Sauk Rapids frontierman. [volume] (Sauk Rapids, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1860, 1858-04-01
F.ah Blsasef. clinsloIoyy u he tthsld s,l,es
or THE NoKTHw Es1TtE IN \
5a fsAssftaa4 sD16TRLCT. asSf45g@H5 y 8ti}

~ H. Fcdl " TdClIEdl lNl0FeSI nov IeI
!, in the northwestern areas Of this cont
| merit requires that some distinct refer
| 1ence 10 their climate should Be made
1and as i has been necessary 10 compress
| some Of the scientific analyses Ia othe
cases, it IL thoughtthat the space at firs
insendedafor the discussion Of fhe yer
teal range. Of vegetation on this cont
neht, should. be occupied ia q .manne
Emore acceptable 10 the general reader
The whole climatologicai discussion
bears more or less directly on this poin
Throughout, but 4 compact statement O
[ihe advantages belonging u this terri
tory, having their !. basis in climate i
quite desirable. sss .~ 7
i The assertion may at first appear un-
warranted, but il is demonstrahte that ar
| area, not inferior, in size TO the whole
United States east of the Mississippi.
lnow almost wholly unoccupied, lies wesl
Of the 96th meridian and above the. 43d
parallel, which is perfectly adapted to
the fullest occupation by cultivated ma
tons. The west, and north OF Europe
sre there reproduced with the Axcep-
tions caused by vertical confgurations
only and important as this featuration
Is in givin4us lofty mountain bounda-
Iry on the west, we may charge much Of
disadvantage to that account and still
leave all that 10, here sclaimed, an inn
mense and yet unmeasured capacity for
occupation and expansion. By refer
ence to The illustration Of the distribution
|3ofheat, we see that the cold at the north
of the great lakes does not represent
the some latitude further west, and that
beyond them, the, thermal lines rise as
high ID latitude, in most cases, as the
west Of Europe. Central Russia, Ger
many, the Baltic districts and the British
Islands, are all reproduced in the gene
raj structure, though the exceptions here
fall against the advantage, while there
they favor il, through the immediate in
fuence Of the Gulf Stream. .taea s
The parallel in regard to the advance
ment Of American States here MAJ be
drawn with the period OF the earliest
trans-Alpine Roman expansion, when
Ganlt, Scandinavia. nj and Britain were
regarded as inhospitable regions, fit
only for barbarian occupation. The en-
lightened nations then occupied the lati-
tudes near the Mediterranean, and the
richer northern and western countries
were unopened and unknown; Climate
is indispntably the decisive condition,
and when we find the isothermal Of 60 ?
/ for the summer rising on the interior
American plains to the 6lst parallel, or
fully as high as its average position for
Europe, it is impossible to dout the ex-
istence, Of favorable climates over vast
areas now unoccupied. This favorable
comparison may be traced for the winter
also, and in the averages for the year
The exceptional coldsaot the mountain
E.plateaus, and Of the coast below the 43d
parallel, makes the advantage more or
less 10 those who approach these areas
from the western part Of the central
States, and from the coast of California;
but though the indistinct mountain rang
es remain high al the. north, the width
of their base, or Of the plateau from
which they rise, IS much less than at the
42d parallel. The elevated tracts are,
Of less extent, and the proportion Of cul-
ftivabIe surface is far greater. III
It will be seen that the thermal lines
Of each season are thrown, northward
farther, on passing Lake Superior west
ward, ii the charts OF this work than in
those ofthe Military Report prepared BY
the author. At the time those were
drawn the numberdef observations be-
yond the limits Of the United States was
50 small that the full expression was not
given to the statistics then used, il the
fear that some correction would ultima
tely be found oapply 20 them, reducing
extreme northward curvaiures they in-s
dicated But further collection and
comparison warrants the positions now
given to the thermal lines, placing them
farther nothward than before, and extend
ing them id a course due northwest from
Superior to the 55thf parrilel. For the
extreme seasons, winter & summer, this
accurate diagonal extension Of the ther-
NAL lines across. the. areas Of latitude
and longitude is very striking The
buffalo winter on the upper Athabaska
At least as safely as il the latitude Of
ST. Paul. Minnesota, and the spring
opens at nearly the same time along
the immense lineo plains from St. Paul
to Mackenxie's River % s'saa6 sfss
|. \ t5sss / bssH*seg IA st
With these facts Of archaeological cap
acity established, al ithe whole tenor
and signi6cancs Of American research
on this point clearly shows, il may be-
more easy to understand the descriptions
0f those who have travelled there, and
70 connect the somewhat rneagre acs
counts yet written. It's most surprising
that 30 little u known of the great ~
N 4 lnnfx liza sc f.1,a Il frnnn Pt