The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-05-15
CLIMATE Ann TEMPERATURE.

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1t may be confidently stated that the belt
of States to which West Virginia belongs
has climate that conduces more to health,
physical development and mental activity
than any other section Of the Union. These
States have not the excessive and long.
continued cold Of the Eastern and North
Western States, nor the intense and PEN
etrating heat Of the Southern States and
Texas. 1t is q fact too well established to
be gainsaid that, as a general thing, immi-
grafton does not attain permanent pros
perity at an extreme change OF latitude.
Climatic influences control health, and
mental and physical energy, and upon
these depend industry. success and happi-
ness. Transplanted to the extreme South,
the northern.born man, except in rare
cases, loses strength and activity, and his
system becomes SO permanently relaxed
and eneryated as 10 be peculiarly suscep.
tible to the malarial diseases prevalent in
hot climates. Hence he should not ven
ture upon q change of temperature Of
moro than ten degrees.
West Virginia lies within this limit.
Owing to its elevation above the sea its
climate does not materially differ from that
OF Ohio. Its temperature is four degrees
lower than that OF tho tide.water and
Piedmont sections OF the older State Of
Virginia, and the general elevation OF It's
its surface renders the annual mean lower
than that Of places on the same parallel
OF latitude, in the States farther west. 1t
varies in different localities, according to
their different attitudes, but the average
OF the State is within q fraction Of 50 de-
grees. Observations taken during twenty.
three years show the thermometer to have
ranged as follows: Spring, 5le; summer
az; autumn, 53o: winter, 32o-the win
tiers never so warm rs to interfere with
logging operations, nor the summers new
er so hot as 10 render outdoor work un-
pleasant or dangerous. The average of
rainy or snowy days, for each year, dur
lnga period OF twenty-seven years, was
100; of clear and fair days, 10; Of cloudy
days, 20, which lisa larger proportion OF
clear weather than prevails in the States
farther north, or on the seaboard.
Speaking generally West Virginia has
the temperature OF England and the larger
part Of France,-a temperature more fa-
vorable to the physical and mental do.
velopment OF the human race than any
o.ller on the globe, History shows that
all the master races Of the world have orig
mated in countries having a mean annual
temperature Of from forty.ivo to sixty dc.
grees Fahrenheit. This, owing 10 its Gle.
walton above the sea, is the climate Of the
larger part Of Palestine, OF Greece, Rome,
France and Great Britain, aud these coun.
tries have produced the people who have
successfully been the moral and physical
rulers Of mankind.
And what Is true Of nations is equally
true Of individuals. No great world.moy.
ing, or Notwithstanding spirit, from the
Jew Paul to the Corsican Bonaparte, was
ever born outside OF these isothermal
lines, and this is accordant with a great
natural law which has hitherto received
but little consideration. Physically man
is onlythe air he breathes, and the ground
he walks upon, and these physical ala.
ments have, It would seem, to be temper.
ed with a certain degree OF heat 10 pro.
duce the organization which Is best adapt.
ed to the development of the spiritual and
intellectual forces.