Evening star., 1898-07-09

Treasurer.
sang "Hurrah for the Schools of Ohio"
The first address of the morning was by
Prof. Jacques w. Redway of Mount Yer
non, n. Y, who spoke for thirty minutes
on Influence of Topography and Climate
on the Historical Development of the
United States
Man." said Prof Redway, SIS superior
to his environment. but the environment
| modifies the man"
Prof. Redway proceeded to show the de-
velopment of the political and industrial
organizations of the world and illustrated
! how, when inventions and discoveries
change the conditions of the world, there
is made necessary readjustment Of po-
litical lines and industrial enterprises. He
showed how topographic conditions caused
barrier to be constructed between the
northern and southern states, the factories
of the north demanding a protective tariff
which was a hardship to the south, where
the sole industry was the raising of cot
ton. That was a greater cause of the fric-
tion than the institution of slavery. On
both sides of Mason and Dixon's line man
| was inferior to his environments. The
| civil war shattered these barriers and made
| a readjustment possible.
| Now factories are rising in the south as
| the result of the development of coal and
| iron industries there and the cotton mills
| are running in the midst of the cotton
| fields, their natural location. The readjust-
| ment had brought about united country,
| in which there are no barriers to unity.
Prof. McGee Discusses Geospheres.
| The second address of the morning was
| made by Prof. W. J. MCGEE, vice president
| OF the National Geographic Society of this
| city. He spoke on the "Geosphares" Prof
| MCGEE gave scholarly discourse upon the
| constitution of the earth. He carried his
| audience through highly interesting specu-
| q ma hat oh
| place on the carth's surface in the event of
| d great increase or decrease of it's tenn
| perdture. In the event of the increase of
| temperature the waters would cease to ex-
| lst as such and would take on a gaseous
| form, whereas if the temperature were low
| cred several hundred degrees the air would
| rest upon the earth as a liquid, covering
4 everything except the highest fountains
| This latter condition resulting from a low
| temperature, he said, could not have been
| foretold except for very recent discoveries
| regarding the liquefaction of air under high
| pressure and low temperature. The possi-
biIities of this discovery of the means for
| bringing air into liquid condition, he said,
Were fraught with greater possibilities for
future development than did electricity
Wnen 1t was brought under control. But so
lar as any demonstration has been made
Prof. McGee said there is no evidence to
show that there is any change in the tenn
p=rature OF the earth and its atmosphere
going on.
Speaking of the place occupied by the
people of the United States in relation 10
other peoples of the world, Professor Nc
Gee said the people of this country are
above every other nation in intelligence and
In all those elements that tend toward pro-
gress. This superiority he said, was mere.
iy the result of natural conditions.
General Discussion Follows.
Cornet solos were then given by J. w.
Myers, whose music called forth general
applause from the audience
Subsequently the time was taken up in a
discussion of the two papers that had been
read, there being several such speeches of
ten minutes each. The first paper was dis
cussed by George T. Murphy, assistant
superintendent of schools at st. Louis Mo
The progress and high civilization that
have developed in America, he said has
been the result Of natural conditions of the
earth and salubrious climate. Valleys
he said, were known as the realms of des-
pots, while the mountains are the homes
OF freedom. But in America the strength
Of the country is its diversity. OF all the
countries of the earth, no one Is so well
fitted to be the home of one people AS our
boundaries are extended, We will, he said.
change with changed conditions, but will
remain a united people
Prof. VIM. Stryker, state superintendent
OF public instruction of Topeka, Kan COM
mented on Prof. McGee's paper. Prof VIM
Stryker gave number of simple Illus
trations to show the weight of the earth
ertion upon 1t in It's heavenly course by
the sun. The old idea, he said, was that
the center of the earth was liquid but
now it was generally accepted that 1t was
a solid of intense density. He did not be-
lfeye in any theory that the machinery of
the universe was running down." as had
been held by some, though changes are
going on as rapidly now had ever been
the case.
David w. Hoyt, principal of the Eng
lish High School of Providence, r. l., was
introduced. Mr.. Hoyt looks SO much like
DIR. Harris of the bureau of education that
since his sojourn in this city the two have
been constantly mistaken for each other
Mr.. Hoyt spoke in a scholarly way upon the
papers that had been read. He dwelt upon
the desirablity of utilizing the geographic
cal principles brought out by the papers
that had been read in the teaching of geog-
raphy to children. He pointed out that
settlements of new country 60 along nat
ural lines The settlers go along the lines
of the rivers. Following this plan the val
| leys of the rivers were settled first.
Importance of Spanish Language,
An interesting discussion regarding the
| Importance of the Spanish language a. q
| part of the educational system of the coun-
try was precipitated by Mr. Lucky super
| intendent Of the schools of Pittsburg Pa,
who offered a preamble and resolution to
| the effect that the commercial interests
OF the United States with her sister repub-
iics on this continent are rapidly increasing
| IN Importance. and az present occurrences
] Indicate that our trade will soon need foS-