Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-14
STORY Of TIE WEST.
GcoErnphicnl Mnrk Exceedingly DiC-
HCuIt to Dcfinc.

81. Louis NIOpt-l'Culptldt.
The query Where is the wcst?'-thC
west as a locality and not as a point Of the
compass-has for several reasons, acquired
new interest In recent times In the
political nomenclature OF the latter part OF
the days when slavery was in existence Ken
lucky, Tennessee and Missouri were classed
with the south, although in the earlier times
all three Of these states were considered,
and rightfully so, part of the west. 1t was
as western states that Kentucky and Ten
nessee, under Speaker Clay, of the former
state, turned the scale in favor of war
against England in 1912, and coerced the
peace-loving Madison, against the counsel
of the other man of peace, Jefferson, into
the adoption of war policy. 1t was as a
western state that the northern members
of congress in 1Si9-20 sought to shut slavery
out of Missouri
Geographically speaking, 1t was in 17SS
that the west began to have a local habi-
tation and a name. That was the year in
which the colony OF Manasseh Cutler. Samuel
Parsons and Rufus Putnam laid the founda-
ttons Of Ohio. The pioneers of Kentucky and
Tennessee had planted settlements in their
localities earlier than this but Kentucky
was then regarded merely as an extension
of Virginia and Tennessee an elongation OF
'''i'h NulVllud. Ollu, On lut OlueT manu-,
as well as the rest OF tho states of the old
northwest territory, were considered from
the outset to be embryo commonwealths. 1t
was arranged from the beginning of their
existence that these were to be separate
states, which were to have all the powers
and to be subject to all the obligations of
the original thirteen members of the national
sisterhood. As a concrete geographical
TACT the west as locality had it's beginning
on that April day in 17SS, when Putnam's
and Parsons Mayflower with it's load of
pioneers from New England. sailed down the
Ohio and planted their settlement at the
mouth of the Muskngum.
AS geographical mark the west was a
continually receding line from the begin
ming OF the government onward until a few
years ago, when the Pacific slope started TO
become widely settled. hundred years
ago "out west" meant anywhere from Roch-
ester or Buffalo south to Gordonvile, Va
or Greensborough, n. C. The line moved
slowly for the next few years, but after the
introduction of steamboats, on the rivers west
of the Alleghenies and the advance OF the
verge OF the settled area to the prairie coun-
try the march perceptibly quickened. When
Daniel Boone died in 1920 the western verge
of the settled area of the Bnited States had
reached him in Missouri. Kit Carson saw ii
cross the Rocky mountains, and ten years
ago. when the state of Washington was ad
mitted, the westerly line occupied the Pa
cfc shore from the Mexican boundary to
Canada The old classification of the states
has become obsolete. The Mississippi and
not the Allleghenies should be considered the
dividing line between the east and the west.
While the population center has not yet
reached the Mississippi, the geographical
center, exclusive of Alaska and the recent
acquisition of territory, is in Smith county,
Kansas. AS Pixies so-caled American
Sahara, which is in reality among the mos:
fertile regions of the country, fills up with
inhabitants the population center will ap-
proach its geological center and render IA
change in the old political classification of
the states even more necessary than it is
now. Historically, socially, geographically
and politically the west is am exceedingly |
interesting part of the country, but 1t be- |
comes constantly more and more difficult to
answer the question, where is the west?"