Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1877-08-11

occupied DN Inc Unlteu states gives 10
d a greater variety of climate than that
Of any other single country on the globe.
While there are countries whose terri
tory stretches over more degrees of lati-
tude in continuous line, there are but
one or two approximating it in the
breadth of its domain from east to west,
measured by degrees of longitude. Nor
is there any which affords by differences
Of elevation aud conformation of land
and water greater elements of climatic
changes. The influence of our great
longitudinal chains of mountains alone,
including the great Appalachian chain in
the East, the Rocky Mountains, the ST.
era Nevada, and the Cascade range in
the West, upon the climate of the States
and Territories is prodigious. While
the valleys between these mountains are
often reservoirs of heat, the sides and
SUBMITS of the mountains themselves
yield temperature far below that of
the plains and table lands in similar
attitudes. ifra.aa
It may be said, almost without exag-
geration, that the United States posses
ses all climates, from those of the frigid
zone up 70 those of the torrid. The
mean annual temperature ranges from
summer heat, or IS deg. Fahrenheit in
Florida, to Sc deg on the elevated plains
Of Minnesota, which latter may be said
to represent the coolest regions of the
United States. The American citizen
may thus choose his climate, and need
only possess the means of transit and
the willingness to labor, to enable him
to settle in country where it is almost
perpetual summer, and the fruits of the
tropics grow around him in rich profu-
sion: or in a region where the colder
cline will brace his energies to steady
struggle with the great forces OF nature.
Without changing his relations to gov
eminent or laws (save in the insignifi
cant differences that subsist between the
legislation Of the different States), the
American citizen may 90 from cline to
cline, according as his taste or his ne
eessities may impel him. The traveller,
too, in search of perpetual spring, may
take up his carpet-bag and go from the
balmy January or February of Florida
or Louisiana, northward through every
State until he finds the spring late in
May or early June breaking into bud
upon the bleak and rock-bound shores
Of Maine. Reversing his course, he
may travel southwark, and, leaving the
short-lived northern summer behind
him, find medium temperature of de-
licicus moderation in the Middle States
in October and November, which the
fair Southern States will continue for
him all through the winter.
The mountains Of the United States,
though inferior in height to the great
overlapping SUBMITS of the Himalayas,
or to the noted peaks of South America,
are equal in elevation to any on the con-
tinent of Europe. While Mount Blanc,
the monarch Of mountains, pierces the
sky to the height of 1882 feet, Mount
ST. Elias, in Alaska. rises yet higher, TO
the elevation of IL, S15 feet in the air.
California has two mountains, Shasta
and Tyndall, 1i,400 feet each, closely
approximating the Matterhorn. which
is 14,7lO feet. Colorado has no less
than nine distinct peaks rising to a
height of II, 600 feet and upward above
the sea level, on any of which the en-
terprising and adventurous explorer
may climb as far towards heaven as he
could possibly get in Switzerland.
Among the less elevated mountain
ranges of the Eastern States,it was long
supposed that the White Mountains
were the loftiest, and many geographic
eal books still repeat this erroneous in
formation. Modern measurements,
however, have shown that the peaks of
the Black mountains in North carolina
Oyertop Mount Washington by a few
hundred feet. The Black Dome rise to
the height of 600, Mitchell's Peak to
6,576 feet above. the sea level, and
eleven other North Carolina mountains