The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1898-09-24
THE NEW GEOGRAPHY.
An Interesting study for Old ana New
scholar. After the summer
Vacation.

Not the least interesting result OF
the war Is the revision Of chart that
Il calls for aud the lessons in the new
geography Of the United States which
will be features Of the ~recitations
when the school year begins. West
ward, northward and southwark
though most largely westward, the EN-
pire of the people Of the United States
has taken its way until in 1895 Il ex-
tends through ia degrees OF Longitude,
from the outlying islands Of Puerto
Rico, 65 degrees west Of Greenwich,
westward to Manila, i21 degrees east
Of Greenwlch-1O,OO0 miles and more
from tip to tin! Northward 1t has
pushed TO II degrees north latitude of
Point Barrow, Alaska, TO ID degrees
north latitude Of Guam, In the La
drones; or, IL the coaling station at
Pago-Pago, Samoa, be taken as in the
dominion Of the United States, we
stretch below the equator u degrees
into the South seas. By degrees mere
", north and south. it Is about 1000
miles from Point Barrow TO Guam, or
5000 to P~ago-Pago, so that 1000 miles
one way and 5000 another represents
the sphere Of influence Of the United
States 1879 years after It was a confed-
Grafton of colonies, sticking close to
the Atlantic coast line, and viewing
the Alleghanies as a barrier.
In 1776, from the latitude OF East
port, Me-, 81 degrees west longitude, As
degrees north latitude, the original
states nominally stretched to the Mis-
sissippi, % degrees west longitude. By
1870 the western border reached 40
degrees north latitude and 95 degrees
west longitude.
In 1910 Oregon and the Louisiana
purchase carried the western line 10
1874 degrees west longitude, where 1t
remained until in 1867 the purchase Of
Alaska not only carried United States
territory above the Arctic circle, but
by possessing After, the easternmost
island Of the Aleutian group, we passed
the 10sth meridian, west of Greenwich,
and entered east longitude three de-
grees. This wns 30 big a jump west
ward that even Hawaii could not sur
pass the l72 degrees east longitude OF
After, Honolulu being but 1853 degrees
west longitude. However, Hawaii car
ried United States territory toward
the equator, whittier IL had not tray-
eled since the purchase Of Florida In
1912, carried II TO 25 degrees north
latitude. Here II remained until the
southernmost island OF Hawaii (Ha-
wall itselb went six degrees nearer the
zero OF latitude. After Hawaii, the
movementsouth was rapid as the army
and navy hammered away, and the pro-
tocol in the eastern hemisphere gives
us IS degrees north latitude, which Is
the southern coast OF Puerto Rico,
while Manila Is 10 degrees north. Guam
10 degrees north and Pago-Pago 10 de-
grees south latitude.
We cannot longer talk picturesquely
Of from Quoddy Head Me.) to the
Golden Gate" (Cal.), nor from the
Florida Keys TO the Lake OF the
Woods" as they used TO in the co.'s, nor
even viii the Alaskan extremities
bound our domain. We stretch from
the isles of the Virgin Passage least OF
Puerto Rico) TO the shores Of the
China sea, outstrlpping Russia, which
runs through 40 degrees from the
west to the east, being surpassed, how
ever, by England, whose colonies in all
ocean carry her through $40 degrees
from west TO east and back again. But
Uncle Sam, with his new responsible
ties. begrudges England none of her
possession, and will not remake
geography in her domain, even though
Newfoundland and the British West
Indies are not averse to annexation.
For awhile the map makers will have a
rest so far as the United States Is con.
cerned, since the distance Of to-day, 6,
degrees west TO l21 degrees east, Is
growth enough TO suit the most ardent
Observation-Disclosures Press.