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CHAPTER VI. 



A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE. 



Spread before you a map of the United States, one of 

 the old kind common to the geographies of thirty to fifty 

 years ago. You may have to brush the dust from its 

 faded surface if you find one such. Perhaps you can con- 

 jure it up in your mind. On such a map you will recall 

 that there were large regions marked "great forests;" 

 then other areas indicated as "high plateaus;" and others 

 where the dotted surface indicated a desert just like that 

 in northern Africa. Then the portions which the map 

 makers regarded as strictly good were marked with innu- 

 merable rivers and lakes. 



Compare this with a good railroad map of today which 

 can be gotten from any first class agent. Note how the 

 forest regions bave disappeared, and how seldom is there 

 anything to indicate a high plateau. The mountain re- 

 gions seem to have shrunk. And, behold! the fabled 

 deserts have disappeared entirely. 



But the transcontinental lines of railway have long 

 stretches with few stations, indicating that in some por- 

 tions of the country the population is small. All this 

 is being gradually changed, yet the area of small popula- 

 tion is still very large. 



The semi-arid region of the United States lies west 

 of the Missouri river, presenting first an irregular strip 

 extending from the Canada line to Texas, through por- 

 tions of the Dakotas, Montana, Wyoming, Nebraska, 



