LIFE A THOUSAND YEARS HENCE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2683, 8 June 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

LIFE A THOUSAND YEARS HENCE.

In the February Forum there appears an interesting paper by Jules Verne, in which he foreshadows the future development of existence by describing what he considers will bo the ideal paper of a thousand years hence, and gives us an insight into one day's life of' Fritz Napoleon Smith. The production of his paper is rendered possible by two inventions of "our great Joseph Jackson." THE NEW -ACCUMULATOR AND TRANSFORMER. To Jackson we are indebted for those wonderful instruments, the new accumulators,' Some of these absorb and condense the living force contained in the sun's rays ; others; the electricity stored in our globe ; others, again; the energy coming from whatever source, as a'waterfall, a stream, the wind, &c. He, too, it was that invented the transformer, a more wonderful contrivance still, which takes the living forco-from the accumulator, and on the simple pressure of a button, skives it back to space in whatever form may be desired, whether as heat, light, electricity, or mechanical force, after having first obtained from it the work.required. From the day when these two instruments were eontrived is to be dated the era of true progress. "SPOKEN TO SUBSCRIBERS EVERY .MORNINI; !" Everyone is familiar with Fritz Napoleon Smith's system—a system made possible by the enormous development of telephony during: the last 100 years. Instead Rf being printed, the Earth Chronicle is every morning spoken to subwho, in interesting conversations with reporters, statesmen, and scientists, learn the news of the day. Furthermore, each subscriber owns a phonograph, and to this instrument he leaves the task of gathering the news whenever he happens not to be in a mood to listen directly himself. As for purchasers of single copies, they can at a very : trifling cost learn all that is in the paper of the day at any of the innumerable phonographs sot up nearly everywhere. Fritz Napoleon Smith's innovation galvanised the old newspaper. In the course of a few years the number of subscribers grew to bo 85,000,000, and Smith's wealth went 011 growing l ' till now it reaches the almost unimaginable figure of 10,000,000.000d01. This lucky hit has enabled him to erect his hew building, a vast edifice with four facades, each 3250 ft in ienifth, over which proudly floats the hundred starred flap of the union. ANOTHER GREAT TRIUMPH IN SOCIETY. Let us then take at random 25th September of the present year 2880. This morning Mr Fritz Napoleon-Smith awoke in very bad humour. His wife having left for France eight days ago, ho was feeling disconsolate. Incredible though it seems, in all the ten years since their marriage, this is the first time that Mrs Edith Smith, the professional beauty, has been so long absent from home; two or three days usually suffice for her frequent trips to Europe. The first thing that Mr Smith doos is to oonnoet, his phonotelephuts, the wires of which communicate with his Paris-mansion. The telephote ! Here is another of the preat triumphs of science in our time; The transmission of speech is an old story ; the transmission of imaires by means of sensitive mirrors eon nected by wires is ,i thing but ofycslerday. A valuable iiivcntinn indeed, and Mr Smith this morning was not niggardly of blessings for the inventor, when by its aid ho was ablo distinctly to see his wife, notwithstanding • th.o distance that separated him from her. Mrs Smith, weary after tho ball or the visit to the theatre the preceding night, is still abed, though it is near noontide at Paris. She is asleep, her ' head sunk in the lace covered pillows. W hat ? She stirs ? Her lips mono. Sho is dreaming, perhaps? Yes, dreaming. She is talking, pronouncing a name — his name —Fritz ! The delightful vision gave a happier turn to Mr Smith's thoughts. And now, at the call of imperative duty, light hearted he springs fro™ his bed and enters his mechanical dresser. Two minutes later the machine deposited him all dressed at the threshold of his office. The round of journalistic work was now begun. First he enters the hall of novel writers, a vast apartment crowned with an enormous transparent cupola. In one corner is a telephone, through which a hundred Earth Chronicle litterateurs in turn recount to the public in daily instalments a hnndred novels. FIFTEEN HUNDRED REPORTERS AT THEIR TELEPHONES. Mr Smith continues his round, and enters ; the reporters' hall. Here 1,500 reporters, : in their respective places, facing an equal number of telephones, are communicating to the subscribers the news of the world as gathered during the ni«ht. Besides his telephone each reporter, as the reader is aware, has in frout of him a set of communicators, which enables him to communicate with any telephontic line. Thus the subscribers not only hear the news, but see the occurences. YVhon an incident is described that is already past, photographs of its main featnrcs are transmitted with the narrative. Mr Smith then addresses one of the ten reporters in the astronomical department—a department still in the embryonic stage, but which will yet play an important part in journalism. "Well, Cash, what's the news ?" "We have phototelegrams from Mercury, Venus and Mars." Are those from Mars of any interest? Yes, indeed. There is a revolution in the Central Empi«e." " And what of Jupiter?" asked Mr Smith. "Nothing as yet. We cannot understand their signals. Perhaps ours do not reach them."

ADVEKTISEMISNTS ON THE CLOITDS. Then, the two men bowing to him, Mr Smith passed into the next hall, an enormous gallery upwards of 22,000 ft. in length, devoted to atmospheric advertising. Everyone has noticed those enormous' advertisement reflected from the clouds, so large that they may be seen by the populations of whole cities, or even of entire countries. This, too, is one of Mr Fritz Napoleon Smith's ideas, and in the Earth Chronicle building a thousand projectors arc constantly engaged in displaying upon the clouds these mammoth advertise mcnts.

IIU LIVES IN ONE ENCHANTED liOOM. Tlic clock was" striking twelve, the liuur of breakfast:. Mr Smith returns to liis chamber, Where the bed stood in the morning a table all spread comes up through the floor. For Mr Smith, being above all a practical man, has reduced the problem of existence to its simplest terms. For him, instead of the endless suits of appartmcnts of the olden time, one room littcd with ingenious mechanical contrivances is enough. Here he sleeps takes his meals—in short, lives. He seats himself. In the mirror of the phonotelephote is seen the same chamber at I'fivis which appealed in it this morning. A table furnished forth is likewise ill readiness here, for, notwithstanding the difierer.ee of hours, Mr Smith and lus wife have arranged to take their meals simultauc-

ously. It is delightful thus to take breakfast Ulc-a-tcte with one who is 3000 mile's or so away. Just now, Mrs Smith's chamber has no occupant. "She is late ! Woman's punctuality! Progress is everywhere but there !" muttered Mr Smith, as he turned the tap for the first dish. For, like all wealthy folk in our day, Mr Smith has done away with the domestic kitchen and is a subscriber to the Grand Alimentation Company, which sends through a great network of tubes to subscribers' residences all sorts of dishes, as a varied assortment is always in readiness. SOME VdIITIIKK DUVELOPIiIKNT.S OP •SCIENCE. Smith stepped into his air-coach, which was in waiting for him at the window. " Where do you wish to go, sir?" inquired the coachman. " Let me see ; I have three hours," Mr Smith mused. " Jack, take me to my accumulator works at Niagara," For Mr Smith has obtained a lease of the great falls of Niagara For ages the energy developed by the falls went unutilised. Smith, applying Jackson's invention, now collects this energy, and lets or sells it. His visit to the works took uiore time than he had anticipated.. It was four o'clock when hs returned home, just in time for the daily audience which he grants to Callers. Left to himself, feeling tired, he lay down on an extension chair. Then touching a knob, he established communication with the Central Concert Hall, whenco our greatest niiiestros send out to subscribers their delightful successions of accords determined by recondite algebraic formulas. Night was approaching. Entranced by the harmony, forgetful of the hour, Smith did not notice that it was growing dark. At dinner again, as in the morning, the putngc, rati, ragouts, Icgumcim wero supplied the food pipes. Towards the close of the meal phouotelephotic communication was mado with Paris. Smith saw his wife, seated alone at the dinner table, looking anything but pleased at her loneliness. S;tid he " Pray when are you coming home?" " This evening." "Very well. Do you come by tube or by air-train ?" "Oh, by tube." "Yes; and what hour will you arrive?" "About 11,1 suppose." "Good-bye, then, for a little while." Left alone, Mr Smith busied himself with examining his accounts—a task of vast magnitude, having to do with transactions which involvo a daily expenditure of upwards of 800,000 dollar.-. Fortunately, indeed, the stupendous progress of mechanic art in modern times niakes it comparatively easy. Thanks to the piano-electro reckoner, tlio most complex calculations can be made in a few seconds. In two hours Mr Smith completed his task. "I wish I could get some sleep. I am tired out, doctor; quite tired out! Do you think that a bath would refresh me ? " " Certainly. But you must wrap yourself up well before you go out into the hallway. You must not expose yourself to the cold." "Hallway? Why, doctor, as you well know, everything is dono by machinery here. It is not for me to go to the bath ; the b;ith will come to me. Just look!" and he pressed a button. After a few seconds a faiiit rumbling was heard, which grew louder and louder. Suddenly the door opened, and the tub appeared. Such for this year of grace 2880 is the history of one day in the life of the editor of the Earth Chronicle.