The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1840-02-01
Nusraber 40.

IhsI uelay' 1 nave accordingly deemed
proper 10 call your attention to the subject
in anticipation Of the commissioners 6nal
report!
BY the act Of the 29th March, is36, a
geological survey OF the state was authors
zed, and the sum of $e,400, was thereby
annually appropriated for that object for
five years. A supplement 10 this act was
passed oh The 2lst March, 1887, authors
zing an increase IN the corps, and approprii
ating the further sum Of $4,000 per annum
to the appropriation made by the acl Of
l836-and by an additional act passed 18th
April, 1888, the further sum of $4,000 per
annum was added 10 the appropriations for
this object, "in order 10 complete the gees
logical and neurological survey of the state
more rapidly" In pursuance Of these acts
the state gcoIogsi, with the assistants, au-
ihorized by the acis stated, has been engage
ed in the minerlogical and geological survey
Of The state, and considerable progress has
hsen made 10 the work which it is hoped
may be completed within ;Ae time coniem.
plated by law. The reports already made
by that officer, with that which he will
present at the present session, will exhibit
the amount Of the work done, and, to some
extent develone the mineral resources of
this commonwealth, which have become
sources Of immense wealth and trade.
The coal and Iron Of Pennsylvania are
more valuable as sources of wealth and em<
plcyment, than mines Of the precious me4
tails are in countries where they are found.
They furnish investments for large amounts
Of capital--gige constant employment TO
numerous operatives; and under ordinary
circumstances, with prudent management
yield a certain and regular proiLto ell en4
gagged in The business. They pay large
proportion of the tells upon our public im-
provements, and constitute the most impor.
tani share of freight for those engaged in
transportation npon our canals and railroads
as we'll as for numerous vessels engaged in
the coaating trade. The yalue of the coal
and iron must necessarily be much enchauc.
ed by the recent successful application of ans
thraci;e coal as fuel for smelling iron ore,
which will in all probability introduce a
new era in the iron business in our common
wealth. Should the experiment become
generally successful, OF which little doub.
is entertained, i! will save us the necessity
Of importing large amounts of iron for rail-
roads, as well as ether purposes, which
Pennsylvania in that event would be able
to furnish in abundance, not only for her
own Use, and that of her citizens, but for a
large portion Of her sister states, Possessing
as Pennsylvania does the great bulk of the
iron Gre and anthracite Goa! formation Of this
country, in alternate strata, in the same ter.
itory, and situated in quarter OF the Union
peculiarly accessible by means of her geo.
graphical position and canals and rail roads,
she mus: enjoy almost exclusively, The
great revenue that will arise from this
source. A large portion of our public debt
abroad, vas contracted in the purchase Of
rail road iron, which would have been OBJ
tanned in this country, if it had been posi-.
BE to procure it here.
Itis confidently believed that the coal and
iron fields Of this commonwealth, will here
after furnish a cheap and adequate supply,
and if so, there is every reason 10 think,
that the numerous rail roads, in nearly all
the states Of the Union, that have been 9th
er suspended or contemplated, will in few
years 60 into operation. The business on
our public Improvements as well as the per-
manent mass Of the wealth OF The people Of
this state, must then be immeasurably in-
creased.
Much Of the time and attention Of the
legislature is annually occupied in the con-
sheraton Of private matters, and the inter-
esIs Of the commonwealth are sometimes
sacrificed to the opportunities OF individ-
walls. This has been peculiarly so in cases
where the canal commissioners. as we'll as