The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1911-04-06

while addressing the house OF r"rre-
sputatives regarding the advisability
OF lending aid TO or showing interest
in the region west OF the Stony noun
lDins--as the Rockies" were then
callcd-made the following assertions:
This federation of states can never
be safely extended beyond the Stony
mcuntuins. 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 can SEQ
few states formed Just west and Dor
dernE on the MIssissippi-bu 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 member OF
congress from the state Of Oregon Gall
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 homo would be
$500 miles. If he should travel at the
rate Of thirty miles day II would
require 3o6 days: allowing for Sun
days fortyfour and It would amount
to $50 days. This would allow the
member a fortnight TO rest himself at
Washington before he should com.
mence his Journey home, II would be
more expeditions. however, TO come
by water around CRpo Horn, or to
pass through BehrinE straits round
the north coast OF this continent to
Ha1in's bay. thence through Davis
straits to the Atlantic. and SO on to
Washington II IL true that this pass
age is not yet discovered. except on
our maps. hut It Will be, as soon as
Oregon becc mes a state"
The concluding words Of Mr. DECKER
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 n
point near Pittsburg. while the center
of population was at point nineteen
miles southwest of Moorheld, West
Virginia. In eighty years the geo
graphic center has been moved west
ward to n point northwest OF the cen.
ter of Kansas, while the center OF pop
ulation Il at Nashville, Brown county,
Indiana Strange indeed are the
changes which have taken place since
1880. and remarkable the transfOrma.
ton from the census OF 1880 when
the geographic center was near WaSn
ington citys present location, and the
center of population marked as TWEEN
ty.three miles east, not west, Of the
city OF Baltimore.
Odd us IT may seem, tho movement
of the center OF population follows
close to the old Mason and DINon's
line" the boundary between Pcnnsyl.
wanna and Maryland. which was Csrub-
lishcd az early MS 1868. This limo was
practically the imaginary division be
tween the slave and free states
John Randolph said This Mason
and DiXon's line In the partition be-
tween those who make slavery profit.
able, and those who could not make II
and ever afterward the line
was referred to as the bounds Of TIE
slave and anti.siave states. The cen.
tiers OF population have travelled near.
ly parallel with It. 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
westward forty-one miles, landing It
about Washington. which was prac-
tically the geographical center also
In 1910 the center shifted to forty
miles northwest OF the national CAPT.
tai; in 1920 It had moved fifty miles.
locating sixteen miles north OF Wood
stock, Virginia. In 1890, travelling
thirty-nine miles. we find II nineteen
miles southwest OF Moorhcld. West
Virginia: while in lSiO Jump OF fifty
Ave miles places II sixteen miles
south OF Clarksburg. w. Va. In 1850,
a move of flfty.nve miles sets II TWEEN
ty.three miles southeast OF Parkers-
burg, w. Va. A remarkable journey
of eighty.two miles In 1860 placed It
twenty miles south of ChIllicothe,
Ohio; but the terrible Intervention Of
the life-destroying Civil war is seen in
1870. when It moved only forty.two
miles. landing at forty-eight miles
northwest Of Cincinnati, Ohio. In
1880 the center shifted to point eight
miles west OF Cincinnati, after travel
ing ffty.eight miles. In 1890 It had
gone west forty-elght miles, arriving
twenty miles east OF Columbus, lndi-
ana; in 1900 It went but fifteen miles.
landing at Wigs. Indiana; and the OF.
fetal records Of 1910 show the center
of population located at Nashville,
Brown county, Indiana.
In order TO determine exactly how
strong tho nation is at present, and to
get at an approximate estimate of our
assembled under tho Stars and Stripes,
the government is now laboring with