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National Geographic : 1894 Feb 14
Contents
The Decadence of the Savage. 19 all these countries, even those where there are few whites, the pure Indian is steadily giving away to the mixed blood, appar ently the product of natural selection. It would seem from this that the climate and country are better adapted to the increase of mixed blood than either the Spanish or the Indian. Central America and South America were settled by the Latin race, North America by the French and English. The French early founded settlements on the Saint Lawrence, and have ever since occupied the larger portion of its valley, though their population has never spread outside of this territory and por tions of New England. They are a hardy, frugal, and industri ous race, living in a cold, unfruitful country; all their strength .and resources are expended in obtaining a scanty livelihood, leaving them without opportunity to develop the artistic taste and culture natural to the French race. The United States owes its rapid growth and prosperity largely to the valley of the Mississippi. This great valley slopes from the east and west and toward the south, and has the largest ex tent of rich arable land in the temperate zone. West of the Mis souri are great plains, and further westward among the Rockies great parks and plateaus, with short summers and long winters, so dry that neither heat nor cold are unpleasant. Here also are great mineral veins, bearing gold and silver, lead and copper, iron and coal, with rapid streams, fit country for the miner, the manufacturer, and the herdsman. In the far west, where there are only from five to fifteen inches of rainfall, numerous irri gating ditches have been made, and by means of the storm water collected in reservoirs the desert has been made to yield most abundant harvests. The English and their descendants have never mingled with the Indians, but have driven them from their homes, following the example of every other nation of the Old World in occupy ing the territory of the aborigines. As soon as the rich plains and fertile prairies of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys were ex plored, thousands and tens of thousands of emigrants from the Old and New World flocked into a region where they could ob tain homesteads for the asking. This emigration benefited'both continents, for the population and wealth of the Old World has rapidly increased since emigration began, and never in the history of the world has so much wealth been created as by the settle ment and cultivation of these valleys.
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