The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-19

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 Tennessee, under
Speaker Clay. of the former state, turn
ed the scale in favor of war against
England in 1912, and eoerced the peace
loving Madison, against the counsel of
the other man of peace. Jefferson, into
the adoption of a war policy. 1t was as
Western state that the Northern
members of congress in 1819-'20 sought
TO shut slavery out of Missouri
Geographically speaking, it was in
1883 that the West began to have local
habitation and a name. That was the
year in which the colony Of Manasseh
Cutler, Samuel Parsons and Rufus Put
nam laid the Foundations of Ohio. The
pioneers of Kentucky and Tennessee
had planted settlements in their locali-
ties earlier than this, but Kentucky was
then regarded merely as an extension of
Virginia and Tennessee an elongation
of North Carolina. Ohio, on the other
hand, as well as the rest of the states
of the old Northwest territory, were
considered from the outset as embryo
commonwealth. 1t was arranged from
the beginning of their existence that
these were to be separate states which
We're to have all the powers and to be
subject to all the obligations of the
original Is members of the national sis
terhood. As concrete geographical
fact the West as a locality had it's be-
ginning on that April day in 1888 when
Putnam's and Parsons Mayflower,
with its load of pioneers from New En-
gland, sailed down the Ohio and plant
ed their settlement at the mouth of the
Muskingum.
AS a geographical mark the West
was a continually receding line from
the beginning of the government on
ward until few years ago, when the
Pacific slope started to become widely
settled. hundred years ago "out
West" meant anywhere from Roches-
ter or Buffalo south to Gordonsville.
Va, or Greensborough, N. C. The line
moved slowly for the next few years,
but after the introduction of steam
boats on the rivers west of the Allie
ghenles and the advance of the verge
or the settled area to the prairie coun-
try the march perceptibly quic1ened.
When Daniel Boone died in 1920 the
western verge of the settled area of the
United States had reached him in Mis-
souri,. Kit Carson saw it cross the
Rocky mountains, and 10 years ago.
when the state of Washington was adj
mitted, the westerly line occupied the
Pacific slope from the Mexican bound
airy to Canada. The old classifcations
of the states has become obsolete. The
Mississippi and not the Alleghenies
should be considered the dividing line
between the East and the West While
the population center has not yet reach
ed the Mississippi the geographical
center, exclusive of Alaska and the re-
cent acquisitions of territory, is in
Smith county, Kansas. AS Pixies 50
Ayoan ysfn Sol,
reality among the most fertile regions
OF the country, fills up with inhabit-
ants, the population center will APP
proach its geographical center and rem
der a change in the old political classi-
f1cation of the states even more neces-
sary than it is now. Historically, social
ly. geographically and politically the
West is an exceedingly interesting art
of the country, but it becomes con-
stantly more and more difficult to an
sWer the question, Where is the
West 2"