219 



circle of friends, the high resolve to look hopefully to the future; to wait 

 until trouble comes before bearing the suffering incident to that trouble; 

 to realize clearly that every American is here enjoying a unique position; 

 that every American is a sovereign of divine right, with some special work 

 to do, allotted him by the living God, which no other man can do — ^work 

 which, if he leaves undone, somebody, somewhere, is certain to suffer loss 

 from his neglect. Let us all remember that experience which Mr. Carlisle 

 had when he went to make complaint to a neighbor about the suffering 

 caused by the crowing of this woman's game cocks at night. "Madam," 

 said he, "I cannot stand their noise, they drive me crazy." ''Why, Mr. 

 Carlisle," replied the woman, ''you are exaggerating. The poor birds 

 only crow three times each night; each crow only lasts three seconds; 

 what are nine seconds of suffermg to a strong man like you." "Madam," 

 exclaimed Carlisle, "You don't know what I suffer waiting for the danm 

 things to crow." 



Let us drop this habit of waiting for trouble and anticipating dis- 

 aster. On every side are hopeful signs if we will only read them with honest 

 eyes. In 1869 I crossed this continent on the first roads luiking the Atlan- 

 tic and Pacific. On that journey I traveled five days over a tract of land 

 which every map in the world described as the American desert. Today, 

 thanks to science, in the heart of that desert they are raising three crops 

 a year. I can well remember the day when all through the South notices 

 were posted threatening a fine to people who left cotton seed as waste in 

 the streets. Today that despised cotton seed, thanks to science, furnishes 

 us a credit balance, through exports, of more than one hundred and 

 twenty-five million dollars a year. Science has done much; science will do 

 more. Today we take five hundred and seventy million tons of coal out 

 of the earth annually, wasting two hundred and fifty million tons under 

 ground. Science will show us how to save this waste of two hundred and 

 fifty million tons. When we take into use the coal mined, we get out of 

 it eleven per cent of its power and waste eighty-nine per cent. Science 

 will show us how to get the eighty-nine per cent and waste only eleven 

 per cent. 



Today, there is running to waste in the rivers of the United States, 

 three times the pulling power of all the horses of the world. Science will 

 show us how to harness this power to the uses of commerce and manu- 

 facture, and a new body of purchasing power will be called into existence. 

 Dry farming methods in the West, drainage of submerged land in the South, 

 reclamation of arid land in all parts of the country, are creating each year 

 a new farming republic; and he who is a pessimist in face of such condi- 

 tions, it seems to me, should consult as soon as possible his medical practi- 

 tioner. 



This conference is one which should command the respect of the 

 whole country, for it has to do with the production of food, basis of all 

 prosperity, foundation of all civilization. It is a great national work upon 



