The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1883-04-19
GEOGRAPHY OF GILES.
Her Climate Compared with that Of
Other Countries,

Other Countries.
The character of the civilization of q
people is determined In u great degree
by influences OF soil and climates. A
country may be so far north that the
energies of its inhabicantI are necessa-
rlly expended in providing for mere
bodily wants. Their short summers
afford barely time to lay up the neces-
sary subsistence for the long winters.
There Is no leisure for mental culture
and TOR those pursuits which tend to
elevate the race. On the other hand
country may shave such q :trOpi.
cal climate that the energies of its peO-
pie are enfeebled, their sensibilities are
blunted, and they gradually degenerate
as people. The researches conducted
under the auspices of the Smithsonian
Institute among the Inoian tribes in
habiting the valley of the Amazon we'll
illustrate this fact. Evidence exists
that several different sets of Inhabitants
have died out in the past 200 years and
their pl ices have been taken by harder
stocks from the Andes mountains, who
have, in their turn, succum bed TO the
enfeebling influences OF the climate and
have given place to others. Besides
the direct effects of climate upon the
physical well being of a people, the
productions of the country have almost
a controlling influence upon the char
acter of its Inhabitants. Ia order chat
man nay reach his highest develop
ment physically, mentally, and morally
he must have abundance and variety OF
food and this must be obtained with
the least expenditure of time and eDer-
~. The Scotch living upon cat meal
and in bracing mountain climate ex-
hibit the characteristics of 3 vigorous,
hardy race, but they cannot be said to
possess the highest type OF development.
The native OF the West Indies although
he has the most pleasant climate in the
world and has proiusion OF tropical
productions, still lacks many of the
productions necessary to comfort and
happiness, and il these were not sup
ed him from elsewhere he would Ion ST.
vigor and retrograde towards the savage
state. 1t is only where these extremes
meet; where it is neither too cold nor
too hot, and where lthe climate is such
that the greatest variety and album
dance of food is produced with the
least expenditure of time and labor
that man attains his highest stage
of civilization and happiness.
If We look for the geographical limits
of this happy mean between north and
south we find that the thirty-fitLh
parallel of north latitude comes nearer
fulfilling the conditions than any other.
On or near this parallel was the prob
able location OF the Garden of Eden;
and on or near the same parallel have
been the seats of nearly all the anciens
civilizations Egypt, little south of it,
was one of the oldest, and on 1t flour
ished the Bah lonian and Assyrian EN-
pires. The Phenician, the Jewish, AID
later, the Carthagenian and Roman
civilizations flourIshed on and near the
same favored parallel. 1t also passes
through the most densely populated
parts of the Chinese empire. 1t goes
through the Morocco states just south
of Italy and Greece, cOntessedly, the.
most favored portions of the globe
Giles county being situated on this
parallel is entitled to the presump
ton that it is one OF the favored
portions of the world also. But
"a other causes besides latitude deter
mine the climatic conditions OF place
ltt us test it in other respects: In trac-
ing the isothermal line OF our county
around the world we find that 1t pisses
through or near the most important
cities OF the world; following the gull
oil CdLug phcoCS IslNt-I-
pool in England; Paris, in France
Constantinople, in Turkey Jerusalem,
in the Holy Land; through the cele-
hrated vale of Cashmere; through. Pc
kin, China, and all the large cities OF
Japan and thence by the way oil San
francisco home. We thus see that our
county has the same mean annual tenn
perature Of nearly all the great centers
of population of the world.
Again, we see that nearly all these !
great ceBrers of population are situated |
on alluvial plains, or valleys. On ex- |
aiming the map we find that Giles |
county Is situated in the edge OF the |
great Mississippi plain, where the out
living hills and ridges of the Allegheny |
mountains merge iato The plain, making |
a blending of mountain anu plain, OF
hill and valley-Which is as pleasing TO
the eve as it is advantageous to the
fertility of the soil and con-
iucive to the health of its people. The
hills of Giles are by no means poor; on
the contrary they are nearly all fertile
10 the top and are covered with large
forest trees and nutritious grasses
They serve many useful purposes be-
sides agricultural usea, and are OF
greater advantage 10 the county than ii
it was sill level. They cOndeDse the
rain, they insure q more psrHaneui
forest. They give US bold springs of
The purest water. They are composed
Of geological formations rich In all thu
elements OF fertility and make perma-
nent reservoir OF mineral matter TO sup
ply the waste of the soil in the valleys
Next week we propose To treat par
of the geological formations o.
he county and the different kinds oil
oils, which matter we will get mainly
rom Killebrew's Resources of Tennes-
zee. In this way many who are inter-
sted in our county can get valuable in
OrmatiOn concerning it and, tor their
axes, those who haye read the same
natter BEFORE will pardon its reproduce
ion.