The evening world., 1894-05-14
GEOGRAPHY rs YEARS AGO.
CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN
PLACE SINCE THEN.
Chicago Not Known, md Albany
Had Only 1000 Souls.

A few days ago, while I was look
ing over some old books that were used
In the Philadelphia branch of our family
tree, when they went to the little school,
house around the corner. says Waverley
Keeling in the Louisville Courier-Jour-
nal. | found ar old geography, upon the
ilyleaf of which was written: Josiah
Riddick-'s book. March 8, 1926" Fur
Their along in the book some later stu
Gent had written "Hic liber est meus."
but he didn't sign his name. This lit
tie geography was published in 1920.
The realise Is by a minister. one Rev.
j. Goldsmith, of the Quaker city. Mr..
G~oldsmith's preface is rather amusing
at this time of the century. He re-
marks in one paragraph that 1.-THE au-
thor has annexed to this grammar a
great number of plain questions, with
a view to exercise the ingenuity, the in
vention and the memory of the pupil;
but he has omitted the chapter on the
construction of maps, considering IT too
difficult for the young persons for whom
this grammar WAS intended. He con-
tinues. however, to lay the same stress
as before on the Importance of copy
ing maps as the only means by which
an acquaintance with geography can be
perfected"
The first chapter OF the little book
deals with geographical definitions,
Then the author scars into the solar
system to the extent of one chapter.
In that chapter there isn't much that
would be different from an ordinary
brief reference to the matter which we
might expect to find at the present
time.
Europe " Sweden, Norway and Den,
Russia is given two small pages. The
pupil was informed that Russia had
then a population of not over so, 900, 900.
To-day the population of Russia Is over
Then Holland, Germany, Australia
and Turkey in Europe" &C., are each
given a very small space.
Great Britain is allowed nearly three
pages; OF London Mr.. Goldsmith said:
London. in ffty-one degrees north lati-
tude, contains nearly a million inhab-
itants, is twenty miles in circumference,
and Is the largest, most opulent and
most fourishing city in the world"
Just multiply the number of inhabitants
then by five and you have the London
of to-day.
After %devoting twenty pages to Aslatic
countries the author applies himself to
America; Now we can begin to see the
strides this COUNTRY has taken since the
$50. '''A''o" o' '"e "'"e geography IN
The number of States the was TWEEN
~, and, Alabama, Mississippi. Illinois
and Michigan We're Territories, with the
great West almost unknown. Vermont
Is the first State to which the pupil is
ton was said to amount to 22o, O0o.h In
another paragraph we see: THE princi-
pal mountain. which is called the Green
Mountain, runs nearly through the State
from south to north. and increases the
coldness of the climate"
The old Granite State comes next in
turn to Vermont. and is given credit for
about the same number OF inhabitants.
The population OF the towns is not even
guessed, but. its considerable COM
merce is spoken Of as being valued in
exports IN 1920 at $565, 1894, and as being
principally of domestic produce Mr..
Goldsmith also explains that New
Hampshire sis deemed a mountainous
The next chapter is headed: "Of Mas
sachusetts and the District of Maine.'
He states that both of them contained
i9S, l29 persons. Boston alone has as
ton herself was cut off With only a par
agraph of reference, the most important
Information Of which was that 1t con-
of the State Of Massachusetts students
were told: The exports of this State
consist chiefly of New England rum,
potash, pearl ash, lumber, salt fish. sper-
macetti candles. chocolate. cordage and
Sls, 900, 600 in 1902"
The State Of New York with less than
has six millions! Furthermore. of the
safe of New York the g%eographer SAYS:
Albany, which IS the present seat of
G~DVernment, Is situated on the Hudson,
1Go miles above New York, and contains
a population Of 1000. The commerce Of
New York exceeds that of any other
state; In 1902 the exports amounted
to Sl3. 1872, 276; but the greater part con-
slsts of foreign produce, or re-exported
OF New Jersey the author wrote: cal
though the State is well settled, there
are no large towns in it. Trenton, which
is the capital of the State. contains
about 5000 inhabitants. 1t is situated on
f PSi,a psln%hre R'yTehr. thirty miles above
said to contain about 245. 1853 inhabitants.
me author gives "A more glowing ac-
count OF his own State. In referring to
OF P~ennSylvania to contain about $780,
600 people: The population of Pennsyi-
Hania today is nearly six millions. He
1902 amounted to s11, 900, 900.
Ihiladelphia, in the days of Mr.. Gold
tive city, and wrote: 1T is sti.l increas-
ing with great rapidity; but the seat
IF government Is at Harrisburg, in Dau-
dred miles, by north Of Philadelphia"
Mr.. Goldsmith made no reference to
me peaches of Delaware, but was con-
book to that state. in which he men
toned that its inhabitants were but
I2.6'i, and that the largest town was
Wilmington. containing then about 1000
people, and that the seat of govern
ment was at Dover. on the Jones River.
Most wonderful of all the changes since
ms book was published are to be noted
IN the great West, of course. Seventy
years ago the geographer alluded to In
mana as . new State, and follows this
statement with: THE country is rapidly
settling with emigrants from all parts OF
the United States and Europe. and the
population Is not far from being 100, 600.
slavery Is not permitted Think of thai
for a moment! The State Of Indiana
with a population not far from 100, OOOi
zen years ago the population of Indiana
was nearly 10000, and in 1890 the popuia-
ton was PISS. 900.
AS the reference to illinois Territory"
Is brief here IT is In full: 1T is bounded
on the north by the Indian country west
OF Lake Michigan. east by Indiana, south
by ohio River and west by the Missis-
sippi River. 1t is celebrated by its rich.
fertile lands and Is rapidly seti'ineg. Al
present IT is small, not over Is, 900. The
PTinGip3l town Is Kaskaskias. on the
th,cago, with now nearly !, 400, 900 in
hanitints. was not even known.
Michigan was a Territory OF 5000 in
haDltants, and the beautiful city of De
tr9lt was spoken of as "a celebrated