Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/517

 PIEDMONT FRANKLIN PIERCE 501 PIEDMOOT (It. Piemonte, from pie di monte, foot of the mountain), a N. W. division of Italy, bounded N. by Switzerland, E. by Lombardy and Piacenza, S. by Liguria, which separates it from the Mediterranean, and W. by France ; area, 11,301 sq. m. ; pop. in 1872, 2,899,564, nearly all Catholics excepting 30,000 Walden- ses. Piedmont and Liguria. including Genoa and Porto Maurizio (area 2,056 sq. m., pop. 843,812), have been lately united, making the aggregate area 13,357 sq. m., and the popu- lation 3,743,376. Piedmont proper contains the provinces of Alessandria, Com or Cuneo, Novara, and Turin. It is enclosed on three sides by stupendous mountains, and complete- ly drained by the Po and its numerous tribu- taries. In the intense heat of summer the ground of the plains toward Lombardy be- comes so scorched that crops are only saved by a system of irrigation which is developed to great perfection. Half a million acres are scored with artificial channels ; for the privi- lege of using the water a tax is levied. Thus districts once waste have been reclaimed and made very productive. The region of the Po is exceedingly rich in cereals, wine, oil, and fruits. Excellent silk is exported in large quantities, and is manufactured to some extent, along with wool, linen, and other articles. Piedmont has shared the vicissitudes of the house of Savoy, and once was a principality. The name was long used to designate in a gen- eral sense the Sardinian states, though the region was merged in the kingdom of Sardinia in the 18th century, and in that of Italy in 1861. (See ITALY, SARDINIA, and SAVOY.) PIEGANS, a tribe of American Indians be- longing to the Blackfeet nation, now in Mon- tana. They derive their name from a chief named Piegan (" the Pheasant"), under whom they separated from the main body of the Blackfeet. They were originally between the Milk and Marias, on the Marias and Teton, and between the last named river and the Missouri. The lower band was the largest and best ; the northern band were nearer the British line. The Piegans were the most civilized and war- like of the Blackfeet ; they dressed comforta- bly and even gaudily, their ornaments of por- cupine quills distinguishing them from the others. They used bows extremely short, not more than 2^ or 3 ft. long, made of ash, bone, or horn, and were constantly at war with the Crows, Flatheads, Gros Ventres, and other tribes. After two treaties had failed, a final one was made Sept. 1, 1868, ceding lands, the government agreeing to pay $1 ,000,000 in instal- ments of $50,000, and to meet debts of traders estimated to amount to $75,000. Although the Piegans remained generally peaceful, occa- sional collisions occurred. Lieut. Col. Baker was sent against them in the winter, and on Jan. 23, 1870, he surprised Red Horn's camp on the Marias, killing 173 men, women, and children. This massacre excited general cen- sure throughout the country. They have since lost heavily by smallpox. Their reservation was narrowed down by act of April 15, 1874, which took away their best hunting and pas- ture lands. In 1874 they were estimated at 2,450 in 350 lodges. Their attempts at culti- vation have failed from a variety of causes. Roman Catholic missions were begun in 1846, and were kept up ; but in the religious divi- sion, the Blackfeet and the kindred tribes were assigned to the Methodists. They have a school with 26 pupils. PIERCE. I. A S. E. county of Georgia, in- tersected by the Satilla river ; area, about 500 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 2,778, of whom 814 were colored. The surface is low and mostly level. Along some of the rivers there are swamps. It is traversed by the Atlantic and Gulf and the Brunswick and Albany railroads. The chief productions in 1870 were 33,896 bushels of Indian corn, 14,506 of oats, 30,960 of sweet potatoes, 250 bales of cotton, and 56,370 Ibs. of rice. There were 371 horses, 2,242 milch cows, 5,654 other cattle, 2,292 sheep, and 7,923 swine. Capital, Blackshear. II. A W. county of Wisconsin, bounded "W. by the St. Croix and S. W. by the Mississippi, and drained by the Rush and other rivers ; area, about 600 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 9,958. It has a broken sur- face covered by prairie and forest, and the soil is fertile. The chief productions in 1870 were 331,129 bushels of wheat, 81,353 of Indian corn, 171,393 of oats, 24,551 of barley, 47,512 of potatoes, 121,038 Ibs. of butter, and 7,245 tons of hay. There were 1,562 horses, 2,436 milch cows, 3,828 other cattle, 3,536 sheep, and 3,138 swine ; 7 manufactories of carriages and wagons, 3 of sash, doors, and blinds, 6 flour mills, and 9 saw mills. Capital, Ellsworth. III. A N. E. county of Nebraska, intersected by the N. branch of Elkhorn river ; area, 540 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 152. The surface is un- dulating and the soil productive. Capital, Pierce. IV. A W. county of Washington ter- ritory, having Puget sound on the west and the Cascade mountains on the east, bounded S. W. by the Nisqually river, and intersected by the Pugallup ; area, 2,000 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 1,409. Mt. Rainier, the loftiest peak of the Cascade range, is in the S. part. The riv- ers are navigable for some distance, and there are numerous good harbors. The surface is diversified, consisting of prairies, forests, and rugged mountains. It is traversed by the Pa- cific division of the Northern Pacific railroad. The chief productions in 1870 were 9,181 bush- els of wheat, 14,399 of oats, 13,396 of pota- toes, 27,559 Ibs. of wool, 19,535 of butter, and 1,304 tons of hay. There were 541 horses, 890 milch cows, 1,622 other cattle, 7,769 sheep, and 684 swine. Capital, Steilacoom. PIERCE, Franklin, the fourteenth president of the United States, born in Hillsborough, N. H., Nov. 23, 1804, died in Concord, Oct. 8, 1869. His father, Gen. Benjamin Pierce, served throughout the revolutionary war, and in 1827 and 1829 was governor of New Hampshire.