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Title: A Journey in Other Worlds
A Romance of the Future

Author: John Jacob Astor

Posting Date: July 19, 2008 [EBook #1607]
Release Date: January, 1999

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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[Illustration: The Callisto and the Comet.]

A JOURNEY IN OTHER WORLDS

A ROMANCE OF THE FUTURE

BY

JOHN JACOB ASTOR

with Ten Illustrations

PREFACE.

The protracted struggle between science and the classics appears to be
drawing to a close, with victory about to perch on the banner of
science, as a perusal of almost any university or college catalogue
shows. While a limited knowledge of both Greek and Latin is important
for the correct use of our own language, the amount till recently
required, in my judgment, has been absurdly out of proportion to the
intrinsic value of these branches, or perhaps more correctly roots, of
study. The classics have been thoroughly and painfully threshed out,
and it seems impossible that anything new can be unearthed. We may
equal the performances of the past, but there is no opportunity to
surpass them or produce anything original. Even the much-vaunted
"mental training" argument is beginning to pall; for would not anything
equally difficult give as good developing results, while by learning a
live matter we kill two birds with one stone? There can be no question
that there are many forces and influences in Nature whose existence we
as yet little more than suspect. How much more interesting it would be
if, instead of reiterating our past achievements, the magazines and
literature of the period should devote their consideration to what we
do NOT know! It is only through investigation and research that
inventions come; we may not find what we are in search of, but may
discover something of perhaps greater moment. It is probable that the
principal glories of the future will be found in as yet but little
trodden paths, and as Prof. Cortlandt justly says at the close of his
history, "