The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1882-04-27

The necessity for new and satisfac-
ory grouping of the States and rerri-
5ories, for stats ical and other purposes,
1as long been felt. The Old classifca-
ton into New E lg'and, Mid.lle, South
ern and Western Slates--never a salts
factory or chtrac erIstic method OF
grouping-waS outgrown several de-
cades ago, and today it is manlfestly
absurd 10 Sprak of New Yo'k and New
Jersey as G. Mlt lie Slires.'' or OF Ohio,
Indiana and Illinois as parts of the
Yves" MIR Henry ii .hnett, the
geograDher % ths tenth census, has
pro posed Il p'an uf grouping W hirh is
being adopted it the Genus bureau,
and viii prob tl'lN c,m! into general
use, as il appears to be tta u'a, ell .rac-
teristic aud wetl-',a.arced. ine scheme
divides the cJuntry in its three gre 1t
reogfaohical dlyi-ions-the y lantic,
the Grea5 Valley and the CordliIertn
regions. The tir>r OF these Mr.. Gannetf
names the Atlantic section, the second
the Central, and the JhiId the Wesierh
section. The Atlantic and the Central
sections are sub divided former on
Mason and DiXon's liae, the latter on
the Ohio River and the southern Onun-
Diary of Missouri and Kansas. The fol-
lowing then are the STATE making up
the five divisions severailT-
NORTH ATLANTIC Sr,rEr--Mainn. New
Hampshire. Vermont. Mass ichueetIs, Rhode
Is.;ind Connecticut New York, New Jersey,
Penu>Nlya lia-Total, 9.
SOUTH ArLANTIC SrATES.-Deiaware,M May
land. strict OF Columbia, Virginia, West Nir-
gilia North Caro-. ina, so attn CaroiIni, 3eor-
gia, Flori1a-T tai 9.
NORTHERN NCESrRALSriTEs-Oh Indiana,
Illinois. NJ ehigan Wisconsin Minnesota. iowa,
N ssouri, Dakota \ b 'isk't ka ,sis-f"tal, H..
s ,UTHEEN CENTRAL LSTATES.-AlLbam Mis-
sissfppi, Lo ii ~iana, Texas. in liam Territory,
Arkansas Tennessee, kantuckv- Total, 5.
WESTERN NSTArEs.-Montana, Idaho, Wash
Mexico. Arizona, Ulah, Nevada, Californ a
Total, II.
The areas and populations of these
groups, with the exception OF the last,
are not very dissimdar, one from an
other.
The propriety of this grouping, from
purely geographical point of view, is
too apparent to need argument. As
was stated above, the three primary
groups correspond with the three great
! Typographical features of the country. In
respect of TEN oerature and rainfall, the
| North Atlantic aud Northern Central
| States differ Enthusiastically from the
| South Atlantic and Southern Central
| States, while the West possesses an arid
climate, light rainfall, with the ac-
companying great extremes OF tempera-
ture. These divisions have a meaning.
too, from an historical point of view
The Atlantic States, with but one eX.
ception, that of Florida, con sists of the
original thirteen and those formed from
them, viz: Maine, Vermont, and
West Virginia. They may fairly be said
to represent the first colonial stage Of
our history. The central section, whict
has developed during onr progress as al
independent nation, may be said to rep
resent the second stage, extending Il
the present time, while the great unde
veloped territory of the West represents
the development of the future.
In the forms of local government, the
first and third of the above divisions diff
fer radically from the second aud fourth
i. e., the North from the South. Ii
the former, with the exception of Ne
braska, Dakota, and a few counties ii
Southern Illinois, the township OF towr
form of government is universal, while
south of the line separating these divis
ions, the county form Of governnen
prevails exclusively-the so-calie(
''townships" Of Arkansas aud the Caro-
Iinas bearing no resemblance whateve
to those of the North. There is also
vital point of difference between thes'
sections in the elements of the popula
ton, the two northern sections contain
ing not less than eighty-siS per cent. O
the foreign element of the country, Will
in respect to the colored element tn
reverse is the case, the two norther
sections containing more than ninef
per cent of the total. In respect of in
dustries, the North Atlantic section
the region of manufactures, containing
not less than 63 4a10 per cent OF the totI
of the United States. The Norther
Central is distinguished as the rigion c
cereals, raising In 1879 IL per cent G
the whole cereal crop of the country
The two southern sections raise nearl
the whole cotton crop and all the sugar
cane and rice. In the West the char
, acteristic and leading industry is tn
mining of the precious metals. Thi
discussion might be a continued almos
indlainitely and result in pointing on
; new features characteristic of the differ
ent sections, but enough has been sue
, gested, it is hoped, to show the pre-
,, priety and fitness of the scheme, c
, which, by the way, our school alta
, makers have long felt the need.-N.
EUeaing Post.