on gettin' stronger, we soon won't 
 je able to turn back at all." 
 
 I tried to explain, as best I could, in a simple yet- 
 scientific manner, that the current must, of necessity, 
 lave an exit on the other side, just as it here had an 
 inlet; and, to judge by present indications, our chances 
 were good for crossing the Pole, or leaving it a little 
 to our left; that we were then so near the Pole, that 
 a few more hours would reveal the whole mystery; 
 and that I anticipated no trouble whatever. 
 
 This sent him back satisfied; and had the effect of 
 silencing them for a time; but soon another sailor 
 came in extraordinary haste and, excitement, exclaim- 
 ing: 
 
 "We are going down ! Oh God ! we are going down 
 don't you feel it?" 
 
 We looked at each other with surprise and fear, 
 then put upon the water; but nothing unusual cpulcj 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 23 
 
 be seen. However, we felt a peculiar sinking sensa- 
 tion that went right to the marrow. 
 
 The poor fellow who brought us the alarm, being 
 very superstitious, fell on his knees and prayed lustily. 
 
 Redcliffe busied himself with the telescope; but was 
 suddenly stunned, as though by an electric shock. 
 He could not speak, but gazed at me for a moment 
 with a most hopeless, pitiable expression. 
 
 Looking through the telescope myself, I too, was 
 paralyzed for an instant. I soon recovered, and exam- 
 ining more closely, discovered what looked like a de- 
 pression in the water — \«&. seemed Jto_be in. a circular- 
 b^wl, hollowed out of the ocean. 
 
 Fleming, in his turnVmade the telescopic observa- 
 tion and was in his turn shocTced. 
 
 Return now was impossible^ — we were foirced to pro- 
 ceed, at all hazards. 
 
 The situation seemed inexplicable. However strong 
 our faith might be in the j_Simms theory, this phe- 
 nomenon caused us considerable nervousness. The 
 practical view of the matter was that we were to be 
 swallowed up in a whirlpool — and that, in less than 
 two hours. As I look back I wonder at our courage; 
 but recklessly and hopefully we agreed, that, even if 
 there were another course open to us, nothing would 
 satisfy us but to "see it out." 
 
 The sailors grew frightened; they rebelled; they re- 
 fused to work; they threatened to throw us overboard 
 if we did not turn back; they would not listen to rea- 
 son and acted like madmen. But all this availed 
 nothing. No earthly power could have changed our 
 course. We went steadily, rapidly down, down, down! 
 
 We, the children of destiny, were about to become 
 the victims of a caprice of chance. Cut off from the 
 
24 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 world, with death staring us in the face, we were pre- 
 pared to meet our fate bravely. Come what might, 
 we would not flinch. \ 
 
 Through it all I felt an inward confidence that we 
 would reach land — I knew not how nor where — safely. 
 Fortunately my companions shared my feeling. But 
 the poor sailors, who trembled with fear, brave though 
 they were ordinarily, astounded by our calmness, in- 
 quired, with piteous solicitude. What we thought of 
 the situation. We assured them, to the best of our 
 ability, that all would yet be well. 
 
 "Be patient, men," I added assuming a cheerful 
 demeanor. "Before long we will enter a country 
 which has been visited by very few excursionists here- 
 tofore. " 
 
 But they were in no humor to listen to my jests; 
 and I am confident, from their expressions of sullen 
 fear, that they would unhesitatingly have given me to 
 the waves, if that could in the least have changed the 
 situation. 
 
 Without any effort on our part we were being swept 
 along at a greater rate of speed than we had ever 
 traveled before. Looking ahead and a little to the 
 left, we saw with our telescope what seemed to be a 
 mountain range of water curving to the right and left 
 and perhaps hundreds of miles distant. This made a 
 complete circle around us, and obscured the sun from 
 our sight. Inside the circle nothing could be seen 
 but the beautiful, gradual slope of the water, which 
 rose from us on all sides. 
 
 It now grew perceptibly colder. In an hour the 
 temperature had fallen twenty degrees, and was still 
 falling. A new fear took possession of us — were we 
 doomed to freeze, instead of drown? 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 25 
 
 But now another phenomenon appeared. At a con- 
 siderable distance ahead we noticed an illumination, 
 neither very strong nor bright, resembling a fountain 
 of soft red light. The superstitious sailors watched 
 it with dread and awe. 
 
 "Oh, Lord — I told you so" cried one, falling upon 
 his knees. 
 
 'That is the fire and brimstone the preachers talk 
 about," said another. 
 
 "Yes, we are going to hell, sure," groaned a third. 
 
 "It must be Dante's hell, then," remarked Redcliffe, 
 with a shiver. 
 
 It was certainly cold enough. The thermometer reg- 
 istered ten degrees below zero; and it was evident 
 that this could not last long. Such temperature would 
 freeze all the water. £)ur situation wpuld be, if possi- 
 ble, worse. 
 
 Soon an explanation came, and with it a change. 
 The light drew nearer and nearer, and produced heat. 
 It was dark as night, except for that luminous star, 
 rising from below. I say "from below," knowing that 
 such was the fact, thoiigh to all appearance it was in 
 front of us. Our ship, be it remembered, always 
 stood at right angles with the surface of the water — 
 not with the periphery of the earth's surface crust; 
 and we were completely on the inside of the tubular 
 opening leading from the North Pole to the center of 
 the earth. Our position was like that of a fly walking, 
 on the inside of a large barrel with open ends. We 
 were held in position by centrifugal force — the rotary 
 motion of the earth kept the water and our ship away 
 from the center, just as the water is kept inside a pail, 
 when a boy, for amusement, swings it at arm's length 
 in a circle. Sometimes the pail is upside down, yet the 
 
26 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 water does not run out. The same force which ex- 
 plodes a grindstone when turned too fast, served to 
 keep the water and ourselves in place. We were sail- 
 ing along in a spiral fashion— the current going on 
 and on, around and around — ever whirling us in a de- 
 scending circle — and leaving a cavernous hole in the 
 center. 
 
 This polar whirlpool is so large, so gigantic, an 
 affair, that we estimated the smallest part, of the neck 
 of the opening, to be considerably over one hundred 
 miles in diameter. It increased as we descended. 
 The whirlpool was, in fact, inverted. 
 
 The welcome, though mj'sterious, light grew bright- 
 er, and approached us at a much greater rate of speed 
 than we were traveling The temperature also rose 
 some few degrees and we began to feel more comfort- 
 able. Then, too, we began to feel as though we were 
 going to escape the immediate danger of drowning — 
 though we could not even hazard a guess as to what 
 the next few hours had in store for us. 
 
 For several hours it continued to grow warmer and 
 lighter. Atsix o'clock a. m., the zenith was reached. 
 The thermometer then registered sixty degrees, Fahren 
 heit; and we had almost as much light as when the 
 sun is shining on the earth's surface. 
 
 Here we were shocked by a meteoric overture, such 
 as we had never seen, or imagined, before. One of 
 our sailors — who never slept without his horseshoe 
 hanging, right side up, over his bunk — could not en- 
 dure the mental strain, and fell dead — killed by a 
 stroke of superstitious fear. He had reason to fear, 
 however; none of us escaped a wonderful realization 
 of the insignificance of man, among the mighty forces 
 of nature. A rushing sound was heard and, instantly, 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 27 
 
 we yy ere surounded by fi re. The water was alive with 
 it. It seemed to threaten us with instantaneous de- 
 struction. Every nerve in our bodies was strained to 
 the utmost, and again, paralyzed. Our minds rapidly 
 reviewed the events of our past lives, and conscience 
 smote us for our shortcomings. Suddenly, like a flash 
 of lightning, and "with an angry, buzzing sound, the 
 fire arose from the water in huge balls, which, ascend- 
 ing at a great speed in the direction of the little sun, 
 collided with it and were absorbed. We stood petrified 
 with terror. 
 
 The heat which radiated from these fire-balls was 
 intolerable.' Had it lasted long we should have been 
 burned to cinders. 
 
 When all was again quiet and our excitement had 
 somewhat subsided, we noticed the enlargement of our 
 cave toward the center of the earth. Looking for- 
 ward, the surface of the water had an appearance sim- 
 ilar to that of the roujiding surface of the outside 
 ocean.' Looking sidewise, the curve was just the re--, 
 verse. Applying the telescope, we could plainly see, 
 from tb'e slope of the opposite side (which, of course, 
 was directly above oiir heads), how the cavity in ad- 
 vance of us materially increased in diameter. We 
 discovered, too> thsit the little sun was directly in the 
 center of the whole space; and that it was withdraw- 
 ing from us fiaster than we could follow. 
 
 The mysterious current, which had carried us ir- 
 resistibly onw:ard, was now gradually subsiding. What 
 remained was losing its whirlpool nature, and flowed 
 almost due south'. 
 
 With an increased steam pressure, our powerful 
 engines urged -us forward; and, aided at tjtnes by the 
 wind, we made rapid headway,^ 
 
28 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 AH at once Fleming, who was at the telescope, 
 turned to us excitedly, and shouted: 
 
 "Land! land!" 
 
 So it was— a rocky cliff, projecting above the water, 
 some distance to our left. 
 
 This discovery was made at two o'clock P. M. — just 
 eight hours after we entered the cavernous sea. 
 
 Darkness was coming on. The sun had by this 
 time, gone so far south, that it was weaker than moon- 
 light. It continued to move farther and farther away, 
 gradually growing smaller. At six o'clock it Was but 
 a mere star in the distance. 
 
 Deprived of its warmth, the air grew chilly. At 
 eight the thermometer registered the lowest point — 
 two degrees above zero. Then the light grew gradually 
 "brighter, and the atmosphere warmer, until the next 
 morning at six^which here seemed to be midday. 
 
 At 8:15 o'clock, looking through my telescope, I 
 saw above us — diametrically across the cavity— what 
 to me looked like another piece of land. Flemiag 
 and Redcl iff e, took a look, and agreed with me that 
 it was land. Further observation enabled us to dis- 
 cern still another piece directly in front of us, and on 
 our own side of this inner world. 
 
 Presently we noticed a small boat (as we thought), 
 only a short distance away. Its occupants, having 
 evidently seen us, started on a flying trip toward the 
 last discovered land. We had always flattered our- 
 selves that our steamer was about as fast as anything 
 afloat; but here we were convinced by hard facts that 
 ours was but as a mere plaything compared with this 
 new vessel, which sailed through the water with the 
 speed of a race horse. In less than two hours it was 
 out of sight, though we were doing our best. 
 
FROM EARTH 'S CENTER 29 
 
 It seemed now that our fondest hopes were about 
 to be realized. We congratulated each other on our 
 success and speculated as to what kind of people the 
 inhabitants would prove to be. 
 
 It was growing very late, and the little sun neared 
 its southern limit. We were thoroughly exhausted, 
 and despite our excitement and anticipation, sleep was 
 imperative. So, through seven hours of steady sail- 
 ing, we slept. 
 
 I awoke at lo p. m. The land was now plainly 
 visible. Though the light was as yet quite dim, cities 
 dotting the shore could be seen with the naked eye. 
 
 We were certainly the happiest of voyagers. Every 
 one on board was rejoicing at the sight of an appar- 
 ently civilized nation — so unsuspected in such a re- 
 gion. 
 
 Hunting up our best clothes, we brushed and cleaned 
 them, blackened our boots, dug up our silk hats from 
 the bottoms of our lockers, and did everything possi- 
 ble to make a creditable appearance upon landing. 
 
 Two hours later we stepped ashore at port J|La 
 Humane." 
 
CHAPTER II. . 
 
 If we expected to find, in this new world, a people 
 differing greatlj' from ourselves, we soon learned ou r 
 mistake. Though we observed numerous, peculiarities, 
 there was, on the whole, a striking similarity in our 
 new surroundings, to our native land. 
 
 The people dress much as we dp. Their arts are 
 almost a counterpart of our own — if anything, some- 
 what more advanced. Personal manners are notably 
 cosmopolitan; and, to our utter astonishment, Eng- 
 lish is their national language. 
 
 I have since learned that English was introduced in 
 the fourteenth century by a large ship-load of explor- 
 ers, who, like ourselves, accidentally found their way 
 here. They were well equipped with the literature of 
 that age, many of them being men of partsand deep 
 learning. They found in this region — then but semi- 
 civilized — rare opportunities for utilizing their knowl- 
 edge. Besides substituting the substantial beauties 
 of the mother tongue for the crude idiom of the na- 
 tives, these sturdy adventurers, filled with the spirit 
 of reformation, effected a sweeping change in the re- 
 ligion of the country— a change similar to that wrought 
 in the upper world by Martin Luther, a century or so 
 later. 
 
 There is one noticeable feature about the English 
 spoken by these people; and that is, that it differs 
 very little in spelling, grammatical structure and pro- 
 nunciation from the English of the nineteenth century. 
 
 30 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 31 
 
 What a triumph for philology! How will the student 
 of language rejoice to learn that here, in the bowels 
 of the earth, the same fundamental laws have been 
 working' the gradual but radical changes, which have 
 shorn our language of its superfluities and brought it 
 to its present perfection! 
 
 Imagine, then, our surprised satisfaction, when, as 
 new-comers, we were met with these words: 
 
 "Welcome, strangers: we extend to you the hand 
 of friendship." 
 
 I might state here, that handshaking is the uni- 
 versal salutation with these people — probably another 
 good English heritage. ^-~ — . 
 
 Buildings here are very substantial, uniform in 1 
 structure, and from eight to twelve stories high, with 1 
 neat glass fronts, and but few ornaments. There are 
 conspicuous signs for all industries; but no such pro- 
 fuse display of goods as American merchants are 
 prone to impose upon a suffering public. Saloons are 
 unknown — real estate offices unneeded. Every foot of 
 ground is utilized — not a foot in the city being va- 
 cant. The streets are free from loafers. Everybody ; 
 is well-dressed, sober, industrious; and each person | 
 you meet presents a prosperous, intelligent appearance. ' 
 
 The streets are wide and straight, paved with asphalt, i 
 and bordered by beautiful sidewalks of a very hard, 
 smooth composition, resembling meerschaum. ^ 1 
 
 The finest buildings here are the hotels. They seem 
 to be more in demand than with us. They are large, 
 beautiful and numerous and certainly are an improve- 
 ment upon American hostelries. 
 
 On the lawn in front of one of these elegant struct- 
 ures we observed a plant, grander, by far, than any- 
 thing of the kind we had ever seen before. It some- 
 
32 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 what resembled the banana plant, only much larger 
 and more magnificent. The leaves grow up from the 
 ground, and are frequently fifty feet long, bending 
 over in a curve, with their tips nearly touching the 
 ground. The stem of the leaf is dark blue, and of a 
 beautiful silky texture, while the bell -shaped flowers, 
 hanging in graceful clusters around a shapely central 
 pedestal, often thirty feet high, are of a rich carmine, 
 shading off to a soft orange in the center. The petals 
 are ten inches in diameter and twelve inches long, 
 and blossom with the greatest profusion. The plant 
 is kept perfectly clean with a spray of water, is 
 evergreen, and always in bloom. When it becomes 
 dull in color, a coat of specially prepared varnish 
 is applied; and it is as fresh as ever. It is in a sense 
 artificial, being the combined product of man's ingen- 
 uity and nature's bounty — a triumph in the science of 
 cultivation. 
 
 Most of our party took a comfortable smoke shortly 
 after we landed. Ah, what an amusement for the 
 ubiquitous small boy! They had never seen such a 
 performance; and gathered around us with open-eyed, 
 open-mouthed wonder — now poking fun at us, now 
 asking all manner of questions, and the while volubly 
 discussing the "savages," as they called us, "who 
 walked the streets in broad daylight, with burning 
 sticks in their mouths, and puffing smoke into the air!" 
 
 Another object of ridicule was the silk hats that we 
 wore — a strong reminder of our early days in the 
 West, when "shoot the hat" was current slang. One 
 neatly dressed, red-headed young rascal yelled after 
 me: "Say, mister! where'd you get that two-story 
 hat!" The next wanted to know if the tops of our 
 heads were the same shape as our hats. Another sen- 
 
' ' TROM F/.RTIT'S CENTER 33 
 
 tentiously remarked that he "guessed" we "blacked 
 'em like boots." A fourth suggested that we "take off 
 them tents and let the people see the menagerie." 
 And so on, through the whole category Of boyish wit- 
 icisms. Nature is nature the world over — and inside 
 as well as out. I was forcibly reminded of our own 
 Bret Harte's— 
 
 "Boys will be boys; and bosses, bosses!" 
 
 I need hardly add, that we were careful to discard 
 our silk hats in order to avoid singularity. 
 
 A committee of gentlemen, who met and received us 
 at the port, had located us at the "Centralia House." 
 The first thing there, which attracted my attention 
 was the daily newspaper. It was a morning issue — a 
 neat little pamphlet of sixteen pages, about one- 
 fourth the size of an average American daily. It con- 
 tained notices of all local events worthy of mention — 
 editorials of the highest literary merit — column after 
 column of press dispatches — but no advertisements — 
 nothing, in fact, but sound, interesting reading-mat- 
 ter, as well compiled and as carefully condensed as 
 the best of books. 
 
 The first column of the front page was headed in 
 bold type : 
 
 "FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD!" 
 And under that heading I read the following: 
 
 . "A report reached us yesterday, at a late hour, that 
 two hundred miles north of our shore was seen an old 
 navigation telic, in the shape of a steam-boat. Since 
 there has been no such clumsy thing in use here for 
 twenty years, it is evident that we are to receive a 
 visit from the inhabitants of the peripheral regions. 
 
 "The fishermen who saw the boat started at once for 
 home, arriving in three hours' time. Calculating by 
 
34 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 the recorded speed of the last steamboats in use, the 
 strangers will arrive some six hours later. 
 
 "It is expected that the City Agency will take the 
 necessary steps to give a hospitable reception to our 
 visitors, who will be courteously entertained, until 
 they become familiar with our institutions and cus- 
 toms." 
 
 I here inquired of one of the committee if it was 
 customary in this country to send out official com- 
 mittees to receive strangers. 
 
 "It is customary in this country to allow every perr, 
 son to attend strictly to his own affairs," he answered. 
 "This, however, is something unusual. Knowing 
 that new-comers — especially new-comers from the outer 
 world — cannot at once fall into our ways and engage 
 in our amusements, the chairman of our City Agency 
 deemed it but reasonable to appoint this committee 
 to entertain you and your people, until you become 
 accustomed to your surroundings." 
 
 "Such public hospitality, extended so generously to 
 strangers," said I, "seems extraordinary to us. Why, 
 if a similar event should happen in our country, the 
 public officials would not think of doing anything. 
 Private individuals, however, would be profusely courte- 
 ous and accommodating as long as they could expect 
 to profit at the strangers' expense — after that, they 
 would no longer be noticed, unless it were to be rid- 
 iculed by the boys on the streets!" 
 
 A reporter of the noon Telegram here entered, in- 
 quiring for the leader of the "excursion party." I sub- 
 mitted to an exhaustive interview. The journalist 
 confined himself strictly to sociological and political 
 questions. He was particularly solicitous regarding 
 the present attitude of monarchical rulers and the pro- 
 gress of self-government. This line of questioning 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 35 
 
 displayed more knowledge of the outside world than 
 I expected these secluded people to possess. I will- 
 ingly answered all of his inquiries to the best of my 
 ability. 
 
 When he had gone, I Ipoked about for the other mem- 
 bets of our party but could find none excepting Red- 
 cliffe. He was engaged in conversation with our friend 
 of the reception committee, Mr. Jasper, who, seeing 
 that I was at leisure, asked if we felt, inclined to see 
 something of the city. We agreed that nothing would 
 please us better. It was now four o'clock by our time 
 — ten o'clock here — consequently we had two hours 
 to devote to driving. 
 
 Before starting, our guide asked us to have a glass 
 of a native beverage, which, after being assured that 
 it was not intoxicating, we drank. We found that it 
 had greater refreshing qualities than anything we had 
 ever tasted. Redcliffe inquired if it was a drink in 
 common use. Mr. Jasper answered that it was the 
 favorite beverage of the pountry, and that he doubted 
 very much if anyone passed a warm day without con- 
 suming several glasses of "Breece" — named after the 
 man who first manufactured it, some fifty years ago. 
 
 We entered a carriage and rode up the main business 
 street, Central Avenue. Having so much t^ talk about 
 — so many questions to ask and answer — we hardly 
 noticed time or space. 
 
 "We have driven just two miles," said Mr. Jasper, 
 presently, as we stopped to look back. 
 
 The street was perfectly straight, and almost equally 
 so was the line formed by the roofs of the buildings 
 on either side. Turning down another street I noticed 
 a change in the architecture. The lower stories of 
 the buildings were similar, but the upper stories pre- 
 
36 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 sented a different appearance. Upon inquiry I learned 
 that this was the residence portion of the city, al- 
 though the ground floors were invariably occupied by 
 some kind of light mercantile business. 
 
 "Do all the people in this country live in large 
 blocks like that?" asked Redcliffe. 
 
 "Oh, no," replied Mr. Jasper. "There are people 
 who prefer the advantages of a central location like 
 this, while others prefer more seclusion and a sepa- 
 rate home. Their tastes are in all cases gratified. 
 You can live just as you please here, with nothing 
 but your inclination to guide you. As a rule, young 
 people, either married or unmarried, live in these 
 large blocks. Most of them take their meals at the 
 hotels or restaurants. As they grow older, they a]inost 
 invariably desire a house of their own, on a lot to it- 
 self." 
 I "Did I understand you to say, Mr. Jasper, that npth- 
 ! ing but taste or inclination guides people in chop^in^; 
 I a residence location?" I inquired. 
 
 "Certainly," he replied. "There is, of course, a 
 difference in rent,, but only in proportion to actual 
 value. For instance, the rooms on this street rept for 
 more than those on some street where it requires njore 
 time to go to and from the business center, or where 
 it costs more for delivering commodities, or where the 
 street cars do not run late enough at night to accom- 
 modate those who wish to attend the theater or other 
 evening entertainments. All these things have to be 
 considered, you see. Convenience is, in some sense, 
 the true measure of value for residence property. On 
 this street, and a few others, the cars run all night, 
 and it costs nothing to ride on them. Naturally, there- 
 fore, a family could afford to pay a little more rent in 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 37 
 
 such a location than in one where conveniences are 
 scai^cer and more expensive." 
 
 "Another point you mentioned, Mr. Jasper, is, that 
 young people, married or single, room in these blocks, 
 and take their meals out — is that, then, a general cus- 
 tom? I noticed that you have an unusual number of 
 exceedingly fine hotels, and wondered how so many 
 could keep up. Are there really many married people 
 bodrding at them?" 
 
 "That is the rule," answered our guide. "No one 
 would think of keeping house for a few persons, when 
 it is so much more convenient to live where house- 
 keeping is made a business, as it certainly is, to per- 
 fection, in our hotels. Hotel life, with us, i s econom- 
 ical, devoid of anything like household care or trouble, 
 and is much more satisfactory generally than what is 
 known. as 'home I ile.' Young people, you know, are 
 not, in the main, the best of housekeepers. Our ho- 
 tels are their refuge. It is only when they become 
 older, and desire seclusion, or tire of the sameness, 
 and wish for variety, that our women are willing to 
 undertake the cares of a household. People here live 
 for the sake of living, and are willing to work for it 
 — why, then, should they not consult their tastes, and 
 live well? You will admit, Mr. Spencer, that the serv- 
 ice you receive at the hotels is, with us, far more 
 efficient and satisfactory than any private family could 
 provide." 
 
 I was forced to admit that it was. "But," said I, 
 "what do the women do? They surely cannot pass 
 their time in idleness— there is no pleasure in that; 
 and you do not claim, that they can all find sufficient 
 outside employment to occupy them, do you? I be- 
 lieve that a good many of the married women in Amer- 
 
38 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 ica would seek other than domestic employment, and 
 board at the hotels with their husbands, rather than 
 drudge day and night with their household duties, as 
 some of them do— if such bther employment could 
 only be found. But there is the great trouble — even 
 the men find it difficult to keep themselves profitably 
 employed." 
 
 "Oh!" said Mr. Jasper, "that is an unknown com- 
 plaint here. Any person can find employment, at any 
 time — the kind of employment is only a matter of 
 choice. " 
 
 In the meantime we had been rapidly driving down 
 First street. At each crossing was a double track 
 electric road. We now turned into another long av- 
 enue, and halted in front of an immense building 
 which covered a whole square. 
 
 "This," said Mr. Jasper, "is one of our public ward 
 buildings. All public meetings of the ward are held 
 here. It has several compartments, the largest being 
 the theater hall, which has a seating capacity of five 
 thousand. Another is a ball-room, capable of accom- 
 modating eight hundred couples. This room can be 
 curtained off into smaller rooms for purposes not re- 
 quiring so much space. There are several smaller 
 rooms for lectures and things of various natures. 
 The upper stories are used for public-school and gen- 
 eral educational purposes," 
 
 "Why is there so large a 'theater hall' here on the 
 outskirts of the city?" inquired Redcliffe, 
 
 "The people who live in this neighborhood enjoy 
 the theater, as well as those in the center of the 
 city," answered Mr. Jasper. "When a troupe comes 
 to the city they generally begin at the first ward, play 
 the next night at the second, and continue until they 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 39 
 
 have gone the entire round. In small towns, where 
 there are only one or two wards, they play only one 
 or two nights, accordingly. You will soon learn that 
 in this country there are few places so small that they 
 cannot afford nearly all the luxuries we have in the 
 largest cities." 
 
 Leaving the building, we drove past a public park 
 which was kept in exceptionally good trim. We par- 
 ticularly admired the lawns and residences of people 
 whose taste ran in the direction of exterior ornamen- 
 tation — grass, flowers, trees and tastefully decorated 
 homes. 
 
 Turning again to our right, we were soon back at 
 our hotel. 
 
 By this time all of our people had returned, and 
 each was trying to relate his day's experience. All 
 were more than delighted with the place and its in- 
 habitants. Fully half of the sailors reported good 
 opportunities to go to work — some to commence im- 
 mediately after dinner, others the next morning. The 
 desire for energetic employment must have been in 
 the atmosphere; for this was certainly unusual haste 
 in sailors who had but just finished a long voyage. 
 However, I told them that we would not likely need 
 them again on shipboard. The natives were so far 
 advanced in the art of navigation that we thought we 
 would have no further use for our antiquated old 
 steamer, which now seemed to us a clumsy tub of a 
 craft, twenty years behind the times. She would 
 doubtless be consigned to the furnace and foundry, 
 where her ribbed sides, her bolts and timbers, could 
 be turned to some more profitable use. I, therefore, 
 bade our men shift for themselves, if they chose, and 
 asked them to call at the hotel for a settlement, after 
 
40 FR OM EAR TH 'S CEJS 1 MK 
 
 working hours on the following Monday. I further- 
 more told them to make the hotel their home until 
 they were comfortably fixed, adding that I would set- 
 tle the score. 
 
 Fortunately, in selecting our crew, we had been 
 careful to pick men who had no ties to bind them— 
 citizens of the world — free rovers, without kith or kin. 
 The wisdom of our selection was now apparent. Here 
 they were, severed, for all they knew, from the outer 
 world forever, yet there was not a murmur. They 
 adapted themselves readily to their new surroundings; 
 and I have never heard one of them so much as express 
 a desire to return to the outside. Why should they? — 
 Even we, much as we left behind us, are more than 
 satisfied. 
 
 Dinner was awaiting us. Our party was given a 
 table apart from the rest, and we had a royal time. 
 Realizing that it would probably be the last time 
 some of us would dine together, we regarded it some- 
 what in the light of a parting banquet. We were all 
 at our best, hopeful and light of heart. We regretted 
 the inevitable separation soon to take place, for we 
 had been through many dangers together — and the 
 sense of dangers shared is one of the strongest links 
 in the chain of friendship, — but we were elated over 
 our future prospects — over the fact that fate had 
 thrown us among a people with seemingly few faults 
 and many virtues — that our lines were now cast in 
 pleasant places, amidst a profusion of prosperity 
 that seemed almost Utopian. 
 
 After dinner the company disbanded — some going 
 one way and some another. 
 
 A few of the sailors who had been addicted to the 
 use of tobacco and strong drink complained to us 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 41 
 
 'that the ship's stock of those articles was very low, 
 and that there was no prospect of procuring a fresh 
 supply where we now were, as those things seemed en- 
 tirely unknown in Centralia. Without their regular 
 chew and drink they would feel like fish out of water. 
 However, I advised them to taper off on what there was 
 left; and assured them that, by a judicious lessening 
 of the amount used each day, they would soon reach 
 that point where they could do without altogether. 
 They grumblingly departed to try my plan, which, as 
 I afterward ascertained, worked admirably. Perhaps, 
 though, the climate had something to do with this 
 success^-it is exhilarating enough in itself, without 
 the use of false stimulants. 
 
 Neither Redcliffe nor I drank or used tobacco in 
 any form. Fleming was a great smoker but did not 
 drink or chew. Both he and the men, even while they 
 had tobacco, refrained from smoking in public — it 
 made them too conspicuous. 
 
 Ih.Q Noon Telegram now made its appearance. It 
 contained the interview of the morning with me, and 
 also the following local : 
 
 "IN HONOR OF OUR GUESTS." 
 
 "The report which appeared in our morning contem- 
 porary, regarding the expected arrival of a ship from 
 the outer world, having been confirmed, our Public 
 Agency saw fit to make preparations for a reception to 
 be held at the tenth ward building this evening — hos- 
 pitalities to begin at nineteen o'clock. 
 
 "Music and speeches will comprise the program, 
 after which, if agreeable to the guests, dancing will 
 be in order." 
 
 I read' this aloud to Fleming and Redcliffe,, who 
 
42 FROM EARTH'S CENTBJR. 
 
 were charmed at the prospect of such a brilliant and 
 romantic experience. 
 
 "Why," exclaimed Fleming, "it is this very night! 
 That's what I call hospitality! Ah, but won't we 
 enjoy it, though, after being away from that sort of 
 thing for so long?" 
 
 "Yes," added Redcliffe, "and the ladies! Have you 
 noticed them — how beautiful, dignified and queenly 
 they are! And their taste in dress is exquisite." 
 
 "Oh, ho!" said I, laughing, "back at your old tricks, 
 Redcliffe, my boy! You always did have an eye for 
 the ladies — collectively, of course — not like poor 
 Hutchins, who had to go and tangle himself up with 
 one girl and matrimonial prospects. Well, it's his 
 misfortune, not our fault. But if he only knew what 
 he was missing, by staying behind with that little 
 sweetheart, he would never forgive himself nor her. 
 Think how fond he was of dancing and of the fair sex, 
 though perhaps he would be afraid to admit the lat- 
 ter allegation, as he is probably married by this time. 
 Now, where on the face of the globe can yoii find such 
 dancing and such women as we are to find in Cen- 
 tralia?" 
 
 I, too, had noticed the women — the dancing I took 
 for granted. 
 
 Just here the landlord of the hotel interrupted us, 
 by bringing forward a young man whom he introduced 
 as Mr. Frink. 
 
 "I will leave Mr. Frink," he added," to entertain 
 you for a few minutes." . 
 
 "Mr. Frank" would have been a more appropriate 
 name for this young man; for he appeared to be frank- 
 ness personified. In a brief chat of ten minutes he 
 had drawn us out, and — accomplished his purpose! 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 43 
 
 To our astonishment, as he rose to go, he said : 
 
 "Gentlemen, I am delighted to have met you; and 
 more so to find in you just the right material to make 
 our reception this evening the pleasantest affair of the 
 season. Please prepare to contribute your share to the 
 evening's entertainment. Mr. Spencer, in particular, 
 will be invited to respond to the address of welcome. 
 From Messrs. Redcliffe and Fleming we will doubt- 
 less require something impromptu. Then, since you 
 enjoy tripping the 'light fantastic,' the affair will very 
 likely prove quite enjoyable. I am chairman of the 
 Committee on Program for the evening and trust our 
 arrangements will meet your approval. Good day!" 
 and he was gone before we had time to think. 
 
 This was in some sense a dampener. We were 
 none of us oratorically gifted. But we held a short 
 council and agreed to do the best we could under the 
 circumstances. What I should say, however, sorely 
 puzzled my brain. 
 
 About an hour later a messenger arrived to tell us 
 that a large crowd had assembled at the port where 
 our ship was harbored, all anxious to take a ride on 
 what they termed "the ark. " 
 
 As it was then too late to raise steam, we had to 
 send word to the crowd that it would be impossible 
 for us to accommodate them before morning; and that 
 if they would wait till then we would take pleasure in 
 doing what they wished, to the best of our ability 
 and the ship's capacity. 
 
 At this moment, Mr. Jasper came' in, and said that 
 a large electric ship was about to be launched. We 
 were on the point of following him to the docks when 
 a tall, slender, closely-shaven man entered. Our atten- 
 tion was attracted to him by the shrewdness of his 
 
44 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 countenance. He glanced sharply at us as he passed 
 and, approaching the landlord, spoke a few words to 
 him in a low tone of voice. 
 
 "Certainly! — of course I will — come right along — 
 nothing could give me more pleasure," was the land- 
 lord's genial response. "Gentlemen," he added, ap- 
 proaching us with the stranger, "let me introduce you 
 to Mr. Reynolds, an old resident of La Humane and 
 an enterprising business man." 
 
 Mr. Reynolds went through the conventionalities 
 consequent upon an introduction with business-like 
 dispatch, and, seating himself beside me, asked: 
 
 "Are you the owners of that steamship lying at the 
 dock?" 
 
 "We are," I replied. 
 
 "You are not likely to have much use for it during 
 the coming three months, are you?" 
 
 "Not unless we want to take a tour of investigation 
 and visit some of the other places on the coast," I 
 answered. 
 
 "In that case you would, certainly prefer to travel on 
 a modern ship which makes a trip in less than one- 
 third of the time, would you not?" 
 
 "Oh, certainly!" I replied, "since you remind me. 
 Of course your facilities for traveling are better than 
 those afforded by our steamer, so I suppose it would 
 hardly pay us to use her. " 
 
 "Then would you be willing to rent it to me for 
 three months, if I could make it an object to you?" 
 
 After consulting Fleming and Redcliffe, I told him 
 that we would. 
 
 "Your engineers are still about the city, I suppose?" 
 he continued. "I shall need such of them and the 
 sailors as are needed to handle the vessel — our people 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 45 
 
 know nothing about that sort of machinery. Do you 
 think that I can hire them on reasonable terms?" 
 
 "Offer them fair mechanics' wages and they will be 
 glad to accommodate you," I ventured to say. 
 
 "Then would you be willing to take, as rent for the 
 ship, one-half of the net profits of my contemplated 
 venture, over and above running expenses, which will 
 include my own wages and interest on the capital re- 
 quired to run the business?" 
 
 "You mean to pay yourself and your employees 
 wages, add in all the other expenses, together with in- 
 terest on the capital invested; and, then, whatever 
 there is above that you offer to divide equally with 
 us — am I right?" 
 
 "Exactly — that is my proposition." 
 
 "Have you made an approximate estimate of what 
 your project will yield us, what interest-drawing cap- 
 ital will be needed and what rate of interest that cap- 
 ital will draw?" 
 
 "The amount of capital cuts no figure in the profits 
 in this instance. The interest will be the customary 
 six per cent, per annum. The net profits I estimate 
 at about thirty-five dollars, perhaps more, a day. You 
 may either take your chances on one-half of the profits 
 or I will agree to give you a stipulated rent of fifteen 
 dollars a day, for three months; which is it?" 
 
 We decided to divide the profits — trusting to his 
 business sagacity for the best results. 
 
 'But," 1 added, after stating our choice, "there is 
 one condition precedent: you must allow us to keep 
 our promise to the people, of taking out a load of ex- 
 cursionists to-morrow." 
 
 "To-morrow," said Mr. Reynolds, "is Sunday. I 
 doubt very much that you can find a load of people 
 
46 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 on that day willing to go out with you. Better post- 
 pone the trip till Monday. I've no objections to that. 
 You see, in this country it ia. exceedingly difficult to 
 get any one to do anything inconsistent with the Fourth 
 Commandment — not as a matter of religion, however, 
 but because it is recognized as a day of absolute, rest. 
 Workingmen will not work on it, and they are too in- 
 dependent to be tempted by the consideration of extra 
 wages. Nor do the people like to see them work — 
 they would consider it a bad precedent. So, if you 
 promised to make an excursion trip to-morrow, the 
 people certainly understood you to mean the working 
 morrow — Monday." 
 
 Others who were standing by assured me that Mr. 
 Reynolds was exactly right. We, therefore, agreed 
 to wait till Monday. 
 
 We now concluded our bargain, the papers were 
 drawn up and signed, and our ship was rented. It 
 was not so useless after all. 
 
 As supper-time approached, most of our men con- 
 gregated about the hotel. The principal topic of con- 
 versation was the reception — some of the citizens es- 
 timating, that more than ten thousand people would 
 assemble, whereas the hall could only comfortably ac 
 commodate six thousand. 
 
 The Evening Bulletin now made its appearance. It 
 stated authentically, that no one need stay at home 
 for fear of limited accommodations, as the committee 
 had made satisfactory arrangements for entertaining 
 fully ten thousand, and could prepare for more if nec- 
 essary. Upon reading this, everybody felt relieved, 
 and, judging from the courteous interest taken in us, 
 and from the wide-spread notoriety which had been 
 given to our arrival, it seemed likely that the com- 
 mittee's ingenuity would be tested to the utmost. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 47 
 
 At nineteen o'clock (two hours after supper) my 
 friends and I were called for. We entered a carriage 
 and were rapidly driven to the spacious hall, which 
 was then more than half filled, although it was some 
 time before the ceremonies were announced to begin. 
 
 By some means (magic, it seemed to us) partitions 
 had been removed, and the seating capacity of the vast 
 auditorium more than doubled. Here was enterprise 
 indeed! 
 
 Long before the last strains of the orchestral over- 
 ture had died away, every seat in the enormous hall 
 had found an occupant. The galleries were filled to 
 overflowing. And we were told that thousands who 
 could not find even standing-room were directed to an 
 overflow meeting in the next ward building. 
 
 Looking over the assembled multitude I was awed 
 by the majesty of collective humanity. Compared with 
 it, the individual sank into insignificance. And yet 
 this monstrous, awe-inspiring assemblage was but an 
 aggregation of individuals. 
 
 Glancing at the programs, which were now handed 
 us, I saw that Fleming and Redcliffe were put down 
 for a song — a duet! They were thunderstruck! A 
 song! — and in the presence of such a brilliant assem- 
 blage! "Oh, absurd, ridiculous!" protested Redcliffe. 
 Yet, there it was; and common politeness forbade 
 their declining. But — well, I, for one, felt sorry for 
 them and for — the audience. They consulted together 
 hurriedly, and made some simple selection. They had 
 often sung together at private entertainments, but 
 never before in public. I saw that the pleasure of 
 their evening was spoiled, until the song was over with 
 — as was mine, until my share of the program was 
 performed. 
 
48 FR OM FARTM'S CENTER 
 
 The overture was simply exquisite. It was one of 
 "Seralpho's" greatest productions, and the orchestra- 
 tion was the fines't I had ever listened'to. Several of 
 the instruments used were unknown to us, and their 
 peculiar sounds unfamiliar. Thus the charm of novelty 
 was added to harmony. 
 
 The most noticeable feature about the orchestra, 
 however, was that it was composed partly of women. 
 Their performance was confined to the stringed instru- 
 ments and the piano. They were graceful, well-skilled 
 and charming. One in particular attracted me. She 
 played on an instrument of five strings — the "loriber" 
 — which somewhat resembled the violin, but differs 
 from it in that there is no wood used in its construc- 
 tion, being metallic throughout and having a much 
 deeper tone. This instrument responded to the magic 
 touch of its fair performer's bow with a melodious 
 sweetness that I have never heard equalled. Now 
 soft as the notes of a flute, again loud, clear and 
 sweeping as a deep-toned organ — it charmed, it en- 
 thralled me. 
 
 As the music died away, Mr. Dupont, the chairman 
 of the City Agency (mayor), and several other gentle- 
 men — among them Mr. Humphreys, the orator^ap- 
 peared.upon the stage. 
 
 In a few well-chosen words. Chairman Dupont in- 
 troduced Mr. Humphreys as La Humane's favorite or- 
 ator, who would voice the nation's welcome to its dis- 
 tinguished guests, etc. 
 
 From the applause which greeted Mr. Humphreys as 
 he stepped to the front, we knew .that he must be a 
 popular speaker. He was tall, rather slender, and 
 perfectly erect, with jet-black hair and eyes, a dark 
 complexion, and a crisp black beard, closely trimmed. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 49 
 
 He wore a . square cut black coat, a standing collar, 
 and a narrow black scarf, neatly tied in a bow. His 
 voice was smooth, well modulated, but exceedingly 
 powerful, and his eloquence was something admira- 
 ble. I quote from memory the following extracts from 
 his speech: 
 
 "The party of Americans who are with us to-night 
 in some respects resemble our honored and immor- 
 tal ancestors. It was ambition and perseverance 
 which led both t o succe ss. The brain to plan, the 
 courag e to jiare, the wjlLto . execute — these are trails 
 peculiar to them bo th^^these are the sterling qualities 
 that overcame the almost insurmountable difficulties 
 incident to a voyage through the northern seas. " 
 
 Speaking further of their European ancestors, Mr. 
 Humphreys said: 
 
 "In their memory we cherish our deepest and most 
 patriotic reverence. Their anniversary we never fail 
 to celebrate. Their regenerating labors have been the 
 first and truest cause of our progress during the past 
 century — and to the progress of the last century is 
 due the greater portion of our present civilization. 
 What was the condition of this people before those 
 mighty minds applied their wisdom to the reformation 
 of social conditions— then so pitifully needed? Why, 
 gentlemen and ladies, the people were then a good 
 deal like the boy who raised an elephant. The ele- / 
 phant waxed strong and grew large of stature until 
 the boy could no longer control him. He had become ; 
 the boy's master. So our people undertook to rear \ 
 elephantine governments. They nurtured and fed, pet- 1 
 ted and spoiled them, until these creatures of their / 
 creation (for all governments, good or bad, are the 
 children of the people),' grew lusty and arrogant and; 
 
50 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 threatened to subvert the lives and liberties of those 
 who had made them what they were — to override and 
 trample under foot the people who had nurtured them! 
 But no, no, fellow citizens! — this unnatural change of 
 masters was not to be. Deliverance was at hand. It 
 came — came from the outer world — from Europe. You 
 know the rest. It is a matter of history — glorious, 
 undying history — how these sturdy heroes from an- 
 other world chained and subdued the spoiled pet that 
 threatened our destruction. Indust rial fre edom took the 
 place of industrial slavery. Where before govern- 
 mental interference with private business, authorized 
 by the powers that be, and enforced by armed police 
 and militia, reigned supreme, there was instituted our 
 present automatic social arrangement. Peace and har- 
 mony now exist, where dissension and bitter discord 
 once prevailed !" » 
 
 As he proceeded I became more and more interested. 
 I congratulated myself upon having such a glorious 
 opportunity to glean instruction. But when the speaker 
 explained that in drafting the original Constitution 
 of this reformed people, the Constitution* of our great 
 American Republic had served as a very reliable guide 
 — my patriotism rose to a pitch far beyond anything 
 that I had ever previously experienced. 
 
 I was always a great lover of America's free insti- 
 tutions, and the immortal names of Washington and 
 Jefferson and Paine, and their co-workers, were al- 
 * The explorers to whom he directly referred, landed in Cen- 
 tralia in the closing years of 'the eighteenth century, bringing with 
 them a copy of the Constitution of the United States fresh from the 
 hands of its draughtsman. I learned that these explorers exercised 
 little influence over the language of the country— eighteenth century 
 English was as fluently spoken then, as was that of the nineteenth 
 century when we came among them. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 51 
 
 ways an inspiration to me too deep to be described, too 
 grand to be expressed in language. Yet on this oc- 
 casion, something seemed to fill the very atmosphere 
 with an enthusiasm whjch caused in me overpowering 
 emotions, and gave me great pleasure — a pleasure in- 
 describable. For some reason, everything appealed 
 directly to my national pride, and inspired me with 
 an irrepressible patriotism. 
 
 Mr^HiimpJireys-ered-ited women with the best part 
 of.the social refoxmation and eulogized a Mrs. Ques- 
 ney, as Centralia's most illustrious^ economist. This 
 raised round after round of applause; but, being unac- 
 quainted with Centralia's history, we could not fully 
 appreciate the reference. 
 
 A man was now sent to me with the request that 
 Fleming, Redcliffe and myself appear on the platform 
 at the close of the address. 
 
 Mr. Humphreys spoke forty-five minutes. When he 
 finished the audience applauded to the echo ; and when 
 we stepped upon the stage the cheering was renewed. 
 Chairman Dupont here whispered to me, that I need 
 not overexert myself — that all the audience expected 
 was a short testimonial of our appreciation — a mere 
 matter of form. Stepping forward he said: 
 
 "We will now have the extreme pleasure and dis- 
 tinguished honor of witnessing the first public appear- 
 ance of the leader of these brave Americans who have 
 accidentally arrived among us; and who have, perforce, 
 come to stay. He will respond, ladies and gentlemen, 
 to Mr. Humphreys' address. I have the honor to 
 present to you the distinugished Yankee, Mr. Ralph 
 Hugh Spencer, of Los Angeles, California, United 
 States of America!" 
 
 As I stood there waiting for the applause that greeted 
 
52 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 my appearance to subside, my attention was attracted 
 to the intelligent face of a beautiful young lady in 
 the audience. Her dark hair and eyebrows contrasted 
 charmingly with her clear complexion. Her large, 
 luminous eyes and prominent forehead, her symmetri- 
 .cal mouth which, as she smiled, disclosed a row of 
 ivory-white teeth, her countenance radiant witfi intel- 
 lectual light— all made an indelible impression upon 
 me. So much did she immediately interest me, that 
 I almost forgot where I was and what was expected of 
 me. But, recalled to a realization of my surroundings 
 by the expectant silence, which was becoming op- 
 pressive, I began my speech. Knowing, that should I 
 see her face again, especially were she to catch my 
 eye, it would interrupt the flow of my thoughts and 
 seriously mar the relevancy of my remarks, I forced 
 myself not to look toward her again until I had fin- 
 ished. 
 
 The enthusiasm which the orator had aroused in me 
 had not yet lost its force. I felt more like making a 
 rousing speech than ever before — though I always en- 
 joyed and embraced every opportunity' offered for the 
 utterance of my sentijnents, whether at social gather- 
 ings or public celebrations. 
 
 Forgetting everything but my subject, I grew more 
 and more enthused. Ideas came faster than I could 
 express them. I was positively growing eloquent, 
 and was accorded the same respectful attention that 
 was tendered to the orator of the evening. It sud- 
 denly occurred to me, however, that I ought not to 
 occupy too much time, especially as dancing was on 
 the program. I therefore brought my talk to a close. 
 I was honored by storms of applause, several times 
 renewed— then silence again. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 53 
 
 As I looked up, after taking my seat, I was aston- 
 ished to see the lady, who had so much attracted me, 
 rise from her seat and approach the stage. The au- 
 dience evidently recognized her as she appeared, and 
 gave her a cordial greeting. 
 
 "Ladies and gentlemen, " said the chairman, address- 
 ing the house as she stood beside him, "we will next 
 be favored with a vocal solo by a young lady who is 
 well known to most of 5'ou as one of our sweetest 
 singers, and whose only reason for not becoming a 
 professional vocalist is that she has chosen another 
 profession — law and political economy. I need hardly 
 say that I refer to Mrs. Celia Lathrop, of Quesney, 
 Alhambra, who will proceed to entertain you as only 
 she can." 
 
 She stood there with the dignity of a queen, until 
 the audience had quieted down, and then she began to 
 sing. Her voice was exquisite but I could not think 
 of music, even of her music, while she herself was 
 in sight. I tried to argue with myself, that I would 
 have plenty of chances to see her, but that my oppor- 
 tunities for hearing her sing might be few. In vain 
 — despite of myself, my thoughts would continue to 
 dwell on her beauty. I determined to make her ac- 
 quaintance at my earliest opportunity. 
 
 The audience remained spell-bound beneath the 
 entrancing charm of her notes ; and when she had 
 finished, imperatively demanded art encore, which she 
 gracefully accorded them. Her second selection was 
 a short, sprightly song, if possible, she was more fas- 
 cinating than ever. 
 
 And now Fleming and Redcliffe were~called forward. 
 I felt sorry for them, and feared the result. They 
 were not accustomed to appear in public, and I really 
 
54 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 feared that their voices would not fill the hall. 
 They were gracefully introduced, warmly welcomed, 
 and, as their welcome died away, began their song— ^ 
 a simple favorite, "The sun comes peeping o'er the 
 hills." I was astounded — agreeably so. They, too, 
 had caught the spirit of the occasion, and sang with 
 a power that I had no idea they possessed. Their 
 song was so enthusiastically received that they were 
 obliged to respond with another. This time they gave 
 "America;" and as the strains of that patriotic old 
 ballad fell upon their ears, the audience became wild 
 with excitement. They could scarcely restrain them- 
 selves. The song was scarcely finished when cheer 
 after cheer burst from them, in honor of the great 
 outer-world Republic. Again the boys were called on, 
 and responded; and they only escaped a fourth se- 
 lection by pleading exhaustion. 
 
 After the excitement had subsided the chairman 
 announced that the exercises for the evening had closed. 
 He congratulated the audience upon the rare treat 
 they had enjoyed and expressed the hope that Flem- 
 ing, Redcliffe and I would sometime favor them with 
 a musicale. (To which 1 responded with a shake of 
 the head — I participate in a musicale, indeed!) He 
 then concluded by asking all those who were accom- 
 plished in the art of dancing to remain with us and 
 enjoy that portion of the program, as the committee 
 had arranged for unlimited dancing-space. The ball- 
 room itself would accommodate over eight hundred 
 couples; and, in honor of the occasion, other rooms 
 would be at our service, if necessary. The program, 
 
 we were assured, was not local, but cosmopolitan 
 
 the dances selected to please all, not a chosen few. 
 He hoped that no one who desired to remain would 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 55 
 
 hesitate to do so. He then bade us good-night, and 
 the audience dispersed — some going home, the dancers 
 remaining. 
 
 While the audience were retiring, many prominent 
 men and women came forward and were introduced to 
 us. We had little time for conversation; but Flem- 
 ing and Redcliffe were highly congratulated on their 
 social efforts, and I was especially flattered on my 
 speech. I inquired for Miss Lathrop, and was re- 
 ferred to Mr. Humphreys, who smiled and said: 
 
 "I could tell you something she said about you 
 which you might well be proud of! I am going to 
 the ball — look for me when you come over." 
 
 The home-going part of the audience had now filed 
 out, so the rest. of us adjourned in a body to the ball- 
 room. We were accompanied, personally, by Mr. 
 Dupont, two lady members of the City Council, or 
 Agency, with their escorts, and several of those to 
 whom we had just been introduced. 
 
 As we entered the palatial ball-room it seemed at 
 first as if standing-room would be at a premium; but 
 the spectators soon withdrew to the spacious galleries 
 above, where all obtained seats, and there was ample 
 room left for the dancers. 
 
 A lovely waltz was played; we were provided with 
 agreeable partners, and were soon gliding over the 
 hard, smooth floor, "and all went merry as a marriage 
 bell." 
 
 I found the waltz much slower than in California — 
 this pleased me. It is a soft, easy glide, with just 
 enough life in it not to be languid. 
 
 The whole affair was sparkling — the music inspiring 
 ^-the costumes magnificent, without being gaudy. 
 The grandeur, wealth, pride and beauty of the city 
 
56 . FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 were here. Nor was this all. Everybody was here 
 —the highest and the lowest (measuerd by the Americar 
 scale of social distinction) the workingman, the ar 
 tisan, the mechanic, the merchant, the lawyer, the 
 doctor — "the butcher, the baker, the candle-sticl 
 maker" — everybody, without respect to condition — al' 
 equal— all enjoying the privileges and pleasures, 
 that under a less perfect system of economic govern- 
 i merit would be restricted to a chosen few! This was 
 indeed the acme of civilization — civilizatiQn.,-iii^it£ 
 highest sense — the civilization which was aioied at in 
 framing our Constitution — the civilization which in- 
 sures to all honest men, whatever their station maj 
 be, those great fundamental rights, "life, liberty, and 
 the pursuit of Jiappiness." 
 
 I „observed particularly, too, the air of frankness 
 and independence which seemed a characteristic ol 
 the women. They would speak out firmly and truth- 
 fully, without regard to anything like policy. It ij 
 needless to say that they were courteous and agree- 
 able; but no indication of diffidence was apparent; 
 self-reliance and firmness were prominent features. 
 
 An hour elapsed before I came across Mr. Hum- 
 phreys among this gigantic throng of happy humanity. 
 When I did meet him, he said, with another smile on 
 his face: 
 
 "Come with me!" 
 
 As we walked down the hall I inquired if Miss 
 Lathrop were present. 
 
 "You shall see for yourself, " he answered, and turn- 
 ing at the same time, he brought us face to face! 
 After introducing me, he said : 
 
 "The audience this evening was unable to decide 
 which of you was the brighter star— now decide that 
 matter between yourselves," 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 57 
 
 "I hardly think we will. dispute that point," said 
 Miss Lathrop pleasantly, as Mr. Humphreys left us. 
 "I. resign all my pretensions in your favor, Mr. Spen- 
 cer. Your speech created quite a sensation. Indeed 
 I have seldon:^ seen such an enthusiastic audience." 
 
 "It seems that to Centralians an American is a great 
 attraction," I protested, "otherwise I should be wholly 
 unable to account for the cordial manner in which my 
 poor little speech was received. I never before suc- 
 ceeded in making such an impression upon an audi- 
 ence ; and I am afraid I shall never be able to do so 
 again." 
 
 "As one of your hearers, Mr. Spencer, I must insist 
 that it was the speech and not the speaker's national- 
 ity that aroused our interest.". This she said earnestly 
 and without the slightest appearance of adulation. 
 Then, continuing — "Mr. Humphreys spoke sincerely, 
 I assure you. I have known him since my childhood 
 (he is a former resident of Alhambra), and I am sure 
 he never resorts to flattery — that, in fact, is not a 
 Centralian weakness." 
 
 "I am only too glad to believe you, Miss Lathrop," 
 said I. (Her straightforward manner-— her frefsdom 
 from all affectations to which I had been accustomed 
 in women, attracted me irresistibly.) "Is it riot 
 strange," I continued impetuously, "that before you 
 left your seat among the audience this evening I had 
 fixed my eyes upon your face? I have been waiting 
 and hoping ever since to meet you!" 
 
 She glanced at me wonderingly, which made me 
 uneasily conscious of my temerity. 
 
 "Pardon me," I added hastily, (and in my effort to 
 excuse myself I only became the more deeply involved,") 
 "you are astonished. You are not accustomed to such 
 
58 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 frank expression of interest. But your singing gave 
 me so much pleasure and since I had singled out your 
 face from all the other faces present, I seem to have 
 known you — I forgot that we are comparatively stran- 
 gers— I—" 
 
 "Mr. Spencer," she interrupted, with a look of 
 mingled amusement and perplexity, "your skillful 
 combination of modesty and complaisance amuses me! 
 So you noticed me while in my seat! I will not cross- 
 examine you, but you cannot expect me to receive such 
 a statement without a certain amount of mental res- 
 ervation." 
 
 I fancied that I was being ridiculed; but, she, ap- 
 parently detecting my discomfort, quickly changed the 
 subject, and asked : 
 
 "But how do you feel among so many strangers, 
 and in a society so exclusively foreign as you hav§ 
 happened upon to-day?" 
 
 "I am afraid, Miss Lathop," I persisted, "that I 
 have been too outspoken with you — though I spoke 
 only the truth, however you may doubt it. Remem- 
 ber, that I have been for some time restricted to the 
 society of two intimate friends and our ship's crew. 
 With them I was under no restraint — to think and to 
 speak were one and the same thing. This may ac- 
 count for any bluntness or rudeness. However, I shall 
 bridle the offending member — it shall not transgress 
 again. 
 
 "As to the society here — I am delighted — I speak 
 from .the bottom of my heart— simply delighted! I 
 find a higher civilization than in my native land — that 
 is to say, culture is more general and equality some- 
 thing more than a political by-word. In America some 
 people are highly educated, while the great inasses 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 59 
 
 remain comparatively illiterate. Here it seems that 
 all who feel so inclined can obtain educational advan- 
 tages of the highest order." 
 
 "That," said Miss Lathrop, "is the great field which 
 I make my especial study. If we had time I would 
 like to talk further with you on the subject; but I 
 am engaged for the next dance, and I think Mr. Fos- 
 ter is coming to claim me." 
 
 "Lest the opportunity for such a conversation be in- 
 definitely postponed, let me ask the pleasure of a dance 
 during the evening," I said. 
 
 "Why, certainly," she answered, producing her pro- 
 gram, "which will you choose?" 
 
 "My favorite in America* is what we call the 'New- 
 port' — ah, here is a convenient vacancy — the second 
 waltz — shall we decide upon that? Thank you." 
 
 "Did I understand Mr. Humphreys to say that you 
 were not a resident of La Humane?" 
 
 "Yes," she answered, "I am here on a visit to his 
 family. I live in Alhambra — the adjoining State; and 
 my home is at Quesney, the national capital." 
 
 Here the music struck up, and she was carried ofl 
 for the polka by a handsome young native. Recalling 
 an engagement of my own, I hurried off to look for 
 my partner. 
 
 I was less talkative during that dance than usual, 
 being a little absent-minded — something I had never 
 been guilty of before. 
 
 You may be sure that nothing made me forget the 
 time for the next dance— the "second waltz." It was 
 the attraction of the evening -for me. At last it be- 
 gan. I was at Miss Lathrop's side as the band played 
 the opening bars of an exquisite selection. She looked 
 up at me, and said with a charming smile, 
 
6o PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Now I shall have the pleasure of dancing with an 
 antipode. " 
 
 Ah — what a waltz! — shall I ever forget it! She 
 was grace itself; and I — I could have waltzed with her 
 forever! We talked — yes, we talked through the whole 
 dance — but I remember nothing of what we said. Per- 
 haps it was commonplace — perhaps it was political 
 economy — perhaps — perhaps I was making a fool of 
 myself — it is all one! — I was happy! 
 
 "I am tempted," said I, as it ended, "to ask for 
 another. Gan you spare one more? And will you 
 promise to be as agreeable and dance as well as you 
 did this time?" 
 
 "I make no rash promises," she replied archly; "but 
 if you are willing to take your chances, why, I might 
 be able to find a vacancy on my program. Let me 
 see — yes, here is one — a schottische^it's pretty far 
 down; but 'any port in a storm,' you know, Mr. Spen- 
 cer. Isn't that one of your proverbs?— I thought so. 
 I probably saw it in 'Poor Richard's Almanac,' or 
 some work of that nature. You must know that we 
 have a few of the works of the eighteenth century 
 European and American authors. Well, does the 
 schottische suit you?" 
 
 "Anything, Miss Lathrop, if it is a dance with you," 
 I replied, "your kindness^ will certainly be^ — but, see, 
 that dance is taken — it is marked off!" 
 
 "Oh, that is only my private mark— I wished to re- 
 serve the schottische for an emergency, " she answered, 
 with a laugh. "However, if the mark is in your way, 
 I will remove it, and you may put one there for your- 
 self." 
 
 "Never mind," said I, "it suits me very well as it 
 is — let it stay, I am only too happy that you placed 
 it there. " 
 
PBOM EARTH 'S CENTER 6i 
 
 We were here interrupted by Mr. Humphreys who 
 came up and sat down by her. I excused myself and 
 went to look after Redcliffe and Fleming. 
 
 I found those young gentlemen on the other side of 
 the hall busily engaged in a heated argument with two 
 handsome young ladies over some compliments which 
 the fair ones had seen fit to bestow on them. 
 
 My mind was so full of Miss Lathrop that I uncere- 
 moniously broke in upon the argument, and fell to 
 talking of her. The boys introduced me to their com- 
 panions, who did not seem in the least offended at my 
 apparent rudeness. Before I left them the state of 
 my mind created an impression on Redcliffe, who 
 winked jestingly at Fleming, and expressed a desire 
 to become acquainted with my fair charmer. I laughed, 
 and promised them both that pleasure, at the first op- 
 portunity; then, saying good evening to the young 
 ladies, left them to take up the conversation where I 
 had interrupted it. 
 
 . The dancing continued for some time, without ces- 
 sation, I joining in every number. To my surprise, 
 however, when the program was about two-thirds ex- 
 hausted, the music stopped suddenly and the people 
 began to leave. 
 
 Upon asking the. meaning of this abrupt ending, I 
 was told that it was twenty-four o'clock. 
 
 "Why," said I, "do they quit because it is Sunday." 
 
 "Oh no^ — not at all," was the reply. "We never 
 dance later than that any day in the week. When we 
 want more dancing we have more balls. " 
 
 I was disappointed at having missed the schottische 
 with Miss Lathrop. I was anxious to see her again 
 that evening, and looked everywhere for her-; but she 
 had evidently gone. 
 
62 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 That night I could but half sleep. My brain was 
 full of possibilities all tending one way. The flext 
 morning my bed-fellow, Redcliffe, complained of be- 
 ing unwell — said 1 kept him awake, and was talking 
 all night in my sleep. I didn't ask him what I talked 
 about. 
 
 As it was Sunday, rest and quiet prevailed. We 
 passed the forenoon in conversation with some of the 
 inmates of the hotel with whom we had become ac- 
 quainted. We also read the morning paper, which 
 gave a remarkably spirited account of the reception 
 and ball. One point, however, I thought the reporter 
 had skillfully overdone. I was accredited with a half- 
 hour's speech of the choicest and most compact lan- 
 guage, uttered with uncommon eloquence. I hardly 
 recognized myself. 
 
 The paper also stated that a certain Mr. Wheelock 
 had purchased all the "resounders" in the city, and 
 placed them in various parts of the hall during the 
 reception; and it predicted, that Mr. Wheelock would 
 make a fortune out of his speculation. It was his in- 
 tention to send men with these instruments to every 
 ward throughout the country, and reproduce the even- 
 ing's exercises. 
 
 I made inquiries concerning these " resounders," and 
 learned that they were a machine^imilar Jg_ouJL4)^ 
 Qgraph — only so much more improved that any sound 
 whatever can be reproduced, with no perceptible dim^ 
 inution of force or quality. 
 
 Toward evening several of the crew began to com- 
 plain of indisposition, some of them appearing quite 
 ill. As Redcliffe also gave signs of growing worse, 
 I deemed it best to call a physician. 
 
 Shortly afterward a conveyance drove up and the 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 63 
 
 man in charge asked if the sick persons were ready 
 to go. 
 
 "Go!" — go where?"- I demanded in surprise. 
 
 "To the hospital, of course," answered the driver. 
 
 "Must they go to the "hospital?" I inquired of the 
 landlord. 
 
 "No, no," said he, "certainly not, if you prefer to 
 put up with the inconvenience and expense of keep- 
 ing them here. I am afraid, though, you would re- 
 gret not sending -them. Perhaps you think the hos- 
 pital is not a safe place for invalids; but I assure you 
 that they will there receive the kindest, closest and 
 most efficient attention and treatment." 
 
 "If that is the case," I answered, "it is certainly to 
 the interest of the sick to be taken there. My preju- 
 dice against hospitals is due to the fact than in our 
 country they are very unreliable institutions, and few 
 but the indigent and homeless ever think of going to 
 them." 
 
 Redcliffe, however, preferred to stay where he was. 
 His wishes were, of course, regarded. 
 
 When the men were carried away, I accompanied 
 them, determined to see for myself the character of 
 the institution to which they were consigned. 
 
 The hospital stood on an elevation, in the midst of 
 beautifully cultivated grounds and had not that deso- 
 late appearance to which I was accustomed in build- 
 ings of a similar character. As we entered, I was 
 struck by the cheerful, home-like aspect of the sur- 
 toundings. On every side there were indications of 
 the presence and thoughtful management of woman. 
 I have since learned that .this was not a public in- 
 stituTiibh— there are no public hospitals in„Centralia. 
 Experience has demonstrated that the care of the sick 
 
64 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 is not properly a public function, _Nine-tenths_of^the 
 sickiiess in this country is treated— and- treated_with 
 marvelous success — in private hospitals, wlji.^S__the 
 most competent physicians and experienced nurses are 
 regularly employed. 
 
 I felt no hesitancy in leaving our men where I knew 
 they would be well cared for. I ascertained, too, that 
 there was nothing serious in their attack — a species of 
 billiousness induced by climatic change. 
 
 On Monday morning the rush and energy of business 
 life was resumed^the streets were crowded, and every 
 one seemed pressed with matters of great urgency. 
 
 At eight o'clock a concert of whistles, as varied in 
 tone as the notes of the gamut, sounded the signal for 
 opening the stores, offices, banks and other places of 
 business. Somehow — strange circumstance — the clocks 
 here all seem to run together. In. America each whistle 
 is independent, and sounds the hour with lordly disre- 
 gard for its neighbor's timepiece. In a large city I 
 have known fifteen or twenty minute's difference in the 
 time of blowing, even when they were all aiming at 
 the same hour. I have since learned that the reason 
 for their remarkable unanimity in this country is that 
 the whistles are operated by electricity — ^the princi- 
 ples, however, I do not understand. 
 
 Fleming and I took a leisurely stroll down the street 
 to study the business methods characteristic of this 
 civilization. Some peculiar innovations commended 
 themselves to our judgment at once, while others 
 required explanation and observation before we could 
 fully indorse them. 
 
 Dealers, in delivering goods, charge their cust-omersr 
 mileage for the accommodation. Each merchant has 
 a map of the city. With his store for a center, cir- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 65 
 
 cles are formed, with radii representing miles and frac- 
 tions of miles. This is a good idea, as it saves many 
 a long trip for small parcels; and it influences pur- 
 chasers to patronize loc^l dealers. We do not see 
 tradesmen here, from opposite parts of the city, de- 
 livering goods each in the other's neighborhood. This 
 economy first profits the business men; but, in the 
 long run, competition among them tends to reduce 
 the price of goods to the consumer — and we all be- 
 long to that class. 
 
 Seeing a man carrying a handful of money carelessly 
 along the street, we were reminded of our own finan- 
 cial matters; so we stepped into the "Metropolitan 
 Bank," which was just at hand, and inquired if United 
 States gold coin would pass current with them. 
 
 The clerk smiled, and asked to see a gold coin. 
 Fleming handed him a five-dollar piece. After look- 
 ing at it carefully he passed it around to the others, 
 who examined it curiously. They seemed to admire it 
 exceedingly. The clerk then turned to us, and said : 
 
 "That is a very rare and precious commodity here. 
 You will have no trouble whatever in disposing of it 
 at a good price. Although it is a rarity, it is by far 
 too clumsy a material for money. We would consider 
 the coining of it a great waste. I hardly know what 
 it is quoted at in the market to day — it is out of our 
 line. We have no more occasion to deal in gold than 
 in copper or pig-iron. But if you will stop at num- 
 ber 307 Central Avenue — where they deal in all man- 
 ner of metals and alloys — you can obtain whatever in- 
 formation on the subject you may desire." 
 
 Thanking him for his kindness, we proceeded to 
 call on the metal dealers — wondering how. an expen- 
 sive metal could be too clumsy for coinage. After 
 
66 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 finding the place, we inquired the market price of 
 gold. After testing the quality of the coin which we 
 exhibited as a sample, the merchant astounded us by 
 an offer of fifty-two dollars and twenty cents an ounce 
 for all we could supply. 
 
 'Do you put no limit upon the quantity at that 
 price?" I asked, with visions of sudden wealth. 
 
 "No limit, except your capacity to supply us," he 
 responded, seemingly amused. 
 
 Promising to return shortly, we walked briskly 
 down the street full of our sudden good fortune, and 
 forgetting all about the electric car, in our effort to 
 calculate how much more we were worth than we had 
 dreamed before. Suddenly Fleming stopped short and 
 said: 
 
 "We are happy too soon, Spencer. What if other 
 thing are as high in proportion as gold — then we are 
 no better off than if our gold would only bring face 
 value and other commodities were as cheap as in the 
 United States. I have often heard people say that it 
 would take a wagon-load of paper money to buy a 
 bushel of wheat, if the 'Greeenbackers' had their way 
 at money-printing — here they have paper money; and 
 perhaps the reason we can get so much of it for our 
 gold is because it is not worth much. " 
 
 "That is a great idea of yours, Fleming. I am glad 
 you thought of it before we sent the gold up. But 
 how will we learn whether you are right or wrong in 
 your supposition? Oh, I have it! we will go to our 
 landlord and find out from him what staple commod- 
 ities are worth." 
 
 Suiting the action to the word, we immediately re- 
 turned to the hotel, called the landlord, and began 
 our inquiry, with the following result: 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER ■■ 67 
 
 The price of wheat per bushel, ^1.04; corn, 60 
 cents; potatoes, 40 cents; apples, 40 cents; oranges, 
 Ji.io; lemons, I1.22; peaches, 60 cents ; calico, per 
 yard, 6 cents; sheeting, 12 cents; good comme'rcial 
 suit of clothes (ready made) ^14; good worsted suit, 
 'S18; good stiff hats (fine quality), ^2.25; good pair of 
 shoes, $2.50; fine kangaroo and best calf, ^4; good 
 boarding and lodging, $6 a week; wages of unskilled 
 laborers, ^3 per day; mechanics, ^4 and over. 
 
 From this list we felt satisfied that paper money 
 was all right in Centralia. Though we do not at 
 present know the theory on which their monetary sys- 
 tem is based — yet, we were told that it was staple; 
 and that^ somehow, wages never fluctuated more than 
 two per cent. 
 
 We calculated that every dollar of our gold was 
 worth a fraction over ^2.82. So we at once decided 
 to send up one of our sacks which weighed some 
 twenty pounds — a bank-check came back for $16,704.00. 
 
 After dinner, I received a note from Mr. Humphreys 
 asking us to call on him at fourteen o'clock. We ac- 
 cepted the invitation and promised to be on hand at 
 the appointed hour. 
 
 I was suffering from a slight fever; but, disregard- 
 ing that, I helped Fleming figure over the sailors' ac- 
 counts, as we had promised them that they would re- 
 ceive all of their back pay on the evening of this day. 
 
 We finally set but for Mr. Humphreys' residence; 
 but before we arrived I felt quite ill. As we entered 
 the house I requested Fleming to pay off the men that 
 evening in gold at its face value. Mr. Humphreys met 
 us at the door and immediately noticed that I was un- 
 well. I remember his asking me several questions 
 which i was too stupid to answer. He then held a 
 
68 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 consultation with Fleming, during which I heard them 
 mention the hospital. 
 
 How long I sat there I do not know. Probably my 
 stupor increased gradually; for I can only remember, 
 vaguely, being placed in a vehicle of some kind, while 
 Mr. Humphreys was assuring me that I would receive 
 the best of care, and that iny recovery would be cer- 
 tain and rapid. 
 
 "No doubt you will all be down for a while, until 
 you get thoroughly acclimated," he said cheerfully; 
 "but after that you'll be all right. Good-by now — I'll 
 run in to see you in a day or two. " 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 I had been in the hospital just five days. It was 
 Motaday afternoon when I was carried there, and it 
 was again Monday afternoon! This was no longer an 
 enigma to me. 
 
 On my second day in the hospital the nurse insisted 
 that it was Wednesday — though she admitted that the 
 day before was Monday. I felt fairly well at the time; 
 but, as I afterward learned, was in reality quite sick 
 — and that little point of inconsistency worried me a 
 great d6al. When the physician came, I told him that 
 the nurse had been imposing upon me, and that I 
 would prefer to have the attendance of another in her 
 place. 
 
 "Why," he said, evidently astonished, "she is one 
 of the nicest, kindest women we have here! What 
 has she done, that you should accuse her of imposing 
 on you?" 
 
 "Done?" I replied, "Why, she told me that yester- 
 day was Monday and that to-day is Wednesday — and 
 she insisted upon it, too!" 
 
 "She was right, Mr. Spencer," he said smiling. "In 
 Jhis. country we JiaK£_by t .fiy.e. days in. JJae_ week — Sun- 
 day, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. 
 If I remember rigFtly, in your native country, the 
 week has seven days. The nurse did not know that 
 you were from the outside world, so she thought that 
 you were delirious. " • 
 
 69 
 
70 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 Though friends had visited me quite frequently, I 
 was not strong enough to talk to them very much; 
 but I remembered that Mr. Humphreys,in answer to a 
 question, said that Miss Lathrop had left for home 
 oh the Monday morning following the reception. I 
 was more than sorry not to have seen her before she 
 went away; for I had resolved that our acquaintance 
 should not stop with our meeting at the ball. 
 
 Having sufficiently recovered, I now went, back to 
 the hotel; but I first visited each of our men, some 
 of whom were still very ill. Redcliffe, who was the 
 first one to fully recover, had left the hospital the 
 day before I did — he had finally been induced to go 
 there, upon being told that that was where Ihad^been 
 carried. 
 
 The evening paper made the following comments 
 on our acclimatizing process : 
 
 "The Americans at the hospital are convalescing. 
 
 'The first to recover were Messrs. Redcliffe and Spen- 
 cer, who have now returned to the Hotel Centralia. 
 
 "A reporter interviewed one of the attendant physi- 
 cians, and learned, that it may be several days before! 
 
 ,the others recover. Tfie habitual use of spirituous 
 liquor and tobacco had saturated -the -sy-stems^-of-most 
 of them with a poison which, to a certain £3i4:£ii<t, 
 counteracts the effect of the. medicines prescr-ibed,~and 
 ,also tends to intensify the fever." 
 
 Fleming, who was attacked a few hours after I was 
 taken down, had but one of the "vices" mentioned — 
 that of smoking — and he bade fair to be the next one 
 up. 
 
 Redcliffe and I determined to take a little inland 
 trip while Fleming was convalescing. So Thursday 
 morning, shortly after breakfast, we boarded the L., 
 L. & F. Railroad and traveled about forty miles into 
 the country. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 71 
 
 Small towns were scattered all along the road, at 
 intervals of five or six miles. The run between sta- 
 tions occupied only about three and a half or four min- 
 utes. 
 
 We stopped at a little village called Crewseau for 
 a short time, and took a stroll through the streets. 
 The day was warm, so we indulged in a glass of that 
 tempting native beverage, "Breece. " Redcliffe asked 
 the woman who served it of what it was made. She 
 answered: "Two parts raw egg; three parts con- 
 densed millq syrup and flavoring to suit; we take 
 half a glass of this compound, as you see, and then 
 fill the glass with an effervescent, out of a fountain." 
 
 A second glass put us in good condition for contin- 
 uing our stroll. No one knew who we were. We 
 dined at the best hotel (even in this small place there 
 were two or three), and afterward walked out into the 
 farming section — a steady march of an hour's duration. 
 
 Considering that we had had ample exercise for 
 that day, we stepped aboard an electric street "car 
 (perhaps, more properly, road car) which carried us 
 back to the village, where we took the return train 
 for La Humane. 
 
 In this country no one would think of living so far 
 away froSTa city 'or town that irwould be impossible 
 to have the benefit of electric street-railways. They 
 form a perfect net-work of communication from one 
 cify, town or village to another. The towns lie so 
 close together^ and the facilities for travel are so per. 
 feet that all the farmers can live in town — going to 
 work at eight o'clock and returning at sixteen, with 
 an hours' rest at noon. 
 
 The farmers work the same number of hours that 
 other people do, live among other people, dress like 
 
72 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 other people, and cannot be distinguished from other 
 people, except when at work. What a contrast to 
 the American farmer, who is a marked man, wherever 
 you find him, who always appears twenty per cent 
 older than he really is, who works harder and longer 
 and for less than the individual of any other class, 
 and who is never well dressed. 
 
 There is no down-trodden class here^in fact^there 
 is but one class. The old aristocratic distinctions are 
 abolished — the young people and children are trained 
 to the idea of perfect equality. Their only knowledge 
 of aristocracy and caste is obtained from the literature 
 of former times. Here such things are unheard of, 
 and would not be tolerated. A human being — a man 
 or woman — is of far more consequence than any possi- 
 ble position or title whatever. They have no. titles, ^ 
 no uniforms, no manner or kind of social mark or dis- 
 tinction. Personal worth is the only thingjhatjs re- 
 spected. Bankers and street-car conductors, railroad 
 presidents and brakemen, judges and laborers, lawyers 
 and policemen, the chief executive and the poorest 
 citizen — ^^all mingle together — all mutually respect one 
 another — all attend the same theaters, the same balls, 
 the same concerts, the same card-parties, and dine at 
 the same tables. No social ostracism, no private osten- 
 tation is known. Altogether this seems to be the 
 most perfectly contented race of people in existence. 
 Individuals choose their society and select their friends, 
 not from a standpoint of rank or caste, but from con- 
 siderations of personal taste and congeniality. 
 
 With all these facts plainly before me, I sought for 
 the cause of them. 1 desired to learn why harmony 
 thus takes the place of strife; why a wealthy merchant 
 will not hesitate to shake hands with the most com- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 73 
 
 mon laborer of his acquaintance — nay, more, considers j 
 him his social equal ; why personal worth is the only \ 
 badge of social distinction; why the congressman is 
 seen- enjoying a conversation with his shoemaker; 
 and, above all, why there are no monopolies and tfusts \ 
 — no poverty and destitution. 
 
 "America," thought I, "has all the natural gifts and 
 advantages that exist here; people are fully as ambi- 
 tious; if anything, more religious; and, judging by 
 the number of hours they work, they are equally in- 
 dustrious, yet her masses are poor, while here all are 
 prosperous — or can be, if they choose." (I am told 
 that no one here, who is willing to work, need suffer 
 for anything. The supply of labor, no matter what 
 the vocation, never exceeds the demands.) 
 
 "There is one thing I notice here, however," I con- 
 tinued; "and that is, that morality has a stronger hold 
 on the people than in America. Ethics with these 
 Centralians is something more than a mere name, or 
 an abstract science — their philosophers do not treat 
 it as purely theoretical, but their people practice it. 
 They first ask themselves. Is this or that right? be- 
 fore asking. Is it profitable to me? Perhaps this is the 
 key to the mystery— yes, it must be. T^y are our 
 moral su_periors and can live mo£e_equ^a^Iy^^gefher/' 
 
 This satisfied mei I considered-it a good solution. 
 
 I now proceeded to look up Redcliffe, who had 
 gone to his room with a friend. I found him busy 
 talking, so I took up the evening paper and read that 
 Fleming was expected to leave the hospital on the 
 following morning. I was glad of this for two rea- 
 sons : glad at the prospect of seeing him well again 
 and glad because I wanted to take an extended trip 
 through the country, before doing which it was nee- 
 
74 FR OM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 essary to settle up our partnership matters in the steam- 
 boat and other property. 
 
 After supper we took a walk with two gentlemen 
 from the hotel — a physician and a school-teacher. I 
 walked with the latter. 
 
 Looking down the street we saw a large crowd of 
 bicyclists — four hundred or more — both ladies and 
 gentlemen — all young and well dressed. Although I 
 had noticed that a hundred bicycles were used here to 
 where one was used in America, that did not surprise 
 me; but to see such a party as this wheeling merrily 
 along the street astounded me. I turned to the school- 
 teacher and asked him what it all meant. 
 
 "That," said he, "is a twilight quadrille party. They 
 are on their way to the grounds, where they will 
 spend two hours in the most delightful amusement 
 imaginable. I participate in that sort of sport myself 
 very frequently." 
 
 "Do you mean that they dance with those machines? 
 I asked. 
 
 "Certainly," he replied. "There is a large ground 
 about three miles from here, just outside of the city, 
 exclusively devoted to these parties at night, and to 
 ball games during the day. 
 
 "Is that ground public? — if so, who takes care of 
 it?" I continued. 
 
 "The ground is public, in the sense that all ground 
 is public — that is to say: first come, first served. The 
 public aims to get a tax out of this land equal to 
 what it would derive from the same land if it were 
 used for other purposes; and parties are charged for 
 its occupation according to the length of time they 
 use it. There is a keeper employed to superintend 
 and care for each of these public places. He is paid 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 75 
 
 out of the public treasury. The amount allowed him 
 is determined by competition. Once a year the Public 
 Agency — that is, the City Council — auctions off the 
 position to the lowest bidder. _In other^ words, the 
 person who offers to keep the grounds in order, to 
 properly tax each user, to collect the money, and, 
 when so collected, to turn it over to the public treas- 
 ury once a week, with an itemized account of those 
 from whom it was collected and of the amounts paid 
 hy-fiachrrrthe person who agrees to do these things 
 . for the least remuneration secures the position. You 
 see, this makes the business automatic — it virtually 
 runs itself. It is not in the power of governmental 
 officials to fix arbitrary prices and salaries — thus we 
 avoid all paternalism. Conipetition — a natural law — 
 regulates the whole thing — in fact, all of our public 
 functions are conducted on that principle; and the 
 only officials we have in the city, whose salary is fixed 
 and determined, are the members of the Public Agency 
 — the councilmen. All other salaries or wages are 
 subject to competition, and it works like a charm." 
 
 "I like that theory," said I, "because you have 
 proved its practicability. Some time I will make it a 
 study. But just now those bicycles interest me. It 
 seems to me that they 'work like a charm,' too!" 
 
 My last thought that night was of the bicycle party 
 — my first, the next morning, of a bicycle. The bi- 
 cycle fever had attacked me once before — in my young- 
 er days. It returned now with redoubled force. De- 
 termined to have a machine, I visited a shop to begin 
 negotiations J but,, as I intended traveling soon, I 
 finally concluded to postpone the purchase until my re- 
 turn. Fortunately, I was able to borrow a good one 
 and thus renew my acquaintance with "wheelology. " 
 
76 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 The machine I now bestrode was of a very different 
 design from mine of years ago. Nevertheless I found 
 little trouble in managing it. Like most of the wheels 
 in use here, it bore a striking resemblance to the 
 "Safetj'," which was becoming the rage when I left 
 America. 
 
 Satisfied with my exercise for that day, I proceeded 
 to the hotel with my new acquisition. The other boys 
 had just come in from a walk and expressed much 
 amusement at my interest in the "new toy." 
 
 We straightened up all of our accounts that after- 
 noon. This relieved us of anything like business 
 for some months to come. A final business meeting 
 would, however, be necessary to dispose of the old 
 "ark. " Having disposed of our gold to such advantage, 
 we felt in particularly good circumstances — nor was 
 our satisfaction the less that our daily expenses for the 
 next three months would be covered by the rental of 
 our ship. 
 
 - Redcliffe and I , determined to visit every state in 
 the nation. It was not plain to us, at first, why Flem- 
 ing should not desire to see something of the country; 
 but when evening came, it brought with it a shadow 
 of the cause — he went to a ball with one of our land- 
 lord's daughters! 
 
 It had been evident for some time that he had an 
 exceptional amount of pressing business to discuss 
 with feminine members of the household; and when 
 asked about the trip, he said he was not quite ready 
 to leave La Humane. 
 
 We procured a map of Centralia and began an al- 
 phabetical study of geography. There are five differ- 
 ent states here — continents as we would term them, 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 77 
 
 for they are all surrounded by water. Two of them — 
 "Beaumont" and "England" by name — lying south of 
 the equator, are very large, compact bodies of land, 
 as yet only partly inhabited. "Alhambra" and "Tur- 
 got, " two northern states, are densely inhabited along 
 the sea-coast; but have no interior population what- 
 ever. The fifth state— "Ducuma" — is a small body 
 which lies far to the north of the others, and its cli- 
 mate is rather cold. It contains but a trifle over a 
 hundred thousand acres. The total acreage of the five 
 states is in the neighborhood of five hundred million 
 — about three times the sjze^ of . the^state of Texas. 
 
 For me the state of Alhambra seemed to have some 
 special attraction. Was it the beauty of the name? 
 
 Was it the association with our own Irving's Anda- 
 , lusian tales?- Was it because of my familiarity with 
 the little paper town of Alhambra near my old home? 
 Was it because it naturally came first, being the ad- 
 joining state to Turgot, where we then were? Or — I 
 actually blushed at the suggestion — was it, as Redcliffe 
 intimated, that the Alhambra of Centralia happened 
 to be Miss Lathrop's home? 
 
 Without undertaking to settle these questions, I 
 persuaded Redcliffe to accompany me to the capital of 
 the nation — Quesney, Alhambra — a city of half a million 
 population. We fixed upon the following Monday — 
 August 6th — for commencing our trip. In the mean- 
 time I made an effort to better acquaint myself with 
 the affairs of these people. 
 
 Some days before I had fondly flattered myself that 
 I had solved the problem of the difference in social 
 conditions between this nation and that which we 
 had left. My explanation was, that because these 
 people possess exceptionally strong moral natures 
 
78 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 they have harmonized and prospered. This theory I 
 now proceeded to lay before my associates. 
 
 Redcliffe, who is somewhat of a philosopher, and 
 who, by some means, had gained an insight into Centra- 
 lia's social machinery, overwhelmed me with such,a 
 series of unanswerable questions, that I felt as though 
 my theory were buried completely out of sight. Be- 
 fore he concluded I was ashamed of myself and my 
 theory — so much so, that I almost resolved never 
 again to advance an original idea. 
 
 "Don't you think, Spencer," he began, "that you 
 and I fit right into this society as though we had been 
 born and raised here, so far as morality is concerned? 
 Are you afraid that any of our men will make a bad 
 record by immoral conduct? If the moral nature of 
 Americans were inferior to that of Centralians, would 
 it be possible for our crew to remain here long and 
 keep 'up a moral reputation equal to that of their su- 
 perior contemporaries? Do you not feel like doing 
 unto these people as you would be done by? If so, 
 do you mean that we are better than the nation we 
 represent? Would any ordinary, respectable Ameri- 
 can, seeing how easy it is to make an honorable-Jiv- 
 ing here, think of swindling or robbing these people? 
 When there is a constant demand for workers, both 
 male and female, in respectable occupations, at good 
 remuneration, would the thought of engaging in some 
 gambling business,, or such a degenerating occupation 
 as keeping a saloon, ever arise? In our own native 
 land, where we are noted for being the shrewdest spec- 
 ulators and best financiers on the face of the globe, 
 did you ever see a man who preferred doing some 
 mean, contemptible piece of business, to earning a 
 dollar just as easily in an honorable way? Don't you 
 
FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 79 
 
 see that it is easier to make an honest living here than 
 it is to steal a living in America? Economic condi- 
 tions in this country give the people a chance to be 
 honest! You will surely admit, that i t is hum an nat- 
 u re to be h one st and ju st when it does not pay tp Ije 
 otherwise — when 'honesty' is, in reality, 'the best 
 policy?" Is honesty rightly rewarded in America? 
 Would not the whole American people — yes, the whole 
 outside humanity— if citizenized iri^ Centralia, or 
 thoroughly imbued with the Centralian customs, be- 
 come honest and upright men and women? Are not 
 foreigners, as a rule, more honest when they come to 
 the United States than after living there a few years? 
 A mournful fact, but nevertheless true! Even these 
 Centralians, whom you consider morally superior to 
 our nation, would, if transported to America and forced 
 to live under America's social conditions, very prob- 
 ably resort to some of the peculiar, and undoubtedly 
 questionable, American methods of earning a livelihood. 
 If, after the best of ones efforts, they failed to secure 
 subsistence, and every honorable resource was ex- 
 hausted, would it surprise you if, under such circum- 
 stances, they became saloon-keepers, thieves or gam- 
 blers? A hungry man is not in the proper condition 
 to consider a point of ethics ! Is poverty conducive 
 to morality? "Would you be willing to indorse the 
 promissory note of all of our sailors, if they had found 
 no prospect here of making a respectable living? 
 "Would you, under existing circumstances, hesitate 
 to trust any of them with access to your open safe 
 over night? Does a man naturally prefer coming from 
 a low saloon at one o'clock at night, to a miserable 
 tenement-house, there to quarrel with his half-starved 
 wife and to curse and beat his ragged, hungry chil- 
 
8o FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 dren; or would he choose, if he could, a comfortable 
 home, plenty to eat and wear, and a happy family? 
 Do you find proportionately as many wealthy as you 
 do pauper drunkards? Did you ever see anybody who 
 would wear the apparel of a tramp in preference to a 
 neat-fitting suit of good cloth? If you say that you 
 have, how do you know that, had the same person 
 been brought up amid better surroundings, he would 
 not have chosen the clothes of a gentleman? Are 
 there any born tramps? If so,* why are there always 
 more of them born just a generation before a panic 
 than at other times? Are criminals naturally bad? 
 If so, why are they constantly increasing in number? 
 If you say that crime is more easily inherited than is 
 morality, then, I ask you, is nature at fault? Do you 
 .believe that man is, by nature, hopelessly degenerate? 
 "Again, do workingmen go on strikes for pleasure or 
 out of necessity? I was told to-day that in this coun- 
 try there had been no such thing as a riot for nearly 
 forty years: is that because of moral superiority, or 
 is it because riotous strikes are unnecessary? If it is 
 moral superiority, what has brought about the moral 
 improvement of the natives within the last half cen- 
 tury? Would factory hands here, think you,, be too 
 moral to go on a strike were their wages too low to 
 support them, and if no other means were open to 
 them for earning a subsistence? Dj?n't you think^the 
 social machinery here imposes fewer of those Jaws 
 which are specially constructed to rob the masses 
 than does that of the system under which7we formerly 
 lived? Have you heard of such a thing asT monopoly 
 here? Do you believe that all of these people are 
 too moral to form a monopoly, even if they lived in a 
 country where monopolies are tolerated? No! moral- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 8i 
 
 ity IS not the key that unlocks the secret chamber of 
 this people's economic system. We have yet to find 
 it— America, England, Europe, the outer world, have 
 yet to solve the great fundamental problem of success- 
 ful government, for the good of the people, which the 
 Centralians seem so admirably to have worked Qut! 
 
 "What do you think now, Spencer, of your 'moral' 
 theory?" 
 
 Those questions, coming, as they did, from a man 
 whose judgment I would trust more implicitly than 
 my own, and who was always known as a reasoner and 
 a student of important questions, set me to thinking 
 as I never thought before. 
 
 Having been educated by rich parents, and sur- 
 rounded by a life of luxury among what was self-styled 
 "the better class," having lived in California on the rent 
 of lands made valuable by the industry and thrift of 
 the public I have never questioned, or even consid- 
 ered, the existing order of things. The causes of the 
 troubles of the "complaining classes" were unknown to 
 us^yes, more than that : we never believed that they 
 had any cause to complain. It is, therefore, no won- 
 der that I should now, upon finding an entire nation 
 of prosperous and independent people, conclude at 
 once that the difference was due to the highly moral 
 atmosphere of this country. It is a very common thing 
 for people to reverse cause and effect. Until Redcliffe's 
 questions were put, it never occurred to me tEat pov- 
 erty *was perhaps, in a lairge me"asure, the cause of 
 crime; or that the doctrine of ethics had any relation 
 to. empty stomachs. But it is plain that a very hun- 
 gry and ragged person is more liable to be tempted 
 to take what belongs to another than one who is well- 
 fed and well-dressed. That short speech of Redcliffe's 
 
82 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 has done more to open my eyes to the realities of pov- 
 erty and social disorder than anything I have ever be- 
 fore heard. A new light was thrown upon the situa- 
 tion, giving the question new aspects; and, I now 
 thought that, with the aid of some political economist, 
 I would be able to grasp the whole theory with ease. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 We awoke one morning and met with an early sur- 
 prise. The ground was as wet as though it were rain- 
 ing, while the little sun shone as brightly as ever. 
 Looking from the window of our room, we could see 
 the water increasing, but no clouds were visible any- 
 where! The water by this time was beginning to flow 
 into the gutters. We felt like pinching ourselves, to 
 see if we were really awake. What surprised us still 
 more was to see people walking along the streets as 
 though nothing had happened. 
 
 Hurrying into the waiting-room, we inquired about 
 the peculiar phenomenon. 
 
 "We have had a sweat," was the answer. 
 
 I never was particularly fond of ridicule, especially 
 if it was at my own expense; but this time I grew 
 quite indignant. I went to the clerk and repeated my 
 question. 
 
 "We have had a sweat," said he. 
 
 I made up my mind, that it was nothing serious but 
 inquired further as to what caused this "sweat." I 
 was told that it was a very natural and common meth- 
 od by which the ground is moistened. 
 
 "Natural?" I repeated, still somewhat perplexed. 
 
 "Why, yes," rejoined an old gentleman standing 
 by. "When the temperature is suitable, and the elec- 
 tric currents move in the proper directions, water is 
 attracted from below to this surface. That is the 
 only way the ground is kept mpjst enough,.J.o -SUS-tai-n 
 
 83 
 
84 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 vegetation. Have you never seen a sweat before? 
 Where are you from, anyway?" 
 
 "I am from America in the outer-world," said I, 
 "and I have never seen anything of the sort ! It seems 
 marvelous that nature should be so providential here 
 as to stand by and see to it that, whenever your cab- 
 , bages and onions get a little dry, a sweat takes place 
 to accommodate them." 
 
 "In reply I would ask," said the old gentleman, 
 "does it not appear, even in America, that nature is 
 rather providential in providing man with both vege- 
 table and animal food? Furthermore, are you not get- 
 ting cause and effect a little mixed up, my friend? 
 The sweat does not take place to accommodate our 
 cabbages and onions; but, because the sweat makes it 
 possible, these vegetables exist. They are the conse- 
 quence and not the cause of the sweat — j jiaL_as Jllt_ 
 man life is the consequence and not the cause of veg- 
 etable and animal life oh Which we subsist. I under- 
 stand that in your native country the water to moisten 
 the soil falls from above, and is called 'rain.' What 
 reason have we to consider the procedure more provi- 
 dential or paternal in its nature when the water oozes 
 from below than when it falls in drops from above? 
 Is it not a much simpler process to come forth from 
 the earth, where it is abundant, than for it to rise in 
 a thin, invisible vapor from the same source, gather 
 in 'clouds,' as it is said to do on the outside world, 
 float about some miles overhead until some particu- 
 lar tract of land is reached which requires water, and 
 then to fall very carefully and designedly, in small 
 round drops, where it is most needed? What a pe- 
 culiar appearance those clouds must make, lingering 
 about in mid-air, without any visible means of sup- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 85 
 
 port! We see them on paintings of landscapes. They 
 are a great attraction to children, when they first ob- 
 serve them on pictures. Our poets have a great deal 
 to say about clouds, and novelists use them for spice 
 in literature. Nobody who is now living in this coun- 
 try, except your crew, ever saw a real cloud or a drop 
 of rain. 
 
 "My friend, " continued the benignant old gentleman, 
 "every new thing seems peculiar. If we had been ac- 
 customed to walking on both our hands and feet, as 
 most animals do, how unnatural an upright man would 
 appear! If men wore dresses and women trousers, 
 how odd a pretty girl would appear in skirts! You 
 come from a counrty where men only have a vote; one 
 of our general elections will seem very peculiar to 
 you. That to which we are accustomed seems right. 
 This was particularly plain some generations ago when 
 there were innumerable religious denominations striv- 
 ing to make converts to their especial creeds and dog- 
 mas. Each sect fondly and jealously proclaimed its 
 version of the 'only true doctrine' — each believed itself 
 to possess- the only key and pass-word to the specula- 
 tive Hereafter. It is different now; but our present 
 belief would have doubtless seemed very strange to 
 our ancestors. 
 
 "One thing above all others," continued my vener- 
 able instructor, "that r"wish to impress upon your 
 mind, is our current theory of evolution. The devel- 
 opment of the human race is due to the conditions 
 on the surface of the earth. Were these conditions 
 different, the race would have developed differently. 
 If there were a greater average of heat, we would be 
 so_ constructed that we would require it: were there no 
 land, there wauld be no human race. Since the ap- 
 
86 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 pearance of Decanto's 'Universal Evolution,' in the 
 year 1846, scientists have become unanimous in con- 
 cluding that we are the product of our surroundings; 
 while it is inipossible to say or know when primitive 
 man appeared, or at what rate man evoluted from the 
 lower forms of existence, yet we all believe that there- 
 was a gradual process going on from time immemorial, 
 when animal life sprang from inanimate matter, which 
 had never before shown intimation or sign of the 'di- 
 vine spark.' Perhaps millions of years rolled on be- 
 fore this 'life' had taken definite shape and form — be- 
 fore, step by step, the ape was developed — before, link 
 by link, the chain was formed which ends in — man. 
 Millions of years of experience, trial and culture have 
 gradually evolved the tailless ape-savage into the re- 
 fined, educated man of the nineteenth century. And, 
 rudely speaking, what is man, whom all these ages 
 have been developing — what is this effect that all the 
 combined causes of universal nature have produced? 
 Listen: man is a land animal with a nature and func- 
 tions, which fit him for existence and reproduction 
 under the conditions which produced him!" 
 
 "We have a similar theory in America," I ventured 
 (this old gentleman impressed me greatly). "Indeed, it 
 is recognized both in our country and Europe. A fa- 
 mous English naturalist' — Darwin by name — popular- 
 ized the theory some thirty years ago. But, Mr. Lar- 
 kins" (that was the old gentleman's name), "I believe 
 you will be able to give me some information which I 
 greatly desire, on another subject. How is it that in 
 this country, where I see no governmental interference 
 with private activities, everything goes on so smooth- 
 ly? I do not understand these mysterious public agen- 
 cies which have here brought about such a marked 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 87 
 
 progress in civilization. How do they malke all the 
 people equal and independent, and, as Centralians as- 
 sert, render it impossible for some to live upon the 
 earnings of others? Each individual seems to go his 
 own way, and yet not to obstruct another's path. In our 
 country, wherever you turn, there are governmentarre- 
 striction, limitatians,-prohibi.tions and dictations, which 
 we all admit are awkward and cumbersome, yet there 
 is an eternal clamor for more laws. Year by year new 
 functions are added to the state and national govern- 
 ments — new offices, drawing high salaries, are created. 
 Complaints are continually being made that the govern- 
 ment's authority should be extended, that we are re- 
 stricting the goverment. Every miserable 'ward bum- 
 mer' aspires to a public office. Unless something is 
 done, and that right soon, every American citizen will 
 be a public official, with little to do but to cultivate 
 'official dignity,' 'put on airs,' and draw a pension, 
 or salary." 
 
 "It is hard to tell just why your country labors un- 
 der such troubles," replied Mr. Larkins; "but, in a 
 general way, I might judge by the description yOu have 
 given me that your people have not yet learned to dis- 
 criminate — to draw the line — between private and pub- 
 lic functions. You are evidently being governed too 
 much. W-hen the government interferes with private 
 business, trouble is inevitable : first, because it is im,- 
 pbssible for the public to understand any business as 
 thoroughly as the individual who is pecuniarily inter- 
 ested; hence, when the public interferes, mistakes 
 must occur; second, because the public law-makers 
 are led and influenced by schemers and designing 
 plunderers when any legislation is proposed on ques- 
 tions of detail which dg npt ijivolve principles, private 
 
88 FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 
 
 interests arise in their might to corrupt elections, bribe 
 legislators, and 'bamboozle' (an antique American ex- 
 pression, I believe) the people. The public cannot 
 be expected to be students in detail of all the numer- 
 ous industries in which human beings engage. These 
 facts — the weakness and ignorance of the average voter 
 and legislator — are well known to the shrewd" corrup- 
 tionist. Therefore he is always on hand when vital 
 issues, affecting private interests, are before. the peo- 
 ple or their representatives. To give you an instance: 
 Years ago, the authorities of these states levied a tax 
 upon imported articles for the supposed benefit of home 
 producers. That was a governmental interference with 
 the natural rights -of the individual to trade where he 
 saw fit. Of all the legislation that ever existed in any 
 country, that particular scheme was the worst ever 
 invented to confuse the public, and lead them — too 
 often willing, though deluded, victims — to the fleec- 
 ing-pen. It was thus confusing and delusive because 
 it was always brought up in detail — this or that indus- 
 try was, in turn, benefited or injured — no one but the 
 corruptionist could keep posted on such intricate leg- 
 islation, nor could he always tell the resultant, lateral 
 effect of those 'paternal' laws. But when, at last, the 
 simple question, an issue of principle, was put to a 
 vote— whether or not the state should tax the masses 
 jfor the special benefit of the few, by creating a home 
 market monopoly — the public understood what they 
 were voting on, and promptly voted 'protectionl_out 
 ,of existence. Since then we have been free from such 
 'legitimate robbery' and if anyone should now pro- 
 pose a protective tariff, or any other tax on the pro- 
 ducts of industry, in this country, he would be ridi- 
 culed. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 89 
 
 "With our people," he continued, "it is a maxim 
 that individuals or corporations, being directly inter- 
 ested in the results of skill, industry and labor-saving 
 appliances, are more alert and efficient concerning such 
 matters than are public officials. For that reason, such 
 enterprises as railroads, telegraph lines,, the express 
 and postal service, public schools, and industries of 
 a public nature generally, have within the last forty 
 years, passed from governmental control into private 
 hands. It may seem incredible to you, Mr. Spencer, 
 but it is true, nevertheless, that governmental opera- 
 tion of any public service ever tried here has proven 
 inefficient, and been superseded by private enterprises. 
 Not that we have arbitrarily displaced the one with the 
 other, but by the natural law of competition, private 
 individuals have taken the place of public officials. . 
 Where we formerly had an army of officers to watch 
 and to pay, we now have an automatic method which 
 generally gives perfect satisfaction to the public. If 
 to-morrow one of the streets of our city required pav- 
 ing,'"we would not think of hiring men and paving it 
 under official supervision ; but the work would be pub- 
 licly described and specified, then bids would be called 
 for, and the lowest bidder would be awarded the work. 
 Formerly cities had street superintendents, elected 
 by the people; but that office, like others of a similar 
 character, has been abolished. Now the ordinary du- 
 ties of such a superintendent are performed by a per- 
 son who at an annual public auction, held on the first 
 day of January, underbids all competitors for the 
 privilege of keeping the streets in order during the 
 ensuing year. This same plan is followed, wherever 
 possible, in regard to all other work of a public nat- 
 ure, We have learned by experience that it is by far 
 
go FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 the most economical method; and, besides, it insures 
 us the most efficient work. 
 
 "For many years we had a great railroad problem. 
 The owners of the large systems invariably became 
 monopolists, charged high rates, and did as^ they 
 pleased generally. Finally railroads were nationalized 
 and then a new trouble began. Everybody was obliged 
 to make a study of the railroad business in order to 
 vote intelligently for the horde of railroad officials, 
 who were constantly on the increase, both in numbers 
 and in salaries. The people were always more or less 
 excited before every election, over who should or who 
 would be our next railroad authorities — bosses. At 
 no time was the public really satisfied with national 
 railroads; and less than a twenty years' trial proved 
 such a system altogether too clumsy, expensive and 
 inefficient. A new reform was finally proposed, which 
 spread like wild-fire, and was soon adopted. It is 
 economical, efficient and simple, and, above all, auto- 
 matic. This was the proposition: that the road-beds 
 be public property like the streets — iron highways ; 
 that the Public Agency should sell all the rolling stock 
 to the highest bidder, and henceforth leave the rail- 
 road business to whoever wished to engage in it, with 
 equal rights to the use of the tracks, free of charge. 
 Thus competition was just as effectively established 
 in* the matter of railroad transportation as in any 
 other private enterprise. And when competition ex- 
 ists monopoly is always absent; there can be no mo- 
 nopoly in anything in which all the people have an 
 equal chance of engaging. The public has no longer 
 any trouble with the railroads — the railroad companies 
 take care of all that. The only thing the public needs 
 to lopk after now is that track is built wherever rail- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER gi 
 
 road accommodations are needed; for under this sys- 
 tem all roads are constructed at public expense, con- 
 tracts for work of that nature being let out at auction 
 to the lowest bidder. 
 
 "Officials who held fat railroad positions, in de- 
 fending their own private interests, brought up all 
 kinds of objections against the proposed reform, and 
 predicted, that if it went into effect, it would either 
 result in building up the old-time monopolists, or end 
 in a very imperfect system, with innumerable colli- 
 sions and similar accidents. 'For,' said they, 'if every- 
 body who feels like it can run a train of cars over the 
 track, collisions will be bound to occur continuously.' 
 But when it was explained that with all railroads, 
 whoever owned or operated them, it would be the busi- 
 ness of train dispatchers to regulate the running of all 
 trains; and that the companies would find it essential to 
 their own safety and interest to have the dispatchers on 
 duty, wherever needed; and that they would naturally 
 and necessarily so regulate time tables, etc., that the 
 danger of accidents would be by no means increased 
 and when it was further shown that double tracks 
 would be constructed whenever the requirements of 
 the public made it necessary, the people were satis- 
 fied that it was just the reform needed. In the year 
 1865 three-fourths of the voters of this state voted 
 for it. Since that time we have not been haunted with 
 a railiroad problem, nor worried with governmental 
 management in such matters. The other states soon 
 followed our example, and there is no danger of an- 
 other change taking place; for the people are, without 
 exception, satisfied. 
 
 "You may think it necessary, Mr. Spencer, in order 
 
92 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 to have competition, that on each of these lines six 
 or eight companies would continuously be needed. 
 Such is not the case, however. One or two companies 
 usually do the entire business of a road. They know 
 better than to charge exorbitant prices; for that would 
 immediately invite competition, even more promptly 
 than in any mercantile business, where it requires, 
 proportionately, more time and expense to build up a 
 paying trade. In this country, where, as I have ex- 
 plained, the road-beds are free to all who wish to use 
 them, any company, in any part of the state, upon 
 seeing that railroading in a certain locality is more 
 profitable than where they are, can run right over 
 there, and begin operations without circumlocution. 
 It is, therefore, to the interest of each corporation 
 to serve the public as reasonably as possible, in order 
 to hold the patronage. Competition, you see, acts 
 much more promptly in this than in other channels 
 of business. There is no more chance for a monopoly 
 in railroading than there is in teaming or in the hack 
 service. If a hack line or a truck line had an exclusive 
 franchise to use the public streets, the owner of these 
 enterprises would have just as complete a monopoly 
 as a railroad company which owns its track. It is in 
 the track itself that the monopoly is founded — in the 
 exclusive privilege, without which nobody caiTget a 
 monopoly on railroads, as long as mechanics can be 
 found willing to build engines and cars. So perfectly, 
 in fact, does competition, or the fear of competition, 
 work, that whenever a new appliance or convenience 
 is invented, it is immediately adopted. Everything is 
 kept in perfect order, and the public favor is courted 
 by these large corporations in every conceivable way. 
 All in all, you see, our railroad system is a very model 
 of perfection." 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 93 
 
 "If I understood you correctly, Mr. Larkins, " I 
 asked, "you said that the street railroads are conducted 
 by private individuals — were you not mistaken there! 
 I see those cars are run free of charge — how can pri- 
 vate individuals afford to work for nothing?" 
 
 "Oh, my dear sir! — those men do not work for noth- 
 ing! Once a year the management of each line is put 
 up at auction. The whole plant belongs to the city — 
 rolling-stock, tracks and all. The operating is let out 
 to the individual who makes the most reasonable bid. 
 He hires all the employes, pays' all running expen- 
 ses, is a general superintendent of the line, and en- 
 deavors to please the public as nearly as is possible. 
 He, in turn, is paid each week out of the public treas- 
 ury. You may think that this plan involves a change 
 of management each year; but experience proves the 
 contrary. Right here in the city, the manager of the 
 Clinton Street line has held' the same position for more 
 than eighteen years. That, of course, is an exception 
 — not because it is difKcult to hold the position for 
 that length of time, but because most people prefer 
 to retire from such an active occupation in less time. 
 There are numbers of others, however, who have held 
 similar positions for ten or twelve years. 
 
 "An established manager always has some slight 
 advantage over outsiders in bidding for such positions; 
 because he is accustomed to the work, familiar with 
 the employes, and more fully understands the financial 
 part of conducting the business. He can, for these 
 reasons, figure more closely on his bid; and, besides, 
 having the worji actually under his control and opera- 
 tion, can naturally afford to do it a little cheaper than 
 a stranger. So, unless he desires to retire from the 
 business, he never fails to give the public the advant- 
 
94 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 age of his economy and experience. There is always 
 very close bidding done at these auctions, generally 
 by old hands employed on the same road, who thor- 
 oughly understand the running of it. 
 
 "When a manager wishes to retire from his position 
 before the time for the annual auction arrives, or when 
 he finds that he has taken the work for too small a 
 price, he can have a special auction called, on a few 
 days' notice. Then a successor can bid in the posi- 
 tion, or the person who has called for the special 
 auction can rebid it in at an advanced price, if no one 
 underbids him. Of course he must show good cause 
 before a special auction will be granted him. 
 
 "This plan of operating the street-cars works so sat- 
 isfactorily that we never have any trouble; and the 
 public is afforded a good service without trouble or 
 annoyance." 
 
 "But," said I, "is it not wrong in principle to tax 
 the general public for the benefit of those who wish to 
 ride on street -cars? Would it not seem more reason- 
 able and equitable to make each one pay who uses the 
 cars?" 
 
 He replied, "Yankee" fashion, by asking a question. 
 
 "Would it not seem more reasonable and equitable," 
 said he, "to charge each man, woman and child di- 
 rectly for the use of the sidewalk, in proportion to the 
 amount and kind of use they make of it? — or, would 
 it not be more reasonable and equitable to make team- 
 sters and owners of other vehicles pay directly for the 
 use of streets and bridges in proportion to the amount 
 of use individually made of them? Would not either 
 of these plans be more reasonable and equitable, than 
 to tax the general public for the benefit of all people 
 who wish to use the public highways and sidewalks? 
 
FBOM EARTH'S CENTER 95 
 
 "For three reasons," continued Mr. Larkins, "your 
 method would not be either reasonable or equitable: 
 — first, because it is so small a business that it does 
 not pay to figure out, in each case, just how much 
 riding one block, or one mile, or, ten miles is worth; 
 second: if people can travel cheaper — live cheaper to 
 that extent — they can work just so much cheaper, and 
 the public gets the benefit; third: if a street-railroad 
 runs free of charge in front of my house, I can get from 
 fifty to seventy-five dollars a year more rent for that 
 house than if the same railroad charged five cents fare ; , 
 I can then afford to pay the difference in taxes, which, 
 if done all along the line, will pay for the entire run- 
 ning expenses of the whole road. I might state right 
 here that, with our system of taxation, it is a simple 
 matter to get the value of public improvements back 
 into the public treasury." 
 
 "May I ask what your system of taxation is?" 
 
 "We have an absolutely perfect system," replied 
 Mr. Larkins. "We tax one thing only — land values ; 
 and such tax reacKes all the people of the nation. 
 The tax is levied to within ten per cent of the annual 
 rental value "of the land. " 
 
 "That seems to me exceedingly unfair for those 
 who own land — all others being exempt from taxa- 
 tion," said I. 
 
 "Nobody is exempt from taxation!" replied Mr. 
 Larkins impatiently. "Did you not hear me say, just 
 now, that this one tax reaches all the people of the 
 nation?" 
 
 Before I could ask for a further explanation, I was 
 obliged to give my attention to a new visitor, who 
 had called, he said, to see me on private business 
 concerning my proposed trip. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 On the morning of August the 6th, at eight o'clock, 
 Redcliffe and I took the train at La Humane. Three 
 hours later we reached Fairfield — a distance of 224 
 miles. As our train was the fast mail, we stopped 
 but three times on the way. 
 
 At Fairfield we stopped over just one day, to see 
 the city. Situated as it is on the Gulf of Siam, with 
 an exceedingly good harbor, and being centrally lo- 
 cated (commercially speaking), it is a thriving place — 
 rather too level for the best residence purposes, but 
 a great shipping point. Comparatively little manufac- 
 turing is done there, for the reason that employes 
 prefer to live in cities of a higher altitude. 
 
 In this country manufacturers are very careful to 
 locate where their operatives choose to reside; other- 
 wise, higher wages must be paid to attract them. 1 
 was told that at Fairfield wages are, on an average, 
 about eight per cent higher than at LaHumane. This 
 arises from the fact that the latter city is more desirable 
 in every respect as a place of residence. It is pict- 
 uresquely situated on a gentle elevation which over- 
 looks the sea. Hence La Humane is a busy manufac- 
 turing center, while Fairfield is principally a shipping 
 point. 
 
 In the evening we went to see Centralia's great 
 tragedian, "Roscoe Berkley," whose reputation and 
 position here are similar to Edwin Booth's in America. 
 
 The Shakespeare plays were unknown to this peo- 
 
 96 
 
FR03i EARTWS CENTER 97 
 
 pie, until they were introduced during the last century 
 by the European explorers — the social reformers for 
 whom the Central ians have such a great reverence. 
 These explorers had, in their ship's library, a small 
 set of his works. They were at once reprinted, as were 
 several other works in that same library and introduced 
 throughout the land. To-day it is difficult to find any- 
 one who is not more or less familiar with the great 
 bard of Avon. He has proportionately more students 
 and admirers here than among the English-speaking 
 races of the upper-world; for here people are univer- 
 sally educated, and have far more leisure time to de- 
 vote to reading. 
 
 Mr. Berkley's selection for that evening Was the con- 
 ventional "Richard III." It was magnificently ren- 
 dered. The sight of this familiar play, handsomely 
 staged, elegantly costumed, and admirably acted, here 
 in the center of the earth, filled me with emotions and 
 recalled other days with an almost painful vividness. I 
 was visibly affected. My feelings could only be appre- 
 ciated by those who share my fondness for great trage- 
 dies] and not then, unless they were placed in my 
 peculiar situation. 
 
 From Fairfield we crossed the Gulf of Siam, on a 
 passenger vessel propelled by electricity. It took just 
 eight hours and twenty minutes to travel the four 
 hundred and eighty miles which lie between Fairfield 
 and Quesney, Alhambra. 
 
 On board the ship we made the acquaintance of a 
 civil engineer, Mr. Norton, who seemed to take a great 
 deal of interest in America and interrogated us about 
 the sciences in general, but civil engineering in par- 
 ticular. As that was Redcliffe's profession, the two 
 engineers found each other's company unusually con- 
 
98 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 genial. After siting about for an hour, enjoying the 
 technical conversation between these professional men 
 of different schools, I was pleased to see the subject 
 turn on electric energy and mechanics. I had become 
 especially interested in the question of electric power, 
 while noting the great speed at which we were driving 
 along, despite the powerful resistance of the water. 
 
 Speaking of generating electric power from coal, Mr. 
 Norton said: 
 
 "Twenty-five years ago the secret of applying elec- 
 tricity as a motive power was very primitive. While 
 a great many used electric motors in a small way, 
 electricity was not really a motive power, but only a 
 transmitter of power — hence the name 'motor,' as ap- 
 plied to the ancient apparatus, was a misnomer. They 
 were only converters, converting electricity to power. 
 The electricity was previously converted from the power 
 of a steam engine by means of a dynamo. Observe 
 the number of conversions: from coal to heat, from 
 heat to power, from power to electricity, and, again, 
 from electricity back to power! So cumbersome and 
 wasteful was this complex process that only about 
 seven per cent of the real value of fuel was available. 
 For this reason, nearly all the work at that time was 
 done by steam power, direct, thereby saving two con- 
 versions. Even then the most economical steam en- 
 gine and boiler yielded but about ten per cent of the 
 energy inherent in fuel. 
 
 "In the year 1865, a discovery was made by an 
 electric engineer, Rufus Gilchrist, which revolutionized 
 the mechanical world — at least, our part of it. His 
 discovery was a process for converting coal into elec- 
 tricity without the intervention of the steam engine. 
 It is done by combustion, in a specially desfgned fur- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 99 
 
 nace, wherein both heat and light are absorbed, con- 
 ^rted and conducted to- a focus, -whence they can be 
 taken in the shape of electricity. 
 
 "This furnace is a square box, surrounding the fire, 
 with a door in front and a smoke-stack behind. On 
 top is a funnel-shaped casting, connected with the 
 frame. This is called the 'transmuting flume.' Like 
 the furnace itself, it is made out of a translucent ma- 
 terial, a chemical mixture of isinglass and steel. The 
 smoke stack is made of what is called 'reasue,' a per- 
 fect non-conductor of both electricity and heat. The 
 transmuting flume tapers to a point with a small hole 
 in the end, and is strongly magnetized. A platinum 
 plug is snugly fitted in the nozzle of the flume, and 
 to that plug is attached the copper wire which con- 
 ducts the electricity wherever it is needed. 
 
 "When combustion takes place, the light and heat 
 are both captured by the sensitive wall around the fire, 
 the magnetized flume converts them there and then 
 into electricity, and the platinum plug attracts the 
 electricity so generated. 
 
 "The surface of the furnace is covered about two 
 inches thick with 'reasue,' so that no energy goes to 
 waste, ecxept what escapes in the shape of heat 
 through the smoke-stack. The electricity thus pro- 
 duced can be either applied to an electric motor for 
 power or to a candle, as they call the fixture — then 
 you have power, light, or both, out of the one opera- 
 tion. 
 
 "A machine of fifty horse-power capacity does not 
 weigh over five hundred pounds. Of course, with the 
 weight of the motor added, it would perhaps weigh 
 eight hundred pounds more. This is but one-eighth 
 the weight of a fifty-horse power steam engine and 
 boiler. 
 
100 PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "But we make our greatest gains in the economy of 
 fuel. The first cost and the weight of a stationary 
 steam engine amounts to but little after it is once in ' 
 place; but the consumption of fuel is a continuous ex- 
 pense. With the best steam engines in use here, as 
 I said before, only ten per cent of the power of coal 
 was available — the remainder being wasted; while with 
 our electric engine over seventy-eight per cent, of the 
 power in fuel is extracted. In other words, we can do 
 the same mechanical duty with one pound of coal 
 now, as would have required eight pounds with the 
 steam engine. Besides, the electric machine requires 
 no skilled engineer. Any laborer can attend to the 
 firing of a two thousand horse-power plant — no boiler, 
 no water, no engine, no anything but the simple ma- 
 chine and the fuel, and a reservoir for storing up the 
 electricity when none is used and the fire is contin- 
 ued." 
 
 . "No doubt Mr. Gilchrist made a big thing out of his 
 invention," I remarked. 
 
 "Suppose we could learn the secret of building such 
 electric machines and could then get back to America," 
 said Redcliffe speculatively. "We would soon become 
 the richest men there." 
 
 "I don't understand your remarks, gentlemen," said 
 Mr. Norton, in evident astonishment. "How is it pos- 
 sible to make such a 'big thing' out of an invention? 
 How could you manage to keep the construction a 
 secret? Otherwise, I see no way to get so immensely 
 rich out of it. I admit that the invention itself is 
 a big thing; but it is just as big for one as for another. 
 It benefits the whole people, unless some one has 
 a monopoly — a thing which all Centralians abhor. The 
 first discoverer might have a slight advantage, by 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER loi 
 
 building a large number of machines secretly, and 
 putting them on the market all at once, at a good 
 price. But even in that way he could not charge too 
 high a price; because people would prefer to wait a 
 few weeks until others put them on the market, when 
 conlpetition would at once reduce the price to the real 
 value of the article. This machine is so simple a thing 
 to construct, that it can be readily imitated. Tell me 
 how you would go to work in America with this in- 
 vention, in order to get the advantage of others?" 
 
 "That is easily explained," said I. "In America the 
 national government grants the inventor an exclusive 
 right to manufacture and sell his invention. This right 
 is limited to a certain number of years — at present 
 seventeen. He can dispose of this exclusive privilege 
 in whole or in part — sell territorial rights — or allow 
 ' others to manufacture and sell, on the payment of what 
 is termed a "'royalty.' He can himself manufacture 
 and sell, or he can rent out on a royalty. In short, 
 he can do with it just what he pleases for the term 
 specified — can prevent anybody from making a dupli- 
 cate—or he need not utilize his right or his invention 
 at all during the term. But, when the term expires, 
 unless he has made some slight improvement, and 
 taken out a new patent on the strength of such, im- 
 provement (which is frequently done), the invention 
 then becomes common property — a thing which any- 
 body can manufacture, use or sell." 
 
 "That j^s the rankest kind of. monopoly, is it not?"/ 
 asked Mr. Norton. "To me it looks so unreasonable 
 that I can hardly realize a civilized people submitting 
 to it! Does it not give the one who puts the finish- 
 ing touch to an invention the full benefit of the labor 
 of hundreds who have made his last touch possible? 
 
102 FROM EARTH'S CENTER \ 
 
 Is it not like having a number of men build a house, 
 and when the driver of the last nail finishes,awarding 
 him in full for the work of all? Inventions are not 
 the exclusive work of one person; and^ even if they 
 were, the education given the inventor by the public 
 would entitle the public to a claim on the results of 
 his discoveries. Take this very electric motor, for 
 instance : Scientists have racked their brains for gene- 
 rations, experimenting in electricity — mechanics and 
 engineers have developed their part as we find them 
 in this machine — everything about it, in fact, was 
 worked out by other men,, except, perhaps, the one 
 simple idea of combining the other ideas. Would it 
 now be right to clothe this man with a seventeen year 
 monopoly of a device to which he has contributed 
 only the finishing touch? 
 
 "Again, is it not plain that the public is handicapped 
 when it is dependent upOn the inventor's business 
 capacity to supply the demand for the article; and 
 dependent upon his judgment as regards the market 
 value of the article? Having a complete monopoly, 
 he can set the price to suit his own caprice. If he 
 chooses to place it too high, he virtually prohibits its 
 use; in which case there would be the spectacle of a 
 nation wanting something that a notionate individual 
 forbids — a limited despotism. So the question here 
 arises. Has society any right to the benefit of the 
 progress of invention, after furnishing the conditions 
 which make the invention possible? There can be 
 but one answer — the individual can have_ no cl aim o n 
 anything but the product of his own efforts; what he 
 receives above that is charity, pure and simple. The 
 knowledge which enables one to make an invention 
 is common property. The result of individual efforts 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 103 
 
 belong to the individual] but where many individuals 
 have contrib uted th eix.e fforts , they~sh^ld be^free'to 
 a ^aiTthemselves ofthe resultant ^common property. 
 Nothing, therefore, but absolute freedom will anJwer. 
 It will not do to grant any one a patent on knowledge. 
 That would be detrimental to equal rights. Where 
 would the equality come in, when the government 
 says, with a standing army to give its mandate au- 
 thority, that this individual is allowed privileges 
 denied to all others? Nothing can be right that inter- 
 feres with the equal rights of all!" 
 
 "If your argument on equality is correct," I inter- 
 posed, "would it not, with equal force, deny the right 
 to all private ownership of any kind of property? If 
 I own a horse or a bicycle, for instance, I have some- 
 thing which is mine exclusively — hence a monopoly. 
 Is not your equal-rights doctrine decidedly commu- 
 nistic?" 
 
 "Not in the least!" replied Mr. Norton. "On the 
 contrary, it is diametrically the opposite. Your com- 
 parison between equal rights to common knowledge 
 and to your horse or your bicycle is no analogy at all. 
 The two are of a totally different nature. To make 
 them analogous, you must take all horses or all bicy- 
 cles; because a patent right, if I understand you cor- 
 rectly, implies a sole right to manufacture an inven- 
 tion. The principle of private property implies only 
 our private efforts and their result — provided, of course 
 that all others have an equal chance. Your owning a 
 bicycle does not preclude me from owning like prop- 
 erty, so long as the material from which it is produced 
 is not exhausted ; but your enjoying a patent on an 
 invention precludes me from enjoying the like privi- 
 lege — hence an inequality, not consistent with perfect 
 justice." 
 
104 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "I stand corrected" said I. "I see my mistake. 
 Private property is not moHopoly, because all persons 
 have an equal right to own as much of it as they can 
 produce or pay others to produce; while a patent 
 right makes one the owner of what others can only 
 obtain through him. This gives him a special privilege 
 — exclusive power — monopoly, in the fullest sense of 
 the word. But in order to encourage invention, the 
 American people — and, I believe, all European peo- 
 ple—have settled upon the patent policy. We were 
 educated to believe that without such encouragement 
 there would be no incentive to invention, and, there- 
 fore, slower progress." 
 
 "To judge by the information that I have of America 
 and Europe," replied Mr. Norton, "the encouragement 
 given inventors has occasioned new evils, which are 
 worse than the evil of slower progress. It is evident 
 that labor-saving machinery has run far in advance of 
 your political economy; otherwise, there is no good 
 explanation to be made of the problems you complain 
 of as existing to-day. You have produced labor-sav- 
 ing machinery faster than you can use it, in the present 
 state of your economics. Your laborers are idl^ and 
 hungry, while the machinery does their work — takes 
 the bread and butter out of their mouths. Is it_jiot_ 
 possible that a little less encouragement in invention 
 might have allowed part of the intelligence devoted 
 to inechanics to have been exerted on the science of 
 political economy? Thus you might have maintained 
 a balance which seems to have been entirely overlooked. 
 WguldJ.t.jio±_bje_ better to have social machinery ad- 
 vance simultaneously with physical machinery? "Are 
 not many Americans now suffering poverty as a result 
 of governmental ignorance of natural laws? It does 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 105 
 
 seem natural to help those who help themselves. We 
 encourage invention, even here where we fancy our 
 social machinery is perfectly automatic; but I think 
 that, in time, we will discontinue the custom altogether. 
 I believe it has bad effects. The natural law suffi- 
 ciently encourages invention. What more than suc- 
 cess is needed to encourage anything? It would seem 
 rather more admirable to encourage the unsuccessful 
 — at least, they need it more." 
 
 "You said, Mr. Norton, that even here invention is 
 encouraged; but you did not say how. Will you give 
 us the plan you pursue?" I asked. 
 
 "In this country," he replied, "it is customary for 
 inventors_to send drawings of t heir devices to Con- 
 gress. There they are referred^ to. experts, who exam- 
 ine and repor t upon them, utility and originality be- 
 ing chiefly considered. Then Congress votes to de- 
 termine how much of a premium should be given to 
 the inventor for his effort. The invention itself is 
 common property. No inventor ever considers this 
 premium as due him of right, or makes any claim 
 whatever upon the public. He regards it purely as a 
 donation — a free offering out of public gratitude, pro- 
 portionately large or small according to the public 
 benefit conferred. One tenth of the premium so voted 
 is paid annually, for ten years — the unpaid residue be- 
 ing subject to repeal at any time, by the body which 
 granted it. ' This power of repeal is a wise provision. 
 When we find that an invention has disappointed the 
 expectations that it raised — that it is useless and un- 
 salable — then payment of the premium is stopped. So 
 accurate, however, is the expert examiner of inven- 
 tions with his estimates, that it does not happen once 
 in a hundred cases that a premium is repealed after it 
 is once allowed. 
 
io6 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Mr. Gilchrist received a premium of twenty thou- 
 sand dollars for his great invention. Others have been 
 awarded fifty, a hundred, a thousand, and even ten 
 thousand dollars. Some" inventions perhaps the most 
 — are, of course, declared worthless. Furthermore, 
 when too small a portion is original, nothing is al- 
 lowed, however useful the device. 
 
 "This system of ours may not be perfect; but it 
 works without much friction. I observe, though, that 
 public sentiment is slowly changing as regards inven- 
 tions and inventors. It would not at all surprise me 
 if within the next quarter of a century, the public 
 should cease to grant such pensions." 
 
 "The examiner of inventions has a pretty good 
 thing," said Redcliffe — "a fine chance, I mean, to 
 take bribes, since on his recommendation depends the 
 amount of the premium." 
 
 "These examiners receive good fees for their ser- 
 vices," replied Mr. Norton; "and being sure of hold- 
 ing their patronage as long as they do their duty, it 
 is to their interest to make honest reports to Congress. 
 If the slightest fraud were detected in an examiner's 
 report, Congress would not only cease patronizing 
 him, but would forfeit his bonds; besides annulling 
 whatever action there may have been taken on such 
 fraudulent report. So, you see, bribing is dangerous. 
 Congress has some knowledge of the utility of inven- 
 tions itself, and so has the public. Thepremium, then, 
 cannot be made much higher than what is right and 
 just, for the inconsistency would be almost sure to be 
 detected — if not at once, at all events some time dur- 
 ing the ten years that the policy of our custom has 
 wisely determined upon as a period wherein the ar- 
 gus-eyed public may detect collusion, fraud or error." 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 107 
 
 Some of Mr. Norton's feminine acquaintances now 
 came up, and claimed him for a, promenade on the 
 deck. He introduced us to several bright, handsome 
 young ladies; and it was then resolved, by a unani- 
 mous vote (the ladies claimed their right of suffrage), 
 that it was just the right time of day to relish a 
 glass of "Breece." So we adjourned to the fountain, 
 and indulged in the delicious temperance stimulant. 
 
 The remainder of our voyage was enlivened by this 
 feminine contingent; and we also had the additional 
 pleasilre of some excellent music by a band which was 
 on board. We went below and examined the machin- 
 ery of the vessel. We also made liberal use of a large 
 telescbpe that Mr. Norton provided for us. Alto- 
 gethei! we were a jolly crowd, and time passed rapidly 
 and pleasantly. 
 
 At Quesney a committee received us, and we were 
 escorted to the "Crystal Hotel." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Upon our arrival at Quesney we learned that Con- 
 gress had prepared a reception for us in the evening. 
 The committee entertained us at the hotel until nine- 
 teen o'clock. They then invited us to accompany 
 them to the capitol. 
 
 Our carriage stopped before a building which re- 
 sembled a schoolhouse. It seemed hardly possible 
 that this unpretentious structure was large enough for 
 a national capitol. In the waiting-room we met sev- 
 eral Congressmen. Presently three women came in. 
 We were introduced to them as cosmopolitans from 
 California, and learned that they were also members 
 of Congress. 
 
 When all the guests had assembled, we ascended 
 to the second floor. There we entered a wide corri- 
 dor, leading to a magnificently furnished dining-room 
 where a table was set for our reception. 
 
 Our party, which, besides ourselves, was composed 
 of members of Congress, their husbands and wives, 
 numbered about sixty. 
 
 While we were enjoying the banquet several speeches 
 were made. The President, Mr. Randolph, toasted 
 the guests of the evening and I was called upon to 
 respond. So full of cordiality had our reception been 
 that I had no difficulty in finding fitting words to ex- 
 press our gratitude and pleasure. 
 
 Late in the evening, the company adjourned to the 
 ball-room of the largest ward-building in the city, 
 
 103 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 109 
 
 where thousands of people had assembled to give us 
 welcome, and participate in the popular amusement of 
 dancing. 
 
 President Randolph led the grand march, in which 
 the initials U. S. A. made a figure that was gracefully 
 executed. Spectators cheered from the galleries for 
 "free America!" and we were gratified to know that 
 here, in this remote country, where the love of freedom 
 and free iiistlTutions is *s'o"deep7 the haine of America 
 is associaled' with freedom. 
 
 Redcliffe found this evening more enjoyable than 
 the one of the great recption tendered us at La Hu- 
 mane; but to me, though I met many agreeable ladies 
 and gentlemen, and though the music was inspiring 
 and the dancing delightful and everything about us 
 beautiful and brilliant, somthing was wanting. I 
 could not feel perfectly satisfied — I was not thor- 
 oughly enjoying myself. 
 
 I tried in vain to forget, for the time, the tall, 
 graceful figure, the expressive countenance, and the 
 large, piercing brown eyes which had so captured my 
 fancy on that memorable occasion when, for the first 
 time, we mingled with the society of our future home. 
 But tonight Miss Lathrop was not present. In fact, 
 she was not in the city, nor would she return for a 
 week. (Ah, how gladly I remembered that Centralian 
 weeks had only five days!) I felt, altogether, that 
 the evening's entertainment was like a drama without 
 the Stan 
 
 Redcliffe introduced me to Mr. Randolph, the Pres- 
 ident, who, in turn, presented me to his niece. Miss 
 Mozart — a very attractive young girl. She was of me- 
 dium height and weight, with soft, light hair and very 
 light brown eyes, a fine complexion, and a delicate 
 
1 1 FROM EARTH 'S CENTER 
 
 oval face. Her graceful, unassuming manner and 
 her smile — almost too sweet for ordinary use! — made 
 her more than agreeable. She was a bright conversa- 
 tionalist, though rather too effeminate to suit my taste. 
 Her dress was of a delicate cream-color, with narrow 
 ribbons of a darker shade. A velvet band, fastened by 
 pins set with pearls, confined her hair. She appeared 
 at once unpretentious and charming in the extreme — 
 an ideal woman — in the eyes of Redcliffe. So deeply 
 was he infatuated than no one else received his atten- 
 tion that evening. I was delighted to observe this: 
 for I had feared that he might become home-sick in 
 this new land separated from family and friends. The 
 next day he told me frankly that, if I were in a hurry 
 to continue my trip, I might go on alone — the capital 
 city was good enough for him for the time being. 
 
 Knowing that Miss Lathrop was to return in a few 
 days, I also decided to remain at Quesney. The in- 
 terim I considered a good opportunity to learn some- 
 thing about the city and Congress. 
 
 One afternoon I called at Miss Lathrop's home — 
 not alone, however, but accompanied by one of the 
 Congressmen, Mr. Johnson, who was a friend of her 
 father's. Mr. Lathrop is an ex-member of Congress 
 and one of the present Councilmen of Quesney. 
 
 Both of these gentlemen had ample time that afterr 
 noon to devote to me ; and they were both philosophers 
 and experienced politicians. After a short conversa- 
 tion on generalities — our voyage and our impression 
 of the civilization we found here — I began my investi- 
 gations. 
 
 "How is it that the government plays so small a 
 part in the nation's activities?" I asked Mr. Lathrop. 
 
 "You have forty million people here — all under one 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER iii 
 
 government, consisting of only a few members of Con- 
 gress. " 
 
 "In the first place," replied Mr. Lathrop, "you have 
 evidently been misinformed. While it is true that we 
 have forty millions of people here — it is a grave mis- 
 take to think that they all live under one central gov- 
 ernment. We abdlished centralized power long ago. 
 What little government we still have is close at home, 
 where we can easily control it, in the City Agencies 
 or Councils." 
 
 "But," said I, "you have a national Congress — 13 
 not that a government?" 
 
 "By no means, Mr. Spencer. Our people would not 
 submit to being governed by Congress — and why 
 should they? Do not the people at home know better 
 what they want than a set of wiseacres, gathered here 
 in the capital, can tell them?" 
 
 "It would seem so," I admitted; "but why, then, 
 do you have 3'our Congress?" 
 
 "Our Congress is a body of executive agents — not 
 law-makers. They are sent to the capital to carry on 
 national executive functions — such, for instance, as 
 transcontinental road and telegraph building, the issu- 
 ing of all money, the arbitration of inter-state disputes, 
 the granting of premiums to inventors of machinery, 
 etc. " 
 
 "Do not some of the functions you have mentioned 
 naturally constitute the power of government," I 
 asked — referring, in my mind, to the issuing of money 
 and the arbitration of inter-state disputes. 
 
 "They do not," replied Mr. Lathrop emphatically. 
 "All of those duties mentioned are strictly of an ex- 
 ecutive nature, and Congress has clearly defined lines 
 to govern its capacity to act. The people made the 
 
U2 PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 laws; and Congress, which is governed by them, has 
 no authority whatever to attempt anything outside of 
 the duties laid down in the Constitution. When we 
 findtheir duties too closely limited for our own good, 
 we order a change in the Constiuitrori. " '~ — —■ 
 
 "if the arbitration of inter-state disputes is not a 
 power of government, then I do not understand the 
 meaning of the word 'govern,'" I insisted. 
 
 "You are right, Mr. Spencer," replied Mr. Lathrop, 
 "in so far as the literal meaning of terms is concerned. 
 But let me explain : Congress has no arbitrary au- 
 thority on that point — it has only a temporary, dele- 
 gated power, not a constitutional one. When local 
 governments get into' trouble and cannot settle the 
 matter between themselves, they agree to submit their 
 case to the national assembly, or Congress, for arbi. 
 tration. In such cases, Congress arbitrates; but its 
 decision amounts to nothing if the parties concerned 
 do not wish to abide by it. Thus, you see, it is not 
 governmental authority vested in Congress; but merely 
 a voluntary agreement between individuals, corpora- 
 tions, or city Councils, to choose Congress as an ar- 
 bitrator. 1 might state here, however, that people 
 almost invariably abide by such arbitration." 
 
 "If that be so," I observed, "why is it not better to 
 vest such a power of arbitration in Congress?" 
 
 "It would be abused," he answered. "An individ- 
 ual, or any number of individuals, will use good judg- 
 ment in rendering decisions that are not despotic, 
 but give the same persons an authority from which 
 there is no appeal, and that authority would soon be- 
 come unbearable. 
 
 "Mr. Spencer," he continued, ".v?£ are a peopl e who 
 look upon government as an evil — the less we have of 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 113 
 
 it the bette r. And, I can assure you, that the era in 
 which this view of 'bossism' was adopted, is looked 
 back upon as the dawn of civilization. I say 'bossism' 
 because it is a more expressive term than officialism — 
 and means the sarrie thing. 
 
 "The only proper way to judge of the effects of 
 officialism is to take an instance where the principle 
 is carried to its logical conclusion. Such an instance 
 is the old-time slavery, or the ancient era of military 
 despotism — the age of splendid misery. A. soldier 
 or a slave is governed — bossed — in the full sense of 
 the term. The only reason why the world is better 
 off to-day than it was centuries ago is because it is 
 less governed. Those Caesars of tyranny and bloodshed 
 — those pontiffs and potentates, tzars and pashas — who 
 for centuries governed the world according to formula 
 — merely carried out officialism, true to the govern- 
 mental principle. 
 
 "Yau_^m,ay.jj^ that^Leoied.. officials are not dictators, 
 because they derive their power from the governed — 
 but what difference does it make where they derive 
 their power, so long as they have it? When you elect 
 a man to office, he is thenceforth your boss, to the 
 extent that the Constitution allows him to be. Offi- 
 cials are human beings like the rest of us; but their 
 position gives them an undue advantage over others; 
 and they, therefore, become an overbearing element in 
 society. Equality and officialism are uncompromising 
 antagonists— they can never be induced to harmonize! 
 
 "No doubt Centralians have a more complete control 
 over their public agents than any people in existence. 
 Any of them can be deposed at any time that the peo- . 
 pie see fit; yet, even with that extreme measure for 
 their protection, the public will submit to much disa- 
 
114 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 greeable service rather than remove an elected 
 agent. 
 
 "Our theory of public and private functions^is^that 
 the nation must not meddle with anYthing_th.e_states 
 can do, the states must not interfere with anything 
 that the city can do, the city must not undertake tp 
 perform anthing that the ward can do; and none of 
 the four must touch that which the individual or 
 private company can perform. In addition to this 
 our experience teaches us that where competition is 
 absent, monopoly takes it place. For that reason, pub- 
 lic functions which cannot be left to the individual 
 without producing monopolies, are assumed by the 
 public and let at auction once a year, to the competitor 
 who offers to serve us on the best terms. In that way 
 we apply competition to all public work. When we 
 want a railroad built, we advertise for bids from con- 
 tractors — the building afterward is exclusively a pri- 
 vate affair. Thus, you see, a few public agents are 
 able to transact all the public business — it almost 
 transacts itself. Even the janitors of the capitol 
 building are people who competed with others for the 
 positions. While it requires more than one person to 
 do the work. Congress deals only with one, Who takes 
 a contract for the whole and hires his own help." 
 
 "For how long a time are your President and mem- 
 bers of Congress elected?" I inquired. 
 
 "We have a general election on the first Monday of 
 every year," replied Mr. Lathrop, "at which Congress- 
 men, Legislators and Councilmen are elected. We have 
 no other public agents. These are installed on the 
 first Monday in March, when those of the old mem- 
 bers who have not been re-elected retire. So well is 
 the public served by its agents that, as a rule, only 
 one out of five is not returned. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 115 
 
 "The President," he continued, "is chosen by Con- 
 gress from among its members. His election takes 
 place immediately after Congress convenes each year 
 — that is, on the first Monday in March. The same 
 plan is followed by the State Assemblies and city Coun- 
 cils in electing their 'speakers' and 'chairmen.'" 
 
 "Now"' said I, "you have given me a good insight 
 into the workings of the different departments of your 
 national agencies, with the exception of one important 
 matter. I see that you have no import or internal 
 revenue taxes on anything^ — where, then, does Con- 
 gress derive the revenue to defray public expenses" 
 
 This question he referred to Mr. Johnson, who re- 
 plied- 
 
 "It derives its revenue by a direct tax on the wards 
 of all the cities and towns in the land — levied in pro- 
 portion to population. It is left to the wards to raise 
 this amount of tax in any way they see fit. They haye 
 invariably adopted the land-value tax. " 
 
 "If the tax, then, comes from the land-values, as 
 you say," I interposed, "why does not Congress levy 
 a direct tax upon the land, instead of leaving it to the 
 city wards? Or, if it is said that such would necessi- 
 tate a set of federal assessors and collectors, then why 
 don't you levy a direct tax on the cities or states in 
 proportion to land values, ins'tead of population?" 
 
 "You have answered your first question yourself," 
 replied Mr. Johnson ; "and a second thought would 
 have shown you that the same argument would an- 
 swer your second. If we should levy a federal tax 
 on all of the states or cities of the nation in propor- 
 tion to land values, it would be to the interest of 
 each to assess its land below its actual value, and 
 thereby reduce the amount of their taxes. In that event, 
 
ii6 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 there would be no alternative but- a federal assessor, 
 which to our people would be very distasteful. They 
 want no national officer to come around and tell them 
 what things are worth. They prefer to value their own 
 land. Then, if a mistake is made, they need not be- 
 gin a three-year's search to find the federal officer who 
 has robbed them, and who, when found, would be. too 
 powerful in his official capacity for them to get any 
 satisfaction out of him." 
 
 "But," I insisted, "does not this per capita tax, 
 which, in the end, comes from land values, fall with 
 inequality upon different localities? Suppose, for in- 
 stance, that the population of one city were twice as 
 great, in proportion to the value of the land, as that 
 of another; would not a population-tax fall with greater 
 severity on the former than on the latter?" 
 
 "Most assuredly it would, Mr. Spencer," was the 
 reply; "but is that any of the nation's business, when 
 a certain portion of the people will stubbornly insist 
 upon living on land which has not much value? Noth- 
 ing hinders them from moving to the valuable land! 
 We are such sticklers for freedom here that we are 
 willing to allow any one to live suspended in the air, 
 if he can do so, and prefers it to terra firma. " 
 
 "Well," I admitted, "you have convinced me that 
 the population tax is preferable for federal purposes. 
 Perhaps you will now tell me how revenue is derived 
 for state purposes?" 
 
 "In exactly the same way." said Mr. Johnson. 
 
 "How is the farming land taxed?" I continued. "So 
 far you have only spoken of the wards of cities and 
 towns. As I understand it each ward has its own 
 assessor, who is a private citizen, and who bids in 
 the position at the annual auction. He, of course, 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 117 
 
 assesses all the land in the ward; but who assesses 
 the country property? and where does the revenue de- 
 rived from the farm-taxes go? It seems that nobody 
 lives in the country, even the farmers preferring the 
 cities and towns." 
 
 "That is quite a pertinent question, Mr. Spencer. 
 In the first place, however, the farmers' tax does not 
 amount to much. That land which lies near the large 
 cities, and for which there are good market facilities, 
 is of course, valuable, and yields a considerable 
 revenue; but when you get a few miles out into the 
 country, farm-lands pay hardly any tax at all. 
 
 "But you want to know who assesses the farms, and 
 who gets what little tax they do pay. Each state is 
 divided into assembly districts. That is, each dis- 
 trict of two hundred thousand inhabitants is entitled 
 to a representative in the state Assembly or Agency. 
 This representative lets at auction, once a year, the 
 work of assessing the agricultural land of his district. 
 Whoever undertakes that work must see that he gives 
 satisfaction to the representative's constituents. The 
 taxes, when collected, are turned into the public treas- 
 uries of the cities in the district, in proportion to their 
 respective populations." 
 
 "Why do the cities get the taxes from the farms?" I 
 asked. 
 
 "Because," answered Mr. Johnson, "as you said 
 yourself, a minute ago, there is no one living in the 
 country — and some one must get the taxes. " 
 
 "Oh! I forgot. Of course it would not do to allow 
 the taxes to lie around loose on the farms where nobody 
 lives. But there is a point connected with your ideas 
 of taxation, that I cannot yet digest. Why do you select 
 from among the whole list of various kinds of prop- 
 
ii8 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 erty that one particular kind — land — and tax it, while 
 all the rest is exempt? Is not that class legislation? 
 Do you not make one class of your people bear the 
 whole burden of your public expenses. And if those 
 expenses should be materially increased, would not 
 the taxes bankrupt the class called land-owners?" 
 
 "I am sorry that I have not the time to elaborate 
 those questions now," said Mr. Johnson, but I can 
 answer them superficially, so that you may get our 
 ideas in the rough. 
 
 "You must first understand, that we do not regard 
 land as property. Only those things which are produced 
 by the hand of man can rightly be termed property — 
 things to which a title can be traced. Land was here 
 before the advent of man. Therefore the only way to 
 get a just title to land would be to hunt up the Crea- 
 tor and manage to procure one from him. So far, no 
 one has gone to that trouble; and, as long as it is not 
 done, we all propose to assert an equal claim to the 
 land, as we do the air, the water, natural light, heat, 
 etc. It is plain that no one can own that which 
 neither made himself nor paid any one else for mak- 
 ing — therefore, no such thing as a just land title can 
 exist. Very well then, as land is not property,,at_all, 
 you cannot say that we have select ed one ki nd of prop- 
 erty from among~ all the rest, upon which to saddTe 
 the burden of taxation. 
 
 "In regard to your question of bankrupting the 'land- 
 owner' : if there exists any such monstrosity anywhere, 
 the best thing that could be done would be to bank- 
 rupt him with taxes as speedily as possible! Such 
 a person would be a living drone — a pirate on society 
 — who cannot exist without the protection of the law, 
 and who, by his peculiar position, can tax industries 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER ng 
 
 without giving anything in return. The land-user can 
 easily dispense with a landlord, who is only an incu- 
 bus to be supported by the honest labor of his fellow- 
 men. 
 
 "You ask if the land-value tax is not class legisla- 
 tion — I answer, no! _We ha^^ all an _^qual, ^natural 
 right to the useof J^nd; and if sonie of us step aside 
 and allow others excljisise„possession both of their 
 sharejnd. our- share too, is it not fair, that they should 
 pay for the privilege they enjoy? The way we make 
 them pay tor it is to tax them what the privilege is 
 worth. Of course any improvement a man makes on 
 the land is his own, and for that reason, is not taxed. 
 But the land-value is no more the property of one man 
 than of another. The land does not even belong to all 
 of us together. You, although a new-comer, are as 
 much entitled to share in it as is the oldest inhabit- 
 ant. But to everything we call property — that which 
 would not be here but for our labor — we hold a 
 sacred title— a title which is good against all the claims 
 of all the world! Our land-value taxis, strictly speak- 
 ing, no tax at all. It is a fee charged the holder of 
 land for the use of which others are willing to pay the 
 same fee. _ We believe that nothing could be more 
 equitable than this. Suppose that you and Smith had 
 a horse together, and Smith had more use for the horse 
 than you — so it is agreed, that Smith may have ex- 
 clusive possession of the animal, by paying you a stip- 
 ulated sum for your share each month; and that, if 
 at any time you wish to use the horse, you must pay 
 for such use just as if you were an outsider: Would 
 that tax seem to you like class legislation?" 
 
 "No, certainly not." 
 
 "That is exactly our theory of land tenure," con- 
 
I20 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 tinued the Congressman. "The right to the land itself 
 is forever indisputably equal; and if we agree to allow 
 some of our number to hold exclusive possession, up- 
 on the payment of a stipulated yearly tax, and further 
 agree to pay them rent, if we desire to use a portion 
 of that for which they have been so taxed, we are cer- 
 tainly treating each other with perfect fairness. I need 
 only point to the fruits of the system, as proof of its 
 justicei" 
 
 "Judging by the fruits," I admitted, "your system 
 of land tenure seems absolutely perfect. I see that 
 you have no speculation in land here; business men 
 do not complain of high rents; farmers are all in good 
 circumstances; and I hear of no litigation over dis- 
 puted land titles — so, even if I am not theoretically 
 convinced, I am satisfied practically, that you are 
 right. I shall certainly give the matter more thought." 
 
 I had spoken to Mr. Lathrop when we first came in, 
 about having met his daughter at the reception in La 
 Huipane. Doubtless thinking that I might feel dis- 
 posed to call again when she returned, he cordially 
 invited me to do so. Expressing my gratitude for his 
 hospitality, I assured him that I would take the great- 
 est pleasure in availing myself of the opportunity so 
 kindl}' offered. 
 
 The next day I received a letter, of which the fol- 
 lowing is a copy : 
 
 Threcy, England, August 7th. 1890. 
 
 "Mr. Ralph Hugh Spencer, 
 "Quesney, Alhambra. 
 
 "Dear Sir: — The morning paper states, that you left 
 for Quesney on the 6th inst. That was somewhat 
 sooner than I had expected you'to visit the capital — ■ 
 hence my absence from home. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 121 
 
 "My business will keep me here until the 12th. 
 If you could be at Quesney on, or shortly after that 
 date, and call at my home, you would greatly oblige, 
 "Yours Very Respectfully, 
 
 "Celia Lathrop. " 
 
CHAPTER VIT. 
 
 The week passed — onl}' five days, but interminable! 
 
 In the public library I found literature most inter- 
 esting, and novel to me in many features ; but there 
 was Miss Lathrop's letter — what book could be half so 
 attractive! I had answered it, to make sure of the 
 appointment. 
 
 "And this," I kept repeating to myself, "this is the 
 twelfth of August — the day she asked me to call!" 
 
 You may be sure I had no desire to postpone the 
 engagement. On the contrary, I railed at the hours 
 which crept by at a snail's pace — I chafed at the cus- 
 tom which bade me put off my visit till the afternoon. 
 
 But dinner came at last. I did not waste much time 
 over it. As soon after it was finished as the proprie- 
 ties would permit, I procured a carriage and was driven 
 to her home. 
 
 It was an extremely pleasant afternoon, with just 
 breeze enough to give life to nature. The very trees 
 and flowers seemed to dance with joy over the fact of 
 their existence. But I was happier than all. 
 
 Just as we reached the house, a little girl, about ten 
 years of age, entered the front door. She saw me 
 approach and I caught a glimpse of her as she ran 
 across the front room, where the blinds had been left 
 open to let in the refreshing rays of the sun. She 
 returned a moment later, and following her was Miss 
 Lathrop, who opened the door just as I came up the 
 steps. 
 
 133 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 123 
 
 With one of her charming smiles and a shake of the 
 hand which I shall never forget, she gave me a hearty 
 welcome. 
 
 "Is it too late, Mr. Spencer," she began, after we 
 had entered the parlor, "for me to express my regret 
 that we were so abruptly separated at the ball on that 
 memorable night? It could not have been avoided, 
 though. The assemblage was so large that when it 
 dispersed we were swept out with the throng." 
 
 "I was very sorry," I replied, "but indeed. Miss 
 Lathrop, the knowledge that you too felt disappointed 
 will be my consolation. 
 
 "After I was taken sick — you know, we all had to 
 undergo a disagreeable acclimating process — Mr. 
 Humphreys told me that you had left for home. I 
 was suffering_ with an acute fever ; and the nurse de- 
 clares th^t, even in my delirium, I repeatedly spoke of 
 you. 
 
 "My principal object in coming to Quesney was to 
 see you; and after I was told that you were away for 
 a whole week, you may imagine my disappointment. 
 It was, however, made easier to bear by the receipt 
 of your kind letter." 
 
 "I read an account of your sickness," she replied, 
 "in the Quesney papers ; and I also had a letter from 
 a friend at La Humane, giving some of the particulars. 
 Were you very ill, Mr. Spencer? It was quite incon- 
 siderate in Mr. Humphreys to ^ell you that I had gone 
 away, while you were sick with a high fever. At such 
 times we are not in full control of our faculties, and 
 the most trivial incidents may be magnified into mat- 
 ters of importance." 
 
 "Mr. Humphreys was not to blame," I explained; 
 "for I disguised my fever at the time. 
 
124 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "No — none of us were dangerously ill, and we re- 
 ceived the best of care." 
 
 Just here, the little girl came running into the room 
 highly elated, and exclaimed: 
 
 "Oh! wouldn't that be a fine carriage, Celia, to drive 
 up to Lucy's in," pointing at my carriage,. 
 
 "We can take a drive to-morrow, dear," answered 
 Miss Celia, smiling sweetly. "Mr. Spencer, this is 
 my little sister, Edith; and this, Edith, is Mr. Ralph 
 Spencer, of California." 
 
 The child gave me a smile and a bow, then cosily 
 seated herself upon her sister's lap. 
 
 "If your sister thought as much of driving as you 
 do. Miss Edith," said I, "we might consider the point 
 seriously. " 
 
 "Oh, she does! — she does!" cried Edith, looking 
 earnestly into my face. 
 
 "We are both very fond of driving," added Celia. 
 "Lucy is our married sister, who lives on Loomis 
 Street, fully a mile from here. Since it would please 
 Edie, we might, if you like, drive out there; and you 
 will meet our sister — the beauty of the family — " 
 
 "Nothing could give me more pleasure," I de- 
 clared. "Let us go, by all means!" 
 
 Little Edith lead the way to the carriage and chat- 
 tered incessantly as we drove - along the pleasant, 
 shady streets. Her pretty face and artless manners 
 gave me genuine pleasure; yet I found, myself almost 
 ignoring her childish prattle, so great was my enjoy- 
 ment of her sister's society. Celia, though, seemed 
 quite disposed to encourage Edith's conversational 
 efforts. She was evidently very proud of the child. 
 
 "Yours must be a remarkable family, Miss Lathrop," 
 I ventured, "since you telj me, that your older sister 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 125 
 
 is regarded as the ' beauty. Just look at that little 
 blonde there, Edith— by the way, are you acquainted 
 with Miss Mozart?" 
 
 "Yes, indeed— I know her well, "she responded, 
 "and I too, would select her as a model of beauty and 
 delicacy — " 
 
 "I have not yet expressed an opinion upon that 
 point, " said I, interrupting her. "I meant to tell you 
 that Mr. Redcliffe finds her in every respect his ideal 
 of a woman. I can get him to think of no one but her. " 
 "She is a lovely girl— pretty and good and highly 
 accomplished," said Celia; "and I hope Mr. Redcliffe 
 will continue to think so. He will find many to agree 
 with him. Dc you know her?" 
 
 "I met her on the evening of our congressional re- 
 ception ;" , 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Spencer! — did they make you orate again?" 
 exclaimed little Edith. 
 
 "They made me speak, " said I. 
 
 "Don't insinuate a correction, Mr. Spencer," inter- 
 rupted Miss Lathrop. "Edith gained her information 
 from the associated press dispatches. She is very care- 
 ful in selecting her words — aren't you, dearie?" and 
 she stroked the child's hair over her temples. 
 
 As we approached "sister Lucy's," she saw us from 
 the house (our carriage was an open one), and came 
 out to the sidewalk. The young ladies did not choose 
 to alight; and after an animated chat, we bade the 
 sister good-afternoon, and drove "home." 
 
 On our way back. Miss Celia alluded to an historical 
 incident which greatly interested me; for it recalled, 
 to me that exploring voyage of my ancestors of which 
 I had never been able to learn the particulars. , To 
 my chagrin we reached the house before I could refer 
 
126 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 to the subject j btit as I was leaving, Miss Lathrop 
 said : 
 
 "We have had a very pleasant afternoon, Mr. Spen- 
 cer but we hardly reached the subject about which I 
 wished to speak to you. There is a romance connected 
 with those reformers of a century ago which will intei- 
 est you, I am sure; and I have promised myself the 
 pleasure of telling it to you in detail. Have, you an 
 engagement for to-morrow evening?" 
 
 (How I wished that she had said "this evening!") 
 
 "I am staying in Quesney for the sole purpose of 
 seeing you Miss Celia, " I said frankly. "It will be 
 a great pleasure for me to call upon you at any time." 
 
 "Well,then, would you be willing to devote to-mor- 
 row evening to the story of the heroes and heroines 
 who came here a hundred years ago and who xeformgd 
 this country and made it what it is?" 
 
 "Most assuredly! It will, beyond a doubt, interest 
 me extremely." 
 
 "Tomorrow night then," she said with a parting 
 smile. 
 
 Sitting alone in my room that evening I did more 
 speculating in an hour than did the best "pl-anet ped- 
 dler" in Los Angeles during a whole week of land 
 "^looming. " But our speculations were of a different 
 character. Both were love affairs it is true — ^yet his 
 was the love for money while mine was the love of a 
 man "indifferent honest" for the most beautiful and 
 best woman in the world! I mentallj' recorded a debt 
 of gratitude to the explorers of the last century whose 
 story was the direct occasion of to-morow evening's 
 visit. I could not then recall their names — I did not 
 even know whether the '"heroes and heroines" men- 
 tioned by Celia were the same ones of whose exploits 
 
FSOM EARTH'S CENTER 127 
 
 I had heard ; but since there were women in her story 
 ran unusual thing for an arctic, narrative), it was highly 
 probable that they were the same. Yes, there was one 
 name that I could remember — the heroine Turgot ; and 
 I could also remember, that her brother was my grand- 
 father, once or twice removed. 
 
 ".Well," thought I, as I was aroused from my long 
 reverie by Redcliffe's approach, "to-morrow evening 
 will reveal all!" — "Hello, Redcliffe," I continued aloud, 
 "you seem to have been enjoying yourself; but I'm 
 ready to affirm that 1 spent a more pleasant afternoon 
 than you — what do you say?" 
 
 "I haven't the slightest doubt of it," he answered, 
 good-naturedly, as he picked up the evening paper : 
 "What have you been doing with yourself?" 
 
 I was in a mood for confidences. 
 
 "I — er — I — I called on the — the young lady of this 
 country — THE young lady!— do you understand, Red- 
 cliffe? I have, at last found 'that not impossible she' 
 the poet talks about — a girl intelligent, vivacious and 
 beautiful! — Never talk to me about American women 
 again!" 
 
 "I haven't the slightest desire to talk to you about 
 American women," retorted Redcliffe, with a laugh. 
 "When a man is in your condition, the correct thing 
 is to assume a sympathetic countenance and let him 
 talk— that's the philosophical way to do it. Beside 
 I am an admirer of the Centralian type of womanhood 
 myself. Go on, my dear boy — go on!" 
 
 "We took a delightful drive," I continued. A de- 
 lightful drive!— and we called upon the married sis- 
 ter—" 
 
 "That must have been interesting," commented 
 Redcliffe quizzically. 
 
128 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Miss Celia Lathrop is the most intelligent girl I 
 ever met," I said, rather resenting his tone. "She 
 is interesting under all circumstances; and she has a 
 little sister, Edith, who is as pretty as a cherub, and—" 
 
 "Hold on, Spencer," interrupted Redcliffe, "you are 
 in a terrible state! When a man falls in love with 
 a whole family — " 
 
 "I don't deny it," I answered cordially. "Did I 
 tell you, that I am to call to-morrow night, to hear 
 all about my ancestors' children, who landed here a 
 hundred years ago?" 
 
 "What!" exclaimed Redcliffe, "to-morrow night! 
 My — dear — fellow! — aren't you rushing things a bit? 
 Hold on now — just keep quiet a minute while I talk 
 a little, will you? I struck a job this afternoon, at 
 the first place I applied — " 
 
 "What, Redcliffe! Have you secured a position? 
 — at your profession?" 
 
 "Yes, sir ! I'm going to work to-morrow with a 
 bridge-building firm — just the work I like; and I'm to 
 receive five dollars a day!" 
 
 "Good for you!" said I. "A laborer gets three dol- 
 lars a day here — your profession profits you just two 
 dollars a day. That's good enough! Since you are 
 going to be at work hereafter, let me tell you, while 
 I have an opportunity, about a conversation I had the 
 other day. 
 
 "A man convinced me, that a tax on land-values, 
 large enough to defray all public expenses, and ex- 
 empting all improvements and personal property, was 
 an equitable tax; that it bore equally upon all the 
 people; and that to tax anything else would be un- 
 just, and, therefore have bad effects." 
 
 "That is perfectly plain to me," answered Redcliffe. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 129 
 
 "If you look upon land as the natural heritage of all 
 the people; and believe, with Thomas J^efferson, that 
 'the J^and belongs in.u5iifruEirTo the living'— -it is self- 
 evident, that, unless the rental value of land is paid 
 over to the community — as Henry George has advised 
 the American people for several years — equality of 
 natural rights cannot exist. What confuses the Amer- 
 ican people is the ownership idea. If these Centralians 
 recognized ownership of land, the single tax would 
 be unequal. But, admitting an equal claim by all the 
 people to land-values, the tax is a perfect equalizer 
 between those who hold the land and those who follow 
 occupations in which no land is directly used. 
 
 "All land values are produced by tFe community; 
 therefore the community has a right to take that value 
 by taxation. The individual produces personal prop- 
 erty, buildings, etc. ; therefore, those things should 
 not be partly taken away by taxation; at least, not 
 as long as the product of the public^land values — is 
 not exhausted. 
 
 "I have always believed in individualism and com- 
 petition; but this nation beats anj'thing I ever dared 
 dream of in that line. Why, the Public Agencies — 
 governments with us — do absolutely nothing! AH the 
 actual functions are auctioned off to the best private 
 competitor. That does away with, what is known in 
 America as 'fat snaps,' for which office-seekers and 
 politicians corrupt every election that takes place. 
 Here they have just as much competition in public 
 as in private work; and where you have competition, 
 there are no 'snaps.' The American monopolists thor- 
 oughly understand that fact. For that reason they 
 undertake to form so many trusts; to limit and crush 
 out competition; and they always succeed where the 
 
1 30 FROM EAR TH ' S CEN TER 
 
 1 government aids and protects them with a tariff, or an 
 
 i exclusive title to good mining or timber lands that are 
 
 I not taxed very high. 
 
 "But look at the street-railroad business here, for 
 instance. There is an immense business which the 
 public supports out of a tax on land made valuable 
 by the street-railroads themselves. The more public 
 improvements they make, the more valuable becomes 
 the land ; and the more valuable the land, the more 
 it can be taxed to furnish revenue for improvements! 
 "And look at the simplicity of the management of 
 these free street-cars. Anybody can jOmp on and off, 
 free of charge; and private contractors manage and 
 operate the whole thing — no government at all! I tell 
 you, Spencer, that is the kind of business I like to 
 see! I have examined into the system closely, and 
 no fault whatever can be found with it! I see, too, 
 that all other public functions are conducted on a 
 similar plan; and all of them are just as satisfactory. 
 IfjtjiaL-were , the kind of individualism , adxP-Cated in 
 Amejica, there would be no need of trouble with an- 
 archists and socialists." 
 
 f "Yes'" said I, "in this country individualism is carried 
 out so logically, that governments have almost gone 
 out of sight. Think of it! — only one Congressman to 
 
 "represent a million people; one Assemblyman for 
 every two hundred thousand; and one councilman from 
 every ward of the cities and towns. That is, a total 
 of about six thousand five hundred salaried officers, 
 or agents, for the whole nation; or one to every six 
 thousand one hundred and seventy people. How does 
 that compare with the outside world, where about ten 
 per cent of the population parade around in uniforms 
 ready to fight; while another ten per cent sit in ofii- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 131 
 
 ces, dictating to the public and drawing salaries. 
 Yet, public functions are executed more promptly and 
 reliably here, than in any place I have ever known. 
 
 "Look at the police department," I continued. "Here 
 is a city of five hundred thousand people, and a pri- 
 vate individual manages the whole force. Last year 
 he took the contract of keeping order, and enforcing 
 judicial decisions, in this city, for ^38,000. He was 
 the lowest bidder at the annual auction; and I under- . 
 stand that he has held the same position for seven 
 years. He hires his own men, and pays them current 
 wages; all out of the sum he gets from the city. That 
 is what I call political economy. 
 
 "Observing that there was such a small police force 
 and no militia to back it, I inquired of a policeman 
 the other day, what they would do in case of a riot, 
 such as we occasionally have in America over labor 
 troubles. 'In the first place,' answered the policeman, 
 'we have no labor troubles nor riots. If we had, {he fact 
 would be taken as conclusive evidence that the rioters 
 had been outraged by some one, who would be ex- 
 pected to defend himself. If anyone willfully gets 
 hiinself into trouble, he must take the consequences. 
 Human nature is not such as to raise riots without 
 reason; and when there is reason, what business has 
 organized society to prevent the workingmen from 
 redressing their wrongs? To do right does not require 
 protection by armies. It is the plunderer who needs 
 the brute force of the soldier. 
 
 "Sometimes an individual gets into a passion, and 
 treats others unjustly. That is why we have a few 
 police. But whole bodies of people do not get excited 
 over nothing. When they do rise in their might, you 
 may safely take it for granted that something is wrong. 
 
132 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 A.11 those who fear riots had better beware of giving 
 sause, and they will have no trouble.'" 
 
 "The judiciary, " said Redcliffe, "is a fine thing here. 
 Like everything else, it is automatic. Any man or 
 woman can become a judge; but, as in going into any 
 Dther business, must take the consequences. All liti-_ 
 jation is private. Though the public agents are some- 
 times called upon as jurors, they are without arbitrary 
 power. The City Council, the State Assembly, or Con- 
 gress — public agents — will serve as jurors when so 
 :alled upon; but, beyond giving their opinion they 
 :annot go. They have no judicial authority. No one 
 need abide by their decision, if further appeal is 
 wanted. Nobody need stop short of a decision of his 
 whole ward; or, if he chooses, any other ward in the 
 state. Such a verdict, however, is final ; and is en- 
 forced by the police. In fact, any decision, from any 
 :hosen judge or jury, will be enforced by the police 
 if no appeal is taken. 
 
 "The main point of beauty in this judicial system, 
 is that there is no one clothed with arbitrary power. 
 \fter a private judge has tried a case, the parties cpn- 
 ;erned, if dissatisfied can agree upon the city, state, or 
 national agents, or can select as many private citizens 
 IS they wish for a jury; and should one still believe 
 ;hat he did not receive justice he can ask for a vote 
 jf his whole ward or any other ward in the state that 
 le prefers. The matter of costs is regulated accord- 
 ng to the respective rights of the parties. If an ap- 
 peal is wrongfully taken, the party appealing pays the 
 :osts of such proceeding — if taken rightfully, the costs 
 'all on the other party, whether the public or a pri- 
 vate individual. iNp attorneys' fees _are. connected 
 vith such appeals. All the evidence is brought in, 
 
' FROM EARTH'S CENTER 133 
 
 and all the pleading done, before the private judge; 
 and a resounder (phonograph) is used to record all the 
 proceedings. When before the appellate jury, the 
 resounder reports the entire proceedings of the lower 
 court. After it has finished, a vote is taken and the 
 resultant given." 
 
 "Oh!" said I. "On that point you are ahead of me, 
 Redcliffe. I never knew how those courts of appeal 
 got along without lawyers; but, as you say, when the 
 proceedings of the trial b}' the private judge are re- 
 peated verbatim, by means of a resounder, of course 
 no second pleading is required. But suppose new 
 evidence is to be adduced, what will they do then?" 
 
 "According to the custom of these people," replied 
 Redcliffe, "no jury of appeal will take a case, until 
 it has been thoroughly tried by a private judge. In 
 no event, will they permit the taking of new evidence ; 
 but confine themselves exclusively to the proceedings 
 recorded in the resounder." 
 
 "Is it not strange," I asked further, "that so few 
 appeals are taken from the decisions of those private 
 judges? There is nothing I can see that makes them 
 responsible. Being private citizens, they can do just 
 as they please. Can you explain that point, Red- 
 cliffe?" 
 
 "Competilion," said he,, "competition! The same 
 natural law which makes the business man give you 
 a dollar's worth of goods for a dollar, makes these 
 judges give a dollar's worth of opinion for a dollar. 
 And, furthermore," I find that it is customary here to 
 deposit the judge's fee in advance, with a bank, where 
 it stays until it is settled whether the decision ren- 
 dered was just or not. That is to say, the judge can- 
 not draw his fee until it is known that no appeal is 
 
134 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 to be taken; or if, on the other hand, an appeal is 
 taEen, the judge's fee remains at the bank until the 
 case is finally settled by the appellate- body. If the 
 decision is sustained,- the deposited fee is at the 
 judge's disposal; otherwise, it reverts to the depositor. 
 
 "Bribery in the courts is here unknown ; because the 
 judges cannot afford to kill their reputations by ren- 
 dering wrong decisions. Unlike official judges of 
 America, they have no monopoly on jurisdiction. Be- 
 sides, bribery would avail nothing, since an appeal 
 would invariably be taken to juries that could not be 
 bribed. The reversal of a decision always has a det- 
 rimental effect on the future patronage of a judge; 
 and if once suspected of having been bribed, he would 
 thenceforth find the practice of his profession ex- 
 tremely uncongenial and unprofitable. Neither does 
 such corruption profit the briber; for when the de- 
 cision is reversed, as it would naturally be, he would 
 find himself out of pocket the amount of his bribe and 
 the costs of the action, with no return for his money, 
 but a bad name if he is exposed. 
 
 "The whole system is simple and efficient. Com- 
 pared with the 'red-tape' and paraphernalia of the 
 expensive and uncertain official judicial machinery of 
 America, it is as civilization to barbarism!" 
 
 The next day I inquired into the methods of con- 
 ducting that great public function, the school. I was 
 referred to a Mrs. Lotus, an elderly lady from Frank- 
 lin, Alhambra, where she had been 'proprietor' of the 
 third-ward school for fifteen years. She was then 
 visiting Quesney, and stopping at our hotel. 
 
 After being introduced to her, I asked if she was 
 willing to give me some insight into the educational 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 135 
 
 system of the country, as I was from the surface of 
 the globe, and a stranger here. 
 
 "So you are the Mr. Spencer we have heard so much 
 about?" she said. 
 
 "I am the Mr. Spencer from the outer-world," I re- 
 plied. 
 
 "I have nothing of any moment on my program this 
 morning, Mr. Spencer, so, if your time is not too 
 precious, I would prefer to devote a half hour or so 
 to learning the American school system first." 
 
 I replied that I would gladly take the time to ex- 
 plain anything she wished; so, after asking a few 
 questions, she gave me the floor. I explained the 
 whole thing, as briefly as possible. Nothing, how- 
 ever, seemed to appear new to her; not even the 
 worst form of corruption in the educational depart- 
 ments of the large cities. 
 
 When I finished she made inquiries in regard to 
 various details; and then proceeded as follows: 
 
 "We have tried your plan of public education. There 
 was a time when almost the exact system was in op- 
 eration here; and, at that time, the people thought 
 it was perfection itself. Some even pointed to the 
 public school, as an example of governmental capac- 
 ity for executing intricate functions! 
 
 "Another fruit of the civilization of that period, of 
 which the people were equally proud, was the steam 
 engine. This was looked upon as the model of mo- 
 tive power. But to-day our educational system is to 
 the public educational machinery of forty years ago, 
 just what our electric engine of to-day is to the clumsy, - 
 wasteful steam-engine of the past. 
 
 "What we have now is an automatic system. It 
 runs itself. The public merely furnishes the school- 
 
136 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 houses, and pays the running expenses. Remember, 
 too, that the public I here refer to is the local public 
 — the ward. The state or the nation has nothing 
 whatever to do with education. Every localfty can 
 educate itself as much Of as little as it pleases. 
 
 "Let me show you that this is not an arbitrary ar- 
 rangement; but a natural development^the^ survival 
 of the best fitted — the result of competition. 
 
 "As I said before, forty years ago we had a clumsy 
 machine like that of your own, where innumerable 
 state and municipal officers and dictators, elected and 
 appointed, were continually managing and directing 
 things, which would have gone along much better 
 without their interference. And the more officials we 
 had, the more we seemed to need. I can never recall 
 this old-lime system without being reminded of a 
 physician I once knew, who had become so imbued 
 with the regulative idea, that he was continually 'aid- 
 ing digestion and the circulation of the blood.' He 
 was never seen without bandages and other appliances 
 about his limbs and head. He constantly used stim- 
 ulants and medicines, denied himself food he craved, 
 and ate what he did not like. Whereas, if he had al- 
 lowed natural functions to take care of themselves, he 
 would have felt infinitely better, and saved himself a 
 world of trouble, 
 
 "Speaking of the old tyrannical governing system, 
 it has been said, that the public officials of years ago 
 never failed to carry a key with them, when entering 
 upon their official duties; believing that the motion of 
 the solar system depended upon their efforts at wind- 
 ing it up! 
 
 "In order thoroughly to understand the evolution 
 of the school, we will trace its progress since the year 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 137 
 
 1850, when the obey-government-orders institution 
 was in full vogue. I was going to school, then; and 
 I remember the prejudice manifested on all sides 
 against an innovation called a 'nursery' — a combined 
 school and boarding-house for children too young to 
 be sent to the public school. Institutions of this na- 
 ture were established in various localities. In them 
 children received a much better training than could 
 be given by the generality of parents ; and the charges 
 were so reasonable, that it cost less to keep a child at 
 a nursery than at home. With these two arguments 
 in its favor, the innovation flourished in spite of all 
 opposition. A majority of the children were brought 
 up to the school age in the 'nurseries,' prior to the 
 year i860. In the meantime, by popular demand, the 
 scholastic age was raised from six to nine years. After 
 this, the children remained in the 'nurseries' till the 
 age of nine; and many were taken there before they 
 had learned to talk. The 'nursery' grew so in public 
 favor, that it was soon allotted a room in the ward 
 buildings, free of rent. As soon as those children 
 who lived at home were old enough, it was customary 
 to send them to the 'nurseries' in the daytime, for 
 training — these being in each ward, none of the chil- 
 dren had very far to go. In the year 1865 the people 
 recognized that these institutions deserved public sup- 
 port — in their educational department only, however. 
 After that they were paid a certain per capita allow- 
 ance for each child. Then all those who boarded at 
 home could attend free of charge; but the board of 
 those who were domiciled at the institution had to be 
 paid by the parents, as before; and such is the rule 
 to-day. 
 So successfully were these private concerns con- 
 
138 FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 
 
 ducted — giving the public the full advantage of all 
 the aid they received from the public — that the repeal 
 of compulsory school laws was demanded, and, in 
 some cities, carried, as early as 1869. As an imme- 
 diate result, children above ten years of age attended 
 the 'nurseries,' in increasing numbers, for several 
 years. Finally it was noticed that the official machine 
 had lost its hold upon the people; and the 'nursery' 
 soon became the sole surviving educational institution. 
 When it was observed that the old machine-school had 
 died a natural death, the name 'Public School' was 
 assumed by the 'nurseries' and what you see to-day, 
 Mr. Spencer, is the original 'nursery' ; a private in- 
 stitution, under the name of a public school — an in- 
 stitution which, in an open field, displaced the ma- 
 chine, though the official school had all the advant- 
 ages of precedence, possession, and state law , in its 
 favor! Free competition is the foundation upon which 
 the whole structure is based. It is as firmly fixed as 
 the house 'built upon a rock.'" 
 
 "But," I here inquired, "how can there be contin- 
 uous competition in a school when a person, like your- 
 self, becomes established and holds a position for 
 years, controlling a whole ward's educational plant?" 
 
 "Such positions," replied Mrs. Lotus, "can only be 
 held through the care and vigilance incident to com- 
 petition. The moment the management falls behind 
 the times, or the public shows signs of growing dis- 
 satisfaction, there are always persons ready and wait- 
 ing to step in and oust the unpopular incumbent. 
 There are plenty of teachers under our own man- 
 agement who feel themselves able and willing to step 
 to the front, whenever we prove inefficient. Some^ 
 times combinations of teachers are formed^ Ja-e*d&r-__ 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 139 
 
 to push themselves forward with all the impetus of 
 fheif combined influence. If they prove more com- 
 petent than the old manag«ment, they will survive ; 
 and vice versa. One or the other is bound to suc- 
 cumb, sooner or later. Nothing but skill determines 
 the contest, and the public can never lose by it. " "' 
 
 "How is the allowance per month for each child's 
 education determined?" I asked. 
 
 "Literally," answered my informant, "that is deter-, 
 mined by the City Council once a year; but, in real- 
 ity, it is a matter of tradition. No Council would 
 dare to deviate, in any considerable degree, from cus- 
 tom. It has never yet occurred, to my knowledge, 
 that the allowance has been anywhere decreased. As 
 a rule, it is continued without change. Only when 
 there is a popular demand, would any Council undertake 
 to increase the allowance; and, even then, it is done 
 with great caution ; for any member of the Council 
 is liable, at any time, if he displeases his constit- 
 uents, to be replaced by another, at a special election, 
 which can be held upon the petition of five per cent 
 of the voters of his ward. Our public agents are paid 
 to represent us, not to cut any economic capers on their 
 own account, nor to dictate to the public. They are 
 our mouth-pieces. What we want done, they are sent 
 there to do, be it right or wrong. If one does not 
 choose to act under the instructions given him, he 
 can either resign or be removed. We can get plenty 
 of good talent to do our bidding. In this country, 
 the will of the people is the law of the land. We 
 are the sovereigns ! " 
 
 "There," said I, "is one point that would not work 
 smoothly, under existing conditions, in America. If 
 five per cent of the disgruntled voters could compel 
 
140 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 a special election of officers, we would have an elec- 
 tion every other day. There we have two political 
 parties, equally strong. Neither of them are ever sat- 
 isfied with the officers elected by the opposite party." 
 
 "Have you not decided that point rather prematurely, 
 Mr. Spencer?" she asked. "We also have two par- 
 ties; but neither of them would get up a petition 
 for a special election, if there was no chance of elect- 
 ing their man. What better reason has the minority 
 party to believe, that they can elect their man at a 
 special election, when they have failed at a regular 
 one? and there is always a minority party in a ward. 
 No, Mr. Spencer ! — that is no argument at all. I know 
 that the plan would work just as well in America as 
 it does here; only there would be some excitement 
 over it at first, as with all experiments." 
 
 "One thing I wish to ask you," she continued; 
 "have you not observed that, in America, public posi- 
 tions are sought in preference to private ones?" 
 
 I answered that I had. 
 
 "The reason," she explained, "is because, when 
 salaries are determined by officials, the officials find it 
 to their political interest to make such salaries as 
 large as they dare, thus virtually bribing support for 
 the next election. That is a chronic feature with all 
 governments that carry on public functions directly 
 with salaried officials, and labor paid by the day. Do 
 not American officials invariably appoint a horde of 
 friends — workers at the polls — to offices under their 
 jurisdiction? Has not every newly-elected public school 
 authority innunlerable nieces and cousins to employ 
 as teachers? We are entirely free from all such 
 corruption. Our public service is done just as cheaply 
 as private service requiring equal skill. Competition 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 141 
 
 has just as much play in the one case as in the other. 
 Therefore, no political patronage is possible; and, of 
 course, no corrupt ballot. " 
 
 "I am satisfied," said I, "that your methods of con- 
 ducting public functions are the best in the world; 
 yet, it strikes me, that the proprietor at one of these 
 ward schools could pocket the allowance made by the 
 Council for the education of the children; and then 
 pay small salaries to the teachers." 
 
 "Such would undoubtedly be the case," said Mrs. 
 Lotus, "if the proprietor had a monopoly on the po- 
 sition or on the public money; and the teachers could 
 get nothing else to do besides teaching. But if I did 
 not offer as much salary as the work to be done is 
 worth, 1 could get nobody to teach for me. They 
 would teach on their own responsibility, and draw 
 the money from the Council direct. Before I could 
 set the matter right, my position would be gone. Who- 
 ever teaches the children to the satisfaction of the 
 public, gets the money; and that is the only way of 
 getting it, too! The public must be satisfied — that is 
 what they are paying for, and that is what they can 
 get. 
 
 "But even if the teachers could not teach on their 
 own responsibility, they would not teach for less than 
 they could earn at some other occupation. So you 
 see, it is impossible to cut wages, without having a 
 monopoly on employment ; and without a monopoly 
 of the management, it would be impossible to prevent 
 the school from being properly taught. When you 
 have been here a little longer, you will learn that mo- 
 nopolies are an impossibility in this country. Our 
 public agencies are not allowed to protect monopo- 
 lies; and, without protection, no monopoly can exist 
 anywhere. " 
 
142 PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 After dinner, Redcliffe and I took a walk. Having 
 several dollars in our pockets, which, so far, we had 
 not taken the trouble to get exchanged for native 
 money, we stopped at a metal store to sell it. Piling 
 the silver discs up on the counter, we found that we 
 had just six dollars between us. The clerk asked if 
 it was pure silver. We told him that they contained 
 about lo per cent alloy. After weighing them he 
 said: 
 
 "I will give you ten cents for it." 
 
 We had not come in to be ridiculed, and took pains 
 to tell the gentleman so; when he assured us, that he 
 was not at all anxious to buy at that price, and wanted 
 to knov^ how much we expected to get for it, anyhow. 
 We told him to look at it, and see what we were in 
 the habit of getting for such things. 
 
 He read, "One Dollar, United States of America," 
 looked up amazed, and exclaimed : 
 
 "Are you the people who came here from the out- 
 side, recently? And is that what they have for pioney 
 out there?" 
 
 "That's it exactly," said I. "We came in to get 
 our silver changed for your currency. In America, the 
 metal in that money would be worth almost its face 
 value. " 
 
 "What!" said he, "you don't mean to say, that sil- 
 ver is worth a dollar an ounce over there?" 
 
 "Very nearly," I replied. Then a speculative idea 
 struck him. 
 
 "If I could only take a ship-load over there," he 
 said, "and bring back something which sells higher 
 here, couldn't I make a stake! I can buy all the silver 
 here I want for thirty cents a pound." 
 
 "You can!" I said. "Why we sold our gold here 
 
FROM EARTH' S CENTER 143 
 
 for nearly three times what it is worth in America, 
 so we expected to get at least face-value for our sil- 
 ver; but if what you have offered us is the regular 
 price, I suppose it is not worth any more to us. Is 
 it not strange, though, that gold should be so expen- 
 sive here, and silver so cheap?" 
 
 "No, not at all," replied the clerk. "A man can 
 dig enough silver in a day to make good wages at the 
 price quoted; while gold is so rare that it is barely 
 possible to make wages mining for it." 
 
 With our ten cents, we bought a drink of Breece; 
 and had a good laugh over our speculation in Amer- 
 ican silver. 
 
 "Suppose we had been required to pay a protective 
 tariff on it, when we landed?" observed Redcliffe, 
 
 "Why," said I, "there would then have been a sil- 
 ver trust here, which would have added the tariff to 
 the price; so we would not have been damaged any 
 by the tariff. But," I added, "that glass of Breece 
 cost us more than we ever paid for any drinks in Amer- 
 ica, tariff and all! Just think of it — six dollars for 
 two glasses of Breece!" 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Evening came and I at last found myself once again 
 with Celia Lathrop in her father's parlor. 
 
 It occurred to me that an improvement could be 
 suggested in the order of nature; the hours of the 
 evening should either be lengthened or their number 
 should be increased. 
 
 Time certainly passed with extraordinary speed that 
 evening. But I was consoled by the hope of more 
 such evenings in the future. 
 
 As this was the occasion set apart for Miss Lath- 
 rop's historical narrative, she began without delay: 
 
 "Joseph Quesney lived with his parents in the city 
 of Marseilles, France. He was a robust, daring young 
 man, with a strong tendency toward rambling and ex- 
 perimenting. His parents were rich and liberal; and 
 placed wealth enough at his command to enable him 
 to do pretty much as he pleased. But he was more 
 desperately in love with a fair young damsel near 
 home, than their youth warranted; and upon being 
 refused her parents' consent to their immediate mar- 
 riage, he left home to travel in England. 
 
 "There he attended a short course of astronomical 
 lectures; and later, too restless to continue his stud- 
 ies, he joined a whaling outfit and went to sea. The 
 exposure to danger, the courage and determination re- 
 quired, and the tragic nature of his adventurous un- 
 dertaking gave him just the excitement he liked; and 
 
 144 
 
PROM P:ARTH'S center 145 
 
 he was heartily sorry when the cruise came to an end. 
 
 "Quesney, though he possessed the tastes and spirit 
 of an adventurer, was nevertheless, a man of intelli- 
 gence and ambition. He was a close observer of cur- 
 rent events, and kept thoroughly posted as to the lat- 
 est developments in science and thought. During his 
 whaling trip he elaborated a plan which would have 
 daunted a man of less self-confidence and energy. He 
 resolved to explore the Arctic regions, and discover 
 the North Pole! 
 
 "Returning to England he talked his scheme over 
 with his wealthy young friends, some of whom were 
 immediately taken with the idea. Before they began 
 making preparations for the trip, however, Quesney 
 went back to France; and again endeavored to get the 
 consent of his fiancee's parents to their marriage. 
 When it was again refused he informed them of the 
 proposed expedition; and promised the hopeful girl, 
 that he would soon return. 
 
 "On the day of his departure from England for the 
 north, he mailed a letter to her, which she prized 
 most sacredly. 
 
 "He was gone! She expected him to return in a few 
 months ; but many months passed away, and nothing 
 was heard from him. Finally they began to fear that 
 his ship had been wrecked, and that he was perhaps 
 lost forever. 
 
 "A vessel was sent out in search of his party; but 
 after a dreary time, the searchers returned and report- 
 ed that no traces of them had been found. A whaling 
 crew had been spoken, however, who reported see- 
 ing them at the extreme nothern limit to which ves- 
 sels dared sail — that when last sighted, they were mov- 
 ing desperately along due north, at an unaccountable 
 
146 FROM MARTH'S CEiSTTER 
 
 rate of speed — and that the chances were a thousand 
 to one that they had perished in the icy regions. 
 
 "This report settled the matter with every one, 
 except Miss Turgot — " 
 
 "What!" I exclaimed, "did you say Miss Turgot." 
 
 "Yes," she replied, "that was the sweetheart's name." 
 
 "Why!" I said, with a feeling of pride and satis- 
 faction, "that was the name of my mother and her an- 
 cestors." 
 
 "Indeed?" exclaimed Miss Lathrop, evidently sur- 
 prised. "Then you are a — a — then you are of French 
 descent?" 
 
 "Yes, of course — that is, I am one-half French de- 
 scent, and the other half Scotch; but don't let me in- 
 terrupt you." 
 
 "Miss Turgot," continued my fair narrator, "was 
 not to be- satisfied so readily. She went to work, try- 
 ing to organize a crew to continue the search. It 
 seemed almost impossible to interest any of her mas- 
 culine friends in the matter, though she plead with 
 them earnestly; even promising that she herself and 
 two other enthusiastic young ladies — friends of hers — 
 would accompany them. Not a single man was willing 
 to make the venture. Finally, she determined, that 
 if the men were all cowards and devoid of sympathy, 
 she could find women who were brave enough for the 
 undertaking — and she did. 
 
 "The idea was scarcely formed before she had suc- 
 ceeded in collecting a party of her youthful feminine 
 friends, all of them proficient in several languages 
 and brave as experiencd sailors. They had had con- 
 siderable nautical experience; and knew the dangers 
 to be faced, the difficulties to be surmounited. 
 
 "Engaging a stout-hearted crew in England, where 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 147 
 
 they bought and fitted out their ship, these fair voy- 
 agers set sail. Light were they of heart, and full of 
 hope, little dreaming that they had looked for the last 
 time upon their native land. 
 
 "Yet so it was. Tha,t is the last we have to relate 
 of old Europe, Mr. Spencer. That ship and its brave 
 owners never returned. 
 
 "They sailed and they sailed steadily northward, 
 through such terrible storms and rude dangers as you 
 yourself have experienced. Suddenly they went over 
 the northern rim, were carried inward, much to their 
 consternation and terror, and, at last, landed on the 
 coast of what was afterward named Turgot. 
 
 "To their unspeakable delight and astonishment 
 they found that young Quesney and his company had 
 preceded them; and were comfortably situated, safe 
 and sound. 
 
 "I will not undertake to describe the meeting of M. 
 Quesney and Mile. Turgot, in that out-of-the-way 
 place. It would require a stronger power of imagina- 
 tion than I possess. You will understand though, that 
 as the parents were too far away for their objections 
 to have any valid force, the lovers were married then 
 and there, within an hour from the time they met in 
 -this new world; and the young assemblage, who had 
 shared their dangers, celebrated their joy by feasting 
 and making merry that evening. Thus auspiciously 
 did they begin life in a strange land. 
 
 "Quesney" s crew had traveled round the coast of 
 the state — then an independent nation — stopped at 
 every fort and examined into the political and social 
 institutions of the natives ; but not finding the laws 
 and customs of the country satisfactory they returned 
 to their landing-place now the city of La Humane. 
 
148 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 Here they purchased a tract of land on credit ; anc 
 were allowed to form a colony or nation among them 
 selves outside of the jurisdiction of the native govern' 
 ment. They were just on the point of organizing 
 their government when the ladies and their crew ar 
 rived. This caused a short delay ; but the new-comers 
 were heartily welcomed; and the united colony soor 
 proceeded with the work of organization. 
 
 "Here is where knowledge proved invaluable. Most 
 of the young men were familiar with parJiamentarj 
 usage, though they knew little of economic law or the 
 science of government. 
 
 "Delegates to a general assembly were soon elected; 
 and among them were both Mr. and Mrs. Quesney. 
 
 "The representatives of this new spontaneous na- 
 tion convened, and elected Mr. Quesney their tempo- 
 rary chairman. They then proceeded to draft a con- 
 stitution. 
 
 "I might explain, that Mile. Turgot had made the 
 study of political economy her especial hobby. Hei 
 grandfather, and a number of other illustrious French- 
 men — among them Quesney, Mirabeau, Condorcet, 
 Dupont and others were advocating reforms which she 
 had mastered in her girlhood days. She was, therefore, 
 competent, through her influence, to embody in the 
 Constitution certain, principles, which, but for her, 
 would perhaps be unknown to this nation. 
 
 "Another thing, which might interest you, Mr. Spen- 
 ££.x, is, that Mile. Turgot also brought with her the 
 Constitution of the United States of America, whicl' 
 had been adopted a short time before she left France, 
 That document was a great aid to the founders of oui 
 government, as many of its features were copied. 
 
 "After the ratification and adoption of the Consti 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 149 
 
 tution, by popular vote, a new election was held for 
 permanent officers, pursuant to the provisions of the 
 Constitution About the same number of representa- 
 tives as the Constitutional convention contained dele- 
 gates, and nearly the same ones, were permanently 
 elected; and Quesney was again mide Chairman. 
 
 "He held the office for one year — the term of office- 
 holding they had adopted and which has never been 
 changed. Then a departure was made. The inesti- 
 mable services of Mrs. Turgot Quesney as a member 
 of the assembly, and especially in framing the consti- 
 tution, made her extremely popular. She was the choice 
 of the people at the second election for the high office 
 of Chairman of the nation; and was re-elected time 
 and again, until she had served her people in that 
 honored capacity for twenty-five consecutive years. 
 After she retired from active public life, she contin- 
 ued, for many years, to be the principal advisor of the 
 nation's legislators. 
 
 "During the first quarter of a century, this young 
 nation's progress was so extraordinary — beginning ex- 
 istence, as it did under a weight of debts contracted 
 for the purchase of territory and provisions — that large 
 adjoining states applied for annexation to the colony. 
 They were admitted conditionally: the new territories 
 were to accept the Constitution and be satisfied, for ten 
 years, with a smaller representation in the assembly 
 than that of the founders of the nation. The wisdom 
 of this provision was quickly proven; for the annexed 
 population was many times larger than the original 
 colony; and had equal representation been permitted 
 at once, the native ignorance would have been peril- 
 ous to their free institutions. You must remember 
 that the doctrine of protection by a. tariff on imports. 
 
I50 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 was, at that time, so deeply rooted in the faith of 
 these people, that with a majority in the assembly, 
 nothing could have prevented the introduction of those 
 old traditional, poverty- breeding tariff la^ts^-which 
 h av e fil 1 ed the worTd^wTt hjs tan d i n g arm i es .and_misery. 
 
 "The Quesneys had several children; but all died be- 
 fore majority, except one daughter, who married a 
 Mr. Lathrop— " 
 
 "And they were your ancestors?" I asked, enthusias- 
 tically. 
 
 "There are several families of Lathrops in this 
 country," was her quiet answer. 
 
 I apologized for the interruption, and she proceeded : 
 
 "Mrs. Lathrop never aspired to any political office. 
 Her husband also led a private life. During their 
 generation, however, wonders were accomplished po- 
 litically — not economically, but politically; for sev- 
 eral generations only a few trivial economic changes 
 were made. So perfectly were the doctrines of free- 
 dom embodied in the Constitution, that the young na- 
 tion was unable; to improve upon the principles laid 
 down by Mrs. Turgot Quesney. 
 
 "But the political wonders were, that the whole 
 continent had, piece by piece, been added to the little 
 nation; and with a population of over two millions, 
 under free institutions, the national capital was moved 
 from La Humane to Lancaster — a centrally located in- 
 land town. 
 
 "The eldest son of the Lathrops studied law ; and 
 made his way into the assembly at an early age. 
 Statesmen were then in demand. The population was 
 so large, in proportion to the small number of origi- 
 nal reformers and their descendants, that it required 
 the most powerful efforts of the more statesmen-like 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 151 
 
 representatives to prevent the adoption of principles 
 diametrically opposed to those of our free institutions; 
 and to these principles alone was due the unprece- 
 dented success of the new social organization. 
 
 "There was a strong political party which, at one 
 time, nearly gained control in the assembly. One of 
 this party's principal tenets was 'the protection of 
 home industries' by the taxing of imported articles. 
 It was at this time that young Lathrop made his 
 efforts tell. For years he fought the tariff advocates in 
 the Turgot Assembly. His logical, thought weighted 
 speeches, were printed in pamphlet form, by his ad- 
 mirers and co-workers; and spread broadcast through- 
 out the state, even through portions of the other states 
 which were encircled by 'tariff walls' — custom houses. 
 This literature soon educated the masses to materially 
 strengthen the 'Automatic' party— the name given 
 to_ the party" of "believers in freedom; free, natural, 
 automatic, \o\eX^ax^&,-Laissez fyire. So Francis Lath- 
 rop grew in public favor, until, in 1849, he was elect- 
 ed speaker of the state legislature. 
 
 "In spite of all the preaching of the native wise- 
 acres in the neighboring states against free trade, im- 
 migration was constantly on the increase from all 
 parts of the country, to Turgot. In less than five years 
 from the time Mr. Lathrop was first elected Speaker, 
 the population of that state almost doubled. 
 
 "The astonished statesmen of the neighboring states 
 began to lose faith in their fetich — protection — which 
 was shortly abolished in Alhambra. The effect there 
 was temporary progress. The natives were again 
 astonished, that free trade should prove a permanent 
 benefit to Turgot and only a temporary one to Al- 
 hambra. 
 
152 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Alhambra's Automatic party then took up the land- 
 reform crusade; and, after an agitation of several years, 
 Turgot's system of land tenure was adopted. From 
 that time, Mr. Spencer, dates the progress and real 
 civilization of this state! 
 
 "Francis Lathrop's sons did not enter political life. 
 The eldest moved to Quesney in 1847, married soon 
 after, and his son again took an active part in polit- 
 ical affairs. 
 
 "In 1884 he was elected . to the National Congress, 
 from the fourth district of Alhambra; and, after serv- 
 ing five years, he retired. 
 
 "That latest statesman of the Lathrop family, Mr. 
 Spencer, is my father." 
 
 ,'^"Bo I was right, after all!" I exclaimed; "and you 
 are a fifth cOusin of mine! Does it not seem almost 
 itoo delightfully romantic to be true?" 
 i "It is certainly one of Fate's most fantastic freaks!" 
 she answered brightly, "to bring us together, away off 
 here! I shall never call anything incredible again!" 
 
 " "I understand, now, why you hesitated when I told 
 
 you that the Turgots were my ancestors. You wished 
 to give me another surprise." 
 
 "And I succeeded, didn't I?" 
 
 "You certainly dfd, cousin Celia!" I declared, and 
 she gave me a glance full of mischief. "Surely it is 
 quite the proper thing for your cousin to call you 
 'Celia,' is it not? Now, I desire you to dispense 
 with the 'Mr.' in addressing me henceforth. That's 
 a reasonable request under the circumstances, isn't it„ 
 cousin?" 
 
 "I'll have to think about it," was her repjy. 
 
 A Jong confidential talk followed. Celia treated 
 me with perfect frankness — a prominent feature with 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 153 
 
 the young women here, more noticeable to me than 
 anything else. 
 
 "The reason for such frankness in the fairer sex is 
 not far to seek. In this country no motives, other 
 than personal attraction, actuate either friendship or 
 love. When people can have no earthly cause for sus- 
 picion, why should they hesitate to follow their incli- 
 nations? It is, of course, advisable in America or 
 Europe to be exceedingly cautious with friends or 
 lovers, for there, most affiliations are due to pecuniary 
 motives. A Los Angeles business man once asked 
 me, "What are friends good for, if you can't make 
 anything out of them?" and the majority of American 
 love affairs are, I believe, conducted on the business 
 principle known as "bettering one's material condi- 
 tion." It is there considered especially good taste 
 for a young girl to be reserved and diffident when the 
 subject of marriage is broached by one whose life 
 companion she means to become. In countries where 
 marriage means a continual financial struggle and, in 
 many cases, poverty until death, timidity and suspi- 
 cion are only natural; and it is not strange that girls 
 frequently marry homes rather than husbands. 
 
 How often can the traditional "I love you" be be- 
 lieved? 
 
 In many cases the first thoughts of the fair one will 
 be, "Does he really love me, or can he have some 
 other object?— is he scheming to get control of my 
 money or to gain a seat at a mother-in-law's table? — 
 is he honorable and industrious enough to enable him 
 to hold a position which will yield an income?" Alas! 
 the girl ;.oo frequently knows that these questions will 
 be answered for the worst, after marriage; and yet, 
 she softly gives the whispered "yes;" and lends her- 
 self, a willing victim, to hymeneal misery ! 
 
154 P^ O^ ^^^ ^^ '^ CENTER 
 
 But in Centralia, where opportunities are open to 
 all; no one is clothed with special privileges; and, as 
 a natural result, all can employ themselves profitably, 
 and lead useful, happy lives. Where married people 
 are not forced, by stress of circumstances, to deny 
 themselves comforts, amusements and luxuries; where 
 the dread of poverty is unknown, and the means of 
 subsistence becomes a secondary question to the real 
 object of existence — there will always be found inde- 
 pendence, straightforwardness and justice — the essen- 
 tial attributes of manhood and womanhood. 
 
 When i contrasted the characteristic reserve of the 
 typical old-world girl with the candor of young Cen- 
 tralian women, I found the explanation very simple : 
 In America a woman can never tell whether she is 
 hearing the truth or being, deceived. _If^ she possesses 
 wealth she cannot avoid becoming suspicious^ JB\it 
 here, in a society where no one marries for property — 
 where love alone is the motive for marriage, reserve 
 and suspicion become wholly unnatural. 
 
 When I left that evening Celia gave me a cordial 
 invitation to "call again, soon." 
 
 "That is altogether too indefinite to suit me," said 
 I. "In my vocabulary 'soon' means 'very shortly' — 
 is that your definition also?" 
 
 "In this particular case, " she answered with a laugh, 
 "I think the definition should be about a week long—" 
 
 "Then it is well I spoke of it," I replied. "Had I 
 depended on my own judgment, you would probably 
 have been surprised the day after to-morrow by my 
 appearance. " 
 
 "Well, perhaps the surprise would not have been 
 altogether disagreeable," she rejoined, "could I have 
 been at home; but — I'll be at leisure an evening later, 
 if you come then." 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 155 
 
 "Thanks, Celia! your kindness makes me happy. I 
 was afraid of a whole week's loneliness." 
 
 Thus I left her and went out into the night. The 
 air was delightfully refreshing and I concluded to 
 walk to the hotel. 
 
 On the way thither I gave my thoughts full sway. 
 I meditated upon the accidents of fate — upon this 
 chance discovery of our relationship. Nor was this 
 all. I looked out into the future; and filled the dream- 
 land of possibility with speculative hopes and fears 
 — a lover's heritage. 
 
 Did she love me? Was I worthy of her? — This 
 was the tenor of my musings. Was that smile of wel- 
 come, that reluctance at parting, that eager pressure 
 of the hand, that earnestly repeated desire to see me 
 again, and yet again — were these food upon which 
 hope might feed? or were they but the expressions of 
 a refined hospitality? or might it not be (I shivered 
 at the thought), that she looked upon me as a curious 
 being from another world — a strange animal — to be 
 petted and caressed, then cast aside? or was she merely 
 trifling with me, for the sake of inborn coquetry? 
 
 "No! no! no! a thousand times no!" I exclaimed 
 aloud. "She must — she must love me! Hers is not a 
 coquette's face! hers is not a coquette's manner! She 
 is the acme of honesty — the epitome of all that is 
 noble, grand and true! Yes, something — call it Fate, 
 Providence, Destiny,' or what you will — something has 
 been working through the ages to unite us — Celia and 
 me! Did not the same mysterious hand guide her an- 
 cestors to Centralia's shores; and unite them, after 
 many hardships? And has not the same inevitable 
 power now brought us together — children of two worlds 
 but bound by the ties of kinship! — to lovel to love! 
 to love ! 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 It has several times occurred tome to examine into 
 the theory of the paper money system which gives 
 such satisfaction here; but, heretofore, I had not had 
 an opportunity to do so. 
 
 While I was sitting in the parlor of the hotel one 
 afternoon, Mr. Johnson, the Congressman, called to 
 see me. As soon as possible I turned the conversation 
 on the subject of money. 
 
 "What is the basis of your paper dollar?" I asked. 
 "How is its value regulated, since it has no intrinsic 
 value to determine its price? If I had not learned 
 from personal observation, that paper can be made to 
 answer exclusively for money, no amount of theorizing 
 would have convinced me that it could be done!" 
 
 "The intrinsic value-in-money error, " explained the 
 Congressman, "was abolished in some of our states 
 over forty years ago. Previous to that time there were 
 plausible excuses for clinging to such an absurdity. 
 As long as hostile governments exist, vieing with 
 each other across their boundary lines, from behind 
 the breastworks of standing armies and protective 
 tariffs; when no government is stable, or certain of 
 continued existence ; when all human ingenuity is 
 expended in devising instruments of murder superior 
 to those of a rival nation — it would not be advisable 
 to undertake such a delicate public function as that 
 of providing a scientific currency. In the first place, 
 with the fall of- a government, falls its money. There 
 
 156 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 157 
 
 fore, if a government's stability is continually threat- 
 ened, it is better in that case to retain a money with an 
 independent value as a commodity. In the second place, 
 any nation which clings to such a miserable delusion 
 as trying to protect itself against the good things that 
 the people of other nations wish to exchange in a fair 
 deal or trade, is, as yet, incompetent and too unset- 
 tled, to undertake such an improvement as a paper 
 currency, without doing more harm than good to the 
 public. Imagine a people about equally divided, pro- 
 tectionists and free traders, attempting to regulate 
 paper money! This year one faction has control of 
 issuing money; next year the other. The one party 
 believes in extending, the other in restricting, the cir- 
 culation. Then there would be a fluctuation in the 
 value of money every time a change of administration 
 took place. Commerce would be disturbed, either 
 debtor or creditor would lose the difference in the rise 
 or fall of prices and the result would inevitably be 
 disorder and revolution! 
 
 "But any nation which is above such barbarous 
 policies, and therefore, reasonably stable, might profit- 
 ably adopt our S3'stem of currency, as it is econom- 
 ical, efficient, and regulated by a natural automatic 
 indicator. No arbitrary power is left in the hands of 
 any authority to cause the value of money to fluctu- 
 ate. When our paper money was adopted, the amount 
 of currency in circulation was just enough to make an 
 average day's wages, for unskilled labor, three dollars. 
 If more money was put in circulation, the wages of la- 
 bor would rise; if less, wages would fall. Everything 
 else in the market would rise and fall in proportion. 
 
 "Now you see the secret of the money question, Mr. 
 Spencer. All our Congress is required to do is to 
 
158 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 keep just enough money in circulation to maintain 
 the wages of unskilled labor- at three dollars a day. 
 There is nothing else in the world that would make 
 as good a regulator and basis for money as does la, 
 bor; for labor is the producer of all commodities, and 
 does not fluctuate as to redemption, all paper money, 
 which is made receivable for taxes, is good and will 
 pass at par in the commercial world. 
 
 "Money is a labor-saving machine to facilitate ex- 
 change. Trade would be cumbersome without it. 
 Money circulates about, from hand to hand, throughout 
 the community, and assumes somewhat the nature of 
 a commodity. When it is scarce it is worth more 
 than when it is plentiful — not worth more interest, 
 mind you! but you can buy more for it. Money is of 
 such a nature, that the amount in circulation must 
 measure the amount of commerce. When the amount 
 of currency is small it is spread out thinly over the com- 
 munity ; but it nevertheless measures commerce; prices 
 of things are lower and wages decrease, which indi- 
 cates the decreased supply of currency just as surely 
 and readily as a fall in the temperature is indicated 
 by a good thermometer. 
 
 "In the nature of things there is always a steady 
 increased demand for money because population in- 
 creases all the time, and more money is needed to go 
 around — even more per capita, owing to the greater 
 proportionate increase of commerce than of population. 
 If, however, on account of increased demand, money 
 becomes scarce enough to cause wages to fall, though 
 but one per cent of the daily average, enough more 
 money is issued at once to again raise wages to the 
 three dollar standard." 
 
 "Do I understand then, that nominal wages always 
 remain the same, from age to age?" I inquired. 
 
PR OM EAR TH'S CENTER 1 59 
 
 "Just so," answered Mr. Johnson. "The nominal 
 wagesjoiJat!Qr-are_the_.same for all time; but virtual 
 wages are contijiually on the increase; that is to say, 
 the same amount of money alwaj's buys the same 
 amount of labor; but its purchasing power, for all 
 kinds of commodities, steadily increases. Every new 
 railroad, every improvement in the arts, every labor- 
 saving device or machine, adds to the productive 
 power of labor; and, therefore, reduces the cost of 
 production, but can never reduce wages. There is 
 only one method of reducing real wages below the 
 full earnings of labor : that is by allowing monopolies 
 of natural opportunities — the land — so that labor can- 
 not employ itself when wages are reduced by em- 
 ployers. " 
 
 You speak of improvements in the arts and in labor- 
 saving machinery," I continued, "as increasing the 
 purchasing power of wages; but in all of our American 
 experience we found that, while machinery increased 
 the productive power of labor, somehow it never 
 seemed to benefit the laborers. At least the working 
 classes continually complain that their condition is 
 growing worse, that the rich are getting richer and the 
 poor, poorer; and, judging by the way they .generally 
 dressed, and by the economy they were obliged to 
 practice, it was impossible to see how improvements 
 in machinery benefited the working classes. On the 
 contrary, the only visible effect was, that such improve- 
 ments tended to throw labor out of employment. I 
 can now see very plainly, that their complaints were 
 well founded. At that time, I thought it was their 
 own shiftlessness that kept them poor." 
 
 To this Mr. Johnson answered: 
 
 "Now you are entering upon a new subject; and 
 
i6o PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 while I will not argue the point at present, I will tell 
 you the reason why progress is accompanied by pov- 
 erty in America. It is because natural resources are 
 monopolized ! 
 
 "Land rents should be absorbed by taxation. If they 
 are not, speculation will set in, and land, both in and 
 out of the city, will be held idle for higher prices. 
 In that way opportunities for labor are closed; and 
 the laborer must either work at the employer's terms, 
 or tramp; he has no chance to employ himself. When- 
 ever this condition of things exist, there will be pov- 
 erty in the midst of wealth. We have had the same 
 experience here; but the evil was removed by the 
 ^ adoption of our system of taxation." 
 
 "Your land-value tax," said I, "has been explained 
 to me; and no doubt it is the best system of taxation 
 known. But, since we are dealing with the money 
 question, I wish you would tell me how Congress 
 knows when to issue an increased supply of money 
 and how much." 
 
 "As I said before," answered Mr. Johnson, "all 
 that is necessary is to observe the wages of labor. If 
 the average unskilled laborer received more than three 
 dollars per day, that fact is proof of too large a circu- 
 lation of money. If wages fall below three dollars 
 per day the circulation is insufficient, then more 
 money will at once be printed. And rest assured, Mr. 
 Spencer, that if Congress should not at once observe 
 the rise or fall in wages, the people would inform 
 them through the press in unmistakable terms. And 
 the amount necessary is a matter of judgment and pre- 
 cedent. By the record of the past we can tell very 
 accurately what effect a certain increase will have on 
 wages." 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER i6i 
 
 "How is this newly issued money distributed?" I in- 
 quired. 
 
 "In proportion to population," was the answer. 
 "Each ward receives its pro rata with which local im- 
 provements can be made, or if the ward requires no 
 improvements it is distributed direct to the public. " 
 
 "Has not this division of money a tendency to raise 
 a popular demand for a still greater increase of cur- 
 rency?" I suggested. 
 
 "Not with an intelligent people," he replied. "We 
 all know that just as the amount of circulation is in- 
 creased, so the value of our currency is diminished, 
 therefore it is not in the interest of the people to in- 
 crease the amount of currency unlimitedly, it would 
 result in such cheap money that a carload of it would 
 be required to pay for a day's work. We have set- 
 tled upon one-third of a day's wages as^the most con- 
 venient denomination for our unit of value — the dollar 
 — and the people understand perfectly well that no 
 government or agency can make them any richer by 
 printing dollars." 
 
 "Still," I insisted, "is not there a constant tendency 
 of the debtor class to demand an increased circulation 
 which would cheapen money and render their debts 
 easier paid?" 
 
 "There is such a tendency," he admitted, "but to 
 equalize it we have an opposing power in the creditor 
 class, just as the former would wish for cheap money 
 to pay a debt, so would the latter wish real valuable 
 money in payment of his claim. Not only do these 
 two powers exactly balance each other but we have a 
 still stronger power to reinforce the right; it is man's 
 intuitive sense of justice, a power we can safely rely 
 upon in an emergency. No matter how much one 
 
1 62 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 class may, from motives of personal gain, wish to pay 
 off an honest debt with dishonest money, or wish to 
 rob a debtor by increasing the value of the dollars he 
 owes; the public will not submit to any such injustice 
 It would cry for fair play. "Let the dollar be worth 
 as much to-day as it was yesterday, as it was a year 
 ago, or will be ten years hence. Let justice be done 
 though the heavens fall," is the sentiment you would 
 hear thundering from among the multitudes. Thus 
 you see we have no trouble in keeping the value of 
 our paper money always the same." 
 
 "I should judge, then," said I, "as a result of the 
 stationary value of your money, interest would also 
 remain stationary." 
 
 "Oh! but there you are mistaken," replied Mr. John- 
 son, "the amount of money in circulation or the value 
 of money has nothing to do with the rate of interest. 
 Our rate of interest is almost absolutely stationary, 
 but that is due to entirely different reasons. Monfey 
 and interest bear no relation with each other. The 
 
 rate of interest is. governed byjthe_demjaii.dJor_capital, 
 and in a country so well _settigiL-.Ln^ securities. as this, 
 where gambling is an occupatiQiu_fDX_ pastimgjL^nd 
 lottery dupes are extinct, the amount oi capiial_seek- 
 ing employment is so universally equal to thedemand 
 for it, that the rate of interest seldom varies as much 
 as one-half per cent. The current interest at whic'h"-" 
 you could to-morrow get from $5, to I5, 000, 000, is six 
 to six and one-fourth per cent per annum, anywhere in 
 the whole country." 
 
 "Suppose," said I, "some one were to borrow $5,- 
 000,000 to morrow, would not that reduce the amount 
 of capital in the market? And, if done in a small 
 city, would it not cause a money panic, so that peo- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 163 
 
 pie would offer to pay a higher rate of interest to get 
 the use of money?" 
 
 "I thought you were confused with, terms" was his 
 answer, "now I know you are! In the first place Mr. 
 Spencer mone^is jiot^ capital — please bear that in 
 mind; but only a representative of wealth. Capital 
 must be wealth used in the production of more wealth. 
 With money you can buy capital just as you can with 
 a good promissory note. That, however, does not 
 prove that promissory notes are either wealth or cap- 
 ital — the mere fact that you can exchange the one for 
 the other does not make them identical. You would 
 not say that money is a wheel-barrow or a cooki ng- 
 stove, because it will exchange for those forms of 
 wealth; neither can you say, that because money will 
 buy capital, it is capital itself. If money were capital 
 or wealth, how easy it would be to make a nation of 
 capitalists, by merely printing billions after billions 
 of paper dollars, and distributing them ! The fact is, 
 money is neither wealth nor capital; nor does anyone 
 pay interest for the use of money itself, because the 
 use of money is free. You might use a dollar for a 
 century; and, if it were not worn out, it would still 
 be a dollar, and no more. Its use would not have 
 been worth a cent. It is only when you pay it out 
 — when you exchange it — that it is worth anything; 
 and, in that case, you are not getting any use of the 
 dollar, except for the short time it took to trade it 
 off; and the use of money for that purpose is free of 
 charge. It is public property. We all have a right 
 to the use of money as a medium of exchange free. 
 That is what the public has devised it for just as the 
 public has also made streets, for the use of those who 
 need them, free of charge. 
 
i64 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "If your man should come to a small town to-mor- 
 row, as you put it in your question, and borrow five 
 million dollars, draw the cash and carry it about in 
 his pockets for any length of time, he would be taken 
 for a lunatic and treated accordingly. When he re- 
 covered, he could use his credit in a rational manner; 
 but not for monopolizing a public property, like our 
 circulating medium of exchange. We would no sooner 
 submit to the monopoly of money than to the nio- 
 nopoly of the seats in a theater. Anyone can have all 
 the money or all the theater tickets he wants, as lorg 
 as he is reasonable, or even if he is a little unreason- 
 able, to the extent, say, of buying eight or ten tickets 
 and going to the theater alone, or a few hundred dol- 
 lars to be constantly carried in his pockets; with neither 
 of which would the public interfere, though they 
 might consider him a hog, with more money than 
 brains, and even tell him so; but let someone attempt 
 to buy a thousand theater tickets, without a satisfac- 
 tory explanation, or endeavor to monopolize uncon- 
 scionable sums of money in the manner indicated, and 
 you would see how soon such a man would be taken 
 up for a lunatic — a creature whose peculiarly dis- 
 torted ideas are detrimental to the public welfare; and 
 who should, therefore, not be allowed to run at large. 
 Even if, in the one case, he had sufficient money to 
 pay the market price for the reserved seats; or if, in 
 the other, he had ample security upon which to bor- 
 row the large amount of currency — it would not be 
 permitted. You see, we all have a right to go to the 
 theater, -and we all have a right to the use of the public 
 convenience, money. Our rights would undoubtedly be 
 infringed upon, if one person were allowed to monop- 
 olize that which belongs to all." 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 165 
 
 "I see now what I never thought of before," said I. 
 "It is so customary to speak of this or that person as 
 having much money, that, superficially, it is a com- 
 mon idea that a rich man must necessarily have his 
 pockets full of money, and millions in the banks, at 
 all times. I have an idea, even, that many people in 
 my country think that all millionaires could, at any 
 time, show just as much cash as they are quoted to 
 be worthj never stopping to think that business men 
 always have their whole financial strength invested in 
 order to get returns. 
 
 "I always thought that money was private property, 
 and, for that reason, anyone could do with it what he 
 pleased ; but I see the force of your theater illustration. 
 The individual has a perfect right to do as he pleases, 
 as long as he does not infringe upon the equal rights 
 of others. And heretofore I always believed that, in- 
 terest was paid .for the use of money itself; but I un- 
 derstand now, that the use of money is ag free as the 
 use of a city park, yet no one would be allowed to 
 monopolize either. 
 
 "There is yet one point," I continued, "which I 
 cannot exactly understand. How could the United 
 States, for instance, use such money as you have here. 
 Though protection were forever abolished, America 
 deals with foreign nations who would not take paper 
 money for pay, when they sell their goods." 
 
 "That is an easy question," replied the Congressman; 
 "but before answering it, let me correct a mistake of 
 yours, which tends to confuse. You speak of 'America 
 dealing with foreign nations:' you evidently mean to 
 say, that American people deal with foreign people. 
 International commerce is individual _txade, as .much 
 as home commerce is; nations themselves do very 
 little trading, as a rule. 
 
i66 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "In regard to money and foreign trade, I would say 
 that foreigners do not accept your money now, as 
 money; but take your gold, silver, potatoes, or wheat 
 at their commodity value. They do not stop to con- 
 sider what kind of a stamp is on the article. If the 
 United States should stamp "^ lo, " on an ounce of silver, 
 would foreign people take it for any more than if it 
 was stamped 50 cts., or left a perfect blank? 
 
 "Of what good then, is money in foreign trade? 
 Would it not be just as easy to take your paper money 
 if you had it, buy any kind of goods you can best dis- 
 pose of to the foreigner, and pay for what you get in. 
 that way? That is not a mere theory. We practice 
 it right here, and know how it works. 
 
 "Some years ago each of these states, which are now 
 united, were hostile nations. They all had custom- 
 houses, and their accomplices, armies and navies. 
 For several years, Turgot was the only state where 
 paper money was in use; and the only state whose 
 people were too dignified to skulk behind custom- 
 houses. Turgot allowed free trade with all other 
 states, though none of the others, at that time, re- 
 turned the courtesy. It was also the only state which 
 kept up no militia, army or navy; yet, in the race for 
 supremacy, this very state won the day! Its institu- 
 tions have since been universally copied; and, simul- 
 taneously, slavery, both chattel and industrial — they 
 had them both — exclusive ownership of land, political 
 corruption, protective tariffs, poverty, and wars were 
 blotted out of existence — thus converting the races, 
 which only a short time before were robbing and fight- 
 ing each other — Into a prosperous, contented and ho- 
 mogeneous people. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 In the hope that Celia would be willing to devote 
 the evening to the cultivation of our mutual intimacy, 
 and the strengthening of those sentimental ties already 
 so strongly developed on my part — I called according 
 to appointment. 
 
 While with her,there was one subject of conversation 
 in which, above all others, I found satisfaction — a sub- 
 ject which, in my American experience, was the only 
 one that substantially interested the girls. And, al- 
 though I thought I could overlook anything Celia might 
 feel inclined to do, yet her persistent inclination to 
 dwell on subjects, in themselves interesting, but too 
 philosophical for the occasion, caused me a slight dis- 
 satisfaction — a feeling that she was not treating me 
 quite justly. She certainly knew, by several attempts 
 of mine to turn the conversation, just what was up- 
 permost in my mind, still she plainly refused a com- 
 pliance with my reasonable wishes. 
 
 As she was determined to have her own way, and I 
 found that way extremely interesting, I contented my- 
 self with her chosen subjects. 
 
 1 gained considerable knowledge during the evening, 
 for I found her remarkably well posted, a fine reasoner, 
 and a perfect mistress of economic questions, as well 
 as an earnest student of science, literature, and the 
 every-day philosophies. 
 
 In the course of our conversation she gave me a 
 description of the methods of Centralia's physicians. 
 
 167 
 
1 68 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 At first, these seemed very peculiar; but, upon con- 
 sideration, they impressed me favorably. 
 
 "In this country," said Celia, "it is customary with 
 physicians to enter into contracts with their patients 
 to keep them well — practically speaking— for^ stipu- 
 lated amount per month or per year. With transient 
 customers they, of course, charge fees for visits; but 
 when a regular customer is sick, and the physician is 
 called, he prescribes and furnishes the medicines and 
 the patient is at no further expense than if he had 
 remained well. When the illness becomes acute the 
 patient is removed to the hospital — not because the 
 physician could not treat him just as well at home, 
 but because there they are better equipped for nursing." 
 
 "It seems to me," I objected, "that this plan forces 
 healthy people to pay part of the doctors' bills for those 
 who are sick." 
 
 "That is not the case," Celia explained, "because 
 physicians will not treat the unhealthy for the same 
 price as they treat others. Every contract between 
 physician and patient is a personal matter — a regular 
 business transaction; and therefore, patients pay only 
 what they consider a fair price." 
 
 "But what is gained by this arrangement?" 
 
 "The beauty of the plan is, that it is to the physi- 
 cians interest to cure patients as quickly as possible. 
 The less the patients are sick, the less the physicians 
 have to do to earn their money; and since there is 
 always a healthy competition among the doctors, who 
 naturally aim at an increase of patronage, the public 
 gets medical treatment, of the best kind, for the price 
 it is actually worth. So smoothly does this automatic 
 system work that no laws are required to restrict the 
 practice of medicine. People will not, and need not. 
 
FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 169 
 
 employ physicians who do not understand their pro- 
 fession. 
 
 "Another advantage of this system is, that it tends 
 to average a physician's income. This is true, too, of 
 the customer's expense. Let us suppose a case: I am 
 taken sick with typhoid fever. After recovering, I 
 remain in perfect health for two years. Under the old 
 plan my fever would cost me a large doctor's bill, 
 which would be due when I am least able to pay it. 
 Under our system, the payments would be divided into 
 monthly installments, and distributed through several 
 years. The physicians also find it much more conven- 
 ient to have an assured, steady income, rather than 
 to be kept waiting during healthy seasons for sickness 
 to set in, when they can reap a surplus harvest." 
 
 "1 believe that is a fine idea," said I. "I wonder 
 why our American physicians have never thought of 
 such a plan?" 
 
 "In my opinion," she replied, "it is not the physi- 
 cians' fault that the plan is not adopted in America. 
 A cause underlies it, which does not appear on the 
 surface. A large majority of the people there cannot 
 afford to pay a family physician all the year round; 
 for, while it does not cost more, nor even as much 
 in the long run, poor people find it necessary to keep 
 their money, if they have any, for more immediate 
 purposes, and take the risk of sickness when it comes. 
 It is the same principle that forces the poor woman 
 to buy flour and potatoes by the five cents' worth; she 
 pays much more for those articles than the rich who 
 can afford to buy in larger quantities and thus secure 
 a material reduction. For this reason — poverty — the 
 poor of America are deprived of economical medical 
 service. It would certainly pay those Americans to 
 
170 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 abolish poverty. We did it, and we found it paid 
 well ! 
 
 "There is still another feature in our medical pro- 
 fession, Mr. Spencer: The technical terms and the 
 names of drugs are English now, instead of Latin. I 
 understand that the outside world still clings to the 
 old Latin nomenclature, just as we did some genera- 
 tions ago. I will admit, that, speaking as we do, but 
 one tongue throughout our five states, we have not the 
 necessity which was urged by physicians as one reason 
 for retaining the Lain terms. I refer to the necessity 
 for a universal language in the realm of science, 
 which Latin, in some sense, supplies. The one prin- 
 cipal reason then, that Centralia's medical men, in 
 times past, insisted upon that clumsy idea of learning 
 two languages to do business with people who speak 
 but one, was to make the profession more difficult to 
 master; thus giving those who practice it a greater 
 advantage over the people, and consequently enabling 
 them to be more exorbitant in their charges. I am 
 confident, too, that this same reason has a greater in- 
 fluence with the physicians of Europe and America 
 than the one of expediency. 
 
 "Since, as I said, poverty has been abolished in 
 Centralia, medical men have become quite different. 
 They are no longer so narrow-minded and selfish — so 
 riveted to the old trades-union idea of keeping their 
 peculiar trade a secret or mystery — a patent which no 
 one can get the benefit of without paying a royalty. 
 Now any one can understand their books and prescrip- 
 tions; and they are so liberal as to answer any ques- 
 tions asked them. It is much easier for the physicians 
 too. Instead of spending their time and energy in 
 studying Latin, they can now apply their full efforts to 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 171 
 
 studying medicine. The result is, we now have med- 
 ical men, in the place of wiseacres; and science, in 
 the place of foreign names and hieroglyphics." 
 
 "That seems like a great step of progress," said I. 
 "Physicians here do not put on airs of two story wis- 
 dom, like our American doctors. That is something 
 I have frequently noticed. They don't seem to carry 
 the title 'Dr.' to their names either. 1 have been in- 
 troduced to several physicians, but did not hear any 
 titles. " 
 
 "Physicians," said Celia, "would no more think of 
 dragging along the title of 'Dr.' than brick-layers or 
 chimney-sweeps would think of annoying the public with 
 the advertisements of their peculiar trades, in social 
 life. And why should they? Why should any man or 
 woman, who has chosen that particular calling, go 
 about labeled all the while with the kind of service he 
 or she is accustomed to render the public as a means 
 of subsistence? Who cares to know that this or that 
 person makes a business of prescribing rnedicine to 
 sick people, any more than one would care to know 
 that this or that person blacks boots or sells cheese 
 over the counter? — unless it be just at the time that 
 such things are wanted. And, since people have their 
 boots blacked and buy groceries oftener than they 
 need a physician, it would be even more reasonable for 
 people who are engaged in such occupations to be in- 
 troduced to strangers as Bootblack Smith, Groceryman 
 Adams, or Janitor Brown, than the other fashion of 
 introducing professional men as Dr. Brown, Rev. 
 Young, or the Hon. Bighead. Why! Congressmen 
 and Assemblymen— the highest servants of the land — 
 would be ashajned here, in this country of equality, 
 where, all the people are deemed infinitely better than 
 
172 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 any possible occupation or job, to carry about such a 
 degradation as even the title 'Honorable' would be 
 regarded. People here are not ashamed to do respect- 
 able work, nor to have it known what occupation they 
 follow; yet, to brand one's self with a title would be 
 regarded with as much contempt as the act of tacking 
 one's business card on 'the coffin of a friend who had 
 died. Both would be looked upon as exceedingly bad 
 taste in choosing an advertising medium." 
 
 "That," said I, "is carrying the principle of equality 
 to its logical conclusion. All this pomp and aristo- 
 cratic ostentation always was nauseating to me. But 
 Americans are aping the Engli^ in these very things 
 • — servilely imitating Great Britain's 'nobility' in such 
 matters. It is growing on them every day. I^believe 
 that if Jefferson, Franklin and Paine could to-day take 
 a glance over America, they would die a second death 
 at the spectacle of the Republic, which they so skill- 
 fully founded on sound principles, now corrupted be- 
 yond measure. 
 
 "But, Celia, " I asked, 'how would these people 
 now look upon a soldier were one to appear in full 
 uniform, ready for action? I have not seen one since 
 I came here, nor heard anyone talk of the subject, 
 directly." 
 
 "We look back upon those poor, deluded serfs," she 
 replied, "with pity and contempt. I say 'deluded serfs,' 
 because many of them served their supreme dictator 
 willingly. A person may be a subject against his own 
 will; but to be one voluntarily is evidence of delu- 
 sion. But voluntarily or involuntarily, a soldier is 
 always a serf. What better picture of serfdom would 
 you require, than a man who must obey another. man's 
 command, from which he has no appeal or alternative? 
 
FROM EARTH •$ CENTER 173 
 
 What a degrading spectacle it is to see a number of 
 full grown men standing in a row, dressed according 
 to some authority's order, branded with large metallic 
 buttons, holding a man-killing tool in the exact posi- 
 tion to suit the whims of a master, standing, moving, 
 turning, running, lying or shooting when commanded? 
 what is that but the rankest kind of serfdom? Can 
 you call such creatures men? Why, they are worse 
 off than beasts — they cannot make a move without or- 
 ders ; they have no right to do anything urttil com- 
 manded; then they must obey, or be punished. And 
 what is it all for? Very small is the minority of sol- 
 diers throughout history who have fought for freedom 
 — for their own interests as human beings. At least 
 nine-tenths of all the human blood ever sacrificed on 
 the altar ot the war god was against freedom, and in 
 the interest of oppressors, parasites and drones. In 
 history, the soldier and the potentate have ever op- 
 pressed the people — have ever opposed them and trod- 
 den them under foot. 'Soldier' and 'plunder-tool' are 
 interchangeable terms. People seldom have trouble 
 until some schemer'saddles uniforms and brass but- 
 tons on a few of the idle or unsuspecting, who are 
 then ready to be led anywhere, even against their own 
 brothers, or into the jaws of death! 
 
 "We respect a soldier no more than a man known 
 t<D be proficient in the use of burglars' tools— the 
 burglar steals articles of value, the soldier takes hu- 
 man life. What is a soldier but a man trained to kill 
 to. order? — a general but a man trained to command 
 a murder? The higher the rank the more dangerous; 
 and, therefore, the more detestable a monster he is! 
 
 "You will pardon me, I hope, for using such strong 
 denunciations against the soldier; but when you un- 
 
1 74 FE OM EAR TH >S CENTER 
 
 derstand that, by soldiers, I mean the oppressors' tools 
 ^standing armies and militias — ^not the people upris- 
 ing, in self-defense, to break the shackles of oppres- 
 sion, as your people did in the American Revolution — 
 you will admit that I am right. Nothing, however, 
 has a greater tendency to prevent progress and civili- 
 zation than to dress a portion of the able-bodied young 
 men of a nation in uniforms, and drill them in hand- 
 ling the murder instruments. Even if they never kill 
 anybody, it inculcates serfdom and obedience to dic- 
 tators. It completely destroys freedom, the very es- 
 sence of manhood, the foundation of independence and 
 individuality. 
 
 "Militia and despotism are accomplices — neither can 
 exist altogether without the other. You may think that 
 the existence of armies and militias in some republics 
 refutes my proposition; but remember, that the spirit 
 of despotism may exist after the form is discarded. 
 That is exactly the position of those republics that 
 still maintain soldiers. They have abolished the 
 shell, but retained the kernel; the crown is gone, biit 
 the scepter remains! What difference does it make 
 whether an army or navy stands readj' for orders from 
 the president of a republic, or from a monarch? Both 
 are human beings; both can do anything an unprinci- 
 pled majority desires ; and neither can do anything 
 against the will of the whole people. If the majority 
 wants discipline, wants strict ruling from headquarters 
 — dictation — the President can order out the brass 
 buttons and epaulets (the serfs follow their buttons,) 
 as well as can an Emperor. And the more piilitary 
 or naval drilling or exercise you give the people, the 
 larger and the more willing majorities there will be 
 to submit to the mandates of the supreme authority. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 175 
 
 A nation which advocates freedom had, therefore, 
 better guard against a combination of "the fife, drum 
 and musket; for, if given time enough, they will 
 surely undermine all free institutions! If you must 
 fight for your rights, discard the uniform at once and 
 put out of sight the sword and musket, as soon as the 
 trouble is over. They are dangerous and tempting." 
 
 "You are quite severe on the soldier, Celia," said I, 
 "about as severe as were my ancestors' countrymen who 
 welcomed the return of Napoleon from a successful 
 battle with a banner bearing this inscription: 'Wel- 
 come from the little butchers of Marseilles to Na- 
 poleon the great.' Were you a man, your sentiments 
 would not surprise me so much. I have heard Ameri- 
 cans denounce armies and navies almost as strongly 
 as you do; but I have always observed, heretofore, 
 that women are inclined to look with favor upon the 
 soldier. Do all the people here detest uniforms so pro- 
 foundly?" 
 
 "I must admit," she replied, "that people in general, 
 are not so intense on these matters; because there are 
 not many who think much on economic topics. You 
 must remember, that political economy is my favorite 
 study; and while the public and I hold the same opin- 
 ions, I do not stop, as does the multitude, with a su- 
 perficial and vague idea; but carry these points to 
 their logical conclusions. There are many people liv- 
 ing to-day who, perhaps, never thought whether they 
 like soldiers or hate them ; but were they to see one 
 to-morrow, they would, no doubt, have as great a 
 contempt for him as would we who study principles. 
 
 "Your observation in regard to American women and 
 soldiers, Mr. Spencer, is doubtless correct; and I 
 would account for that fact in this way: American 
 
76 PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 romen have no vote, therefore they do not study po- 
 itical economy; and without econornLc knowledge, 
 here is nothing distasteful about military_maneuver- 
 :ig; hence a reason why the regularity of military 
 iscipline should attract the attention and please the 
 incy of those who, in private life, see nothing so 
 egular and orderly." 
 
 "How long have people been so decidedly opposed 
 D the war spirit? — Our forefather-s^nfluenced by Mrs. 
 ?urgot Quesney, who was the greatest economist this 
 ountry ever had — embodied the principles of freedom, 
 ifhich have produced this spirit of peace and good 
 i\\\ to mankind, in the Constitution of the young 
 lation; and these principles have always been retained, 
 lis our institutions extended, armies died out — in 
 ither words, free trade extinguishes armies. Cora- 
 tierce was always a peacemaker. For_ the last two 
 enturies, the majority of the world's trouble has, been 
 aused by governmental interference with individual 
 rade. If England had allowed free trade with the 
 Lmerican colonies, the great American Revolution 
 /ould never have taken place. What could be invented 
 hat would be better fitted to cause war than a pro- 
 ective tariff? Does not the protection principle 
 pecifically teach that all other nations are enemies, 
 gainst whom we must protect ourselves? And does 
 t not require armies and navies to protect a nation 
 gainst enemies? We have seen that demonstrated 
 lere. As soon as custom-houses were turned to useful 
 )urposes, so soon did the necessity for the soldier 
 lease. To say nothing of religious wars, Mr. Spencer, 
 '. maintain that the protective tariff has been the in- 
 lirect cause of nearly all modern bloodshed!" 
 
 "Now," said I, "since you have mentioned it, would 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 177 
 
 you give me a general idea of how religion is here 
 treated? In ancient times, religion caused much 
 trouble. Many wars resulted from differences in be- 
 liefs. In America the question of religion receives 
 much thought; yet misdemeanors are continually in- 
 creasing, faster by far than the increase of population. 
 I see no churches here, and have met no clergymen. 
 Then, too, while the people I meet seem fairly relig- 
 ious, I see no efforts made to inculcate religion. We 
 have a class of people in America who make it their 
 business to study the bible, and interpret its contents 
 to the people. They usually preach to a congrega- 
 tion, draw a salary for their efforts, and are styled 
 'clergymen.' Attempts are frequently made there to 
 almost force religion on the public. Men, women 
 and children parade the streets, singing hymns and 
 playing musical instruments, to 'save souls.' Others 
 have brass bands in the churches, to drum people to- 
 gether that they may ingraft their religious doctrines. 
 Fairs, raffles and gambling are in some cases resorted 
 to for the purpose of making money to support the differ- 
 ent denominational institutions, and to spread the 
 different denominational doctrines. Then there are 
 many who are so philanthropic and pious as to leave 
 civilization and go to semi-barbarous countries for the 
 purpose of converting the heathen. I hear nothing of 
 all this here, and am anxious to know how you manage 
 such things." 
 
 Celia answered thus: 
 
 "The same system as that which you have described, 
 prevailed here before the social reformation, and even 
 some little time after; but, under normal social con- 
 ditions, religion became an intuitive and personal 
 affair. No laws were made to interfere with it; but, 
 
178 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 when unjust laws were removed and justice prevailed, 
 religion took care of itself. As other opportunities 
 offered themselves for remunerative occupation, cler- 
 gymen abandoned their poorly-paid profession and 
 employed themselves otherwise. At first that result 
 was looked upon as a bad symptom ; but it was soon 
 perceived that the people were not, on that account, 
 growing less religious. On the contrary, they became 
 stronger believers in the teachings of Christ. It was 
 discovered, furthermore, that religion was intuitive, 
 and, if given a chance, would assert itself; that it 
 was the wrong inflicted on the individual, by unjust 
 social laws, which made so many doubt, and even 
 deny the existence of a beneficent Creator. When 
 the best of efforts and good will resulted in poverty, 
 and the shrewdest roguery was rewarded with the good 
 things of this world, all the preaching of the combined 
 clergy could not convince the masses that there was 
 any truth in the 'fatherhood of God and brotherhood 
 of man' doctrine; but .as soon as the reformers brought 
 about a condition of worldly affairs which appealed 
 to the people's natural conceptions of justice — when 
 he who produced also received; he who saved, pos- 
 sessed — when the industrious prospered and the good 
 were appreciated — in short, when the worker could 
 eat, and the loafer could starve — then it was but a 
 step more to the belief, that, if virtues are rewarded 
 and vices punished, there must somewhere be a su- 
 preme being of infinite goodness, absolute justice, and 
 boundless love ; and that, if we do our best in this 
 world of trials and tribulations, we will be rewarded 
 with another life — a life of eternal happiness, where 
 wrong is unknown. 'Go preach the gospel to all the 
 people' meant to preach until social conditions are 
 
FR OM EARTH'S CENTER 1 79 
 
 right, then preaching is no longer necessary. If you 
 had a machine that was out of order, and should send 
 a mechanic to repair it, you wouldnot mean that he 
 should continue working with it after it was put in 
 order. So it is with the divine command, 'Go preach 
 the gospel to all people.' Christ was a moral teacher 
 and a social reformer. He saw that society was out 
 of repair, and meant to have the clergy repair it by 
 preaching the gospel; and they preached with all their 
 might, until they had society repaired. Since then 
 the institution, religion of man, has taken care of 
 itself, and the clergy could seek other vocations. 
 
 "There was a timfe when social conditions were 
 such, in this country, that young people could not 
 afford to marry; they feared poverty ! In those days, 
 there Also existed a school of so-called philosophers, 
 who blamed nature both for poverty and for the want 
 of sufficient attraction between the sexes. They advo- 
 cated a doctrine of total depravity, which taught that 
 humanity was naturally devoid of any sense of justice 
 or religion. These wiseacres were astounded,- when, 
 after the removal of grinding social laws, and the hu- 
 man being was given a chance, the natural attraction 
 of- the sexes soon proved amply strong ; and justice 
 and religion were found to be in-born endowments as 
 natural to tnan as the capacity for breathing the air 
 or the habit of standing erect. 
 
 "When the physical conditions are such that breath- 
 ing is too difficult to long continue, it must of necessity 
 shortly cease; when only so difficult that we' can con- 
 tinue to breathe barely enough to keep us alive, the 
 physical constitution suffers and in time becomes dis- 
 eased. When social conditions are such that it is im- 
 possible to do right, we must, of necessity, become 
 
1 8o FR OM EAR Til 'S CENTER 
 
 criminals; when it is possible to do right only in a 
 limited degree or for a part of the time, we Suffer 
 morally, and, in time, our moral constitution becomes 
 diseased; or, in other words, our conceptions of right 
 and justice become impaired, are no longer nj^tural, 
 and we are considered depraved. Thus, you see, our 
 natural faculties, whether intellectual or physical, can 
 be, and often are, dwarfed and deranged by our environ- 
 ments ; but when conditions are natural, our intuitive 
 sense of morality and religion will act as freely as our 
 lungs do to secure the required atmosphere." 
 
 "Is there no preaching at all, then?" I inquired. 
 
 "All preaching now is voluntary," she replied. "No 
 one would any longer think of taking remuneration 
 for religious speaking; true, some lecturers speak of 
 religious matters, but you could hardly call that 
 preaching. 
 
 "New conceptions of faith, if reasonable, are readily 
 taken up by the public. The press gives them free 
 ventilation. And as no one is dependent upon the 
 particular belief of anyone else, there is no pecuniary 
 interest to oppose new and advanced ideas. No one 
 makes his bread and butter out of the creed or dogma 
 of a congregation; therefore it is plain, that perfect 
 freedom of speech exists on religious questions. No 
 superstitions whatever remain — those are the relics of 
 old-time, theological, money-making schemes, which, 
 in company with ceremonies, have died a natural death. 
 
 "If you wish to hear preaching, go up to the second 
 ward building. Room 8, Wednesday evening, and you 
 will hear Mr. Samuel, who is more religious than the 
 average man, and who preaches occasionally 'for the 
 good of the community, as he puts it." 
 
 "There seems to be no preaching hereon Sunda3's," 
 I remarked. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 i»i 
 
 "No," said Celia, "in this country nobody works on 
 Sunday, if it can possibly be avoided. Sunday is our 
 day of rest. The boys, even, play less active games 
 on that day. We all feel that we can afford to take 
 one day of absolute rest out of every five. Horses 
 are not unnecessarily worked on Sunday. If young 
 people wish to take a drive, they do so after working 
 hours during the weekj or take time for it from the 
 working day." 
 
 Celia was in an exceptionally communicative mood 
 that evening. She hardly gave me a chance to say 
 anything; yet, I could not complain. What she said 
 was so instructive, that if she had only had the 
 time, I could easily have learned everything about 
 this country and its institutions from her. Neither 
 would it have taken nearly so much time to gain this 
 information from her as I have frequently wasted in 
 listening to others who were not as clear xeasoners, 
 nor so well versed in public affairs, as I 'found her to 
 be. 
 
 "She kindly asked me to call on the following 
 Monday evening, if I could — if\ could! — and promised 
 to tell me about a reform of her own instigation — one 
 which she began at the age of seventeen, and which 
 is to-day partly adopted by the general public. 
 
 When I left her, her last words went far to cheer 
 me; and the expression on her face still more inspired 
 me with fond hopes. 
 
 However, her manner that evening confused me. 
 
 "She treated me very kindly," I soliloquized; "and 
 was surprisingly entertaining — but, in some sense, 
 cold; not like she was before. I wonder why? Is it 
 because my interest in her has become too apparent? 
 Is it that she does not mean to let me love her? Can 
 
i82 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 it be that she has already tired of me? No! — if that 
 were the case, she would not have asked me to call so 
 soon again! I could tell that she was sincere — not 
 like one woman inviting another through courtesy. 
 This was a sincere invitaton, if there ever was one! 
 Well, it may be her way. She is a grand and good 
 girl, and bright! — why her reasoning is like that of a 
 judge or a philosopher!" 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 A special election was to be held in the city of Pits- 
 field, in the State of Alhambra, about one hundred and 
 fifty miles distant from Quesney. The purpose of the 
 election was to fill a vacancy in the Alhambra Assem- 
 bly, caused by the death of a member some weeks 
 previous. An election here being a novelty worth 
 witnessing, Redcliffe and I took 'the early train and 
 were soon in Pitsfield, where we remained while the 
 polls were open. 
 
 To one accustomed to American elections, this per-' 
 formance was not recognizable as such. None of th^ 
 numerous signs of 'election day,' so familiar to us, 
 were visible^-no hacks carrying voters back and forth 
 — no great politicians, in specially fine clothes, con-; 
 descending to shake hands with the toilers in over- 
 alls — no saloons closed, nor open either, for that 
 matter — no crimson-tipped noses — no button-holing 
 of the pedestrian, as he came near the poll — no Irish 
 fist argument — and, above all, the polling places were 
 not marked by the absence of women; on che contrary, 
 there were more women to be . seen than men. Many 
 of the clerks and inspectors were of the fair sex. 
 
 The names of the four candidates were printed on 
 the same ticket, at public expense. There was no 
 possibility of getting a ticket except to vote it. We 
 asked to see one; but were refused, until we walked 
 into the room as though to vote, when a ticket, stam- 
 ped by the clerk, was handed to each of us. There 
 
 183 
 
1 84 FROM EAR TH ' S CEN TER 
 
 were small apartments on one side of the voting-room, 
 against the wall — private booths — where the citizen 
 goes to select a candidate, in absolute secrecy. He 
 places a cross before the name he chooses, folds the 
 ballot so as to expose the clerk's stamp on the back 
 then reappears, and is obliged either to vote or give 
 up the ballot to the clerk, before leaving the room. 
 Thus no ballots find their way out of the poll-room, 
 and no ballot but the regular one is received at the 
 polls. 
 
 Each voter went to the polls, voted and departed. 
 No one tried to influence a stranger's vote. And one 
 thing I noticed particularly was, that at le ast two 
 women voted to each man. 
 
 Upon inquiry I learned that the reason for this fem- 
 inine majority was, that, as a rule, the women have 
 more time to give to political matters than the men; 
 and, besides, the contest on this occasion was very 
 slight. All the candidates on the ticket were fully 
 competent to fill the place, so it made little matter 
 which was elected. 
 
 "But," said our informant, "just let some objec- 
 tionable or incompetent character get on the ticket, 
 as once in a great while such a thing will happen; 
 then you should see the voters turn out and 'bury 
 him,' as we call it. It has happened in such cases 
 that all the other candidates running for the same 
 office, held a consultation some time before the elec- 
 tion day, and agreed to withdraw all of their names but 
 one. Then the black sheep had the combined oppo- 
 sition of all the believers in pure politics. This was 
 done from principle; because defeat is certain here for 
 any objectionable person, as soon as he becomes 
 known; but tp set an example for the next rogue, we 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 185 
 
 pile up majorities which disgrace the person of shady 
 antecedents forever. 
 
 "About five years ago a shrewd schemer succeeded 
 in getting his name on the ballot in this city. So far 
 as we knew, his name was clear; but when it was 
 announced by the press that he was placed on the 
 ballot, a letter from Fairfield, signed by several re- 
 liable men, was addressed to the Chairman of our City 
 Council, stating that this man had, some twenty years 
 previous to that time, swindled his partner out of some 
 two hundred dollars' worth of property. That letter 
 was published in the daily papers. The result was, 
 that he received only seventy-two votes out of a total 
 of over five thousand. 
 
 "So strong is the feeling here againt political corrup- 
 tion, that no one who has ever done anything in the 
 least dishonorable, would dare run for office, although 
 the necessary number of signers could be secured to 
 entitle him to a candidacy." 
 
 "Then you require a petition from a number of cit- 
 izens before anyone can become a regular candidate?" 
 
 "Most assuredly," he answered. "The public does 
 not propose to be annoyed with a thousand and one 
 candidates on the ticket that is to elect one agent. 
 They only want such candidates as are likely to get 
 a fair proportion of votes; and the best way to deter- 
 mine this, we find, is to require a petition with the 
 signatures of one per cent of the voters in the dis- 
 trict^ before the name of the candidate is printed up- 
 on the ballot. 
 
 "You will notice a great deal of unnecessary caution 
 and officialism surrounding our ballot, Mr. Spencer, 
 all of which was once absolutely essential to pure elec- 
 tions. In former years, sevefal policemen were re- 
 
1 86 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 quired to guard the polls, but that was when govern- 
 ments still interfered with private affairs. Since we 
 have adopted the happy plan of auctioning off all pub- 
 lic work to the Best bidder, and have ceased to annoy 
 the individual with official aid and restrictions in his 
 private business — since we allow every one to do just 
 as he pleases, so long as the rights of others are not 
 ■ violated — we need no policemen to watch every move 
 the people make; and each day our system gives bet- 
 ter satisfaction, 
 
 "I suppose you have noticed, that, in this country, 
 we aim to have everything run on the automatic plan; 
 and that in public affairs we are more guided by'Tfa- 
 ditiqn than by law." 
 
 "I see," said I; "and it is evidently the best plan, 
 because law-makers are not superhuman; they are con- 
 \tinually making mistakes, for which the people must 
 |suffer. The less, therefore, they have to do, the few- 
 er mistakes they can inflict upon the public. 
 i "But I am interested in your elections, just now, 
 more than, in anything else. Will you explain what 
 the qualifications for citizenship are?" 
 
 "Citizenship is a natural, inborn right," he replied. 
 "It is the heritage of every human being. Therefore 
 we do not inquire after the qualifications for citizen- 
 ship. You don't ask what are the qualifications for 
 the breathing of the atmosphere, do you? Whoever 
 has lungs has a natural right to breathe; and whoever 
 is to live here has a natural right to a voice in public 
 business. All people have naturally the necessary 
 qualifications for citizenship; unless they have, either 
 through disease of the body or of the mind, been dis- 
 qualified; and, in that case, they would not be at the 
 polls, but either in thehospital or the asylum. Minors, 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 187 
 
 of course, are not mature individuals; and therefore 
 are not citizens until they become twenty years of 
 age. " 
 
 "So every person, male or female, of twenty years 
 and over, votes?" said I. "But what about idiots, 
 foreigners and ex-criminals — do they vote too?" 
 
 "Idiots who have sense enough to support them- 
 selves," he replied, "have a right to vote. Foreigners 
 are human beings, like ourselves. On what grounds 
 could their rights be denied? Even if I don't like you, 
 can I, for that reason, deprive you of a natural right? 
 If I have physical power to do so, and should use it 
 for such a purpose, would I not be committing a 
 crime? And. would it be any less a crime, for the 
 whole community to stand together and prevent an 
 individual from exercising his rights, by an arbitrary 
 decree called law? We may have power, as a com- 
 munity, to rob individuals of their votes, on the plea 
 that they are foreigners; but the power lies in num- 
 bers. It is because the foreigners are in the minority 
 that they will submit to being so robbed. But in all 
 such cases the community commits a crime; and a 
 very ignoble, contemptible one, at that! Whether 
 they are aware of the fact or not, makes no difference 
 — the results are the same! Time will tell; and so- 
 ciety eventually pays for its mistakes and misdeeds, 
 as is evident throughout history, where records of war 
 are the rule, and of peace, the exception. 
 
 "By ex-criminals I suppose you mean such individ- 
 uals as have committed great wrongs against others; 
 and, after having survived the wrath and revenge of 
 the public, are again free. Am I right, Mr. Spencer?" 
 
 "Yes," I answered, "that is what I mean." 
 
 "Well," said he, "there was a time when the people 
 
1 88 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 of this country likewise took revenge upon such poor 
 individuals, by torturing them in jails and penitentia- 
 ries; and some were even murdered by law. But since 
 we make the pretention of having evolved from semi- 
 barbarism to civilization, we would no more think of 
 punishing a poor, helpless, unfortunate victim of men- 
 tal disease, than a victim of some physical disease. 
 
 Our people would now no sooner think of punish- 
 ing a person for killing another with a revolver, than 
 for killing him by contact with a contagious disease. 
 It would be just as reasonable to hang a man for hav- 
 ing the small-pox, as for being crazy; both are dis- 
 eases, and both are dangerous.; the one may kill as 
 well as the other; the one is no more to blame than 
 the other. Minds get out of order a^s well as bodiea ; 
 and we treat both species of disease scientificallv, in 
 the asylum and hospital, respectively. After the pa- 
 tients with diseased minds recover sufSciently too con- 
 duct themselves in a rational manner, they are re- 
 leased, and are entitled to all the rights of 'man." 
 
 "I don't know that I ever met anyone who looked 
 upon crime as you do," said I. "Do you mean to say, 
 that all criminals are irresponsible?" 
 
 "Most certainly I do," he replied. "Why else 
 should they be criminals? Why are you not a crimi- 
 nal? Is it not because your mind is too well bal- 
 anced? Would it not require a considerable change 
 in your reasoning faculties before you would even 
 plan to murder some one who has as much right 
 to live as you have? And if such a change should 
 take place, would it not be a derangement of the 
 judgment? and what is that, but insanity? When 
 a human being so far deviates from the ordinary and 
 gustpmary conduct of mankind as to commit a crime, 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 189 
 
 it is self-evident that judgment is lacking; and is a 
 man responsible for lack of judgment, any more than 
 if he lacked height or weight? Can it be his fault, 
 that his brains have been disarranged through eitHer 
 mental or physical causes?" 
 
 "How then," I asked, "do you explain the fact that 
 people, who apparently have the full possession of 
 their faculties, are sometimes criminals? And how 
 do their minds become deranged, as you claim they 
 do?" 
 
 "A person may be apparently sound in mind, and 
 yet be insane on some one point; or, in other words, a 
 small portion of his brain may be afflicted, while the 
 remainder is sound: as a body maybe sound, with the 
 exception of a local ailment. A limb may be disabled 
 or it may be -irritated or stimulated to unusual activity. 
 Just so with the human brain ; that portion which is 
 the seat or faculty of destruction may be a little in- 
 flamed from physical causes; that would tend to stim- 
 ulate it to unnatural activity, then, if an opportunity 
 were offered, the destruction of another's life would 
 probably result. The seat of judgment may be tem- 
 porarily weakened from various causes and by sundry 
 influences. In such a state, mistakes of a serious nat - 
 u re may be made .:, but the inyalid would not be^re- 
 sponsible. Think how often people lose their judg- 
 ment when sick. Look at a delirious patient, for in- 
 stance—is he responsible for his acts? Years ago many 
 crimes were committed by people under the influence 
 of intoxicating liquors — were they responsible? And 
 why should we conclude, when there is no prominent 
 physical cause apparent for a deranged mind, that 
 there is no derangement or insanity? Can there not 
 be diseases of the mind or brain which are not discerni- 
 
1 90 FBOM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 ble from the outside? It is a settled matter with us, 
 that as long as the mind is well no crime will be com- 
 mitted ; therefore, where there is crime, there is also 
 insanity." 
 
 "I.am by no means convinced that your philosophy 
 is correct," I answered, "though it may be. Had any 
 one in America spoken to me in that way, I should 
 certainly have laughed at the idea; but since my arri- 
 val in Centralia, I have seen the fallacy of my precon- 
 ceived opinions so often demonstrated, that it is al- 
 most impossible to astonish me of late! To me, ac- 
 customed as I have been to seeing everybody held 
 responsible for their own acts, as long as there is a 
 ■spark of mind left, yours seems indeed a very pecu- 
 liar theory." 
 
 The polls had opened at ten o'clock, and they were 
 closed at fifteen. The voting was then complete and 
 the counting began. 
 
 We took our train and were back at Quesney in time 
 for supper. 
 
 The evening paper announced the result of the elec- 
 tion. Alice Moore Most was elected by a majority 
 of 728 votes out of a to^al vote of 38,790. 
 
 Well, we had seen an election, and I was glad of 
 it; for we had heard much about the Australian ballot 
 system before leaving America; and, if I remember 
 rightly, that system, which was rapidly gaining in pop- 
 ularity with the people of the United States, is a 
 counterpart, in many respects, of the system in vogue 
 here. From what I have seen, I know it to be an 
 excellent thing. It works smoothly and precludes 
 every opportunity for fraud, intimidation, or bribery 
 — those ruling spirits of American elections! 
 
 That night was set apart for meteorological amuse- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 191 
 
 ment and observations. Since our arrival no special 
 aurora borealis had taken place. Several times I had 
 watched the northern volcanic sun feeders arise from 
 the water and fly into the little sun, just as we had 
 seen them do on that terrible occasion when one of 
 our poor superstitious sailors died of fright. But to- 
 night" we were to be treated to something grand. As- 
 tronomers foretell these events here, just as, on the 
 outside world, they foretell eclipses of the sun, moon 
 or stars. 
 
 While we were sitting in the hotel awaitihg the 
 hour for the heavenly phenomena, we learned many 
 things concerning the peculiarities of the inner cos- 
 mogony. 
 
 It seemed very remarkable to me that the little sun 
 should travel back and forth, once a day, suspended 
 there in the center of a round opening, from pole to 
 pole. Why does he not continue in one direction, and 
 find his way out through one or the other poles? Or 
 why does he not leave the center, and fall against one 
 side of the cavity? These and similar questions had 
 perplexed me; but as there were other questions of 
 more importance, I had never taken time to investigate 
 these. Even now I got my information from a man 
 who did not pretend to be scientific. He gives this 
 explanation: 
 
 "The theory of the sun's origin is, that there was a 
 time -when this cavity was in utter darkness; and that, 
 owing to inner forces of the earth, an enormous vol- 
 canic eruption took place, throwing forth a mass of 
 fire, with a force that carried it toward the center. 
 There being no gravitation at the center, a heavy body 
 would naturally continue to move, after once in mo- 
 tion, until rt met with some resistance. As it moved 
 
192 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 beyond the center gravitation began; the farther it 
 moved away, the stronger beame the attraction, until 
 an equilibrium between momentum and gravitation 
 was reached. Here it stopped ; but gravitation toward 
 the center, acting against an exhausted momentum, 
 soon overcame the inertia of the mass, and caused it 
 to return toward the center. The farther it moved the 
 greater the speed; the greater its speed, the more mo- 
 mentum it acquires: just as a ball dropping to the 
 earth goes slowly at first, and, as attraction overcomes 
 the inertia of its mass, its speed and momentum in- 
 crease in an accelerating ratio. By the time the sun 
 again reached the center it was going at such a rate 
 that it could not stop ; but continued, by the force of 
 its momentum, as before, and went just as far past the 
 center North as, in the first instance, it had gone 
 South. That process has naturally been kept up ever 
 since — momentum and gravitation perpetually counter- 
 acting each other. 
 
 "The fuel for the heat the sun imparts to the surface 
 of our inner-earth is supplied as you have seen, Mr. 
 Spencer." 
 
 "That all appears very reasonable, " said I; "but 
 how do you explain the seasons of the year, if, as you 
 say, the sun moves the same distance each way, from 
 a stationary center? I learned the other day, that 
 you have your winter and summer here just as we have 
 on the outside." 
 
 "Of course," he replied, "I did not go into the de- 
 tails. I spoke of a center and allowed the inference 
 to be drawn from my remarks, that, the centet was 
 stationary; just as a person would speak of the sea 
 level as being stationary, although it is changing con- 
 stantly. There is a mean, an average, which we call 
 
FR OM EA R TB 'S CENTER 1 93 
 
 sea level; so it is with this center of the sun's travel. 
 That center moves through the action of the great sun 
 of the solar system; as the great sun moves North or 
 South of the equator, the little sun here is affected by 
 attraction, and follows likewise each way from the 
 equator. In summer our sun is north of the equator 
 sixteen hours, and south eight hours out of the twenty- 
 four; in winter the figures are reversed; therefore, 
 we have a warm season and a cold one; and, as the 
 sun changes take place gradually, the seasons change 
 gradually also." 
 
 I had many times seen all the other states of this 
 nation through the telescope, during the day, but never 
 before at night. Now we had a chance to see artificially- 
 lighed cities opposite us, though it was too dark to 
 see anything but the cities. 
 
 It is a great treat to take a bird's-eye vtew, as it 
 were, of a large city. With powerful glasses, it is 
 possible, with the Centralians, to see the people on 
 the opposite side of the world! That would seem 
 strange to outsiders; but here it is a very common 
 amusement on national holidays, to sit down with a 
 telescope, and watch our contemporaries — apparently 
 standing on their heads — enjoying picnics and celebra- 
 tion festivities. . 
 
 The time for the phenomena — twenty-three o'clock 
 — arrived. We were eagerly awaiting the event. With- 
 in five minutes after that hour, the first signs of northern 
 life began. A small light, like a movable star, ap- 
 peared spontaneously and moved' in a straight line for 
 some distance to our right, at right angles to us; then 
 it stopped and returned to the starting point. A dozen 
 more immediately appeared. At times they moved 
 together in sweeping curves ; then again they assumed 
 
194 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 an irregular, independent motion, clustering together 
 but capering about in all directions, like gnats on a 
 summer day before a rain; each trying to display the 
 most energy — flying aimlessly about in a cluster. Look- 
 ing farther, we saw similar phenomena in different 
 places near the northern polar opening. 
 
 The stars grew larger and duller, until they resem- 
 bled moons. Gradually their outlines became irregular 
 and the light assumed a reddish tinge, giving them the 
 appearance of Chinese lanterns seen from a distance. 
 They continued to increase in size; finally they lost 
 their distinct forms and blended together. Now the 
 entire space which had been occupied by the animated 
 globes was a mass of transparent red flame, which be- 
 gan to move about in surging curves. The currents 
 grew swifter and filled the whole northern opening 
 with a ■^ast whirlpool of fire. 
 
 It was past two o'clock when a radical change took 
 place, concentration set in ; at many points the fire 
 became quite intense, while in other places it became 
 correspondingly thinner. After a few minutes the 
 masses of fire exploded, though without a loud noise; 
 and, simultaneously, the fragments flew in a northerly 
 direction — the mass was again dissolved, and filled the 
 whole space. 
 
 We could plainly see the peculiar phenomenon rap- 
 idly retreating from us ; and I learned that it was on 
 its way to the earth's surface, where it would mystify 
 the inhabitants of the arctic regions with those beau- 
 tiful gyrations known as the "aurora borealis" or "north- 
 ern lights." Returning, after several hours, it would 
 apparently disappear; but would, in reality, linger 
 about, invisible until twelve o'clock, when the sun 
 is at its northern limit. Then it arises, as though 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 195 
 
 from the water, ascends, and is absorbed, supplying 
 the food or fuel on which our little sun subsists. 
 
 It should be remembered that this electric fire is in- 
 visible in the light of the greater sun; and, therefore, 
 the aurora borealis is not seen at the North in the 
 summer time though it exists nevertheless. In winter, 
 when the sun is so far South that it is dark about the 
 northern regions, the "northern lights" are plainly vis- 
 ible. 
 
 The next day at noon we observed the operation of 
 sun-feeding, under more favorable circumstances than 
 when on ship board. The best way I can describe the 
 sight, is to ask you to imagine the explosion of a ball 
 of fire, whose fragments, instead of flying from the 
 center outward, fly from all around toward the center 
 ^a reversed explosion; besides this difference, think 
 of the pieces as all coming from one circle — from a 
 belt encircling a central object (our sun) — not from 
 all the sides of a concave sphere. The whole thing 
 looked like a huge spider v^eb made of fire, strung, 
 for an instant, across the polar opening, with a round, 
 fiery spider in the center. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 La Humane,_Turgot, Aug. 26, 1890. 
 "My Dear Spencer: — If convenient, you would oblige 
 me by being present on the eighth day of next month. 
 This invitation includes Redcliffe also. 
 
 "You may be surprised to learn, that on the said 
 date, the "indestructible knot' is to be formally tied 
 — after which we have decided to make the fashion- 
 able wedding tour. 
 
 "Your captured colleague, 
 
 "RiCARDO Fleming. 
 
 "P. S. Flora wants me to add, that she means to 
 'boss' the trip, "R. F." 
 
 "Well, he is a 'rustler'!" I exclaimed to myself. "I 
 thought that girl would 'capture' him; and it seems 
 she did. She is a lovely girl though, and I don't blame 
 him a bit. 
 
 "In a few days he will be gone! A few days more 
 may settle Redcliffe. I see by certain meteorological 
 and astronomical hints, that the latter gentleman is 
 too thoroughly interested in little Miss Mozart to ex- 
 ist much longer without an amendment. H"e darts 
 down the street like a meteor to make calls; and the 
 other evening I observed him standing at her gate, 
 completely absorbed in astronomical observations — so 
 much so that my passing failed to attract the slightest 
 attention, though I had rather an acute cough, and 
 my new shoes carried on an uncommonly enthusiastic 
 but peculiarly annoying conversation of their own. 
 
 196 
 
FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 1 97 
 
 "I suppose we will have to go and see that the 'ho- 
 cus-pocus' is properly done," I continued. "No doubt 
 we will feel compensated for our time and trouble. I 
 will see what Redcliffe says about it. 
 
 ^'I wonder what Fleming means by the 'fashionable 
 wedding tour?' Have they got a prescribed tour here, 
 which all must make? That would be inconsistent 
 with the other institutions of the country. Well, we 
 will see when the time comes — no, I will ask Celia 
 to-night what a 'fashionable wedding tour' is. Then 
 she will change the subject again, and I will be no 
 better off than before — but I'll ask her all the same. 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha! ha! — 'Flora is going to "boss" the 
 trip!' I wouldn't be at all surprised if she did— she 
 has a mind of her o^yn, and he is a good sort of a fel- 
 low ; but he is no fool either." 
 
 When Redcliffe came in I handed him the letter. 
 He dropped into a chair with a,laugh. 
 
 "He made short work of it, didn't he?" was his first 
 remark. "I knew he took a liking to the girl; but I 
 did not think of love or marriage. Oh, ho! — she is 
 going to 'boss the trip' — Well, never mind, if she 
 'bosses' him any more than he wants to be 'bossed,' 
 she must do it when he is not looking — don't you 
 think so, old boy?" , 
 
 "'Fashionable wedding tour'! — what's that?^a trip 
 to the sun and back? — an aerial tour? I say, Spencer, 
 they have an air ship down here which is a success — 
 have you heard of it? 
 
 "Yes," said I, "that will be an interesting thing to 
 examine some day, when we have the time. 
 
 "You are going to settle down too, I understand^ 
 how about it? How long before I will get a letter 
 from you similar to this one?" 
 
igS FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "You had better not say a word, Spencer— "people 
 in glass houses, you know! You fell in love with a 
 girl the" first evening you were in the country — that 
 beats my record and Fleming's too! By the way, how 
 is Miss Lathrop now? You do not say much about her 
 lately; but think a great deal, I should judge." 
 
 "Don't worry about her, my boy — she will take care 
 of herself. 
 
 "But see here, what will we do about Fleming's wed- 
 ding — do you intend to go?" 
 
 "No," answered Redcliffe, "he can get married just 
 as well without as with me. I have matters of great 
 importance that require my attention here." 
 
 "No doubt!" I replied. 
 
 That evening I saw Celia, who told me that the 
 "fashionable wedding tour" was a complete circuit of 
 the inner-world — they are all the rage this year — stop- 
 ping at every important seaport town for a day or two. 
 The route is so arranged that the runs are not over 
 fifteen hours long on the water. The whole trip takes 
 about two weeks — ten days, and covers some thirty- 
 eight hundred miles. She also told me of an eccentric 
 couple who, last year, made their trip in opposite di- 
 rections, meeting half way, and each going on around 
 to meet again at home. 
 
 In regard to my invitation to the wedding she 
 strongly advised me to go; especially as 1 had never 
 before attended a wedding here. I could not see why 
 a wedding in Centralia should be so much more inter- 
 esting than in other countries. However, upon her 
 recommendation, I decided to go. 
 
 Before I left Celia, on the evening of my last visit, 
 she alluded to a_ reform of her own inauguration ; and, 
 in pursuance of a promise made then, she now pro- 
 ceeded to explain it to me. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 199 
 
 "That reform," she began, "was original with me; 
 and my first effort to inaugurate it was a story which 
 I contributed to the 'Metropolitan Magazine.' 1 en- 
 titled the story 'Her Maiden Name Retained.' Some 
 day I will give you a copy of it to read. It happened 
 that this story was eagerly sought after — many editions 
 of the number of the Magazine in which it appeared 
 were published and exhausted. So encouraged was I 
 by the result of my maiden effort, that I contributed 
 several articles on the same subject to some of the 
 standard reviews — the subject was such a novelty that 
 the periodicals had a large sale. 
 
 "I then wrote and published a small book treating 
 the matter more fully. In less than two years that 
 book reached the enormous sale of over nine hundred 
 thousand copies; and sells steadily to day. 
 
 "I may say, that the public is now convinced of the 
 correctness of my position. The reform is being adopted 
 as fast as can be expected. Of course it will take many 
 years to make it complete, since old people do not care 
 to change their customs, and there is no real reason 
 why they should. But all young people — especially , 
 those of my sex — take to it at once." 
 
 "If I understand you, from what you have heretofore 
 told me, Celia, that reform consists of a change in the 
 custom of entitling a woman 'Miss' until she is mar- 
 ried. Under the new plan you would address any wo- 
 man as 'Mrs.' Am I right?" 
 
 "You are right, as far as you go," she replied ; "but 
 that is not all. The reform, in its fullest sense, im- 
 plies, that a woman does not change her name upon 
 being married, any more than the man changes his. 
 They both retain their names as before; and, as to 
 their children, the daughters are named after the 
 mother and the sons after the father." 
 
200 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "So that is the idea, is it?" said I. "Some time ago 
 I was puzzled by a boy, who insisted that his name 
 was Johnnie Lembort, while his little sister's name 
 was Lizzie Burton ; but stoutly denied that either of 
 them had a stepfather. I could not understand him 
 at all — this explains it. But one moment, Celiaj how 
 could your reform have had any effect in that instance? 
 The boy I speak of was at least ten years old. You 
 say that you were seventeen when this reform was first 
 inaugurated. That must certainly have been before 
 his parents were married. How then could this possi- 
 bly have affected them, and yet be, as you say, your 
 reform?" 
 
 She laughed heartily. 
 
 "You did not know that I was so old, did you?" she 
 asked. "Well, to be perfectly honest, I am just one 
 month over twenty-three years of age, Mr. Spencer." 
 
 Though evidently amused, she spoke as earnestly 
 as could be. I was surprised — not at her age, but at 
 the paradox of a reform, inaugurated by her, taking 
 effect five years before she began it. I asked her to 
 explain. ' . 
 
 "There is nothing strange about that," she said; 
 "the boy's parents simply adopted the reform since 
 they were married — a great many comparatively young 
 people do that." 
 
 "If changing the name is an evil, "I observed, in 
 jest, "does it not multiply the evil to change it back 
 again?" 
 
 "Oh! you logical 'Yankee,'" she replied laughingly. 
 "If you continue, I have hopes of developing valuable 
 talent in you yet. " 
 
 "But, jesting aside," I argued, "why this reform? 
 Is it not more convenient to know Jones and his wife 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 201 
 
 as Mr. and Mrs. Jones than as Mr. Jones and Mrs. 
 Smith?" 
 
 "To you the old way naturally seems more conve- 
 nient," said Celia; "but that is due to custom. Any- 
 thing new seems clumsy; yet, admitting your point, 
 would a slight inconvenience be a valid reason for 
 doing a thing wrong? It might be more convenient 
 for a clerk in a store to return four dollars in change^ 
 instead of three dollars and ninety cents, when you 
 buy a dollar and ten cents worth of goods and hand 
 him a five dollar bill ; but would the argument of con- 
 venience satisfy the proprietor of the store? 
 
 "I think you will agree with me, that justice is a 
 stronger ground than convenience. I advocate the 
 title and name reform on the ground of justice alone 
 — though other arguments could readily be summoned 
 to my aid. 
 
 "Your convenience argument would lead to some 
 very peculiar conclusions, if you should fully carry it 
 out. Suppose I should say that the name 'Lathrop' 
 is not convenient for pronunciation; therefore,.! will 
 henceforth go by the name of 'Brown'. Supose, for 
 the sake of argument, that 'Brown' was the most con- 
 venient of all names; if, then, all people were simi- 
 larly inclined, they would all adopt the convenient 
 name 'Brown,' and your convenience would become 
 an absurdity. Your name is 'Spencer,' not because of 
 convenience, but for the same reason that you have 
 dark hair — you have inherited both. If a girl by the 
 name of Smith marries a man by the name of Jones, 
 there is 110 argument on earth to prove that her name 
 should be changed. 
 
 ^ "T-hat-old-C ustom is base d upon the ancient J^uppq - 
 sition, that woman js merely a complement pj man, 
 
202 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 designed to satisfy and complete his existence; that 
 she has no rights of her own, and her will or pleasure 
 is a -secondary affair— man first, and woman afterward! 
 Have you ever noticed in the literature of past ages, 
 the expression that this or that man "took unto him- 
 self a wife?' You have never seen the converse, have 
 you? Where was there ever a woman who decided to 
 go forth and take unto herself a husband? Does not 
 the latter proposition sound bad?" Does the former 
 sound any better? But the principle conveyed by the 
 expression 'taking a wife' underlies the custom of 
 changing a woman's name after she is 'taken;' and 
 there are a great many young women to-day who are 
 not to be 'taken'!" 
 
 "I must say," I replied, "that your reasoning opens 
 up a new field of thought to my view; but still, lean- 
 not see why the title 'Miss' should not be applied to 
 unmarried women, even though their name is not to 
 be changed at marriage." 
 
 "That," said Celia, "is even more absurd than the 
 changing of the name — it has no redeeming feature 
 whatever, while the other has your convenience argu- 
 ment in his favor. Why should a woman be required 
 to keep the public posted as to her status in life, by 
 attaching a title to her name? Why not compel "men 
 to label themselves similarly, by carrying the title 
 'Master' until marriage? What has ma.rriage to do 
 with people's names or titles? If marrying once is 
 reason enough to add a syllable to a woman's title; 
 marrying twice should add two syllables; marrying 
 three times, three syllables; etc. — then fancy the evo- 
 lution of titles! A widow might be designated by an 
 additional letter, instead of a syllable; a woman en- 
 gaged to be married might.carry an exclamation point; 
 
FR OM EARTH'S CEN TER 203 
 
 one who is not engaged, but contemplates matrimony 
 could be designated by a comma or a dash; one who 
 has not fully made up her mind on the subject could 
 be marked by an interrogation point. It would be an 
 easy matter to iind suitable marks for all the different 
 degrees and stages — but to what end? That is the 
 question. Why should the public be annoyed with 
 hair splitting distinctions of individual hopes and fears 
 or private conditions, matrimonial or otherwise? Talk 
 about convenience — there is inconvenience for you! It 
 is frequently annoying and inconvenient to decide 
 whether to speak of this or that lady as Miss or Mrs. 
 Fancy, then, how clumsy it would be to have to inves- 
 tigate, each time, whether or not she has been mar- 
 ried, whether or not she is contemplating matrimony, 
 whether she is a widow, or has chosen to remain sin- 
 gle; and so on, ad infinitum! To make a mistake is 
 an insult; not to kijow, unpardonable ignorance; and 
 to guess it correctly, accident ! Whenever you stop 
 to think of it, Mr. Spencer, apply the same labels to 
 men, in your imagination, as have been, in reality, 
 applied to women for thousands of years ; and the in- 
 justice is palpable!" 
 
 These ideas were certainly new to me, though, since 
 the subject had been suggested, I could recall various 
 instances and incidents which might have attracted 
 my attention. I remembered now, that Celia was in- 
 troduced to the audience at La Humane, on the even- 
 ing of our reception, as 'Mrs. Celia Lathrop;' and, 
 again, the next day, the papers gave her the same 
 title: but, in both cases, I looked upon it as a mis- 
 take. Many times since, I have heard people pro- 
 nounce the title Mrs., in speaking of young ladies; 
 yet r always thought it was a peculiarity of the pro- 
 nunciation, common to the Centralians. 
 
204 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Then you preferred to be addressed as Mrs. Lath- 
 rop?" I asked. "I'm obliged to admit, that, though 
 your theory is undoubtedly correct, I wouldn't enjoy 
 hearing you called Mrs. Lathrop. To my American 
 ears it has a most obectionable sound; but my objection 
 is based on strictly personal grounds." 
 
 Our conversation, during the remainder of the even- 
 ing, dealt less with dry philosophies. Celia was 
 charming, and my attempt at sentiment when I entered 
 my protest against hearing her called Mrs. Lathrop, 
 was so graciously ignored, that I felt reassured. That 
 she did not desire to totally suppress me was encour- 
 aging! 
 
 She told me that she was going away — that she 
 would be absent two weeks. Then a sudden purpose 
 animated me. 
 
 "Now," I thought, with irrepressible eagerness, "I 
 must know how she feels toward me before she goes!" 
 
 I was utterly unable to surmise her feelings. Un- 
 willing to endure the uncertainty during her absence, 
 I determined to know my fate at once. 
 
 "Celia!" I began abruptly. "I'm afraid that I'm 
 letting my heart master my judgment ; but — you will 
 pardon me? — you will credit me with right intentions, 
 even if I make a mistake. I must tell you before you 
 go, that I love you ! You are the woman who has been 
 the center of attraction for me from the first evening 
 I landed in Centralia. I do not deny that, with me-, 
 it was a case of love at first sight. Celia, I love you! 
 — surely you know it! Now that you. mean to go away 
 for two long weeks, I can't bear the suspense! Won't 
 you tell me — pardon me, but give me at least the as- 
 surance that your affections are free." 
 
 My heart was beating at the rate of two hundred 
 
PROM EARTH'S CENTER 205 
 
 pulsations per minute, while Celia looked thoughtfully 
 into my eyes. 
 
 "Mr. Spencer," she began, "I try to love my fellow 
 men; and you need have no fear of being slighted. 
 As to any special attachment — my heart is as free as 
 the birds in the air! But perhaps your surroundings — 
 your homeless condition in this strange country and 
 our peculiar relationship, tend to arouse in you feel- 
 ings which you mistake for love. Let me urge you 
 to throw aside these fancies. After you have become 
 acquainted with Centralia's people — when you have 
 formed frindships — when you know more of our women, 
 you will be better able to understand the feeling you 
 have for me." 
 
 "No!" I interrupted, "you cannot convince me that 
 my love for you is a fancy! I loved you even before 
 I knew your name. From the moment 1 first saw you 
 dates my love! You will let me write to you while 
 you are away? Can't you give me a word or two of 
 encouragement?" 
 
 "No doubt," she said with earnest candor, "if I 
 would allow myself, I niight imagine that I loved you; 
 for one's judgment is easily overwhelmed. I enjoy 
 your society, Mr. Spencer, and I will be glad to have 
 you call when I return. I shall not tell you' where 
 I'm going, for, however much I might enjoy it, I will 
 be too busy to write or to receive letters." 
 
 "Not tell me where you are going!" 
 
 She smiled at my melancholy tone. 
 
 "No ; I'm going to attend a course of legal lectures 
 (I am studying law, you know) ; and I have now an 
 opportunity which I must not neglect. Don't ask me 
 to tell you anything. I have my reasons for wishing 
 to keep the matter a secret. " 
 
2o6 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "But, not to see you ! — not even to know where you 
 are! Well, I won't annoy you. If it must be, of 
 course it will be — since it pleases you." 
 
 In spite of my defeat, I felt secretly elated. Noth- 
 ing could have convinced me now, that I would not 
 ultimately win. Had she not confessed a kindly feel- 
 ing for me? But for this tiresome course of lectures, 
 I might have made rapid progress during the next 
 two weeks. 
 
 "I wonder why she don't want me to know where 
 she is going," I thought. "She is evidently up to 
 some scheme — she enjoys doing things which surprise 
 others. She treats me better than I deserve! I won- 
 der why she advised me to go to Fleming's wedding? 
 She even made me promise to go. Perhaps she knew 
 I would be lonesome during those two weeks; no doubt 
 she did it to employ my time to that extent. Wish I 
 knew where she is going — studying law — Celia a law- 
 yer! — well, she is certainly shrewd enough to make a 
 good one. But there are not many lawyers here. There 
 is no such thing as litigation over land titles: every-.^ 
 body knows who the land belongs to— if aot,._the tax 
 record will show. Furthermore, the value of the land 
 is taken, practically, by the public every year, so that 
 there is nothing left to wrangle over! 
 
 "I never knew, until I came here, that land values 
 were nothing but prospective rent speculated upon; 
 but that is exactly what they are. A lot- which rents 
 for a hundred dollars a year, above the taxes — no mat- 
 ter what it cost — will sell for a thousand dollars, if 
 capital bears ten per cent interest; The current rate 
 of interest on capital, and the rent of land, determine 
 the selling price of land; because the owner will not 
 sell land, unless he can get enuogh for it to bear as 
 
PROM MARTS' S CENTER 207 
 
 much interest as the land would yield him rent. In 
 short, the price of land is nothing but capitalized f ut- 
 ure rent; and that is what America's great army of 
 lawyers lives on — the litigation and wrangling, be- 
 tween individuals, over who is to get the rent which 
 the public produces. 
 
 "But what has that to do with my love affairs, un- 
 less I argue, that, but for the law business, Celia 
 would perhaps be at home during the next two weeks 
 instead of attending lectures on jurisprudence. Yet, 
 even if she were here, she would be up to something 
 else. You can never count,- with any reasonable de- 
 gree of certainty, upon the movements of a woman. 
 Then, too, they are most devilishly independent in 
 this country! I never saw anything like it; and it 
 becomes them remarkably well. Nothing, to my 
 mind, is more pleasing than a woman who shows, by 
 her every movement, that she is an independent being 
 — the slave of no one; and who, at the same time, re- 
 tains enough of woman's characteristics to make her 
 lovable. 
 
 "When I lived in the outer- world, I often heard peo- 
 ple speak of woman's suffrage; and I never had any 
 more patience with that species of 'crankism,' than 
 with any other. How little I then dreamed, that I 
 would ever become a convert to the institutions in 
 vogue here — -to women at the polls, giving force to 
 their opinions by the strength of their ballots — to pa- 
 per money as the standard medium of circulation — to 
 private schools conducted at the public's expense — 
 to railroad tracks constructed with the public's 
 money; and then used, free of charge, by private cor- 
 porations — to free street-cars in the cities managed 
 by private individuals— to the police force as a private 
 
2o8 PkdM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 institution, supported by the public — etc. etc. But it iS 
 stranger still that I should acqueisce in the idea of 
 paying the expenses of all these institutions out of a 
 revenue derived from a tax on land-values alone — yet, 
 it is very plainly demonstrated, that this is the best 
 viray to raise such a revenue, and the only just way. 
 Every one of the improvements and conveniences 
 mentioned add to the value of the land around them; 
 but for these things, and the presence of the people, 
 city land would be no more valuable than country 
 land — the public, and the public improvements, create 
 land values; therefore they belong, of right, to the 
 public. 
 
 "Who," I continued, "ever dared dream, that a civ- 
 ilized nation could get along with only a Congress, a 
 few assemblies and city councils of a few members 
 each, and no other public agents whatever! I was 
 never much of an admirer of officials. I looked upon 
 them as necessary evils, savoring of paternalism ; and, 
 in their nature, unamerican. But I am now almost 
 convinced, that even the 'necessary evils' have become 
 unnecessary. Then, too, those meanest of evils, the 
 Saloon & Co. — gambling and prostitution — are en- 
 tirely extinct here. They existed once; but they are 
 gone — not driven away by law, but, being no longer 
 needed, they died a natural death. 
 
 "It is marvelous what great results so slight a change 
 in the social laws can achieve. But when we consider 
 what great advantages sometimes follow in our physi- 
 cal conditions, merely by taking a few grains of qui- 
 nine at stated intervals — how invalids suffering untold 
 pains, depressions, headaches, sleeplessness, loss of 
 appetite, chills, fever, delirium, etc. ,. are thus trans- 
 formed to their normal conditions of perfect health 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 209 
 
 and consequent happiness — it is then no longer strange, 
 that the application of a true remedy to a society, 
 suffering from spasmodic depressions, economic St. 
 Vitus' dance or epileptic fits, as it were, should, in a 
 similar manner, recover and be restored to normal con- 
 ditions. 
 
 "What is war but the embodiment in society of a 
 disease analogous to the St. Vitus' dance in the human 
 body? What is the protective tariff, and the trouble 
 it creates, but social disease brought about by govern- 
 mental folly or by disregard or ignorance of the funda- 
 mental laws of political economy? What are alternat- 
 ing panics and 'booms' but the fever and ague of so- 
 ciety, which a little judiciously administered quinine 
 — land tax — would cure? 
 
 "Society in the outer-world is in the exact predica- 
 ment of an invalid with a high fever, who has a dozen 
 doctors working with him and filling him with medi- 
 cines which, in themselves, produce more pain and 
 suffering than the disease. What are our American 
 legislative bodies but asylums wherein the 'public good 
 is the patient, and the members are an aggregation of 
 quacks, each trying to excel in the number of useless 
 medicines he can concoct and administer? — fortunately 
 only a few of the medicines — bills — proposed by the 
 individual members are ever adopted by the body as 
 a whole. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 It was a bright, pleasant morning. 
 
 Redcliffe had gone to work before I awoke. In fact, 
 it was ten o'clock; and, looking around, the electric 
 clock attracted my attention. 
 
 I believe every room in this land is supplied with 
 an electric clock — at least, with electric wires to which 
 a clock can be attached. So far, I had never taken the 
 time to examine into the working of these clocks ; so 
 I now sat there, for quite a while, watching the fig- 
 ures change with every minute that passed. 
 
 Clocks here are different from those I had be en ac- 
 customed to, inasmuch as they have neither dial plate 
 nor hands. There is nothing visible but a frame of 
 nicely finished woodwork, about eight inches square, 
 with two spaces large enough for two figures jeach, 
 wherein are shown the hours and minutes of the day — 
 thus: 9-20; 1-3; 21-8; 23-56, etc., always giving the 
 exact time to the minute — the more expensive ones 
 giving the seconds also. No calculating whatever is 
 necessary — simply a reading of the figures. The dash 
 between the hour and minute figures is stationary on 
 the frame, while the figures move once a minute and 
 once an hour, respectively; and just below the figures 
 isthe word o'clock,' in neat letters. 
 
 All of these clocks are alike in mechanical construc- 
 tion ; but the exterior finish may be varied to suit the 
 purchaser's taste. 
 
 The novel features of these clocks are: first, perfect 
 
 210 
 
FR OM EAR TH ' S CENTER 2 1 1 
 
 accuracy in keeping time; and, second, they require 
 no winding. I am not talking nonsense now — these 
 are not perpetual motion clocks. There is a central 
 station in each ward, where an electric time machine 
 is at work ; and wires conduct the operation of this 
 machine along each street. Every person who builds 
 a house puts a wire in the walls connected with the 
 main wire, which is public, hence free to all. In that 
 way all the clocks in the whole ward keep exactly 
 together; there can be no difference, because the mo- 
 tion of all comes from the same central motor which, 
 though owned by the public, is taken care of by a pri- 
 vate individual. This individual bids in the job at 
 the annual auction. 
 
 So careful are these engineers — generally women — 
 that in this city of 500,000 inhabitants, no complaints 
 have been made, for many years, against the "time 
 engineers. " 
 
 The machines require occasional attention, but not 
 much time. The electric furnace burns along auto- 
 matically, and the governor keeps the speed uniform ; 
 but fuel must be provided, and the time carefully reg- 
 ulated. 
 
 Experience shows, that women can do this work to 
 better advantage than men. They generally do other 
 work in addition; and, therefore, can underbid men 
 aFTIie^ auction, and secure the position. They fur- 
 nish the fuel themselves, do the work for averysmalL 
 cost, and supply correct time for several thousand 
 fatniTies, railroad depots, stores, factories, etc., in the 
 ward. 
 
 This is a public convenience which, like all others, 
 saves expense to the people. It, therefore, adds to 
 the rental value of the land, out of which the revenue 
 is drawn to defray the cost of the convenience. 
 
212 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 On the same day that I made my clock investiga- 
 tions, I met a Mr. Thompson, the proprietor of the 
 third ward postoffice. 
 
 "The idea of a proprietor for the postofBce," I said, 
 with a laugh, "seems, to an American, about as absurd 
 as to speak of the owner of the street or of the public 
 park. Being so naturally, or avowedly, a public func- 
 tion, it seems odd to speak of an owner, or proprietor 
 of the institution." 
 
 "Well," said Mr. Thompson, "it is a misnomer, in 
 the real sense; but people are so accustomed to calling 
 any one who employs workmen a proprietor, that we, 
 who hire a number of clerks and carriers, are so styled 
 out of convenience." 
 
 "You have been in that business for some time, I 
 suppose?" 
 
 "I have followed the postal business for twenty-nine 
 years," he replied. "For the last eight years, I have 
 held control of the third ward office in this city." 
 
 "Do you direct every employee as well as all the 
 mail of the ward?" 
 
 "I do," he replied. "My orders are law; those who 
 do not see fit to execute them, need not torture them- 
 selves by remaining in the mail service of this ward. " 
 
 "How does the public control your conduct?" I in- 
 quired. "Suppose you should act the dictator, and 
 fail to serve the public satisfactorily; what means of 
 redress is there, in such an event?" 
 
 "If the public is not s,atisfied with my management," 
 he answered, "I will not get my pay; if I don't treat 
 my men fairly, they will leave me; and, without them, 
 I could not serve the public satisfactorily. Now, can 
 you see why it is to my interest to conduct my busi- 
 ness properly?" 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 213 
 
 "I see that the mail is carried free to the individual 
 — how are you paid for your services? 
 
 "Out of the public treasury, of course," he replied; 
 "how else should I be paid?" 
 
 "In America, the sender of a letter always pays for 
 the carrying of it, by buying what we call a 'postage 
 stamp,' and sticking it on the letter. The govern- 
 ment sells those stamps for two cents." 
 
 "Oh, I remember," said he; "we had a similar sys- 
 tem here, years ago, but it proved very clumsy. Every 
 time a letter was sent a stamp had to be first hunted 
 up, then pasted on; and the clerks had a great time 
 disfiguring them, so that no one could use them again. 
 Besides, look at the injustice of charging as much 
 for sending one letter three miles as for sending an- 
 other a thousand. Do they still employ that primi- 
 tive system in America?" 
 
 "They do," I replied, "and the people always point 
 to their postal system as the nearest approach they 
 have to perfection among public functions; and, com- 
 pared with the railroad, express and other monopo- 
 lies, it is a model!" 
 
 "Oh! I see, "said Mr. Thompson; "you still have mo- 
 nopolies over there! No wonder you deem the evils 
 of public officialism less obnoxiousthan those social warts 
 or cancers — monopolies! Why do you countenance 
 such monstrosities? Do you American people like 
 them? You evidently do though, or you would let them 
 die; jgp monopoly .ca.nJivewjthput legal aid. If the 
 American government did not uphold them, none could 
 exist there!" 
 
 "There is nothing that the masses in America fear 
 and hate so much as monopolies," said I; "and since 
 J have seen what society is without thenu, I begin to 
 
214 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 realize that they are monsters. We never knew how 
 to do away with them; with us, the only other alter- , 
 native is supposed to be governmental operation; and 
 the worst kind of political corruption invariably fol- 
 lows in the train of officialism. In a late Presiden- 
 tial campaign, one of our private citizens used nearly 
 half a million dollars to corrupt the election in one 
 state; and that to elect a President who, immediately 
 after he took his seat, appointed the corruptionist 
 Postmaster General — a position of perhaps the larg- 
 est political patronage in the country, outside of the 
 Presidency itself. 
 
 "But how do you prevent monopoly here, in the 
 postal service ?" 
 
 "I will make that point clear to you in short order," 
 he answered. "In the first place, understand that com- 
 petition is the only destroyer of monopoly. There is 
 no alternative — monopolies will exist where there is 
 no competition. It may be a private, or it may be a 
 public monopoly, but a monopoly there will be, in 
 one shape or another, unless you can apply competi- 
 tion. 
 
 "The way we apply competition is by auctioning off 
 the public function. The postoffice is owned by the 
 ward but the active mail business is done by the pri- 
 vate bidder who agrees to serve the public satisfacto- 
 rily for the lowest price. Being right there at home 
 in his ward, the public has perfect control of him. It 
 is different with your 'Postmaster General,' who is 
 away off at the capital, out of anybody's reach, where 
 he can do just as he pleases, and act the dictator. 
 
 "The trouble with you Americans, if I understand 
 you, is that you elect federal officers, who are, at once, 
 much greater than the people, We do not believe in 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 215 
 
 building up autocrats and despots; therefore, we have 
 as few public agents as possible; and those are right 
 in our midst, so that we may be able to watch them. 
 Any one of them can be replaced by another, at any 
 time that we may see fit. We have no 'bosses' here, 
 Mr. Spencer, and no monopolies." 
 
 "Your annual auction of such public positions no 
 doubt solves the monopoly question," said I; "but 
 there is a detail of some importance which I cannot 
 comprehend; how do you postal managers from each 
 ward arrange the carrying of the mails with the rail- 
 road companies? Do they carry them free of charge? 
 If not, who pays them and how much?" 
 
 "That is as simple as managing the grocery business! 
 Just as a wholesale grocer sends his goods by the com- 
 pany which will make the best terms, so do we postal 
 managers send the mails. Competition determines the 
 price. The managers pay those transportation charges 
 out of the fund they receive from the ward treasury ; 
 in fact, the manager, in bidding at the annual auction, 
 contracts with the ward to take the whole mail service 
 on himself, pay all expenses, and do all the work, for 
 the amount of money his bid calls for. So, you see, it 
 is no longer a public concern how he get along with 
 the railroad companies or with his employees, nor 
 whether he is making much profit or losing money: 
 that is his lookout — as long as he satisfies the public 
 with the service he gives them, he can do just as he 
 pleases. 
 
 "In my whole experience, I have never had any 
 trouble or complaints. The public always treats us 
 nobly, and overlooks small mistakes, if it appears that 
 we are trying to please; and the mail business runs 
 along automatically, just as smoothly as an oiled ma- 
 
2 1 6 FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 
 
 chine. Our greatest fear, as managers, is not that we 
 may fail to please the public ; but in the constant 
 efforts of others who are ever awaiting a chance, by 
 greater economy or better management, to be able to 
 underbid us at the next auction. 
 
 "In connection with the postofHce, " he continued, 
 "and in the same building, is the telegraph office for 
 the ward. That is also run free of charge; and the 
 management, like that of the postoffice, is given, by 
 auction, into private hands. The state builds the tel- 
 egraph lines ; the rest is done by the cities and towns 
 — not directly, however; everything, no matter how 
 large nor how small, is let by contract. Even the 
 assessor and the tax collector are private individuals. " 
 
 "There is one point, however," I interrupted, "which 
 seems to me unavoidable. Do not these free institu- 
 tions lead to extravagance? Do not people send more 
 letters and dispatches than if they had to pay each 
 time for the accommodations?" 
 
 "They certainly do," repied Mr. Thompson. "Tariffs 
 and taxes always tend to restrict any legitimate enter- 
 prise. That is one of the great reasons why we do 
 not tax any kind of industry. We tax land-values only, 
 because the rent of the land is taken from the land- 
 user anyhow; if the public does not take it in taxes, 
 landlords and speculators will get it — in either case 
 the land user pays it; in the one, however, it is re- 
 turned to him in the shape of public benefits; in the 
 other it goes to the personal aggrandizement of the 
 individual to whom it is paid, and the land-user re- 
 ceives nothing in return. But a tax on any of the pro- 
 ducts of labor restricts and discourages production — 
 just as a stamp restricts letter-writing, and a charge 
 for sending a dispatch restricts telegraphing, in pro- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 217 
 
 portion to the price of the stamp and the amount of 
 the charge. Now why should these activities be dis- 
 couraged? Are not news and intelligence good things? 
 Do you not see that our newspapers give the public 
 the benefit of free dispatches, by giving more news for 
 less cost? Don't you see that business men give the 
 public the benefit of free mail, free telegraph, free 
 telephone, and free street cars, by selling goods at a 
 smaller profit? Are they not obliged to give the pub- 
 lic such benefits, when competition exists in all of 
 these vocations? 
 
 "But there is another reason why we do not make 
 direct charges for such public service; it is because 
 the service is so small, that it would not pay to em- 
 ploy a set of expert bookkeepers, clerks, salesmen, 
 etc. to figure out and collect the proper amount in 
 each instance. If it is worth five cents to ride six 
 miles on the street car, or to send a telegram of thirty 
 words a thousand miles ; what is it worth to ride one 
 square, or to send a dispatch of six words three miles? 
 It would cost more to solve such problems, you see, 
 than the service itself is worth; therefore it is much 
 more sensible to allow these conveniences to increase 
 land-values, then take that increase back in taxation, 
 and return it again in conveniences — the perfection of 
 economic automatism! 
 
 "The railroad business is somewhat different. It is 
 large enough to pay a company to figure out what the 
 accommodations are worth, and to charge directly for 
 them, accordingly. The track, however, is free to all; 
 for, if that belonged to the company, such company 
 could prevent others from using it; hence, a monop- 
 oly. The ownership of the track is the secret of rail- 
 road monopolies. No one can get a monopoly on roll- 
 
2i8 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 ing-stock as long as machinists and wood workers are 
 willing to manufacture it. 
 
 "But to answer your question regarding extravagance, " 
 he continued: "I would say, that nobody writes letters 
 solely for the purpose or pleasure of sending them 
 through the mails, any more than one would aimlessly 
 drive or walk over the roads or sidewalks, simply be- 
 cause it costs nothing. We use the telephone or street 
 car when occasion requires; and would not think of 
 using them otherwise. But, on the other hand, when 
 a charge is made — especially when the charge is the 
 same for long or short hauls — a man would often walk 
 along the street, and spend more time than the charge 
 is worth, while the car runs along empty by his side. 
 And, quite likely, he would say to his friends that 
 he preferred walking to riding, because of the healthful 
 exercise. If the same circumstances existed the next 
 day, with the one difference of free cars instead of five 
 cents fare, healthful exercise would at once become 
 superfluous, and even detrimental to his best physical 
 interests. Years ago, in some of these states where 
 the old barbaric system of private ownership in land 
 still existed, some of the people lived far out in the 
 suburbs of the cities. They lived out there — away 
 from civilization — for all sorts of reasons — 'fresh air,' 
 'quiet,' 'chances to keep gardens or live stock,' etc., 
 except the real reason, which was that they could not 
 afford to pay the purchase price or rent of localities 
 in the cities. Now that there is no purchase price to 
 lands, and owing to the elimination of land specula- 
 tion, rents are no bigger than locations are actually 
 worth, those same people live in the cities where other 
 people live ; and do not care to keep chickens, nor 
 cultivate vegetables and rheumatismj for they can now 
 
FR OM EARTH'S CENTER 2 1 9 
 
 afford to buy chickens and vegetables, rather than pro- 
 duce them in their own primitive way. They can sup- 
 port themselves with seven hours ' work; and the re- 
 maining time is devoted to education, amusement 
 and recreation. Even the farmers, who, in those times, 
 were scattered about all over creation — frequently 
 several miles from the nearest neighbor, and twenty 
 miles from town — have abandoned pioneering and 
 moved into civilization. They all live in town, now; 
 no one would think of going out where not enough of 
 their fellowmen lived to make a good sized town — 
 large enough to afford nearly all the conveniences of 
 city life. Theatrical troupes stop one night, and give 
 a performance, in every country town as they travel 
 along. Think of it — farmers going to theaters! When 
 the old land tenure was in vogue, farmers did not 
 dream of such luxuries, much less patronize them, but 
 now they can afford as much amusement of that sort 
 as any other class of people. 
 
 "The land lying more than a few miles from town 
 is used only for pastures, at present. As population 
 increases, it will be put to better use. It is more eco- 
 nomical, and,also more agreeable, to live densely to- 
 gether, than to be scattered over the whole state, where 
 all these public improvements and conveniences we 
 now enjoy would be impossible." 
 
 I inquired if electric light and water were furnished 
 the public on the same plan as the postal service and 
 the telegraph. 
 
 "They are," Mr. Thompson answered. "A thing is 
 either public or private — private if possible; but, if 
 impossible, public, and free to all." 
 
 I observed, that by the time all these free institu- 
 tions are supported out of the public treasury, the tax 
 on land-values must necessarily be pretty high. 
 
220 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 To which Mr. Thompson replied : 
 
 "The land tax would be the same whether we have 
 much public expense or none ; for, as I said before, if 
 the public did not take the rental value of land in 
 taxes, private earth-owners would. The old-time land 
 speculation would set in again, scatter the population 
 all over the country, hold the desirable locations idle 
 for a rise in value, and, before five years were over, 
 poverty amidst wealth would again be a prominent 
 feature of civilization, as it ever was until we applied 
 the land tax. No! Mr. Spencer — the public expense 
 has nothing whatever to do with the amount of taxes 
 raised. True, they go together because it is a natural 
 source of revenue. Land values increase with popu- 
 lation; but generally a little faster than required. Our 
 assessors are instructed to assess all land ninety per 
 cent of its anaual, or rental, value — the remaining 
 ten per cent, is left to the holder, as an inducement 
 for him to find a user and collect the taxes. In that 
 way the government need not look after the tax collec- 
 tions; for, as ten per cent of the land-values is left to 
 the land holders, they always pay the taxes willingly. 
 Thus the collection of taxes becomes automatic. 
 If less than ninety per cent, of the land-rent is taken 
 in taxes speculation sets in at once, and does more 
 harm than good; besides, we would no more think of 
 stopping short of the full amount of the land tax, on 
 the ground of not needing the revenue, than a man 
 would refuse to take all of his wages, because his ex- 
 penses are not as large as his income. The wages be- 
 long to the man; therefore, he takes them, regardless 
 of his living expenses — in the same sense, the rent of 
 land belongs to the public, regardless of expenses. If 
 the amount is greater than the revenue required, it is 
 
'^ PROM EARTH'S CENTER ^a 
 
 I :i ; 
 
 an easy matter to divide the surplus equally, per capita, 
 among the people of the ward. 
 
 "But in regard to rents being higher here, I guar- 
 antee that you have no city in America of five hun- 
 dred thousand inhabitants, where rents are as low as 
 they are here in Quesney. " 
 
 "I am surprised," said I, "that rents are not higher 
 here; but your reasoning that land speculation tends 
 to raise rents, explains it. I am still more surprised 
 to hear of such a thing as taxing the people more than 
 is required for revenue, then turning around and giv- 
 ing the surplus back to them. Why not let them keep 
 what is not needed in the first place?" 
 
 "The reason," he answered, "is plain: only part of 
 the people hold land; and, if rents are not taxed away 
 in full, those who hold the land would get their share 
 of land-values, and the share of the others besides. 
 But, when we collect it from the few who hold the 
 land, then expend it for general expenses and public 
 improvements, and return all that is not needed for 
 public purposes per capita, all the people, whether 
 the}' hold land or not, get their share of the bounties 
 of nature, and of the values which public improve- 
 ments, conveniences and commerce give to land. Does 
 it seem clear to you now, or shall we discuss the point 
 further?" 
 
 "I understand the philosophy fully, but it seems so 
 odd to me! I see how unjust it is to allow the appro- 
 priation of a rich mine or a fine business lot on the 
 niain street of a city, and to pocket the value which 
 the whole population gives to that land. American 
 land-owners are sometimes made millionaires by the 
 improvements which others build on or around their 
 land. My own parents live solely on land rents in 
 
222 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 southern California; for all they themselves have ever 
 done, their lands to-day would be a worthless, barren 
 prairie. Small towns have been built upon that land ; 
 and, for the privilege of so building, those industrious 
 people pay a perpetual rent. Somehow they, never 
 seem to Wake up to a realization of the fact, that they 
 could get along just as well without those landlords." 
 "You will observe another thing," added Mr. Thomp- 
 son; "while rents are lower, interest on capital and 
 the wages of labor are higher here than in America." 
 "I have observed that fact," I answered, somewhat 
 puzzled; "but how did you find out about our interest 
 and wages?" 
 
 "Ha! ha! ha! ha!" he laughed, "that puzzles you, 
 does it?" 
 
 ^"Well," he continued, "I'll tell you: If your parents 
 
 iown land in America, it is evident that private owner- 
 ship in land is there recognized; and where that insti- 
 tution exists, land rents are higher than they would 
 be under a natural order of things; and, since rent, 
 
 [interest and wages must all be. paid out of production, 
 the more there is paid out in rent, the less there is left 
 
 (with which to pay interest and wages. So, you see, 
 labor and capital are robbed by the landlord system 
 in two ways: first, rents are unnaturally high; and, 
 
 I second, the rent proper is taken by the landlord — a 
 
 [drone — instead of all the people." 
 
 '-^ "No wonder, "I thought to myself, "that these people 
 are more prosperous than the people of America, who 
 have not yet abolished the planet-owning evil. " 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 I had spent some time of late, studying the history 
 of Centralia, and learned much of interest. 
 
 The eighteenth century has a record so similar to 
 that of our own world to-day that, had I immigrated 
 a hundred y«ars earlier, nothing but the geographical 
 and cosmological differences would have attracted my 
 attention. 
 
 These five states, as they are now termed, were form- 
 erly occupied by different and hostile nations — too nu- 
 merous and powerful for any good purpose. Each kept 
 its army and navy. The people were constantly op- 
 pressed, overtaxed and in poverty. Universal tariff 
 protection to home industries, and, consequently, na- 
 tional hatreds and jealousies, clanishness and super- 
 stitions, wars and rumors of wars, crimes and suffer- 
 ing, potentates and bloodshed, saloons and gambling, 
 prostitution and adultery, men governed and women 
 slaves, working classes idle and penitentiaries full, 
 the honest in rags and the plunderer in robes, children 
 in factories and men unemployed, farmers in despair 
 and mortgages foreclosing, scrambling for ofiSces and 
 'boodle' elections, the demand for ofificials constantly 
 increasing — corruption, debauchery, trickery and 
 swindling — these, and details of a like horrible nature, 
 go to make up the history of that perverted age — an 
 age, alas! through which America and the 'civilized/- 
 nations of Europe are just passing! 
 
 So far, I had not taken the time to look up ancient 
 223 
 
224 PROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 history; but from others I had learned, that nations, 
 contemporaneous with the. existence of the ancient 
 Greek and Roman civilizations in the outer-world, 
 have existed here, and have left their footprints on 
 the path of ages. 
 
 Christianity was introduced here in the third cen- 
 tury. It is evident, that, in those early times, explor- 
 ers, like ourselves, found their way thither through 
 the northern opening, and brought with them the Gos- 
 pel; otherwise it would be difficult to account for the 
 fact tliat the teachings of Christ reached these people. 
 
 Like the outside-world, they had their ecclesiastic 
 temporal power, vested in a Pope — the last Pope re- 
 signed his position in i860. And in the fifteenth cen- 
 tury, a reformation took place similar to ours of the 
 sixteenth century. They had their "dark ages," sim- 
 ilar to ours. After the reformation many religious 
 creeds and denominations sprang into existence and 
 made their way, more or less successfully, just as they 
 did, and are still doing, in our world. 
 
 The past century has worked wonders in religious 
 circles. Those who still hold the religious views of 
 their ancestors, hold them voluntarily. There is a 
 class of theorists here now, who hold that faith is but 
 little affected by theologcial teachings. That view, 
 however, is not scientific unless it be confined to es- 
 sential religion, not creeds; and then, even, it is plain, 
 that, in a country like America, where the "Almighty 
 Dollar" is the* principal object of worship, religion 
 would be totally forgotten in time, were it not for the 
 persistent efforts of the various clergy. 
 
 When, however, poverty and the fear of poverty, 
 are eliminated from society, the intuitive power of 
 faith holds its own. Religion then becomes a matter 
 
PnOM EARTti'S CENTER 225 
 
 of iniief prompting, aided_ bjr_ tradition. _Education 
 universal, as it here exists, naturally creates a longing 
 for a knowledge of the philosophies and doctrines of 
 the past : thus it becomes possible for all to choose, 
 from literature, that which is sound and desirable; 
 and to reject the unreasonable and fallacious. ~ — 
 
 Centralians are more competent to reason on such 
 subjects, than a people forced, by the necessity of keep- 
 ing the wolf from the door, to rteglect the cultivation 
 of the finer and higher qualities of the mind. While 
 the people are not so intensely religious and bigoted as 
 they formerly were, or as some of the outer world 
 people are to-day — taken as a whole, religious feel- 
 ings and tendencies are growing stronger; and no one 
 is especially interested in having this or that creed or 
 dogma recognized or controverted. 
 
 What was more interesting to me than every thing 
 else in Centralia's history was the quarter of a century 
 during which Mrs. Turgot Quesney held the position 
 of President. It is impossible for an American to 
 read the records of that era without being constantly 
 reminded of the efforts and conduct of the immortal 
 founders of the American Republic. So earnest and 
 noble were these democrats — democrats in the real 
 sense of the word — in the management of public affairs, 
 that it is refreshing and soul-inspiring to read the 
 chronicle of their honest and successful efforts in 
 founding and building up Centralia's matchless social 
 structure. 
 
 With the aid of the Constitution of the United States 
 of America, this young nation experimented faithfully 
 — making laws as they needed them : and promptly 
 abolishing those that proved unwise. Industry, honesty, 
 statesmanship, good will, and confidence in each other 
 
226 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 were prominent traits. The adoption of free trade and 
 the land value tax so simplified government, right in 
 the beginning, that it was soon discoyered that a num- 
 ber of the proviaians.in__the^ Constitution, as first 
 adopted, werejotally superfluous. ' ~ -• 
 
 ' One oftlTe most important departures from tradition 
 was the condensation of the different departments of 
 government into one assembly. At first glance, per- 
 haps, that does not seem, in itself, to be such an es- 
 pecially important step; but when explained, its wis- 
 dom is apparent. Where the responsibility of all laws 
 rests on one body of agents the public eye can easily 
 follow the proceedings. Where an agent knows that 
 he holds a position of vital importance, responsibility 
 produces reliability. 
 
 In America I often heard it said — and at the time I 
 looked upon it as an argument — that women knew so 
 little about politics, that it would be bad policy to let 
 them vote. Those wiseacres did not stop to think, 
 that, before men voted they too "knew so little about 
 politics, that it seemed like bad policy to let them 
 vote. Some time ago, when I asked why it was, that, 
 at the present time, Centralia had no great statesmen, 
 Celia answered thus : 
 
 "Why is it, that, at the present time, Centralia has 
 no great generals?" 
 
 That one question argued the whole case with me. 
 There are no great generals nor great statesmen in 
 demand. No physician ever built up a reputation 
 among perfectly healthy people. No matter what in- 
 trinsic qualities for greatness a person may possess, 
 if there is no demand for greatness, the qualities are 
 not developed; and if they were, they could not be 
 displayed. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 227 
 
 It is the same with public agents. If you want re- 
 sponsible servants to execute public functions, make 
 each position important; do not divide duties among 
 several departments ; for then none of them can be 
 held responsible, and none of them will demand good 
 and reliable talent. — 
 
 As regards the political knowledge of women: I 
 have found, since I came here, that they comprehend 
 economic and political points quite as readily as men. 
 American women know so little about politics, because 
 that kind of knowledge would avail them nothing; 
 and no one, as a rule, cares to make very great efforts 
 for nothing. 
 
 One very conspicuous point, concerning modern 
 historical records in this country, is the substantial 
 unanimity of writers. There are several prominent 
 historians who have written up the last century, and 
 there is not an important point of difference between 
 them. Even the daily journals, though holding differ- 
 ent opinions on many current matters, agree on the 
 facts of the past. 
 
 There are two political parties here — the "Auto- 
 matic^' and the "Regulative" — but they are not of as 
 much importance as are the same institutions^ in the 
 United States. Each has its organs which do their 
 utmost to prove the ability of their party to manipu- 
 late public affairs. But even these political organs 
 agree on all matters of record. That was to me the 
 most remarkable feature of journalism this country 
 ever presented. The first editorial I read in a morn- 
 ing daily, on the subject of commercial freedom, ap- 
 peared to me to be written from a party standpoint. 
 Some days thereafter I procured an issue of the oppo- 
 site party's organ, which contained an editorial on the 
 
228 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 same subject. I read it eagerly, hoping to find my 
 own sentiments advocated — I was then a protectionist ; 
 but, to my astonishment, the two papers coincided 
 as completely as if they were organs of the same party. 
 Afterward I learned, that the two parties do not pre- 
 tend to differ in principles ; that their names signified 
 the differences that existed generations ago; and that 
 to-day they exist for no other purpose than that of 
 watching the public servants. The minority party is 
 always very solicitous of the public interests; and the 
 constant healthy competition which thus surrounds poli- 
 tics in this country, insures the strictest attention to 
 duties, and, therefore, the best results. 
 
 In America the closest observer is unable to discern 
 what to believe of the contradictory statistics and 
 records presented to the public, by the organs and 
 speakers of the political parties. The representatives 
 of one, quote figures from ofificial reports, proving, 
 beyond all doubt, that certain periods of the past, 
 when their peculiar doctrines were enforced by law, 
 were by far the most satisfactory and prosperous eras 
 of the nation's experience. Immediately the organs of 
 the opposite party come out with editorials, of equal 
 weight;, and, marshalling to their aid with alacrity, 
 figures and arguments, quoted from the same "authen- 
 tic" records and reports, prove, beyond all refutation, 
 that the very same period experienced one of the 
 most grinding panics ever known to American history. 
 Both sides use quotations from the greatest statesmen 
 of that day to corroborate their statements; and- the 
 champions of both are implicitly believed and upheld 
 by the rank and file of their respective parties. 
 
 Here, journalists, like all other people, are inde- 
 pendent — ^too independent to conduct their papers con- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 229 
 
 trary to their own convictions. They are never known 
 to subserve the interest of the plunderer, the dema- 
 gogue, the lottery or the gambler, the speculator or 
 the corruptionist; but denounce and decry, as with 
 one voice, any and all things of immoral or improper 
 tendencies. No editor would think of advocating local 
 interests to the detriment of the general interest. 
 Such inconsistencies are here unknown. The absurd- 
 ity of shaping principles according to geographical 
 location would be a novelty indeed to Centralians of 
 this generation. If, for instance, it is right to con- 
 sume the juice of half-rotted grapes or corn, pressed 
 out and barreled or bottled, in California, it is also 
 right in Iowa, or any other place. On the other hand, 
 if it is right for a majority to decide what not to 
 drink, the principle applies just as well to California 
 as to any other state; and, if organs of the same party 
 advocate opposite principles in different localities, 
 and the reason is, local interest, it seems too much 
 like avarice overbalancing principle — indirect bribery 
 — something of which human beings are not guilty, 
 when it is possible to make their success in life hon- 
 orably. 
 
 Pursuant to an appointment of the morning, I called 
 at the immense publishing house of Lucas, Montague, 
 & Co. I had no idea why Mr. Lucas wished to see 
 me; but I found him in his private office, and at lei- 
 sure. 
 
 "Mr. Spencer," said he, "the time is ripe for a book 
 descriptive of American civilization. Do you feel in- 
 clined to write one?" 
 
 "If I were sure of a demand for it," I replied, "I 
 would certainly take pleasure in writing something 
 of the kind." • 
 
230 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Demand for it!" he repeated. "Why, the public 
 is hungry for it! If I had one ready to publish now, 
 I could ' sell at least half a million copies within a 
 year. " 
 
 "I am sorry I did not know of this sooner. I might 
 have devoted a quantity of my leisure time to such a 
 task. But I never thought of the matter, until you 
 mentioned it." 
 
 "Oh!" said Mr. Lucas, "there is plenty of time be- 
 fore us; but I would advise you to begin at once, if 
 it is possible or, rather, convenient; for there is 
 money in it! Everybody wants to learn all about 
 America and the outside world in general; and now, 
 since your party has arrived here, more interest is 
 taken in the outside world than ever. " 
 
 "In regard to publishing a book of that kind," I 
 asked, "is it customary for the writer to give it into 
 the hands of the publisher, or to hire the publishing 
 done?" 
 
 "Writing and publishing are two distinct vocations," 
 he replied. "It is seldom that talent and taste for 
 both are found in the same person. No one here would 
 think of combining the two, any more than a farmer 
 would undertake to boil his potatoes after raising them, 
 and then retail them to the consumer. It would be 
 a very primitive method of trade. You may be spec- 
 ially fitted to write a book, yet not have the knack of 
 selling it successfully; while I have found by expe- 
 rience, that I can put a book on the market with as 
 much success as anyone, but I could not write one at 
 all. 
 
 "We publishers agree upon terms with the authors 
 as best we can. Generally we take the manuscript and 
 pay a royalty to the author for all the books pub- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 231 
 
 lished; sometimes, however, we buy the manuscript 
 outright." 
 
 "I suppose," said I, "that authors get their works 
 copyrighted here, as they do in America?" 
 
 "I do not understand — is not that a natural right? 
 and, if so, why do you need to ask for that right?" 
 
 "By copyright, " I explained, "is meant an exclu- 
 sive legal right granted an author to publish his own 
 works. Does not Congress grant copyrights here?" 
 
 "As I said before " he replied, "that is a natural, 
 inherent right, and does not need 'granting. We have 
 no such statute here. The commandment, "Thou shalt 
 not steal,' covers that point. If in this country some 
 one should use the property of another without the 
 owner's consent, he would be called upon to satisfy. 
 the owner afterward. I have been in the publishing 
 business for many years, but never knew of any case 
 where literary work was stolen. You see, it would not 
 pay! If I were to copy some author's work to-mor- 
 row, and place it on the market, the author would 
 come to me and demand his royalty; and if I should 
 refuse to accede to his demand, he would bring in a 
 complaint against me, and any judge or jury through 
 out the country would render a decision in his favor. " 
 
 "The other boys are at work," I thought, as I 
 walked home; "and this book will be something to 
 occupy my time. So far, everybody I have met has 
 been anxious to know all about America. By writing 
 this book, the whole country can be entertained with 
 that interesting subject at once, while it will doubt- 
 less 'put money in my purse' !" 
 
 Redcliffe was glad to hear that I had something to 
 occupy me. 
 
232 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 ■'I know you so well," said he, "that I'm confident, 
 unless you found something to keep you busy, you'd 
 be roaming around the country until you were tiredj 
 and then there's no telling what you'd undertake. Isn't 
 it strange, though, Spencer, that we don't get home- 
 sick? Sometimes I've been afraid that the notion 
 would strike you to try to get back to America — you're 
 reckless enough to fancy just such a dangerous un- 
 dertaking ! " 
 
 ' I "Never fear," I replied, "I'm satisfied here. I 
 
 wouldn't want to go back to America now— at least, 
 
 ; not until I have learned everything there is to know 
 
 i about this country. Then what more glorious thing 
 
 j could a man do, than to carry enlightenment to the 
 
 ] outside-world!" 
 
 -"Since I have found employment," said Redcliffe, 
 "I like my new home so well, that nothing could in- 
 duce me to leave. I could never be satisfied again in 
 
 i a country where people drudge along for eighteen 
 hours out of twenty-four, and where an overwhelm- 
 ing majority of the population is only half fed, half 
 clothed, and one-third educated — where it is danger- 
 ous to be out alone at night in some portions of the 
 cities — where men and women are obliged to go from 
 place to place, begging for an opportunity to earn an 
 honest dollar — and where those who make a sale say 
 'Thank you' ! when they receive money in payment, 
 as though they had got the better of the bargain — 
 where ragged boys run barefooted on the streets, 
 accosting the passer with the familiar 'Shine, Mister?' 
 as though the ordinary man could not tell whether 
 his own boots needed blacking or not; but, judging 
 by the appearance of some of those who come out of 
 that American ornament — the saloon — many of them 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 233 
 
 really have not sense enough to decide such fine points 
 for themselves — where a young man, leaving a thea- 
 ter with a lady, is almost seized bodily by a howling 
 mob of tough, hungry-looking hackmen, who expect 
 to embarrass him into their vehicle with the lady, in 
 order that they may rob him to the extent of the law 
 — where the traveler, arriving in a city, is deafened 
 by a hundred agitated and excited hyenas — hotel 
 drummers — who grab for his gripsack from all sides, 
 and make every appearance of starving pirates or es- 
 caped convicts! No! no more America for me! not 
 while I can live here in a civilized country, with ac- 
 commodations and conveniences that the people can 
 afford! 
 
 "Here" he continued, "we see no business man beg- 
 ging for patronage, hiring auctioneers to sell his goods 
 for him, or driving a band-wagon through the streets, 
 annoying the public about his particular stock of 
 goods — here we see no peddlers on the streets, no pea- 
 nut, sausage, or lemonade venders at every corner, 
 selling things which can be had as well at the stores 
 — in short, none of the hungry appearance of people 
 soliciting trade. Then, too, the absence of saloons 
 and the fact that all the people on the street are well- 
 dressed and apparently comfortable, goes far toward 
 making a community desirable to live in." 
 
 "Here nobody works much more than seven hours a 
 d£g^" I added. "That is just a healthy length of time 
 to exercise : without that, it would seem as if there 
 were nothing to live for. We cannot be seeking pleas- 
 ure all the time — it would become monotonous and 
 wearisome. But when people can employ themselves 
 reasonably with some congenial trade or occupation, 
 it then seems as though there were something sub- 
 
234 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 stantial about life— something tangible and worthy of 
 an effort. 
 
 "As I understand, from many different sources, there 
 is no longer the sense of drudgery, or of irksome duty, 
 attached to labor, which, in our former home, was 
 so noticeable. Men and women go about their daily 
 employment "happy and contented, with as much in- 
 terest in their work as those have who are working for 
 themselves; even children in school find it a pleasure 
 to study, instead of a distasteful duty — and why should 
 they not? Is it not natural, that to exercise our facul- 
 ties, mental or physical, when such exercise is not too 
 vi&lent, should be a pleasure? Is it not evidence that 
 something is wrong, when those things which are nat- 
 ural and necessary seem a curse to us? The reason 
 that, in America, people look upon labor as a curse, 
 Celia says, is 'because there it is too violent — because 
 those who must labor are forced to do top much of 
 it.' We all appreciate a good meal under normal con- 
 ditions; but imagine a person being compelled to eat 
 more than enough — would not eating under such con- 
 ditions become a curse? Some people enjoy dancing 
 — to them it is a great pleasure; but compel them to 
 dance more than enough to satisfy their desire, and 
 the finest waltz would become laborious. Nothing is. 
 more agreeable than heatj in the proper amount; ob- 
 serve how miserable we feel when the temperature 
 falls too low — without heat we could not live a min- 
 ute ; but necessary and agreeable as heat is to us,, 
 what a horrible curse it becomes in the shape of an 
 overpowering conflagration — which is nothing but too 
 much heat! How refreshing is a nice, cool breeze! 
 but how terrible a tornado! nothing but too much 
 breeze. And so it is throughout; no matter hoW 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 235 
 
 agreeable the right amount of a thing may be, when 
 we get too much of it, it becomes a curse. Education, 
 labor, and amusement are no exception to the rule." 
 The next morning I took a run up town to look after 
 some little matters I wanted to arrange before leav- 
 ing for La Humane to attend Fleming's wedding. As 
 I passed a hat store, I saw what was marked "Yankee 
 Hat!" It was an imitation of our high silk hats. I 
 went in to inquire about it; and the clerk told me it 
 was not for sale, but only a sample." 
 
 "It is a new thing here," said he, *just out! We 
 never saw anything like it before. They are going to 
 sell like fresh Breece, as soon as we get in a stock. " 
 
 "Where are they from?" I asked, "and when will 
 you receive your stock?" 
 
 "It will be here in about a week. They are made 
 by a manufacturer at La Humane. He has taken pat- 
 tern after the hats worn by a crew of 'Yankees' who 
 came to this country not long ago." 
 
 "Do you think many will be worn?" 
 
 "I don't think anything about it— I know it!" he re- 
 plied. "You will see, that, in less than three months, 
 every young man in the country 'must have one,' if 
 the factory can supply the demand." 
 
 "But how about the manufacturing— has that hat 
 factory got a monopoly on the business, or can others 
 make them too?" 
 
 "Anybody can make them, who is fixed for it," he 
 replied; "and no doubt a dozen or more factories are 
 already at work on them. I wonder where those 'Yan- 
 kees' are? I would like to see them." 
 
 "Those Yankees are in this city." 
 
 He took a second glance at me, then asked: 
 
 "Where are they to be seen? Do they look like we 
 do? Where can I see one?" 
 
236 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "If you would take a third look," I answered, "you 
 would have no trouble in seeing one now." 
 
 "Wh — :a — t! are you a 'Yankee'? Why you talk 
 good English — how did you manage that?" 
 
 "This is the first time I was ever complimented on 
 my English, although I have been studying the lan- 
 guage for more than a quarter of a century!" 
 
 He seemed a little disappointed. I was not so much 
 of a curiosity', after all! 
 
 I found out further, that at La Humane the plug 
 hat business had already assumed quite a magnitude; 
 that they had been on sale there for over a week; and 
 that the 'boys' bought them as fast as they could be- 
 put on the market. Little did I dream, when I 
 planned our expedition, that I was to be made a trans- 
 portation medium for fashions! 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 During my sojourn of a month in Quesney, I learned 
 much of Centralian life and became familiar with the 
 habits and customs of the people. Many a seeming 
 paradox was made plain to me. 
 
 When I returned to La Humane to see Fleming 
 launch the bark of his destiny upon the matrimonial 
 ocean, that lovely city had lost none of. its attractions. 
 No wonder people prefer to live here! I believe no 
 other location inside the earth is so desirable as this. 
 Nature's gifts have been bountiful; and the balmy air, 
 the favorable surroundings, seem to be reflected in 
 the dispositions of the people, who are all contented 
 and prosperous. 
 
 Everything was going on in the regular routine, 
 with but one exception: the "latest agony," the style 
 of the day, the "rage" — was the "Yankee Hat." There 
 were more high silk hats on the street of La Humane, 
 than I had ever seen before. 
 
 In order to keep up with the times, the first thing 
 I did was to hunt up my own silk hat. 
 
 Fleming was delighted to see me — in fact, he seemed 
 delighted with everything. So happy was ,he, that he 
 took me into his room for a long confidential talk. 
 Judging by his testimony — prejudiced, no doubt — he 
 was about to capture a veritable prize. 
 
 "That reminds me, Fleming," said I, as he closed 
 his enthusiastic eulogium — "Redcliffe commissioned 
 me to extend his congratulations; and to ask, as a 
 
 237 
 
238 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 special favor, that you send him a timely invitation 
 to the divorce proceedings, should they be next in 
 order. He says that weddings in Centralia are too 
 common to be attractive; but divorces are rare enough 
 to be interesting." 
 
 "Redcliffe is a queer fellow," answered Fleming, 
 with a laugh. "You tell him for me, Spencer, that 
 I'll do my utmost to please him, if a simple divorce 
 can have that effect! A sensational divorce trial, of 
 the American type, would indeed be a great novelty 
 here — sure to draw a crowd. But in regard to my 
 wedding, Spencer, you will feel repaid for your time 
 and trouble in coming here, before the ceremony is 
 over!" 
 
 "How so? You are the second person who made it 
 a point to assure me that your wedding would he es- 
 pecially enjoyable to me. Of course I expect to en- 
 joy it — in a reasonable degree. I always have a good 
 time when there is the slightest opportunity; and wed- 
 dings, as I've been accustomed to them, generally 
 afford the slightest opportunity. But what is there 
 about such affairs in this country, about yours in par- 
 ticular, to make such a special attraction?" 
 
 "That is something," replied Fleming, with a mys- 
 terious air, "which will be revealed to-morrow evening. 
 Who told you about it before?" 
 
 "Celia told me." 
 
 "Ah! — ha! — so you call her 'Celia' now! I meant 
 to ask you about her, the first thing. Is she at Ques- 
 ney now? Why didn't you bring her along? I would 
 very much like to meet her — I might not like her as 
 much as you do — but she is a remarkably fine wo- 
 ttian." 
 
 "She is away from home, at present," said I, "at- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 239 
 
 tending a course of lectures-^she is studying law, you 
 know. 1 call her 'Celia,' in preference to 'Miss Lath- 
 rop,' for economic reasons." 
 
 Fleming laughed heartily at my sober explanation; 
 and hazarded the opinion, that I must have discovered 
 a new branch of economics — "sentimental economics, 
 perhaps. " 
 
 "Her absence is really to be regretted," he con- 
 tinued. 
 
 "Of course you can't pursue your studies in this 
 new department alone — if I understand it, two are ab- 
 solutely essential to successful experiments in that 
 line! They must not be of the same sex either. Why 
 don't you take a run down to see her — in the interest 
 of science, say? Where is it that this lecture course 
 is given?" 
 
 "She didn't tell me where," I replied. "I am to 
 call at her home two weeks from the day she left. So, 
 you see, I could not call on her now if I wanted to. 
 Science and I must perforce suffer until the two weeks 
 have expired— I won't mind renewing the experiments 
 then. It is certainly a long and lonely time; but she 
 wishes it so, and — well, you know how it is when a girl 
 gets her head set!". 
 
 "Yes," said Fleming, "these girls do take peculiar 
 notions sometimes. I find that the best plan is not 
 to interfere^it don't do any good; and things come 
 out all right in the end, anyhow." 
 
 We went down into the parlor; and were scarcely 
 seated, when Flora came into the room, just as happy 
 as a lark, and as bright as a sunbeam. Bidding me 
 good morning, she said: 
 
 "Mr. Spencer, you were attracted from our lovely 
 city sooner than can be accounted for on ^ny ordinary 
 
240 FROM EARTH'S CMl^TMR 
 
 hypothesis; and you managed to induce one of youf 
 colleagues to follow — but the other didn't go, did he?" 
 
 "No, " said I ; "it has since been demonstrated, be- 
 yond question, that an extraordinary hypothesis held 
 him here by attraction ; and when I look at you, I 
 am convinced that Fleming is a remarkably good judge 
 of hypotheses!" 
 
 Laughing heartily, she said : 
 
 "I have many friends at Quesney; and we are now 
 arguing the question whether to move there or to re- 
 main here, after our tour." 
 
 "She hasn't much choice," added Fleming; "and I 
 prefer to live where the rest are. " 
 
 I then told them that Redcliffe and I would prob- 
 ably remain permanently at Quesney; as Redcliffe had 
 gone to work there several weeks before, was thor- 
 oughly satisfied with the place, and had formed such 
 congenial relations that, of late, they absorbed his 
 whole mind; and, as for myself, I liked Quesney just 
 as well as any other place." 
 
 "And perhaps a little better," suggested Flora. 
 
 "Well — perhaps!" I admitted. 
 
 She then approached me with this proposition : 
 
 "I have a little favor to ask of you, Mr. Spencer. 
 No doubt you will accommodate me. In this country, 
 it is customary to attend weddings in pairs — thus 
 avoiding a majority of either sex. You are alone, I 
 believe; and a young lady from Fairfield, an intimate 
 friend of mine, will be hexe in time to-morrow even- 
 ing to attend the ceremony. She also is alone. If 
 you feel that the temporary combination would be 
 agreeable to you, I know she would be pleased to 
 have you act as her escort for the evening. She and 
 I always thought so much of each other, that if I 
 
PROM EARTH'S CENTER i^i 
 
 Could make this engagement for her, she would appre- 
 ciate the little favor highly; and it would do me good 
 to see her enjoying herself — as she would certainly 
 do with you. Are you willing to enter into such a 
 compact, through the medium of myself as negotiatrix 
 — provided Miss Lathrop would not take offense at the 
 proceedings?" 
 
 "You are very considerate of Miss Lathrop's inter- 
 ests," I replied. "I assure you, she would expect 
 nothing but that I should do as you wish; since this 
 occasion is, of necessity, more designed to suit your 
 pleasure, than that of any one else. And, as for me, 
 how can I do otherwise than resign myself to your 
 wishes, after your delicately implied compliment — es- 
 pecially when I can do so by agreeing to something 
 highly desirable in itself — as an evening in the com- 
 pany of one of your friends must necessarily be! 
 There, I am even with ycu! Please consider, there- 
 fore, that the engagement, if you make it, will please 
 me as much as it will you. One thing, however, 
 should not be forgotten; I am not familiar with your 
 marriage customs; and, for that reason, may cause the 
 lady some embarrassment." 
 
 "Oh, leave that to me," replied Flora. "She is 
 such a kind and intelligent girl, that any and all mis- 
 takes will be gladly overlooked; but, I assure you, 
 there will be nothing done that will not seem quite 
 natural to you." 
 
 The following day Mr. Humphreys called on me. 
 We had quite a talk. He soon noticed that Celia was 
 an interesting subject with me; so he told me several 
 things about her, which highly elated me. 
 
 On the night of our first reception, before I had met 
 her, she said confidentially to Mrs. Humphreys: 
 
242 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Mr. Spencer comes pretty near suiting my taste; 
 and I must manage to meet him, somehow." 
 
 Another thing Mr. Humphreys told me was, that 
 Celia possessed strong ambitions and aspirations; that 
 she would not rest until she had made her mark in the 
 political world; that she is quite a student of economic 
 science, and was even then studying law in ordeir to 
 have the elementary preparation necessary to enter 
 upon her career. 
 
 Evening came. After supper I was in my room, 
 when the bride sent me word to come to the hotel 
 parlor. 
 
 She met me at the door, saying: 
 
 "I want to introduce you to my friend from Fair- 
 field — the one of whom 1 spoke. She has arrived; and 
 if you are ready, you can meet her; then, in about an 
 hour, we shall all be ready for the evening. 
 
 I was presented to the lady, whose name was Mrs. 
 "Osonice. " She was bright and agreeable; but as 
 soon as she spoke, I noticed a peculiarity in her in- 
 tonation — her voice, though very clear, seemed un- 
 natural; there was evidently some impediment which 
 made her enunciation indistinct. The room was so 
 poorly lighted that I could not see her features clear- 
 ly. She wore her hair in a rather queer style — very 
 low over the forehead On the whole, however, she 
 seemed an attractive girl, in spite of her peculiarities. 
 
 After a few moments conversation, she withdrew, 
 accompanied by the bride elect, promising to await 
 me in the same place at twenty o'clock. 
 
 I noticed that she was tall and stately and in some 
 respects resembled Celia. But the resemblance was 
 in their forms only; for their voices were totally un- 
 like, and she lacked the positive, firm disposition and 
 directness of manner so characteristic of Celia. 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 243 
 
 "Nevertheless," thought I, "she will make a pleas- 
 ant companion for the evening." 
 
 I sat in the parlor reading the paper, as the hour 
 approached. Hearing the soft rustle of feminine gar- 
 ments, I looked up; and, behold! — there in the door- 
 way, with a mischievous smile on her face, stood — 
 Celia! 
 
 "Oh, Celia!" I exclaimed, as I sprang to meet her, 
 "was that you in here a while ago, masquerading as 
 'Mrs. Osonice?' — and what an appropriate name!" 
 
 "Yes, Ralph, I am 'Mrs. Osonice,'" she answered 
 gleefully, as I took her hand. - 
 
 The certainty of having given me a pleasant sur- 
 prise brightened the beautiful face wonderfully. Her 
 eyes were fairly dancing with merriment. I had never 
 seen her look more lovely! 
 
 She was talking uninterruptedly, but I could not 
 listen — so completely was I fascinated. She was so 
 tempting! "Dare I? — Shall I?" I debated with my- 
 self: "No — yes"-;-she was absolutely irresistible! 
 "Yes; I will!" and moved by an uncontrollable im- 
 pulse, I muttered an incoherent apology and kissed her 
 right on her lips ! 
 
 Fearing that I had committed an unpardonable tres- 
 pass, I tremblingly awaited judgment; but, to my 
 astonishment, she kept right on talking, as though 
 nothing had happened. I made a motion as though 
 to repeat the theft, then she stopped abruptly, raised 
 her hand disapprovingly, and said in a low, firm tone: 
 
 "Mr. Spencer, you thought you were sharp in steal- 
 ing that kiss, didn't you?" then, smiling very sweetly, 
 she continued: "and so you were! But I will expect 
 you to wait until you receive due notice, before you 
 attempt to be so sharp again!" 
 
244 FROM EAR TH ' S CEN TER 
 
 I apologized, explaining that the second attempt 
 was made only to attract her attention. 
 
 "Do you mean to deny me a single kiss in tl^e fut- 
 ure?" I asked. "You can hardly blame me for what 
 I have done, Celia!" 
 
 "I don't blame you, Ralph," she answered frankly, 
 to my amazement and delight; "On the contrary, had 
 I not succeeded then, I should have blamed myself." 
 
 "Oh, Celia! — then you designed it so!" 
 
 "Come!" said she. "We will not lose any time 
 now, talking about the future. Sit down! — the rest of 
 the party will be here soon. Tell me — what do you 
 think of the bride?" 
 
 "I admire her immensely," I declared, "especially 
 since she so nicely conducted matters for us this even- 
 ing-" 
 
 "Did she arrange our evening's engagement very 
 skilfully?" 
 
 . But before I could answer, a lively party of six 
 couples came into the room, and ^made themselves 
 perfectly at home. We were introduced all around; 
 and by that time several more couples had arrived. 
 
 When all the invited guests were present — including 
 the Judge — we were ready to proceed. 
 
 I was pleased beyond description, by an American 
 feature that the ladies introduced. I cannot say how 
 that peculiar fashion impressed the rest of those pres- 
 ent; but to Fleming and myself — Americans — banged 
 hair appeared quite natural. And I must say that it 
 was remarkable with what dexterity all these young 
 ladies had imitated the new foreign fashion, unheard 
 of hereto fore, in this country. Of course the bride had 
 had access to Fleming's photograph album, where she 
 studied the exact style of hair dressing in vogue 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 245 
 
 among the American beauties. She cleverly kept this 
 novelty a secret, until the assembling of our social 
 wedding party, when all the ladies appeared in what 
 they termed "Yankee foretop style " and the effect 
 was telling. 
 
 Presently the bride and groom appeared and took 
 a standing position in the center of the room. Celia 
 and I were called upon to act as witnesses to the "tie." 
 We were placed by the side of the contracting couple 
 —then the Judge approached, stood before them, and 
 asked this question : 
 
 "Mrs. Flora Goodrich of this city, and Ricardo 
 Fleming from Los Angeles, California, United States 
 of America, are you ready to declare before these 
 witnesses, on your wo.rd of honor as sovereign citizens 
 of Centralia, that henceforth you will recognize each 
 other as exclusive consorts, until death or regular di- 
 vorce?" Each answered separately:^ 
 "1 am." 
 
 There upon the Judge turned and announced to those 
 present, that the two people, known as Mrs. Flora 
 Goodrich and Ricardo Fleming, were now married 
 according to the custom of the country. 
 
 After the ceremony we marched in a body to the 
 dining hall, where a magnificent supper was served. 
 Many spicy things were here said and eaten. No one 
 showed any of that melancholy tendency, so often a 
 principal feature of American weddings, as though a 
 funeral were the cause of the gathering. 
 
 As usual I began to philosophize; and, afterward, 
 by questioning Celia, I learned, that the reason why 
 all were so confident, and in such an exuberant mood 
 at a wedding, was because people here, as a rule, do 
 not marry without being as nearly certain, as possible, 
 
246 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 of having made a congenial matchj and, therefore 
 elderly people do not anticipate the trouble and un- 
 happiness, in the majority of unions, which, according 
 to my observation, American experience leads one to 
 expect. 
 
 We remained seated at the table, after finishing sup- 
 per, while the presents were being distributed. 
 ; The American wedding-present custom is here re- 
 f versed: The guests all receive a present from the 
 \ young married couple. From this, it will be readily 
 ' understood why a person may consider himself a friend 
 1 when invited to a wedding— American wedding invi- 
 , tations are often in the nature of bids for presents! 
 Another novel feature was introduced: Instead of 
 the variety of assorted presents usually given, the 
 bride had a number of fine copies made from our por- 
 traits of the founders of the American Republic; and 
 these she gracefully and graciously distributed to us. 
 i Celia had secretly petitioned beforehand for that of 
 Thomas Jefferson — she prizes it very highly. 
 
 Being the only American guest present, I was the 
 only one who received a native article as a gift — a 
 fine volume of the "Life of Mrs. Turgot QueSney" — 
 the best selection that could possibly have been made 
 for me — the life of Centralia's greatest reformer, and 
 Celia's ancestress. * 
 
 When all had studied the features of the "fathers 
 of the Republic," and I had sufficiently admired the 
 frontispiece of my new book, some one proposed an ad- 
 journment to the ball. That was another surprise to 
 me, and a most agreeable one. 
 
 A conveyance was at the door; and all the young 
 people were driven to the ball-room, where the music 
 began as soon a§ we had disposed o{ oijr wraps. 4 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 247 
 
 large crowd had previously gathered; and they fell in 
 line behind the wedding party, who led the grand 
 march. 
 
 After the march, a charming waltz was played. 
 Then it was that Celia and I had an opportunity to 
 make up for the one we missed the evening of the 
 La Humane reception. 
 
 There were some three hundred couples in the hall. 
 
 A curtain draped across the center served to make 
 the room smaller, as the whole dancing, hall of the 
 ward building was entirely too large for a private 
 gathering. 
 
 The next dance Celia gave to Fleming, while the 
 bride honored me. I assured Flora, that it was diffi- 
 cult to tell which was the happier — she or I; that the 
 surprise she had arranged so cleverly for me was the 
 pleasantest little incident of my life; and that I had 
 found her "Fairfield friend" fully as nice as her name 
 implied. Furthermore, I felt confident, that Mrs. 
 Lathrop would not enter the slightest protest against 
 my playing the gallant to "Mrs. Osonice!" , 
 
 At this she laughed, and said: 
 
 "Celia was not aware of the name until you were 
 introduced — it was a surprise to her as well as to you. 
 But you found her as kind and intelligent as I de- 
 scribed her, did you not?" 
 
 "Oh! more so — much more so!" I protested. "But 
 do you think you will find my friend Fleming as agree- 
 able as you fancied at first?" 
 
 "What a question to ask a bride!" she laughed. "I 
 think I can likewise say 'more' so." 
 
 We danced merrily that evening until twenty-four 
 o'clock. 
 The next morning Celisi took the early train for 
 
248 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 Fairfield, where she was attending a series of lect- 
 ures. We both came a considerable distance to at- 
 tend the wedding; but it was amply worth our time 
 and trouble. 
 
 The morning paper gave a lengthy report of the 
 "American wedding." The column was headed with 
 a picture of the bride, displaying her "Yankee foretop 
 style," which proved such a novelty, that the paper 
 had an enormous sale. 
 
 Fleming told me that our income from the rent of 
 the old ship, so far averaged ^22 a day, with good 
 prospects for a continuation. 
 
 We had quite a talk before I left; and he was 
 strongly inclined to settle in Quesney after his wed- 
 ding tour. I encouraged him in that notion. 
 
 In the evening I left La Humane for Ruskin, 
 {he capital of Ducummon, the smallest state in the 
 nation. There I spent two days among the caves and 
 other wild freaks of nature, for which that state is 
 noted. I longed to spend more time among these 
 natural curiosities. 
 
 "But," thought I, "it will be so much more interest- 
 ing to ramble about here at some later day, when my 
 air-castle shall have become a reality, and Celia can 
 accompany me; besides, I have a book to write, which 
 demands my time and attention." 
 
 There was one thing that I observed, and had often 
 heard mentioned, but never explained; nearly all the 
 corn used by the entire nation is produced in this little 
 
 state; while most of the beef is raised in England 
 
 a state south of the equator. 
 
 I never knew much about farming; but this time I 
 felt it incumbent on myself to inform these Ducum- 
 mon people of our time-honored American pro- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 249 
 
 taction argument — diversification of industries; that 
 were they to produce all their own articles needed for 
 home consumption, the cost of transporting commodi- 
 ties would be saved; and, besides, it would keep 
 their work at home to employ labor. But instead of 
 convincing the first farmer I met, he laughed in my 
 face, and inquired how long I had been in that con- 
 dition. 
 
 I answered that I was born that way. 
 
 He laughed again,, and said: 
 
 "If that is a fact, how is it that the proprietor of 
 the Quesney Museum has not bought you up, long ago? 
 He has made it a point to secure all of the country's 
 antiquities, regardless of cost. You are certainly the 
 sole living specimen of your kind, which, with your 
 exception, has been extinct for some time, I have 
 read about ■ 'protectionists,' but never expected to see 
 a real live one ! Where in the world were you brought 
 up?" 
 
 I could not stand it any longer, so I told him my 
 position: that I was a protectionist until I saw the 
 beauty of free trade. 
 
 "But," said I, "how is it that nearly all the corn 
 is raised in this state to supply the whole nation? 
 Does it not grow in the other states?" 
 
 "Oh, yes!" he replied; "it grows nearly as well as 
 here. You could not see any difference looking at 
 •it; but, on an average, land in this state yields about 
 ten per cent more corn, with the same labor, than 
 in any other. And since it costs no more than about 
 six per cent of the value of the corn to transport it 
 to the farthest seaport town of the nation, it is plain 
 that the people of the other parts of the country can 
 get more corn, for the same labor, by producing other 
 
250 FR OM EAR TH 'S CENTER 
 
 articles for which they are better fitted, and trading 
 them for our corn." 
 
 "There was a time,," he continued, "when corn was 
 raised in all the states — not because it paid; but be- 
 cause the governments of the different nations into 
 which our country was at that time divided, fined 
 people for trading across the line. The fine, or tariff, 
 was so great, that, after paying it, the corn cost more 
 than if they had raised it, at home, at a disadvantage. 
 But such absurdities are no longer tolerated by our 
 people. We are above such fetishism now ; and our 
 experience teaches us tnat people know far better 
 where they can make the best trades or bargains, than 
 any Congress or Assembly can teach them with a 
 tariff!" 
 
 On my way to Quesney, I considered how hard it 
 is to give up an old faith. What a pleasure it would 
 have been to me had I found my own doctrines cor- 
 roborated and practiced here, instead of just the re- 
 verse! It is a pleasure, nevertheless, to live among 
 such a people, though every move they make destroys 
 another pet philosophy. 
 
 I arrived at home oii the very day Celia's prescribed 
 two weeks expired; and while the dear girl had con- 
 trived to introduce a novel meeting into the midst of 
 the otherwise long and lonesome interval — 1 was 
 heartily glad that we were both once more at home. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Yes — the two weeks had passed; and you may be 
 certain that I was not slow in keeping my appoint- 
 ment with Celia ! 
 
 She was in quite a talkative mood; but, as on pre- 
 vious occasions, she studiously avoided anything like 
 sentimental conversation, alleging that such a subject 
 would seriously interfere with her studies, which she 
 meant to master before allowing life's softer pleasures 
 to absorb her attention. 
 
 "Are you thoroughly satisfied, Mr. Spencer," she 
 inquired, "with your surroundings here? Are 
 there not peculiarities in Centralia's institutions 
 which have not yet been made clear to you?" 
 
 "Man)' things still seam unnatural to me," I re- 
 plied ; "but, considering the unanimous testimony of 
 those I meet, I can no longer trust my own judgment 
 and doctrines. Their fallacies have been too often 
 practically demonstrated since I set foot in Centralia. 
 For instance, the marriage laws of America were not, 
 in my opinion, binding enough — in proof of which, I 
 always pointed to the numerous divorces and viola- 
 tions of the marriage contract. But coming here, 
 where marriage is contracted by mutual agreement, 
 without even an oath, and learning that so few di- 
 vorces take place, my theory is completely exploded. 
 Now I wish you would tell me how you account for this 
 fact? Where a person sees one after another of his old 
 cherished opinions demolished as thoroughly as wost 
 
 ?3l 
 
2 52 FR OM EAR Til 'S CENTER 
 
 of mine have been, it is high time to throw aside ab- 
 stractions and be guided by hard facts." 
 
 "Don't get discouraged, Ralph," said Celia, with 
 a smile; "since all of our social institutions are based 
 upon natural law, they are easily explained and un- 
 derstood. 
 
 "But it amuses me to hear you speak of the Ameri- 
 can marriage laws not being binding enough! Did 
 your nation undertake to bind men and women together 
 with legislative whereases, resolves, and thou shalts? 
 Did they also legislate to enforce the physical growth 
 of human beings and animals? or pass laws to com- 
 pel water to boil on a stove with a good fire in it? 
 Have you statutes in America dictating to ducks to 
 swim when left to their own resources in deep water? 
 to require all animal life to breathe a stipulated 
 amount of atmosphere at regular intervals? to prescribe 
 to young men and women with whom, how, and when 
 they must fall in love? What kind of paternalistic 
 law-making machinery do you have over there? Do 
 they make laws to bind rocks to the surface of the 
 earth? or to make an apple drop to the ground, when 
 •severed from the tree? Did — " 
 
 "Pardon me for interrupting you," said I, "but are 
 you sure you understand my question? I am afraid 
 that you are ridiculing Americans unduly. What I 
 wished to know was: why, in spite of all the foresight 
 and provisions of the state laws, there are innumerable 
 divorces; while here, where marriage is simply an 
 agreement between the parties immediately concerned, 
 who hire a Judge to announce the fact to the public, I 
 hear of no such evil results?" 
 
 "I understand you thoroughly," said Celia. "I was 
 only giving a few analogous absurdities, which of 
 
FROM EARTti'S CENTER 253 
 
 course were a little exaggerated, to make my point 
 more clear. What is the real tie of marriage, Mr. 
 Spencer? is it not love? That you must admit. Now, 
 if love is the tie which nature has provided, why do 
 Americans deem it necessary to add exhaustive stat- 
 utes. Suppose your law makers should undertake to 
 birid up two men together in marriage, what would 
 the'legal tie amount to?" 
 
 "Not very much," I replied. 
 
 "Because," she continued, "legislaiLon-Stthicb-does, 
 not coincide vvith_ natural Ja ws can produce nothing 
 but trouble; and so it must be with your American 
 marriage taws. Legisi-£rticiiT~does no great harm as long 
 as it compels people to do what they would naturally 
 do anyhow; but when it undertakes to compel anything 
 contrary fa the human will, all legislation vvill surely 
 fail! 
 
 "It is clearly evident that your people have under' 
 taken to bind couples together who are not mated. 
 The fault is not with the marriage laws, as long as 
 such people only are bound as apply for marriage. 
 There is no law compelling people to marry, is there?" 
 
 "Certainly not!" I replied. 
 
 "Then," said she, "the fault lies elsewhere — not in 
 the marriage laws." 
 
 "Where can it be, then?" I inquired. 
 
 'Oh!" replied Celia, "there are no doubt many 
 reasons, but the principal one which, in our country 
 produced similar effects, some generations ago was 
 poverty, and the fear of poverty. Will you tell me, 
 Ralph, what are the principal causes of divorce in 
 America?" 
 
 I answered, that as nearly as I could state from 
 memory, at least eighty per cent were based upon 
 
254 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 lack of support, and maltreatment resulting from the 
 use of liquor." 
 
 "There you have it!" rejoined Celia. "That was 
 just our experience before poverty was abolished. At 
 that time women were dependent upon their husbands 
 for support — something women would be decidedly 
 ashamed of now,— unless physically incapacitated for 
 work; and when a married man had no opportunity 
 to earn enough for the support of the family, trouble 
 naturally arose, and it frequently ended in divorce. 
 Desertion and starvation are directly caused by pov- 
 erty, while the liquor habit is indirectly the result of 
 the same cause. 
 
 "Liquor was formerly much used and abused in this 
 country. We never passed any laws forbidding the 
 use of it; but you see we have no saloons now, and 
 no one would think of drinking the vile stuff as a bev- 
 erage. Poverty and extreme wealth are always more 
 j or less responsible for intemperance. 
 
 "What is a more potent factor for evil is the fact, 
 that when a person cannot make a living honorably, 
 he will make it dishonorably. No respectable man 
 would run a saloon, if he could do as well at some 
 honorable occupation. I will admit that education 
 affects opinion as to what is or is not honorable. But, 
 even among your own people, is there not a certain 
 stigma attached to the saloon business? Is a bartender 
 admitted into the best society of Los Angeles?" 
 
 "By no means!" I replied. 
 
 "Then don't you see," she continued, "that as fast 
 as opportunities open up for people to employ them- 
 selves honorably, they will gradually desert the stig- 
 matized occupation? Those having the most self-re- 
 spect would be the first to quit the saloon. As more 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 255 
 
 left it, the stigma would become harder to bear; and, 
 as fast as chances to improve were offered, self-respect 
 would increase, until all would be too proud to sell 
 liquor that poisoned thfeir fellow beings. If to-mor- 
 row some one had the audacity to open a saloon here 
 in this city — admitting, for the sake of argument, that 
 there was a sale for wine (which is not the case) I 
 doubt whether a single man could be hired, for any 
 price, to sell the first glass over the bar. 
 
 " The liquor habitj_th erefore, is plainly an outgrowth 
 of poverty. That being true — and I know that it is 
 — ^the eighty per cent of American divorces are vir- 
 tually the result of poverty. The remaining twenty 
 per cent could also be traced to the same cause, if 
 the details and data were known." 
 
 "But," said I, "is America really doomed to suffer 
 on, until all the improved institutions I see in opera- 
 tion here can be adopted there?" 
 
 "Oh! no; America can solve the great industrial 
 problem — which will simultaneously destroy the poi- 
 sonous liquor serpent — by a very simple change in laws 
 concerning taxation. Let her people abolish th at ab- 
 surd import tax, and all other taxes on industry, skill 
 anH^ thrift, then draw The "ehlEire revenue to support 
 that_expensive monstiflsLt^-of a .gpjceiMoenl by a .tax 
 on the value of land, irrespective of improvements; 
 and poverty, with all of'its far-reaching 'evil Results, 
 will vanish like darkness before the dawn! What is 
 evil but a negative, like darkness? Just as dark- 
 ness iis a lack of light, so is evil a lack of good. 
 And when society makes it possible for the individual 
 to do good, instead of making it impossible,' by 
 
 a system of exclusive land ownership then, and 
 
 not till then, may you look for the good traits of 
 the human being to develop!" 
 
256 FROM EARTH'S Center 
 
 "What!" said I, somewhat surprised-^"you do not 
 mean, that, if the land of America were nationalized, 
 poverty would thereby be abolished?" 
 
 "I am afraid," replied Celia, "that you do not, as 
 yet, grasp our idea of land tenure. First of all, I 
 wish you would forever discard the idea^of land na- 
 tionalization. Between private ownership and govern- 
 mental ownership in land, I would have but little 
 choice ; both are gigantic evils, and both have been thor- 
 oughly tried. Your nation has private ownership in 
 land; Russia and China have national ownership — we 
 have no ownership at all. Now, judge for yourself 
 which is best! 
 
 "No! Mr. Spencer! I would not advise the nation- 
 alization of land in America, nor in any other country. 
 It would be a most dangerous experiment. It would 
 build up such a strong central government, that the 
 people would be as dwarfs compared with 'the Powers 
 that be;' and it would eventually establish a monarchy, 
 protected by standing armies, and supreme in the 
 possession of tha people's one source of livelihood — 
 the soil ! 
 
 "The land must remain public; and the local pub- 
 lic agencies — not a central government — must equal- 
 ize the value of land between those who hold it and 
 those who follow vocations in which no land is used." 
 
 "I now see my mistake very plainly," said I; "but 
 would your single tax abolish poverty in America, 
 without the aid of any other reform?" 
 
 "I mean to say, that all other reforins_Qr_iinp£ove- 
 ments would avail the lower classes nothing as long 
 as land-values were allowed to go into the pockeTs2"of 
 landlords ; and I mean further, that when the rent of 
 land, irrespective of improvements; is absorbed^ "by 
 
PHOM EARTH'S CENTER 2S7 
 
 t axation, an d used for public benefits, then, andnoib^- 
 ^;||£j_wil]_th.e industrial question be settled — and it 
 will remain settled as long as .that tax is continu.ed ! 
 ""Tught there, in the land-value tax, lies the secretj 
 of our progress! All else would be vain — our advance-! 
 ment in the arts, our improvement in mechanics, oui* 
 industry, would only add to the value of land; and the 
 landlord would reap the entire benefit in rents or in- 
 land sales, leaving the public no better off than be- 
 fore. Remember, that it is the community that makes 
 the land valuable; and, therefor-e, that such value be- 
 longs, of right, to the community. If you allow spec- 
 ulators and landlords to take it, industry is robbed 
 to that extent; and the higher the civilization, the 
 greater the robbery. 
 
 "In savage communities rent is unknown — it gfows 
 as civilization grows: it is greater in the town than on 
 the farm — greater in the city than in the town — just 
 in proportion to the amount of civilization. In fact, 
 land rent reflects and registers the value of com- 
 merce and civilizati-on, just as accurately as a mirror 
 reflects objects placed before it; and by taxing this 
 value — not the land, but land-values — the whole value 
 of civilization is recovered by the community to 
 whom it is due, while the whole product of individual 
 effort is left untaxed to the producer." 
 
 "I do not exactly realize the distinction you draw 
 between land and land-values, Celia." 
 
 "I will explain," she replied. "If it were land, in- 
 stead of land-values, all lands would necessarily be 
 taxed; but there are millions of acres — perhaps bettei 
 than any of the land that we are now using — not taxec 
 at all; because no one wants to use them, as long as 
 land can be had nearer the center of civilization. Ii 
 
258 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 is cheaper to pay a dollar, five, ten, and, in some 
 places, ten thousand dollars annual rent for the use 
 of an acre, than to use equally good land not so well 
 located from a commercial standpoint.. So, you see, 
 it is not the land itself we tax; but the value, which^ 
 attaches to land by virtue of its location and surround-^ 
 ings." 
 
 "Where do you find land," I asked, "productive 
 enough to enable the user to pay ten thousand dollars 
 a year rent for an acre?" 
 
 "Anywhere along the principal streets of this city, 
 and in rich mining districts. Is it not plain, that a 
 bank can better afford to pay the ground rent of a lo- 
 cation in the heart of the city, rather than to move 
 out on virgin soil which is not taxed at all? It is 
 commerce which makes the location worth so much for 
 banking purposes; and this location value is called 
 economic rent." 
 
 "Oh!" said I, "if people on the outside only knew 
 this secret, how quickly they would change their tax 
 laws in America! But, on the other hand, there are 
 people interested in opposing the change: just, as 
 when it is shown that the English are buying all the 
 American land and other monopolies with coin made 
 out of free trade in their country — such people as I 
 was, are stupid enough to believe the interested mo- 
 nopolist when he says that free trade is good for 
 England, but would be disastrous to America — so 
 would the stupid laboring man and farmer believe the 
 'planet owner' when he would tell them that the land 
 value tax is just the thing to make all the people of 
 Centralia rich and prosperous, but would impoverish 
 America! 
 
 "One point, however, it seems to me you have over- 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 259 
 
 looked : besides changing the tax laws, would it not 
 be necessary to pay all of the land owners for their 
 land, since the tax would destroy the selling-value?" 
 
 "What!" she exclaimed, "their land? If you admit 
 that it is their land, by what right can you compel 
 them to sell it? Can you force me to sell the furni- 
 ture of my home? No; becaues it is my furniture. 
 And if the land really belongs to the landlord, no 
 power on earth can make him sell it, without brute 
 force and injustice." 
 
 "Oh! of course, in the abstract," said I, "the land 
 belongs to the people; -their natural claim is sufificient 
 to justify the public in compelling the landlord to 
 sell." 
 
 "In other words," said Celia, "when you find 5'oui; 
 property in some one's else possession, you have a 
 right to buy it? Is that American justice? If I had 
 your watch, would you find much satisfaction in hav- 
 ing the right to force me to sell it to you? Would 
 it not seem more just, if I were obliged to give it 
 back? In such case, would the question as to where 
 I got it be raised at all? Would it make your rights 
 less binding could I prove that I paid someone else 
 for the exclusive privilge of possessing your property? 
 Who had the right to sell the land in the first place 
 and thus rob the masses of future generations of their 
 inherent rights to the bounties of nature? When any- 
 one can show a title from the Maker of the land, nobody 
 will dispute his ownership; but nobody except the 
 Maker can give a valid title. 
 
 "Because society did, in. the past, stand aside and 
 allow a certain class, called 'landowners', to collect 
 and pocket economic rent — is that any reason why it 
 should do so in future, or pay a fine or compensation 
 
26o FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 for putting a stop to it? If we grant a privilege to- 
 day, are we in duty bound to continue such grant to- 
 morrow? If some people went into the business of 
 speculating in privileges, is society then called upon 
 to make all of those wild speculations good? Have 
 you ever seen any precedents for such monstrous 
 wrongs? When the landlord profited by the tax laws, 
 did any clamor go abroad favoring compensation of 
 the loser? Is it any more just that society should 
 pay the losses of land speculation, than that it should 
 reap the benefit? If land owners had, in the past, paid 
 society the increase in land-values as they were made, 
 and had invested their own money in the land besides 
 —■then they might have a claim for compensation; 
 otherwise they would have no claim whatever, not 
 even if we proposed to take the land from them. But 
 the land tax will not take the land from the present 
 holders, unless they refuse to pay what others are 
 willing to pay for the privilege of holding it. Instead 
 of robbing the landholder, the tax will prevent the 
 land holder from legitimately robbing society; and 
 instead of asking compensation from society for what 
 their special privilege would have been worth to them, 
 had such privilege been allowed to continue — they 
 should remain perfectly quiet, and be thankful that 
 society does not turn the tables on them, and ask 
 them to compensate society for the rents they col- 
 lected in the past without rendering an equivalent. 
 If there is any compensation to be given at all, the 
 disinherited masses certainly have a far stronger claim 
 to it than those who have thus far lived upon the in- 
 dustry of others — supported by ground rents." 
 
 "There is another thing, Celia, which is not clear 
 to me, although I know you are right. How is it that 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 261 
 
 free trade, with foreign nations that pay low prices 
 for labor, can benefit all? How can it but reduce 
 wages to a level with those pauper-labor countries?" 
 
 She smiled and said: 
 
 "First — labor does not cost more in one country 
 than in another, as long as immigration is free ; that 
 is, wages may be higher in one place than in anoth- 
 er, but they cannot remain so, unless the work turned 
 out is in proportion. If high wages meant high cost 
 of production, the converse would be true — low wages 
 would mean low cost of production; and no wages at 
 all — slavery — would drive out of existence any wage- 
 paying institution. But the reverse is our experience 
 of the last century. The last relic of that barbaric in- 
 stitutionT— slavery — was abolished in 1838, because it 
 did not pay — the wage system superseded it. The 
 reason is, that where high wages exist, it pays to 
 employ labor-saving machinery. Besides, the better 
 the material condition of workmen as a class, the 
 more industrious and intelligent they are — and in- 
 telligence will defeat ignorance, in the competitive 
 race, every time. 
 
 "But even if the cost of production is higher in one 
 country than it is in another, it is difficult to see how 
 free trade can affect wages. If an article is too high- 
 priced to be salable in another country, there is no 
 possibility of trading: no one will buy from a for- 
 eigner, if the article costs more than would a similar 
 one at home. It is only when both parties can gain 
 that a trade is made; and, in that event, it is impos- 
 sible to show how either country could lose by free 
 trade. 
 
 "To protect high wages by taxing immigration 
 would be more sensible, however unjust and selfish 
 
262 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 but to levy taxes upon commodities, in the expecta- 
 tion of benefiting those who buy them, is quite as 
 absurd as to try to increase the sale of an article in 
 the market by raising its price." 
 
 "But," said I, "you have certainly overlooked one 
 point in connection with trade. In America, we have 
 gold for money; if we opened our ports to the world's 
 goods, our people would buy those goods and send out 
 all our gold." 
 
 "Is not that evidence," she replied, "that either gold 
 is produced cheaper in America than any other com- 
 modity; or that in the other countries, gold is so 
 scarce that it pays better to produce other goods and 
 exchange them for American gold? In either case, 
 would not mutual benefit result from the trade? would 
 not America get all kinds of goods cheaper by dig- 
 ging gold and trading, thati by producing the goods 
 direct? and would not Europe get its gold cheaper by 
 producing other commodities and trading freely for 
 American gold?" 
 
 "Your reasoning would be correct,," said I, "if gold 
 were a commodity, and its price subject to supply 
 and demand; but gold is money — its value is arbitra- 
 rily fixed by the government; and, if I remember 
 rightly, it costs considerably more than its money 
 value to produce a dollar in gold; consequently, the 
 nation would lose by the trade." 
 
 "That gives the question a new aspect. If the gov- 
 ernment dictates to the people what they must sell 
 their goods for, of course there is no telling what un- 
 natural results may ensue. But can you offer any ra- 
 tional explanation why that paternal government in- 
 terferes with the prices of gold on the market?" 
 
 "The American people," said I, "believe that money 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 26 
 
 must have an intrinsic value. They found, it neces 
 sary to adopt some commodity; and to fix its value 
 by law, for a standard by which all other values ar 
 measured. Gold was believed to be the most stapl 
 article; therefore, it was selected. " 
 
 "Now, Ralph, you will see that it is not the faul 
 of free trade, that trading with foreign countries i 
 not profitable — but the fault of that intrinsic-value-in 
 money idea. 
 
 "But let me show you," continued Celia, "that, evei 
 with that drawback, free trade would be advantageou 
 to America. Suppose gold is paid for goods, as yoi 
 say — then, for a while, it would be shipped to foreigi 
 countries; but just as soon as the people holding it ii 
 those countries would see, that the reduced supply o 
 gold in America caused an increased demand for it 
 they would immigrate to America with their gold 
 so you would, as a nation, get the foreign goods fo 
 your gold, then get your gold back for nothing. Yoi 
 may laugh, Ralph; but would not the owner of th 
 gold go where he could do best with it? — of course h 
 would!" 
 
 "You are really quite a lawyer, Celia! That is th 
 most ingenious argument for free trade I ever heard 
 but it seems reasonable, nevertheless." 
 
 Moving my chair a little closer, I inquired: 
 
 "Celia, do you really like the study of economi 
 science? It is so unusual to me to see a girl tali 
 any interest at all in such subjects." 
 
 "Yes, Ralph, political economy is my hobby, an 
 I will make it useful some day. Don't you think 
 have the necessary qualifications?" 
 
 "That is a question I refuse to answer, for fear yo 
 would suspect me of flattery. But, Celia," I addec 
 
264 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 hesitating a little, as I tried to take her pretty hand 
 in mine — "you are — " 
 
 "That will do for to-night, Mr. Spencer!" ' 
 
 She arose from her chair, looking at me seriously, 
 then added : 
 
 "Did I not give you good reasons why I am not 
 ready to listen to sentiment?" 
 
 "Pardon me, Celia— don't you think you are cruel 
 to me? But I will not annoy you if I can help it. 
 May I ask you one simple question?" 
 
 "If your question is free from anything like 'love,' 
 I will take pleasure in answering it." 
 
 "Then," said I, "my question is ruled out of order." 
 
 Before I left that evening, I told Celia about my 
 new undertaking — my proposed book on American 
 civilization. She expressed an eagerness to see it, 
 and predicted that it would be widely read. 
 
 Accepting an invitation to call again on the after- 
 noon of the following Sunday, I bade her good-night. 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 Mr. Randolph, the President of Congress, called 
 for a short talk on Saturday afternoon. 
 
 Among other things, we touched upon a subject 
 which had often caused me considerable unavailing 
 thought. I was thankful to find that his opinion 
 differed from my pwn; because I felt relieved thereby 
 of an anxiety I always felt for the human race, when, in 
 time, population should outgrow the means of subsist- 
 ence. Like most people on the outside-world, I be- 
 lieved in the "Malthusian doctrine;" and this led me 
 to inquire of Mr. Randolph how Centralians looked 
 upon it, 
 
 "I do not know that I understand what you mean 
 by the 'Malthusian doctrine,' Mr. Spencer." 
 
 "Oh! — I forgot that Malthus became popular after 
 your ancestors had departed from Europe. By the 
 'Malthusian doctrine' we mean the theory laid down 
 by Malthus, nearly a hundred years ago. He calcu- 
 lated that the world's population would naturally in- 
 crease in a geometrical progression; while the means 
 of subsistence could, at best, increase in an arithmet- 
 ical progression only. His conclusions were : that, 
 in time, the world would be over-populated; and that 
 the only means to avoid the calamity of a race unable 
 to produce enough food for its own subsistence was 
 to check the increase of population by artificial means 
 — this he recommended." 
 
 "I understand," replied Mr. Randolph. "This na- 
 
 265 
 
266 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 tion was once deluded with the same idea, though the 
 pretense of an exact ratio, or formula, was never as- 
 sumed. Nobody believes in such nonsense now, how- 
 ever! That doctrine, Mr. Spencer, was nothing but 
 an ingenious device of the aristocratic classes of the 
 eighteenth century to shift the sins of legislators — 
 the causes of poverty and suffering among the masses 
 — from their own shoulders to those of the Creator. 
 It was the most successful piece of economic jugglery 
 that was ever palmed off on the public in all the ages 
 recorded in history. 
 
 "Primary society requires a large area of^ landjrom 
 whicITto draw subsisFence. As population increases, hu- 
 man ingenuity devises plans by which lands yield larger 
 returns. Intelligence rnakes it possible for a hundred 
 to live where formerly one unciyilized being depended 
 upon the varying fortunes of the chase for subsistence. 
 A century ago the population of this country was 
 much smaller than at present; yet nearly all of the 
 available land was reclaimed and used — or rather, 
 misused; to-day the greater part of the land lies ab- 
 solutely idle, because we are applying intelligence to 
 political economy. We have land enough here for a 
 thousand years to come, even though we should make 
 not the slightest, improvement in the arts and sciences; 
 but with such improvements — which will be made as 
 needed — there is no reason to believe, that we will 
 ever reach the limit of population as long as there is 
 standing room on the land. 
 
 "As to the means of subsistence under such a crowded 
 condition: when we realize that consumption does 
 not mean the destruction of a single atom, but simply 
 a transformation of matter — why fear that human in- 
 telligence will not keep pace with every requirement? 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 2 
 
 , It is not as diiScult for the dense population of 
 day — five or six hundred per square mile — to extra 
 a subsistence from the earth, as it.waswhena smal, 
 nation occupied several times the amount of territoi 
 Chemistry bids fair to solve your 'Malthusian' absi 
 dity for a million years to come. Why, we alrea 
 produce a nutritious food out of petroleum, as it 
 found issuing from the bowels of the earth ! And t 
 general expectation in scientific circles is, that, bef< 
 many years, science will have discovered means to ( 
 tract our food direct from the elements in the soil, 
 mosphere, and water, without the intervention ofve 
 etable or animal growth. When that is done, wl: 
 bounds can be set to the earth as a populati 
 sphere for human life to subsist upon? Why cou 
 not six or eight layers, or stories, of human bein 
 exist all over the earth's surface, just as they now ( 
 in some parts of large cities? 
 
 "No, Mr. Spencer ! our poulation is far too intel 
 gent to be any longer deluded by any such nonsense 
 you say Malthus has laid down in an algebraic fori 
 ula. " 
 
 "Another of my pet doctrines exploded," I thougl 
 when Mr. Randolph had taken his departure. "Tl 
 one went off, though, something like a dynamite bom 
 and I am happy it is exploded, because it alws 
 made me pessimistic. Those few words of his li 
 nothing whatever to revive! they completely shatter 
 the sum and substance of the theory, and left it wit 
 out a life germ ! Now that I look at it in the m 
 light of Centralian intelligence, I can hardly see h( 
 it was possible to have believed that absurdity. 
 
 "I was told the other day, that population, in tl 
 country, increased at a greater proportionate rat( 
 
268 FROM- EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 hundred years ago than it does to-day. This I could 
 hardly believe; but it was from a reliable source; 
 and when I looked up the statistics on the subiect, I 
 was convinced that the statement was true. The ex- 
 planation given for this state of facts was the proverb: 
 'The rich live, and the poor have children.' I notice 
 that families here consist of about three children on 
 an average; while in the poorer districts of American 
 and European cities that number would scarcely be 
 considered a good beginning. Malthus himself, I un- 
 derstand, was one of a family of fourteen children, 
 and he did not belong to the poorest class either." 
 
 I was busy at work on my book, which was now be- 
 ginning to absorb my attention, and which was pro- 
 gressing rapidly — when who should come in but my 
 friend Mr. Reubin — the inventor of an aerial ship. 
 
 "I have a good scheme," said he, as he took a seat, 
 "one that will yield me a great revenue. Of course 
 I could get a good premium from Congress for invent- 
 ing such a useful thing as my ship will prove, if I 
 chose to make it public; but I can realize much more 
 out of it privately. If you will promise to say noth- 
 ing that would tend to disclose my plan, Mr. Spencer, 
 I will tell you about it." 
 
 I promised to keep perfectly quiet on the subject, 
 and he continued: 
 
 "I calculate that my ship, when completed, will 
 make over two hundred and fifty miles an hour through 
 the air. From the experiments I have already made, 
 there are reasons to believe that three hundred miles 
 an hour could be attained on a long trip. Now then, 
 I have an old friend — a shrewd trader — who knows "a 
 good thing when he sees it. He came to me some- 
 time ago, after my first trial trip, and said: 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER j 
 
 " 'Reubin ! I have a plan which will make both 
 us rich in a year, if your ship proves a success, 
 you will go into partnership with me, I will furni 
 all the capital that is necessary — no small amount, 
 assure you — and we will make an even division of t 
 profits.' 
 
 "I had to make the agreement with him, before 
 would tell me his plan; then he continued: 
 
 "'My plan,' said the capitalist, whose name 
 Moses, "is to buy a lot of diamonds here where th 
 are cheap, and enough silver, which is also cheap, 
 ballast the ship — then to take those commodities 
 America and sell them for gold, which is worth thi 
 times as much here as it is there, whereas our sib 
 and diamonds are worth infinitely more there th 
 here. By bringing a ship-load of gold — five hundr 
 pounds — back here and selling it at the market prii 
 I calculate ihat our trip would yield a profit of abc 
 three hundred thousand dollars!' 
 
 "So you see, Mr. Spencer, I really have a go 
 thing, if the ship comes up to our expectations, 
 few such trips will make us wealthy; and, after th 
 I will give the public the benefit of my invention." 
 
 I was charmed at the idea; and proposed to jc 
 Mr. Reubin on his first trip to America. But he e 
 plained that his ship was of limited capacity; a 
 that his contract with Mr. Moses prevented his car 
 ing anything but the articles of trade for the first yes 
 
 Thea another idea struck me: 
 
 "Would you be willing, Mr. Reubin, to carry am 
 sage from me to a friend of mine in Los Angeles, w 
 would, in return for the favor, assist you in your t 
 ding? You see, those Americans are very shrewd bu 
 ness men; and would be likely to take advantage 
 
270 FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 "Why, certainly — I will be more than glad to carry 
 your message, Mr. Spencer, even without the consid- 
 eration of assistance from your friend. But if he will 
 accommodate me there, I will be exceedingly thank- 
 ful. That point of trading with strangers has caused 
 me considerable anxiety." 
 
 He figured that he could travel from Quesney to 
 Los Angeles — a distance of over seven thousand miles 
 — in about twenty-eight hours. 
 
 Sometime ago he showed me how, by working levers 
 and wheels, he could steer his ship as he pleased. 
 When he wishes to land, he moves around in a circle, 
 spreads out a parachute to prevent rapid descent; 
 besides, there are wire cushions placed at the bottom 
 of the ship to minimize the jar when striking the 
 earth. The whole is dexterously constructed; and 
 when in operation, it is completely under the naviga- 
 tor's control. 
 
 Mr. Reubin did not show me the propelling appara- 
 tus — that he keeps a secret. But his trial trips have 
 heretofore demonstrated its practicability. 
 
 a This prospect of successful communication with the 
 outer world gave me much pleasure. I had been puz- 
 zled for some time as to how to transport a message 
 to my old home; but could think of no possible means. 
 The most powerful electric ship built here could not 
 propel itself against the swift current of the water en- 
 tering the cavity at the North Pole. They say the 
 current at the South Pole is outward; but that the 
 surface is frozen up all the year round. For a long 
 time, my intention was to offer a premium to some 
 ship-builder who would construct a ship with shoes 
 or runners at the bottom, suitable for running on ice. 
 With such a ship we could travel on the water until 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 we reached the ice, then raise it on the surface, i 
 drive along by electric power, like a sled, until 
 again reached the water on the outside. Some laugl 
 at the idea, others considered it feasible; but the 
 ship excels anything known for rapid transit,, and 
 fies strong currents of water and custom houses. 
 
 "Mr. Reubin," 1 inquired, "how soon do you exp 
 to be ready for your American frading tout?" 
 
 "A trial trip will be made on Monday ; on Wedi 
 day, a circuit around the inside-world, which I th 
 will take about ten hours; on Friday, a run to 
 North Pole and back— that will take twelve hou 
 ■ and, if all these trips are successful, I will start 
 Los Angeles on the following Monday." 
 
 "Well," said I "though I will be obliged to cur 
 it, my 'Message' will be ceady for you." 
 
 The next day was Sunday, and I called on Celia 
 the afternoon. 
 
 We took a delightful drive, then we returned to 
 home, and I accepted an invitation to supper. 
 
 When we went into the parlor that evening, I t 
 a seat, as she bade me, on the sofa. She sat dc 
 beside me, saying: 
 
 "This is my evening, Ralph!" and she gave rr 
 glance which tempted me beyond my powers of s 
 denial — "and — and yours, if you choose." 
 
 "You are just irresistible, Celia!" I- exclaimed, 
 I kissed and re-kissed her rosy lips. 
 
 "Thank you!" she replied,, struggling for breat 
 "stopj Ralph!^you are smothering me!" 
 
 "Celia," I asked presently, in sober earnest, 
 all Centralian girls like you— so clever and strai( 
 forward?" 
 
 "Oh, more so, Ralph!— more so! After you n 
 
272. FROM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 some of them you will consider me exceptionally 
 tame ! — What do you think of Centralia's women 
 Ralph? Don't you find our frankness objectionable?" 
 
 "Not in the least!" I declared, "though I confess 1 
 am not accustomed to it, If you were only one-half 
 as charming as you are, I would still consider you the 
 very dearest girl in the wortd! It's more than a lux- 
 ury to be near you! *Celia dear, will you believe me 
 when I tell you that I am madly in love with you?" 
 
 "Yes, Ralph — why not? Are you ready to tell me 
 so now? — be careful!" raising her hand to warn me. 
 "And, by the way," she continued, "what was that 
 question you were so anxious to ask me the other 
 evening?" 
 
 I was amazed at her ingenuousness. 
 
 "Oh! you dear, dear girl!" I answered. "I am 
 ready to repeat and emphasize the statement, which 
 you say you are willing to believe, I do love you des- 
 perately! And my question is. Will you accept me 
 for your husband?" 
 
 She sprang to her feet. I too arose, and awaited 
 her answer. From beneath her dark eyelashes looked 
 a pair of thrilling brown eyes. Beginning to smile, 
 and before I could think, she slipped out of the room, 
 leaving me standing there alone. A minute later she 
 returned, with a long piece of delicate white tulle 
 hanging loosely about her, covering her face, and 
 reaching to the floor. 
 
 "Now, Ralph, do I look like an American bride?" 
 
 "Nearly — only you look a little more mischievous. 
 But, Celia— " 
 
 "Oh! — you want my answer, do you?" she inquired, 
 as I held the veil away from her lovely face. "Of 
 course I love you, you dear 'Yankee'," she continued 
 
FROM EARTH'S CENTER 2; 
 
 — "why did you suppose I allowed you such privilege 
 unless I knew you loved me —thought perhaps it we 
 my Centralian way, did you? As to your question, 
 will give you two weeks time in which to change ybi 
 mind — my mind was made up some time ago." 
 
 "Oh, Celia!" I exclaimed — "you are my jewe 
 Change my mind ! — no, no! mine is as firmly mad 
 up as yours — nothing can possibly change it! W 
 must never part — you and I, Celia, were designed fc 
 one another!" 
 
 Redcliffe is also engaged to the girl of his choici 
 Fleming has completed his wedding tour, and he an 
 his wife have finally concluded to make Quesney the 
 home. Our sailors have settled in La Humane. The 
 were all uninarried when they landed in Centralia 
 but several of them have gained a better half sine 
 that time. 
 
 We have all of us, perhaps, been occasionally moi 
 or less homesick; but we now find consolation in th 
 future of aerial navigation, which the trial trips hav 
 proven a success. 
 
 I am now ready to recommend to all Americans wh 
 wish to better their social condition, a trip North t 
 the jumping off place. There the current will hurr 
 them onward to the shores of Centralia where peac 
 and prosperity, equality and contentment, go hand i 
 hand with the most perfect system of economic organ 
 zation imaginable — where the women are attractiv 
 beyond measure, and vote as independently as th 
 'lords of creation' — and where 
 
 " 'Even the spirit of man is divine!'," 
 
274 ^^ OM EARTH'S CENTER 
 
 When the first year of aerial navigation shall have 
 ended, and America is flooded with Centralia's pauper 
 diamonds; Centralia, with America's pauper gold — 
 when the wearing of 'Yankee hats" and "Yankee fore- 
 tops" shall, perhaps, have become universal here — 
 when the flowers of Southern California send forth 
 their spring-time odors : — then Celia and I have de- 
 cided to make a call on our peripheral friends to share 
 with them for a time the glories of the nation of land- 
 lords — the land of "progress and poverty!" 
 
 Ralph Hugh Spencer. 
 
 THE END. 
 
Shylock's Daughter. By Margret Holmes Bati 
 Illustrated with eleven drawings by Capel Rowh 
 Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & Company, 175 Monr 
 Street. Paper, 25 cents; cloth, 75 cents; postpai 
 
 This book is, to begin with, a thoroughly well writt( 
 love story, with an interesting plot and lifelike chs 
 acters. Whoever begins it will read it through. Wh^ 
 he has read it, if he was already a Populist, he w 
 overflow with enthusiasm, while if he was a Republic; 
 or a Democrat he will have many things to think ove 
 
 The hero of the story is a People's Party legislato 
 elected to represent a constituency of farmers and miner 
 The heroine is the daughter of one of our typical pluti 
 crats,a man who had secured his election to the state sei 
 ate in the interest of a wealthy corporation, and whos 
 aim was to prevent just the legislation that the hero ( 
 the story was bent on securing. The senator conceive 
 the happy idea of using his daughter's influence wit 
 the popular young legislator, and the consequences ( 
 his endeavors are worked out by the novelist in a decic 
 edly interesting fashion. For the final outcome, th 
 reader must consult the book itself. 
 
 The hero, John Longwood, opens his political care< 
 by writing a series of letters on money, land, tram 
 portation, etc., to his local paper. The ideas thi 
 advanced are sound and timely, embodying some ( 
 the most important reforms which the country is suffei 
 ing for to-day. 
 
 The book is dedicated to the People's Party ( 
 America. "Never a party with so magnificent an o] 
 portunity. Never a party with rank and file so sturd 
 and noble. Never- such a need for brave, wise and ii 
 corruptible leaders. If these pages encourage anothc 
 John Longwood to come forward, it will not have bee 
 written in vain." 
 
Money Found: Recovered from its hiding-places and 
 put into circulation through confidence in govern- 
 ment banks. By Thomas E. Hill. Chicago: 
 Charles H. Kerr & Company, 175 Monroe St. Paper, 
 25 cents; cloth, 75 cents; leather, gi.oo; postpaid. 
 In 1890 Hon. Thos. E. Hill, well known as the 
 author of "Hill's Manual" and other standard educa- 
 tional works, proposed, in a letter to the Farmer's 
 Voice, a vital and far-reaching reform in the banking 
 system of the United States, — no less a reform than 
 the government ownership and contiol of the whole 
 banking business. Mr. Hill's system met with instant 
 approval from many of the clearest thinkers of the 
 country, especially the leaders of the People's Party. 
 It has already been endorsed by local conventions of 
 the party, and is likely to be incorporated into the next 
 national platform. 
 
 In response to many requests Mr. Hill has elaborated 
 his system in the book Money Found, over 20,000 
 copies of which have already been sold. He points 
 out that the terrible business depression which began 
 in 1893 was due mainly to the people's lack of confir 
 dence in the unsound private banks miscalled "national. " 
 He explains how the United States might open its own 
 bank in every important town, pay 3 per cent on long 
 time deposits, lend at 4 per cent to every borrower -vyho 
 has adequate security, do away with usury and revive 
 business, and all this not only without expense but with 
 a net revenue to the government of about ^390,000,000. 
 The latest edition of Money Found contains a 
 glossary of financial terms, together with important 
 statistical tables showing the financial legislation in 
 the United States, the rates of interest in the several 
 states, the amount of gold, silver and paper money in 
 the principal countries of the world, etc. The appen- 
 dix alone is worth many times the cost of the book. 
 
The Rights of Labor. An inquiry as to the reli 
 tion between employer and employee. By W. 
 Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & Company, 175 Moj 
 see Street. Paper, 25 cents; postpaid. 
 
 Few employers and few of those in their emplc 
 have very definite ideas as to the implied agreemen 
 which legally attach to the ordinary verbal contract i 
 work for so many dollars a week, and still fewer ha^ 
 any definite ideas as toTiow the law might be improvec 
 The anonymous writer of this book gives much valuc 
 ble information as to the present status of the lab< 
 contract, and he advocates certain legal reforms tl 
 discussion of which can not fail to do good. 
 
 He holds that under present conditions the labbn 
 is usually at a disadvantage in making a labor contract 
 since his very life depends on his finding work, an 
 that thus the employer often grasps an unduly lar^ 
 share of the product. The remedy which the auth( 
 proposes is to limit by law the percentage of prof 
 (after all expenses are paid) which capital may recei\ 
 each year on its actual investment. He would pu 
 this limit high enough to compensate for the losses < 
 unprofitable years. All profits above this limit he pr< 
 poses to divide among those who do the work, eith( 
 of hand or head, in proportion to their wages. Als 
 he would make some provision against the enforct 
 ment of needless and oppressive regulations. 
 
 Never in the world'shistory were the toiling millior 
 so near as now to a union for political action to secui 
 their rights. Given a plan on which all can unite, an 
 the union can be effected with astonishing rapidit; 
 This book develops many if not all the features of tl: 
 coming plan for action, and every thinking man shoul 
 read it. 
 
The Pullman Strike. By Rev. William H. Car- 
 wardine, Pastor of the First Methodist Church, 
 Pullman, 111. Fourth edition. Chicago: Charles 
 H. Kerr & Company, 175 Monroe Street. Paper, 
 25 cents, postpaid. 
 
 The Pullman strike has passed into history. The 
 Pullman problem remains unsolved, and every patriotic 
 American must do his part in solving it. For it is 
 only part of a larger problem, one that is already 
 upon us. 
 
 Had the strikers any real grievances, or were they 
 the dupes of ambitious men with private ends to serve? 
 Which ought the people to demand of their legisla- 
 tors, that they restrict the power of organized capital, 
 or that they go further in repressing the movements of 
 organized labor? 
 
 The answers to such questions depend rather on facts 
 than on logic, but facts are hard to arrive at, when 
 statements come from the parties vitally interested in 
 the disputed questions. Mr. Carwardine's little book 
 has therefore a high and permanent value both to the 
 citizen of to-day and the student of the future. For 
 he is neither a capitalist nor, in the restricted sense, 
 a workingman, but an observer, with nothing to preju- 
 dice him in favor of either side. This being the case, 
 his testimony in favor of the men and against the 
 Pullman Company is most convincing, and it is no 
 wonder that the allied monopolists have done every- 
 thing possible in indirect ways to discredit the little 
 book, nor that its sale has been phenomenally rapid 
 among those who are hoping and working for social 
 progress toward a more humane civilization. 
 
 Not a single important statement in the book has 
 been successfully challenged, and fair-minded men 
 may read it with the certainty of getting at the facts. 
 
A Story from Pullmantown. By Nico Bech-Mey< 
 Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & Company, i 
 Monroe Street. Paper, 25 cents; cloth, 50 cen) 
 postpaid. 
 
 The year 1894 will pass into America's history as 
 memorable one. Throughout the nation the irrepre 
 sible conflict between human rights and "vested righti 
 has been growing more intense. Upon the town 1 
 Pullman all eyes have been focused, for here the n 
 tional struggle has been reproduced in miniature, — r 
 produced in a fashion so concrete that the dulle! 
 minds have understood. Rarely has so grand a then 
 been found ready to the artist's hand, and never ha 
 the artist appeared so promptly. 
 
 Mrs. Nico Bech-Meyer is an American by adoptio 
 and loyalty, though a Norsewoman by birth. She hi 
 acquired a mastery of the English language that mos 
 of our native authors might well envy. But she doe 
 not often let the reader stop to think of her style, - 
 the movement of her story is too rapid. 
 
 Very artistically yet simply she discloses, as her stoi 
 proceeds, the insufferable oppressions of the Pullma 
 company; ishe interprets the mental struggle of tl 
 more intelligent of the working people; she closes h( 
 book with their final decision to begin the strike, ar 
 every reader who has followed the story from the bi 
 ginning will feel that as free men and women the 
 could not have done otherwise. 
 
 This book is full of inspiration for those who ai 
 tempted to think of the strike as only a failure: "Nevi 
 yet have great changes been effected without birtl 
 pains. There are walls which must be torn dow: 
 and old stuff which must be thrown out. Better to 1 
 down on the street and die than to live a slave's li: 
 and leave it as an inheritance to their children." 
 
^dceology. A scientific and popular treatise on Pre- 
 natal Influence, the Prevention of Conception, and 
 the Hygiene and Physiology of Generative Life, 
 By Sydney Barrington Elliot, M. D. Chicago: 
 Charles H. Kerr & Company, 175 Monroe Street. 
 Cloth, ?i.5o, postpaid. 
 Nothing among the gloomy signs of the times to- 
 day sheds a brighter ray of hope than the scientific 
 discoveries in the field of pre-natal influence. It is now 
 an established fact that parents may, to an extent be- 
 fore undreamed of, determine the lives of their children. 
 "It is the right of every child to be well born." Par- 
 ents may ignore that right. If they do, the chances 
 are that the child will suffer through life from some 
 physical, mental or moral deformity which might have 
 been prevented. Parents may recognize that right, 
 study the laws of pre-natal influence, and so apply 
 them as to intensify in their offspring every good qual- 
 ity they themselves possess, and greatly remedy every 
 defect. If only a majority of our people would do 
 this, the life of the nation would be transformed in a 
 generation. 
 
 Dr. Elliot is one of the scientists who have studied 
 these laws of pre-natal influence, and in this book he 
 has done priceless service in so explaining them that 
 all may understand and apply them. One position 
 which he takes deserves special comment. He holds that 
 there should be no chance conception, and as a corol- 
 lary to this he holds that every married woman should 
 know that there are safe and harmless methods for its 
 prevention. This view will be decried by some, but 
 all who judge conduct by its bearing on the best hap- 
 piness of mankind, rather than by pre-conceived notions, 
 will heartily commend it. 
 
Un-American Immigration: Its Present Effe 
 
 and Future Perils. By Rena Michaels Atchis( 
 
 Ph. D. Chicago: Charles H. Kerr & Compai 
 
 175 Monroe Street. Cloth, $i.25, postpaid. 
 
 This is a book of facts and not theories. The autl 
 
 has had no partisan proposition to prove, or measi 
 
 to advocate, but has simply aimed to collate all fa 
 
 bearing upon this important subject, and so arrai 
 
 them that they may tell their own story and teis 
 
 their own lessons. 
 
 The book aims to be thoroughly non-partisan, ni 
 sectarian and non- sectional, and directs its appeal 
 the candid judgment and patriotic feeling of every t! 
 lover of the American Republic. 
 
 The lax administration of our immigration lai 
 which has -made our European immigration practica 
 unrestricted, has added much to our burdens of crir 
 pauperism and illiteracy. In this work are foui 
 condensed and compared, the latest investigations 
 these important topics, as well as facts showing th 
 bearings upon industrial, educational, . municipal i 
 national problems. 
 
 The comparison therein given of the voting po^ 
 of the native and foreign elements of the several stat 
 together with the analysis of the racial elements 
 states and cities, has important sociological bearin 
 This book deals exhaustively with every phase of t 
 important question. In short, it deals with the Amerii 
 . problfem of the twen tieth century. It aims to state t 
 problem soclearly,in terms so simple, that every pati 
 can read its meaning and appreciate its magnitude. 
 Dr. Joseph Cook, in his introduction to the wo 
 says: "The present writer has nowhere met with a m 
 judicious and convincing presentation than the foU< 
 ing volume contains of our perils from lax immigrat 
 laws. This is a book of telling facts and of sound ; 
 far-reaching inferences on the increasing mischiefs 
 unsifted immigration. Mrs. Rena Michaels Atchisor 
 Chicago, has long been known as an expert in this brai 
 of sociological discussion. Her treatise is tim« 
 incisive, and strategic both in the exhibition of the gr 
 evils it describes and in the suggestion of remediei 
 
A Modern Love Story. By Harriet E. Orcutt. Chi- 
 cago: Charles H. Kerr & Co., 175 Monroe Street. 
 Paper, 25 cents; cloth, ^i.oo; postpaid. 
 
 "It is full of interest." — Ohio State Journal. 
 
 "In this beautiful volume, we have a story of love 
 that did not end at the altar." — The Old Homestead. 
 
 "It is essentially a tale of this period, when women's 
 rights, women's emancipation, women's individuality, 
 are in full force. " — Inter Ocean. 
 
 "The book is one that will increase the reader's 
 faith in humanity and respect for the rights and opin- 
 ions of others." — Woman's Standard, Des Moines. 
 
 This modern love story, like its subject, does not 
 end with the altar, but continues, quite in sympathy 
 with modern progress, to prove that despite misunder- 
 standing and trouble, marriage is never a failure when 
 it is a union of souls. The heroine is a veritable fin 
 de sikle maiden; she is devoted to her art, at least 
 she thinks she is; not at . all sentimental, until her 
 heart is touched, when, quite to her own surprise and the 
 amusement of the reader, she suddenly becomes a very 
 ordinary damsel, none the less lovable for that, either 
 in the eyes of her lover or his sympathetic confidante, 
 who is likewise the reader. The tale is pleasantly told, 
 bright with incident and not too serious with reflection 
 to make it an enjoyable holiday companion." — Journal 
 of Education, Boston. 
 
 Miss Orcutt is perhaps best known as the "Editor 
 of Economist Educational Exercises," a series of 
 lessons on economic subjects which were published in 
 1892 — in the National Economist, then the official 
 organ of the Farmers' Alliance. Miss Orcutt is a 
 member of the Illinois Woman's Press Association, 
 and a contributor to leading periodicals. She wrote 
 "The Danger of the Hour," a striking article published 
 in the American Journal of Politics. 
 
CONDEMNED BY COMSTOCK 
 
 BUT COMMENDED BY INTELLIGENT CRITICS EVERYWHE: 
 
 Anthony Comstock condemns "Woman, Church a 
 State." * In a letter written Feb. 26, 1894, but or 
 recently made public, he says: "In reference to whetl 
 this is a proper book to put in a school library 
 children to read, I unhesitatingly say no, it is no 
 proper book for children to read. , . . . T 
 incidents of victims of lust told in this book are su 
 that if I found a person putting that book indiscri 
 inately before the children I would institute a cri 
 inal proceeding against him for doing it." 
 
 This letter was in answer to an inquiry from a Cal 
 olic member of a school board at Fayetteville, N. "1 
 the author's home. She had presented the work to t 
 school library, and the member in question, objecti 
 to Mrs. Gage's straightforward statements of fact 
 her chapters on "Celibacy," "Canon Law," etc., s« 
 the book to Anthony Comstock for his opinion. 
 
 Commenting on this letter, the Boston "Investij 
 tor" says: "The only question to be asked and £ 
 swered regarding the work of Mrs. Gage is this: Dc 
 she tell the truth? That is the point. If Mrs. Ga 
 has stated what is false, has given to fictions the fs 
 and form of facts, let her be corrected; let her 
 shown up as a falsifier; but, if she has told the trui 
 if she has bodied forth in her volume the ugly wror 
 of church and state against her sex, then they w 
 
 * Woman, Church and State, a historical account of the status 
 woman through the Christian ages; with reminiscences of 
 matriarchate. By Matilda Joslyn Gage, Chicago. Charles H. K 
 & CoiBpany, 175 Monroe Street. Cloth, gilt top, 554 pages, $2 
 postpaid. 
 
2 WOMAN, CHURCH AND STATE 
 
 vilify her name and attempt to throw dishonor upon 
 her work, fear the truth and are afraid to have the 
 dead body of history uncovered. Mrs. Gage is the 
 victim of Christian superstition, of religious prejudice, 
 but this foolish and unjust persecution of one of Amer- 
 ica's great women and one of the century's true re- 
 formers, ought to bring her latest and greatest effort 
 before the public, which we feel confident will, after 
 reading it, vindicate not alone her work, but her forci- 
 ble language, as necessary to fitly reveal the subject 
 under discussion." 
 
 The "Church Union" of New York, a Congregational 
 paper of wide circulation, which numbers eight clergy- 
 men among its contributing editors, has given the 
 book two reviews, the first from the pen of its editor- 
 in-chief, the second presumably from that of Rev. 
 Charles H. Parkhurst, D. D., the famous reform cler- 
 gyman of New York. The first says, "We have not 
 space for more than a notice of this highly interesting 
 book. We should like to give it the extensive review 
 it deserves and thus to summon the attention of our 
 readers to some of the very important truths that 
 are presented and which call for thought on the part 
 of all. But get the book and study its striking con- 
 tents for yourself. " The second review declares that 
 "its teeming pages contain not a few important and 
 neglected truths which it would be well for churches 
 and state to ponder. " 
 
 Moncure D. Conway, of London, England, the biog- 
 rapher of Emerson, wrote, "It has long been my usage 
 to. read everything I encountered from your pen. I 
 shall probably have something to say of it in one of 
 my discourses at South Place." 
 
Woman, church and state 
 
 From a lady Proiessot in a Pelinsyrvania Coll 
 "The style of your book is clear, the argutneiit cor 
 sive,borne out as it is by authority. It h&S stirre 
 all as I wish that the book might stir the entire 
 of women in every part of the world. One mil 
 ought to be distributed and read in our country alo 
 
 Judge Merrick of the Louisiana Supreme bench 
 clared he had "nothing but unqualified praise for 
 book." 
 
 A Boston physician wrote, "Allow me '■ to congri 
 late you. "Woman, Church and State" is the grea 
 book ever written by a woman and the grandest b 
 ever written in the interests of woman. I mentio 
 to every woman I meet, and all who have read it 
 pleased, instructed and astonished." ; 
 -The "Woman's Tribune" of Washington, D. 
 edited by Mrs. Clara Berwick Colby, commends 
 book as "especially valuable for study in wom< 
 clubs." 
 
 A Washington, D. C, lady, a Christian Scienl 
 said, "What a wonderful book! 1 cannot read bi 
 little at a time, for it seems to stir up the old A( 
 in me, that I thought was buried. Every library 
 the world ought to have it. " 
 
 The "Advance" of Chicago, the leading Congn 
 tional weekly of the West, says that the book "sh 
 much research and learning." 
 
 Rev. Dr. Keeling, an Episcopal clergyman of 
 kota, isays, "It is a most remarkable book and is bo 
 to Make a stir among the clergy. I have read it oi 
 shall read it again and mark it, read it a thitd t 
 and take notes." 
 
 "The Banner of Light, a noted Spiritualistic p£ 
 
4 WOMAN, CHURCH AND STATE 
 
 of Boston, says, "If any writer has done the present 
 generation an extremely valuable service, Mrs. Gage's 
 name heads the list. There is no true man or woman 
 who cannot but feel under obligations to its author. " 
 
 Victor K. Lemstrand, a literary gentleman and pro- 
 found thinker of Stockholm, wrote, "I want to make 
 the work known here in Sweden and perhaps translate 
 parts of it into Swedish. " 
 
 A noted lady reformer of the South, a woman of 
 wealth and position, after receiving the book wrote, 
 "I came home and looked your book through; was so 
 chained to it I could not let it go. I am thankful and 
 overjoyed at the book. It will make a stir' and 
 emancipate thousands. I thank you in my soul. I 
 cannot see anything you could have omitted. It throws 
 a light on the park pages of life, a strong light, it is 
 true, strong because true, but in a most solemn and 
 dignified manner. " 
 
 Column after column could be filled with notices 
 similar in character, from newspapers, magazines and 
 letters, all speaking in the highest manner of the purity 
 of the book, its profound learning, the research shown, 
 and its immense value to the world. It is a history, 
 both of the church and the state, especially in their 
 relations to woman, which touches many points that 
 have been ignored by male historians, and herein lies 
 its greatest value. Intelligent men and women who 
 do not believe in a censorship are invited to send for 
 the book and judge whether its tendency is to corrupt 
 the imagination of girls, or to teach them the dignity 
 of womanhood. 
 
Small Sums Need Not Lie Idle 
 
 any more than large sums. The ultimate justice of 
 allowing any one to profit from the labor of another 
 applied to his capital is a large question, and one 
 which we will not discuss here, though we publish 
 some excellent books which do discuss it. The im- 
 portant point for our present purpose is that under 
 present conditions those who have large sums of ready 
 money have an enormous advantage in competition, 
 while those with small sums are usually unable to ob- 
 tain any income to help out their weekly earnings. The 
 one remedy for this state of things is co-operation, 
 and it is a fortunate circumstance that the same cor- 
 poration laws which often enable the rich to build 
 up irresistible combinations for legal robbery may also 
 enable those comparatively poor to unite their resources 
 in legitimate production for their common profit. 
 
 What our Business is. One of the most important 
 labor-saving devices of the last decade is the typeset- 
 ting machine. There are several of these adapted to 
 newspaper work, but only one kind suitable for the 
 setting of books. We own and operate two of these, 
 one setting long primer type, as shown in this page, 
 the other small pica tj'pe, the next size larger. Our 
 establishment turns out book plates for the leading 
 publishing houses, besides our own work and the work of 
 many authors who are their own publishers. 
 
 Our Publishing Business. In 1886 Charles H. 
 Kerr, now president of the company, began the pub- 
 lishing business, under the name which the new cor- 
 poration has retained. In December of the same year 
 he published "The Faith that Makes Faithful," by 
 William C. Gannett and Jenkin Lloyd Jones, a book 
 which has passed through many editions and is still 
 the most salable book of sermons in America, the av- 
 erage yearly profit on it amounting to hundreds of 
 
2 Small Sums Need Not Lie Idle . 
 
 dollars. The house has since published considerably 
 over a hundred different books, over fifty of which 
 are still on the catalogue. In 1893 it issued Mr. Hill's 
 "Money Found," already in its twenty-second thou- 
 sand and selling at a rapidly increasing rate. 
 
 Basis of Incorporation. In April, 1893, the bus- 
 iness was incorporated with a capital Stock of ?tio,ooo, 
 divided into 1000 shares of ^10 each. About 300 of 
 these shares are still on the jnarket. During the com- 
 pany's first year it has paid out of its earnings over 
 $2,000 on the purchase price of its type-setting plant, 
 V»hich is "now nearly paid for, and it is an exceedingly 
 conservative estimate to say that it will pay annual 
 dividends of eight per cent after the Current year. 
 
 Books at Cost to Stockholders. Any one investing 
 $10 or more will have the option of buying any books 
 published by the company at actual cost, but the com- 
 pany reserves the right to limit such purchases during 
 one year to the amount of the stock held. See list of 
 our publications on following pages. 
 
 Dividend in Advance. As an advance dividend 
 we will send any book or books from our list to the 
 amount of $1.00 with each share of stock at ;?io.oo. 
 
 No Liability. Our company is organized under the 
 Illinois law, so that when a share of stock is paid for, 
 the stockholder can never be held liable in any way 
 Oh account of the corporation. 
 
 Responsibility. We invite the fullest investigation 
 into our responsibility, and refer inquirers to any 
 houses with whom we do business. Our electrotypers 
 are Blomgren Bros. & Co., 175 Monroe Street, our 
 binders the Thomas Knapp Printing and Binding Co., 
 347 Dearborn Street, our paper is bought n^ostly from 
 George H. Taylor & Co. and the Chicago Paper Com- 
 pany, and our banking is done with the Merchant's 
 Loan and Trust Company, F. N. Wilder, ass't cashier. 
 We also take pleasure in referring to Hon. Thos. E. 
 Hill, Glen Ellyn, 111., the author of "Money Found." 
 
 Charles H. Kerr & Company, Publishers, 176 Iffionroe Street, ChicaKo. 
 
■CKlt^WHfi