Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-01-29
bee, and thence to st. Johns, Newfoundlal.,
Nov. .heoinninp In. Europe. near Christian,

/
35 deg. runs. The mean temperature of all
| places south of this line is more than IS deg.
In like manner we may sketch off roughly
| the annual isotherm of 20 deg. through the
new world and the old. 1t starts from San
Diego, crossing the Colorado at its mouth, and
then passing down through Chihuahua to
Austin in Texas, it goes by New Orleans and
Pensacola to the sea, striking the African coast
near Magador, it goes through Cairo, 1spahan,
Delhi, to Canton. The mean temperature of
all places to the North of this line is less than
70 deg lls -1l,slH .y..t ..sr.-Ha.
Now let us divide the belt included between
these two isotherms into two nearly equal
thermal bands by tracing likewise with q free
hand, the isothermal of 30 deg, the mean
(nearly) between 85 deg. and 20 deg. alsa
Beginning near Cape Oxford on the West
coast this isotherm passes up toward the
Dalles, then down little to the west Of Salt
Lake to Santa Fe; then up to SCOTS Bluff;
and then through st. Louis and Louisville to
Baltimore. Taking it up in England, it passes
through Belgium towards Zurich then up
towards Olmutz, and so on through Varna,
Derbent, Kokan and Pekin. - - .5!f- .
This line divides this belt thermally. and
geographically into two bands of nearly the
same size. They include the garden spots of
the earth. In them man laid his first hearth
stone, and from them the light of civilization
and Christianity have shed their first and
their brightest rays. III .-.a.
Let us, for convenience of reference, call
the Northern band the upper band; and the
Southern one the lower. .r >..4lh .=
We are now prepared to cast the eye over
them, and to generalize concerning the COM
mercial and agricultural aspects Of the two
routes. f. .-, .r- a
The plants which give physiognomy to the
fields and forests of these bands are, for the
upper band conifers, the willow, the beech,
larch, fir, alder, elm, hickory, birch, cranber-
ries and pasture grasses. For the lower
band, the characteristic plants are thick leaved
evergreens, and arborescent grasses, the cy-
press, cedar, ash, and magnolia with roses.
The chief commercial plants, besides the
cereals-which are common to both-are for
the lower band, the orange, the vine, the fig,
peach, date, pomgranate citron, the melon,
st. Johns bread, the sweet potato, rice, indi-
60, tobacco, hemp, cotton, tea, sugar and ma
val stores For the upper band, buckwheat,
hay, Irish potatoes, turnips, apples, pears,
plums, herds and focks.
Most of the Railways both in Europe and
America, are in the upper band; so are the
great centres of commerce, and the places for
fairs in Europe and Asia sure sign that
the occupations of the people in the upper
band are not so exclusively agricultural as
those of the lower. .sl .s IT,
In other words, we are reminded by this di-
vision that the people in spite of Legislative
enactments, tariffs and protection, have obey
ed the laws enacted by Nature as expressed
for the geographical distribution of labor, and
that man, though the same in both bands, has
in each needed those physical conditions by
which he finds himself surrounded, and direc-
ted his labors to those pursuits which promise
| the best returns.
This circumstance reminds us that railways
| in the upper band should be much more apt
| to have full freights both ways, than are rail-
ways in the lower band. The latter carry
| away tobacco, hemp, cotton, rice, sugar, &C.,
and may bring back in single car the manu-
| featured articles of which whole train-load of
cotton has been exchanged, Hence, as rule
railroads in this band carry more th,n they
fetch. The same raw and bulky articles go
into the upper band to be manufactured, and
when manufactured, they are put on the rails
| for distribution, and for market-thus increas-
ing freights for this band both ways. Each
one of these thermal bands in the United
States wants it's road from sea to sea, and
each must have it. Each wanted its system
of roads between the Atlantic Ocean and the
Mississippi River, and each has it whether
Congress would or not-and so it will be be-
tween the Grand Ocean" and the MISSISSIPPI
pi. Look at the steel engraved map in Put
MANS Railroad Guide, and you will see how
these systems of roads have been formed, un-
til last summer. Virginia would stretch no
railway line from any of her fine harbors into
the valley of the West. North Carolina had
no harbors, hence the blank space on that map
between Ohio and Georgia.
On the other hand there was the great chain
of lakes. Then there was the Baltimore and
Ohio, and the Pennsylvania Central Railroads,
which were commenced at very early day and
pushed forward with vigor. Now, see what
a network of roads these have called out,
reaching to and beyond the Mississippi, and
stretching due East to connect with these.
While Virginia would not, and North Car
DINA could not, South Carolina and Georgia
went to work with their system Of roads
which has already stretched itself towards
the setting sun, far beyond the Mississippi.
Texas has given most magnificent grant
of lands and loan of money to her Southern
Pacific Railway, which will extend the South
ern system as far as Ell Paso, within six hun
dred miles of the Pacific.
Roads from New Orleans, Vicksburg,
Memphis, and other points, are to join the
| Texas road.
Memphis and Ell Paso are in the middle of
the lower band. Hence, you perceive, this
band has its road we'll under way, and it is
high time Uncle Sam should take hold and
extend it Westward.
Unfortunately this road has had troubles to
an extraordinary degree, but its q long night
that has no day, and it now begins for the
first time to see the light of real day.
The dawn is promising. So, too, in Mime
sofa: Saint Paul is in the centre of the upper
band, and there is Railroad already under
way from Saint Paul to Pembina. A branch
from this road leading to the Pacific will most
fairly represent the system in the upper band.
St. Paul is in the middle of it, and the dis
ance by an airline from the Western limits
of Minnesota to Puget's Sound is $40 miles
making only (say) 1900 miles of road to be
provided for by the general government, In
order to secure both of these roads. Indeed
if the Southern road be taken to the Califor
MIA line, California will take care of it thence
to San Francisco,-so that by providing fol
the construction of some 500 miles, govern
ment can now secure one at the South Tel
years ago, when this question of road to thu
Pacific began first to be agitated, government
would have had to provide for it all the way
from the Mississippi to the Pacific-so it wa.
held-and that would have required a single
road about 1000 miles long. Now govern
ment aid along 1900 miles will give us two.
These bands give complete quietus to al
objections to the Northern road, on the score
| of climate. In other parts of the world, road.
abound in just such climates. The road from
! st. Petersburg to Moscow, and the PrussiaI
. roads, with others in the same band in Eu
rope are even in a higher latitude than tn
st. Paul road will be; yet climate is no OBJ
lection to them.
, l. Neither is it to the Canada Railways no.