372 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 507. 



industrial development are discussed from the 

 standpoint of geographic principles. 



The civil war is taken up from, the author's 

 standpoint in chapter seven. The rivers, 

 mountains and topographic features that had 

 a hearing on the conduct of the war are first 

 considered. Then follows an analysis of the 

 geographic influences upon the three great 

 campaigns of the war : the opening of the 

 Mississippi, the operations around Chatta- 

 nooga and the Virginia campaign. Although, 

 perhaps, a digression from the general plan of 

 the book, this chapter is exceedingly interest- 

 ing and indicates the possibilities of a line of 

 research which has been strangely neglected 

 by historians. 



The arid regions of the west are described 

 in chapter eight. After a discussion of the 

 varied physiography of these regions and the 

 causes which deny to them their share of rain, 

 the author presents an interesting example of 

 geographical politics. 



During the early part of the decade from 

 1885 to 1895 there was a slight increase of 

 rain in this region which coincided with the 

 rush of settlers into western Kansas and 

 Nebraska. Later the normal dry seasons fol- 

 lowed and brought disaster. The people, 

 pressed for ready money, accepted populistic 

 doctrines and the movement grew out of ' the 

 failure of a frontier population properly to 

 adjust itself to geographic conditions.' 



The problems of irrigation constitute a con- 

 siderable portion of this and the succeeding 

 chapter. The origin of irrigation, its xwssible 

 effect upon society, its intensive agriculture, 

 its present status and its regulation and dis- 

 tribution are well brought out. One leaves 

 the subject with a lively impression of this 

 problem which most of us not immediately 

 concerned do not fully appreciate. 



Chapter nine treats of the mountain and 

 plateau states under the title, ' Mountain, 

 Mine and Forest.' Colorado is described as 

 the typical western state. After briefly treat- 

 ing of the physiography, the mining interests 

 are taken up in some detail. The origin of 

 veins and lodes, the influences of mine de- 

 velopment upon society and the location and 

 growth of Denver, Pueblo, Leadville and other 



towns are described. After describing their 

 physiography, the problem of irrigation in 

 Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho and Nebraska is 

 discussed. The influence and preservation of 

 forest reserves in these states are taken up. 



' From the Golden Gate to Puget Sound ' 

 is the title of chapter ten. The three Pacific 

 states are described as having a common back- 

 bone in the Sierras, a similar depression to the 

 west of these and a common range fronting 

 the sea. The geological development which 

 produced the present surface and made pos- 

 sible the mineral wealth is discussed in a read- 

 able manner. To this land the Spaniard came, 

 but his occupation gave only a ' sentimental 

 background ' to its history. The Mexican 

 occupation left scarcely more impression; the 

 Yankee traders bought their hides, took them 

 to New England, carried them back and sold 

 them as shoes in California ports. The 

 author sketches the discovery of gold, the 

 rush of the ' forty-niners ' and the subsequent 

 steps to the admission of California as a 

 state. Coming down to 1900, it is interesting 

 and significant to learn that the agricultural 

 output of the state exceeds over threefold the 

 value of its mineral product. The location of 

 cities and the relation of the Isthmian Canal 

 to the Pacific coast are among the topics con- 

 sidered. 



Oregon and Washington are discussed to- 

 gether in history, topography and products. 

 Their settlement against the efforts of the 

 Hudson Bay Company is sketched. Their coal 

 fields and forests are described and their com- 

 mercial possibilties are prophesied in these 

 words : ' He need be no seer who sees cities like 

 those of the Atlantic standing under the west- 

 ern sun.' 



The eleventh chapter deals with ' Geography 

 and American DestinyT* The author finds in 

 American history one geographic fact of over- 

 shadowing importance : ' A wide ocean sepa- 

 rated an advanced civilization and a relatively 

 dense population from a wide, rich and almost 

 unoccupied continent.' The growth of the 

 nation by conquest and purchase, its develop- 

 ment along geographic lines and its advent 

 into more active world relations in 1898 are 

 described. The dominant topic of the chap- 



