The
Republic of the Future
The
Republic of the Future
OR
SOCIALISM A REALITY
BY
ANNA BOWMAN DODD.
AUTHOR OF “OLD CATHEDRAL DAYS,” ETC.
CASSELL & COMPANY, Limited,
739 & 741 Broadway, New York.
Copyright,
1887,
By O. M. DUNHAM.
Press W. L. Mershon & Co.,
Rahway, N. J.
LETTERS FROM A
SWEDISH NOBLEMAN LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURY
TO A FRIEND IN CHRISTIANIA.
New York Socialistic City,
December 1st, 2050 A. D.
Dear Hannevig:
At last, as you see, my journey is safelyaccomplished, and I am fairly landed in themidst of this strange socialistic society. Tosay that I was landed, is to make use of soobsolete an expression that it must entirely failto convey to you a true idea of the processes[Pg 8]of the journey. Had I written—I was safelyshot into the country—this would much moregraphically describe to you the method of myarrival.
You may remember, perhaps, that beforestarting I found myself in very grave doubt asto which route to take—whether to come byballoon or by tunnel. As the latter route wouldenable me to enjoy an entirely novel spectacle,that of viewing sub-marine scenery, I chose,and wisely I now know, to come by the PneumaticTube Electric Company. The comfortsand luxuries of this sub-marine route are beyondbelief. The perfection of the contrivances forsupplying hot and cold air, for instance, duringthe journey, are such that the passengers areenabled to have almost any temperature at command.The cars are indeed marked 70° Fahr.,80° and 100°. One buys one’s seat according[Pg 9]to his taste for climate. Many of the travellers,I noticed, booked themselves for the bath department,remaining the entire journey in theTurkish, Russian, vapor or plunge departments—asthe various baths attached to thisline surpass a Roman voluptuary’s dream ofsuch luxuries. I, however, never having beenthrough the great tunnel before, was naturallymore interested in what was passing so swiftlybefore my eyes. The speed at which we wereshot was terrific—five miles to the minute—makingthe journey of three thousand milesjust ten hours long. In spite of the swiftnessof our transit, we were enabled by the aid ofthe instantaneous photographic process, as appliedto opera-glasses and telescopes, to feelthat we lost nothing by the rapidity of ourmeteor-like passage. I was totally unpreparedfor the beauties and the novelties which met[Pg 10]my eye at every turn. The sight-seers’ car isadmirably arranged. Fancy being able to take inall the wonders of ocean-land through large glassport-holes in the concave sides of circular cars.The tube itself, which is of iron, enormouslythick, has glass sides, also of huge thickness,running parallel with the windows of th