The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-27

handing northwarl and in spots eastward.
Between the acquisition OF Texas in lS4S
and the time. nearly half a century later.
when the two pakotas, Washington. Idaho
and Wyoming were let in. civilizations adj
vanc.ng line swept over the whole OF the
region between the Mississippi and the
Pacific and from the Gulf OF Mexico. the
Gulf OF California and the border of Mexico
I'D 10 the Canadian boundary. Only few
spots in the Rockies and other mountain
ranges have been LETT untouched. ana even
these have yielded up their old mystery and
savagsry. From thirteen states little over
a century ago the number has grown to
forty-ave. There are but three territories.
exclusive OF Indian Territory, and all OK
these. with the same exception. are likely
TO be taken into the family circle before
many more years pass.
AS the wave OF civilization has sursed
westward the experience and conditions OK
the elder states has been repeated in sha
new communities. except as these are modi-
fled by time and environment The rest
lessness and the tendency toward innoya-
ton noticed In the recently created states
are bat reproductions CT qualities seen IN
the older states century ago or less. Bry-
an is pale reelection Of Samuel Adams.
and Dehs is a rather faithful reproduction
OF Daniel SAays. But age has tempered the
exuherance of the states nearest the Alie-
gnaniss on that ranges western side. ie
has brought conservatism and balance. The
elections few days ago bring this fact ous
impressiveiy.
Ohio, state OF the Central West-to use
a designation necessitated by the expansion
and the shifting of the locality formerly
called by the latter part of that name-in
the election OF 1915. IN which Hayes was
chosen governor. gave the death blow TO
the greenhack folly. Illinois. another state
OF the Central West gave plurality OK
H.n eth .nts
which was the broadcast margin given to
the sound money side in any state except
Pennsylvania, New York and Massachu-
sets. The Popul!sm which Massachusetts,
and Rhode Island propagated century
ago. Ohio and Illinois long since discarded.
Kansas Is giving up. and Nebraska ana
Nevada are likely to soon ousgrow.
AS the West recedes life In the United
States loses many OF its picturesque as
poets. The wild Indian of Boone's time
would be as much OF stranger to-day IN
the region over which he ranged as would
the mastodon. Many Indians are LEFT Ia
the United States, and the number Is grow
ing larger instead of smaller. but they ara
all on reservations. The swarms of buffa-
loes which. as recently as the early days OF
the Kansas Pacific and the Platte Valley
railroads. frequently delayed trains for An
hour or more at a time when crossing the
tracks have been swept away. except few
specimens III the EaklOiti PAIN WYNN
ing and in some private collections TE4
flathoats, the arks. the progues and the
other queer but In their day. highly ser
| yiceahie craft have vanished from the
Western rivers. The prairie schooner tho
earliest next 10 the Indian and the hunalo)
and most persistent feature OF the Western
landscape. fingers In spots. but It's day Ia
almost over A generation or two hence Its
time may seems as remote as the days OF
the mound builders
with the disappearance OF these relics o6
the old and spacious days Of the great
West there go out a few illusions which can
| be well spared. Swift tells as that certain
Geographers In Afric maps
With savage pictures I'll their gaps.
And DER unha biiable Gowns
Place elephants for want or towns.
Americas geographers Of the earlier days
filed the gaps In their knowledge OF the
West with vast tracts OF barren land. What
has become Of the Great American Des-
ert' OF a .,eriod rs recent as the days
when Horace Greeley made his journey
across the plains, about forty years agof
Out of the 800 061, eco bushels OF corn pro-
duced in the entire United States In 1877
Kansas furnished ls2. o0o.ooo and Nebraska
2ii, 000. 600. The value Of this crop In these
two states that year was 7G.nD.o0o In
whea, in that year Kansas grew 100000
bushels and Nebraska - 100000. These were
two Of the products of the soil OF two OK
the states of the Great American Desert"
IN a single year.
But states which add much 10 the ma
tional wealth by two OF their products In a
single year manfestiy have neither the
newness nor the sparseness OF population
which used TO be associated with the idea
OF the West. There are thousands OF
square miles Of vacant land Tn each. as well
as In the neighboring states, but the Wild
ness and mystery which were attached 10
II. <ux1ta hnV
a little of the crudeness and angularity In
separable from young communities llnger.
but these are gradually yielding to the at
triton Of the passing years.
Where then, Is the West-the region OF
picturesqueness, isolation and mystery?
The West in he old sense--the vast expanse
whose marvels delighted and amazed Lewis
and Clark and whose barriers and magniff-
cent distances awed and almost over
whelmed Fremont-has vanished utterly.
The Kit Carsons ST. yrains and Jim Briig-
ers have followed the Boones Kentons and
Wetzels into the gulf OF the past. The
life which Schoolcraft and catlin partci-
pated IN ard depicted Is over. The Co
manches and the Modocs are as extinct a.
the Shawnees or the Six Nations. Capt.
Jack and Geronimo as obsolete Pom
lilac or Powhatan. civiigat TONS wave has
engulfed them all. The grizzly lin spots)
and the cowboy are still extant but their
stay upon the earth r. merely a stay Of pro-
ceedinRs which time has granted. The de-
cree which is 20 send them 20 join the buff
falO and the fatboatrnSn has been pro-
n0unce1 There are 10 longer any vacant
spaces on the map in which geographers
can place elephants or deserts Westward
the course Of empire takes It's way" the
movement described in Berkeiey's lire has
Travelled far from the niace II touched in
Rerkeieyfs days. and has made n circuit ~
the continents OF the GLOBE. II has reached
the opposite shore or the great ocean from
whence its course began. The West has
touched the outefmoet verge OF the contin-
ent. II the course Of empire takes It's way
farther II must enter or cross the Pacific.