The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1911-04-27

sentatives regarding the ACCESSIBILITY
Of lending aid to or showing interest
In the region west of the Stony noun
tains-as the Rockies" were then
called-made the following assertions;
'This federation Of states can never
be safely extended beyond the Stony
mountains. can conceive that mutual
interest in the Mississippi valley may
because Of common river facilities
help bind the people to the union; but
beyond the mountains-I can see 8
few states formed Just west and Dor
de1ng on the Mississippi-but further
west the federation system must not
be attempted"
In the senate Mr.. Dickerson OF New
Jersey also entered vigorous protest
in these words:
''The distance that a member OF
congress from the state of Oregon (all
west of the Rocky mountains was then
known as Oregon) would be obliged to
travel In coming to the seat of gov
eminent and returning home would be
$500 miles. II he should travel at the
rate of thirty miles day it would
require 306 days; allowing for Sun
days forty-four, and it would amount
to $50 days. This would allow the
member fortnight to rest himself at
Washington before he should COM
mence his journey home. It would be
more expeditions, however, to come
by water around Cape Horn, or to
pass through Behring straits round
the north coast of this continent to
Baff1n's bay, thence through Davis
straits to the Atlantic, and so on to
Washington. 1t is true that this pass
age is not yet discovered, except on
our maps, but It will be, as soon as
Oregon becomes a state"
The concluding words of Mr.. Dicker-
sons address were, of course, spoken
In sarcastic vein. At the time Of this
unique argument the geographic CEN
ter of the United States was at
point near Pittsburg, while the center
of population was at point nineteen
miles southwest Of Moorfield, West
Virginia. In eighty years the geo.
graphic center has been moved west
ward to a point northwest of the CEN
ter of Kansas, while the center OF pop
ulation is at Nashville, Brown county,
Indiana. Strange indeed are the
changes which have taken place since
1880, and remarkable the transforms
ton from the census of 1790-when
the geographic center was near Wash
ington city's present location, and the
center Of population marked as twen-
ty-three miles east, not west, Of the
city of Baltimore.
Odd as 1t may seem, the movement
Of the center Of population follows
close to the old Mason and Dixon's
line" the boundary between Pennsyl-
vania and Maryland. which was estab-
lighed as early as 1853. This line was
the imaginary division be-
tween the slave and free states.
John Randolph said. This Mason
and Dixon's line is the partition be-
tween those who make slavery profit
able, and those who could not make 1t
and ever afterward the line
was referred to as the bounds of the
slave and anti-slave states. The cen
ters OF population have travelled near
" parallel with 1t, an apt illustration
of how closely balanced were the con-
tending forces in the federal and anti
federal sentiments OF 1861.
From 1890 to 1900 the center moved
forty-one miles, landing 1t
about Washington, which was prac-
.ically the geographical center Also
In 1910 the center shifted to forty
niles northwest Of the national CAPT
al; in 1920 It had moved fifty miles,
coating sixteen miles north of Wood |
stock, Virginia. In 1880, travelling |
.hirty-nine miles, we find it nineteen |
niles southwest Of Moorfield, West |
Virginia; while In 1910, a jump of fifty
i've miles places 1t sixteen miles
Iouth of Clarksburg, w. Va. In 1850.
move of fifty-fve miles sets it TWEEN
y-three miles southeast Of Parkers-
,urg, w. Va. A remarkable journey
If eighty-two miles in 1860 placed 1t
wenty miles south of Chillicothe,
ohio; but the terrible Intervention Of
he life-destroying Civil war is seen in
$40, when 1t moved only forty-two |
niles, landing at forty-eight miles
northwest Of Cincinnati, Ohio. In
$50 the center shifted to point eight
niles west OF Cincinnati, after travel
ng fifty-eight miles. In 1890 1t had
.one west forty-eight miles, arriving
wenty miles east of Columbus, Indi-
ma; in 1900 it went but fifteen miles,
anding at Wigs, Indiana; and the Of
Icial records of 1910 show the center
4 population located at Nashville,
Brown county, Indiana.
In order to determine exactly how
trong the nation is at present, and to
.et at an approximate estimate Of our
ssembled under the Stars and Stripes
he government is now laboring with