Birmingham age-herald., 1894-07-29
IcoPYR1oHr, 1s94.l

edited, ana the AppletonS are about to publish, work which is intended to be an epitome of the United States as they are to-day. I have been permit ted to look over the advance sheets of "The United States of America" and have made few selections of special significance.
 This work, in two sizable octave vol umes, on which Prof. Shaler and staff of leading experts have been en- gagged for over four years, gives in text and illustrations full description of the country, its natural features and inhabitants, its industries and inven- tions, it's government and political con ditions, as they are now to be found in all parts of the land. At the same time general survey of past conditions is given in each case, and the present status traced to earlier sources
 Prof. Shaler has himself written the chapters devoted to the natural fea- lures of the country, and these are among the most interesting in the work. He has, of course, been pro- lessor of geology at Harvard for many years, but he has not confined himself
 
 has spent much time in travelling about the country and in taking observations of people and places. MT. Edward Att kinson has written of economics, Maj. J. W. Powell of the Indians, Judge Thomas M. Cooley of transportation and matters affecting interstate com merce, MT. Charles Dudley Warner of our literature, President Gilman of science. and a number of other experts equally distinguished in their depart ments have contributed special chap ters.
 In his introductory chapter Prof. Shaler combats with considerable vigor the long-accepted theory that south ern New England was settled by Norse- men. The weight of evidence is to the effect that even the boldest of these valiant seafarers of the Northmen peo- pie failed to attain the hospitable por- tion of the continent, and that its real ly fertile lands were, on account of the perils of northern voyage, shut off from the people who for six hun dred years before the time of Columbus dwelt along its northern shores.
 "For like reason--viz., the severity of the climate-the Northern Pacific lands also fail to provide an easy way for the people of Asia to enter the new world. In fact the scanty food-carry- ing power of the ancient ships, whether of Europe or Asia, made it impossible for an expedition to pass from the old world to the new by coasting along the Arctic shores, and thus to attain the af .,, to meet the dangers which newcomers have to face in an unlown land.
 '"The evidence goes to show that for thousands of years before Columbus came to America there had 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 as an al- most continuous barrier across the western border of Virginia, geo. graphical accident had provided way more passable to the frontiersman than any other path across the Alleghanies by which they might gain access to the valley of the Mississippi. The wild and beautiful valley of the Shenan- doah, which lies between the foot of the Blue ridge and the North noun tain, had already been occupied by the Virginian settlement. Following this valley to the southwest to the head waters of the Roanoke, it was possible to pass over a country of gentle slope across the principal ridges of the AL leghonies and thence into the valley of the New river, or upper Kanawha. Following up this stream for short distance, the travellers entered the broad vale of the upper Tennessee, through which it was practicable to make 8 path to the breach in the Cum berland range known as Cum berland gap Traversing that pass, access to the open forests of central Kentucky was easily obtained. Al though for many years the traders with the Indians had threaded their way through the difficult wilderness of the Alleghenies into the valley of the Ohio, the first exploring parties which entered Kentucky with view of set tlement made their way on foot along the above-described route. Among the many advantages which this trail pre- scented we must include the immunity for contact with hostile Indians which it afforded. As the result of long-con- tinucd intertribal wars, all the portion of the continent between the Shenan- doah, the upper Tennessee and the Ohio rivers was without any perma- pent Indian settlements If was only occasionally trayersed by hunting par ties coming from the north of the Ohio or from the region south of the pres