A PENDING QUESTION
• Society and engineering are correlative terms;
as the former has developed from the simple con
ditions of pastoral through the several civiliza
tions of the East to the' present one of Europe
and America, with all its wonderful complexity,
great range and increasing activity, so has the
science and practice of engineering developed
from rude and empirical, practice to achievements
limited • only by the possibilities of applied
science, and the demands of human society. It
has established lines of communication between
the markets of the world, in spite of nature's
stoutest opposition, invented processes for reduc
ing nature's crude materials and designing them
into forms that unite beauty with strength, pre
cision and delicacy with stability, and stability
. with boldness of construction, not long since con
sidered chitherical ; the scientific application of
sanitary laws, that has made the modern home
possible, and the growth of certain communities
into great centers of trade, commerce, science
and art. The science and art of engineering is
thus one of the handmaids of Modern civilization,
and the engineer may well feel a peculiar pride
in a profession that calls for the highest order of
human achievement, and the progress of which
modifies or moulds in so large measure, the
world's life. Thus the science of engineering
has its raison an dre in the very nature of things,
its work has been wrought, because society, ever
changing, ever developing, has 'demanded it;
though never realizing, that with the fulfilling of
each demand, there is imposed upon it a corres
ponding responsibility, that must be met and
shouldered sooner. or later. The thought is illus
trated by the relations that have developed be
tween the railway corporations of our country
and those whose interests they are supposed to
represent, and the effect of their example upon
the people. Both are aptly emphasized by the
history of the Pacific Railways, and both present
Serious problems demanding solution: Problems
THE FREE LANCE.
that cannot be avoided, that must. be met, and if
met with wisdom and prudence, we will merit the
blessing of posterity. If we are found, wanting,
found unable to cope with social conditiOns ) for
the existence of which we rre responsible, we will
but burden succeeding generations with mighty
questions whose added weight may become too
great to bear.
As to the Pacific Railways.—During our
civil war the Government felt the necessity for
more rapid overland connection with the Pacific
coast. The construction of. such lines of railway
was felt to be beyond the reach of private capital.
In 1862 Congress passed an act donating a certain
amount of the public lands and guaranteeing
some of the bonds of Pacific Railway Companies.
Two years later the land grant was doubled and
the companies relieved from paying any interest
until 1897, when the principal would become
due. This action of Congress seemed to be a ne
cessity, because it was thought that it was going
to cost much more to build the road than was at
first supposed. The first sections, however, were
built at surprisingly low figures, but the immense
saving, instead of going to liquidate the com
pany's debt to the United States, fell into the
hands of the members of an unscrupulous con
struction company, whose name has become a
byword—the Credit Mobilier. This company
was largely composed of the :Stockholders of the
company, who thus made contracts with them
selves, on such terms as to fill their own pockets,
but rob the company and the Government, But
even when thus depleted, it was found that the
company was able to pay something above its
.
fixed charges, and the attempt was made through
the U : S. courts to compel it to do so, but . with
out success: Then came the Thurman Act of
1878, by the terms of which 25 per cent. of the
net earnings with certain other contingent 'sums
should be paid to the United States, to be invest
ed in government bonds, these to form a sinking
fund to provide for the redemtionof the debt at
maturity. Then comes a second period of rascal-