Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1854-12-23
Five New Western States.

n. penton's lecture on the Physical Geography
H.. country between Missouri and California,
-, view to show its adaptation to settlement and
~ construction of railway, delivered before the
,,.,,,nd Institute in Baltimore develops, says the
1,-,.:,,oro American the idea of the formation OF
Geo new States between Missouri and California,
located in nearly the latitude Of Maryland, and well
..,.od to settlement and cultivation. The line Of
States now stretching half way across the con-
.;,ont-Pennsylvania Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and
w;ssour;-he proposes shall be matched by an equal
-.,,,hsr Of States between Missouri and California.
". BENTON takes for the territory of Kansas,
~ ,be eastern frontier Of the territory half way
,lv .he Rocky Mountains 1t Is composed Of well
NW..ared valley of the Kansas, equal to that OF
w. IN fertility: the valley of Arkansas, equally
nsHr catered but somewhat less fertile perhaps,
'ha,,nd;no in rocksalt and COAL and between them
'0St elevated prairie, destined to become "the bu.
collie region Of our America"
'0n M socond State would be formed of the vest
., half of Kansas, in which lies the valley of the
MINOR Arkansas represented by Fremont as well
. upt and fertile, with mild climate and short
,,nte,s It is abundantly wooded. vi Its benign
climate and rich vegetation, Beale and Heap give
most favorable description. These two States Will
each have territory of fifty thousand square miles,
and according to Mr.. Benton, they VIII probably be
ready for admission into the Union "ls'hh the TWO
next years.
For the third State Mr. Benton takes section
Of the Rocky Mountains from the 3Ith degree OF
north latitude to the 4lst extending TWO hundred
n;es cast and west, making an area OF SIXTY thou
INLAND valleys called the Three Parks, resembling
hat Of CpleSvra in Asia, except that their breadth
ia greater. Besides these there is endless lab
yrnth. of small grassy valleys, with mild climate,
well watered, and overlooked by lofty mountains,
one of which, Pixies Peak, is the Mount Blanc of
this beautiful western Switzerland The valleys are
described by Beale and Heap as "the hunters
paradise"
For the fourth State Mr.. Benton takes the valley
Of the Upper Colorado, extending one hundred and
6fty miles from the western base of the Rocky
Mountains to the eastern base of the Wahsatch and
Anteuia ranges, with length of three or four
hundred miles from north to south. 1t has fertile
SOIL looking thin and sandy to the eye, but sending
forth vigorous vegetation when impregnated with
water. 1t wants only irrigation. The climate is
mild, with January like our autumn. This region
forms part Of the territory of Utah. and the pro-
cess of settling it with white inhabitants is already
begun.
The fifth State comprises the remainder of Utah,
and extends from the eastern base of the Wahsateh
and Anterria ranges Of mountains to the eastern
boundary of California 1t includes both the Great
and Little Salt Lakes, the latter of which lies in
the midst of a region far finer than that Of the
Great Lake" The evidence Of the fertility Of all
these regions and their desirableness as places of
settlement as quoted by Mr.. Benton, from the ac-
counts of travellers is very ample.
Having established this proposition Nr. Benton
proceeds to demonstrate that the county "is per-
fectly adapted to the construction of railroad and
all sorts of roads, traversable in all seasons"