Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1888-11-10
eeoeRApHY OF INrELLEor.
Brain Growth Seems to Depend Upon
Land Surface and Climate.


Land Surface and Climate.
DR.. A. Conan Doyle has contributed an
article entitled 'eThe Geological Distribu-
ton of British Intellect" to The Nine
teenth Century. He takes the names
given in q popular biographical diction-
airy and in book entitled s'AIen Of the
Time, gives the birthplace Of each and
then adds up the number that belong to
each Of the grand divisions Of the United
Kingdom, TO each country and to each
of the largo cities. He finds that tho
proportion of celebrities to the entire
population of the four main divisions is
as follows: Scotland, one in 90, 900; Eng
land, one in $4,000; Ireland, one in 40
OOOi Wales, one in $4,000. London has
q celebrity for every 10000 inhabitants,
Dublin one in each $500 and Edinburgh
one in $500.
An attempt is made to show that the
development Of intellect depends largely
on the geological formation of o country,
climatic conditions, and other outward
circumstances. A pretty good showing
Is made for tho truth Of tho statement
that ''the very highest intellects appear
to be developed in the peaceful atmos-
phere Of country villages and the small
provincial towns, and for another state
ment that Emusic, poetry and art reach
their highest development in tho south,
while theology, science and engineering
predominant in higher attitudes" OBJ
servation shows that the latter statement
is true of Europe as a whole. Music,
poetry and art have flouiished in Italy,
while theology, science and engineering
have predominated in Scotland, northern
Germany and the Scandinavian countries.
An American geography of intellect
would show that nearly all our dis
tinguishcd thinkers, authors and scholars
were born within sight of the White
mountains and within distance of 100
miles Of the Atlantic coast. Nearly all
our poetry has been written within this
territory. Half of our noted wits and
humorists were born in Maine. The lit
tie townof Concord, Mass, has produced
moro men Of the highest order of intel
lect than all the southwestern states.
The south has produced several dis
tinguished orators and soldiers, but no
great poet, painter or novelist. The
prairies have yet to show what they
arc capable of doing in the matter of
producing great men.
The topography of country and its
climatic conditions appear to exercise a
great influence in the development of in
tellcct South America and the West
India islands have produced very few
persons who have gained celebrity in any
line Of human greatness. Africa is far
behind South America in this matter.
The southern hemisphere is apparently
deficient in the conditions requisite for
high intellectual development.
Perhaps popular biographical diction-
0ry is not the best work to use in prepar-
Ing a geography Of intellect. A man
may gain celebrity without being intel
lectually great. Most of our compound
ers of patent medicines, pugilists, jock
eys, circus riders, and accidentally rich
men have gained celebrity, but it is Of
kind that no man of intellect would care
to attain. Many profound scholars and
careful Investigators never become IA
nous enough to get their names in pop
ular biographical dictionary, but their in
tellectual work is written in the progress
of society.-Chicago Times.