Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-07-29

bs has not confined himself 10 this one
s,hiect nv anv means, aud has spent
much time In travelling about the coun'
try aud In taking ohservatlons OF peup'o
and places. Mr.. Edward Atkinson mas
written OF economics, Maj. j. w. fowel'
of the Indians, Judge Thomas NJ Cooley
OF transportation and matters affecting
Interstate commerce. Mr.. Charles Dnd-
lev Warner OF our literature, President
Gilman OF science, and number OF
other experts equally distinguished IN
their departments have contributed
special chapters.
In his introductory chapter Prof..
Shaler combats with considerable ylgor
the long accepted theory that southern
New England was settled by Norsemen
The weight of evidence is 10 the eifecs
that even the bodest OF these vallsns
seafarers OF the Mortimer people falIkA
to attain the hospltable portion ofth1
continent, and that its really fertile
Isnds were, on account OF the perils OF
northern voyage. shut on from the
peopls who for six hundred years s.fores
the time OF Columbus dwelt along iu
northern shores.
"For a like resson-viz.. the severiE
OF the climate-the Northern P3S@S
lands also fail to provide an easy' Wy
for the Leople Of Asia TO enter the new
world. 10 fact the scAnty food-carry-
ing power OF the ancient ships, whether
OF Euro Do or Asia. made IL Impossible
for an expedition to pass from the old
world 10 the new by coasting along the
Arctic shores, and thus TO attain the
fertile land OF America In condition to
meet the dangers which newcomers have
to face In an unknown land.
The evidence goes TO show that for
| thousands OF years before Columbus
came 20 America there bad been no
exchange OF population between the old
world and the new"
| Somewhat further on Prof. Shaler
draws an interesting picture OF the
| Shenandoah valley as the gateway OF
the original pioneers to the valley OF
the Mississippi: although the Ale
gheny mountains stretched az an d.
! most continuous barrier across tho
western border OF Virginia, geo
graphical accident had provided way
more passabie 70 the frontiersman than
any other path across the Alleghenie,
by which they might gain access TO the
valley OF the Mississippi. The wild
and beautiful valley Of the shensn-
doab. which lies between the foot OF
the Blue Ridge and the North noun
tain. bad already been occupied By the
yirginian settlement. Following this
| valley 20 the southv to the head
waters OF the Roanoke, II was possible
10 pass over a country OF gentle slope
across the principal ridges OF the Al
leghanies aud thence into the valley OF
the New river, or upper Kanawht.
Following up this stream for n short
distance, the travellers entered the
broad vale OF the upper Tennessee.
through which IL was practicable 70
make a path Of the breach 10 the Cum
berland range known sc Cum berland
gap. Trayersing that pass, scces. 10
the open forests OF central Kentucky
was easily obtained. Although for
many years the traders with the To-
dams had threaded their way
through the dificnlt wilderness OF
the AlIeghenlss into the vslley OF
the Ohio, the fret erplorln z
with view OF settlemont made
their way on foot along the
above-described route. Among tn
many advantages which this trail M
sented we must include the lmmun75y
for contact with hostile Indians rhIc n
IL afforded. As the result OF long-con.
tInued inter-tribal wars. all the portion
OF the continent between the Shenan-
doah, the upper Tennessee and the
Ohio rivers was without any perma-
nent Indian settlements. II was onIs
occasionally trayersed by hunting parI
ties coming from the north Of the OhI
or from the region sonth OF the present
boundary OF Kentucky. Thus, In pass
log along this trail leading through
Cumberland gap the first settler,
OF the Ohio valley were fairly
well protected from the risk OF meet
ing their ancient enemy; and when
they entered the fertile district OF Ken.
tncky they did not have to dIsposses.
any aoorigines. for they had deserted
the district, or at most used 1t as an oc-
casiobal hUntingground.
| Much OF the success which attended
the English Invasion OF the Mississippi
valley was due TO the peculiar cherec.
ter oil the men and women who occs'
pied this frontier. II they had been
deliberately selected by some wise
statesman for their peculiar task the
choice could not have been better
fitted to the end 10 view. II the occu-
patton OF the country had been trusted
70 ordinary immigrants from Europe II
Is very doubtful II the Ohio settlements
could have maintained themselves dur
Ing the early trials. The nea whs