Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-03-03
Educational Department.
Conducted by J. H. Terry, Principal of Mineral
Point Public Shoots.
The Division of the United
States.

open DelUTe you. lOliOh eiic OOuhu
Diary of Pennsylvania with a col
ored pencil from Lake Erie South
ward, and then eastward to Della
ware Bay. Trace then the Ohio riv,
er. and down the Mississippi to the
south lire of Missouri Trace the
south boundaries of Missouri and
of Kansas. Next follow the east
lines of Kentucky and around the
east of Tennessee, to Alabama; pas
ing down the east OF Alabama, trace
boundary along the north and west
OF Florida to the Gulf of Mexico.
Trace then the east lines Of Mon
tana, Wyoming, Colorado and New
Mexico, following the New Mexico
boundary around to the Rio Grande
river.
When the Union was formed the
original Thirteen States lay like an
arch along the Atlantic. The Dor
ders of Pennsylvania were so easily
reached by ocean vessels that she
seemed coast State, and her posi-
ton reaching from Lake practically
to Ocean, made her like the key
stone III the arch of States, and
made Keystone her peculiar name.
Do not forget that neither Maine. to
1920 a part of Massachusetts, nor
Vermont, once claimed by New
York, was of the original States. 1t
was natural to call the projection
east of the Hudson river the Eastern
States. 1t was just as natural to
cali those at the other extreme the
Southern States, and Middle States
followed for the rest. In going
west it was natural to call the new
States Western, though climate and
the negro blended those OF low lat
itude with the Southern States. In
time there came the opening of the
Pacific States and of the Rocky
Mountain region. The old names
Of Eastern, Middle and Southern,
with the continually shifting term
Western had been outgrown. West
ern especially had become incon-
venient and needed an arbitrary ex-
PLANTATION to children not familiar
with the past.
We can now frame terms con-
veniently to represent the general
relation Of the States in all the flu
ture. unless we change our bound
diaries beyond any reasonable indi-
cation.
Mr.. Henry Gannett, Geographer
of the Census, has given this matter
much careful study, and he has his
maps engraved upon the plan above
indicated. His classification is now
endorsed and adopted by high au-
thority. Ponder some of MIR. Gan
nett's reasons for the grouping
North Atlantic. South Atlantic,
North Central, South Central, We.-
tern. Nor do the new terms pro-
duce confusion for those who use
the old terms The arrangement
has the merit of almost completely
Interpreting itself.
The overwhelming preponderance
of Commercial and Manufacturing
interests with contiguity of position,
bring Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
New York among the North At
lantic States, while the isolation of
Vermont from the salt water does
not call for specific term in adj
dition.
The State of Maryland has a
great commerce, but in addition to
the natural classification as a South
ern State from position. taking the
general line of the Ohio river as a
natural suggestion for division
boundaries, we come, on passing
south of Pennsylvania, to States in
which the manner Of local govern
ment is very unlike that III the
North, either east or west. Briefly
stated, the town is the local unit of
the Northeast, with a less prominent
importance lin the Northwest, but
disappearing III the South for the
county III local affairs. Further,
the northern divisions are marked
by a great relative foreign popula-
tion-the southern divisions by a
like colored ratio.
From Ohio to Kansas inclusive,
with the region to the north Of that
tier, is the great bread producing
region of the country; food pro-
ducing would hardly be too com
prehensive. 1t is the prairie region,
and Prairie States just fits the same
area, unless we except Michigan for
her predominant forests.
The Southern States, both At
lantic and Central, are almost the
exclusive producers of cotton, and
what rice and cane and tropical
fruits are raised grow mainly in that
region, and they greatly exceed 9TH
er divisions in the product of tobac-
co.
The Rocky Mountains As a bound
airy have almost disappeared Sur
vevs give great series Of ridges
where even vet schoolboys are
taught to expect dividing ridge.
The Pacific States is well as name
for States touching the Ocean Of the
West, but it would be arbitrary if
applied to the Mountain States
draining SO much to the Mississippi
Valley. The Mountain region is
food eater with all its reputation
as a food producer. Pork packed
in Chicago goes to Oregon farme S,
who are busy with wheat, and
canned vegetables aud fruits feed
the people of the mining districts in
Colorado and in Nevada. The term
Mining States would not have been
altogether inappropriate, yet if the
humber. metals be considered,
Michigan and Wisconsin, Ohio and
Pennsy lvania and Missouri, as well
rs Others, make great product from
mining. The mountainous char
acter, the mining interest and their
location make a single term desira-
bic, which seems best furnished in
the word Western. !"
Stating the new grouping in
another way, the Alleghanies with
the line of original colonies. and
the Rockies form natural sugges-
tons Of grouping, while the cross
line Of the Ohio river makes a con-
v.nient indication for subdiyidinc