The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1858-11-12
Geological Survey
Hamilton Smith, in his admirable letter
TO the State Board of Agriculture, says:

to the State Board of Agriculture, says:
"a thorough geological survey of the
western section of the State wonld be of in
6nitc advantage to the coal producers and
consumers. The examination of insulated
points can be of but little service, aud until
a full survey has been made, and its results
carefully analysed, we must feel our way
along the coal seams in the cheapest way
we can. As it is, nothing can be more IN
safe and unwise than the incurring of heavy
cost of machinery, roads, fixtures &C., be-
fore we have the strongest proof that the
quantity of the accessible coal will Justify
the expense of working il"
With the force of facts aud sound reason-
ing, he makes the following eloquent APP
peal to the farmers:
If our farmers can be advised of the bear
ing of all the facts connected with this SUBJ
ject. they will aid us in obtaining geologi-
cal survey of the State, and by enabling Us
to get our Goals at cheaper rate, will Sc cure
cheaper freights for the surplus provisions
and breadstuffs and this, allow me to say,
would be one of the least benefits they
would receive from such movement. Show
the home man of enterprise, and foreign
capitalists, sure locations for developing
with profit, the coal and iron, and other
mineral resources Of the State and they will
soon bring the mouths to the food, the con-
sumner to the producer and make market
on the land for the products of the land
Let it be understood that the Indiana FARM
ers are now paying a sum for transit expens-
es on what they import, and the exports
they make to pay for these imports, greater
than would suffice to manufacture their
cloths and hardware, and the thousand for
eign commodities required by their eonven-
fence and necessities, and they would soon
cease to exchange the cheap and bulky pro-
ducts of foreign machinery and skill. No
State in the world, taking into view her
rich and level soil, water communications,
equitable climate and centrality of position,
has greater mineral attractions than Indiana.
Very few have as great. What we want is
the certain knowledge of the position, puri-
ty and quantity of these minerals; and
when other States are bringing their re-
sources into notice, by the Investigations and
publications of men of science, it can hardly
be expected that foreign manufacturers and
capitalists will take the cost and trouble OF
first explorations off of our hands. | fee
entirely confident that the taxables of the
county of Perry, would now be ten, if not
twenty fold, greater than they are now, had
DR.. Owens geological reconnaissance OF
1887, been continued and enlarged into a
systematic and thorough survey. Other
counties would have witnessed the same re-
suits. at TT E.i. i<tH Joy
Since ls4s our coal has attracted cash
capital of nearly million of dollars and G
population of about four thousand. The
pay rolls of our mines and cotton mills now
reach two hundred and fifty Thousand dol
lars year for labor alone. Could we have
had an official endorsement CT the fact:
brought before the public by u.s. and there
by avoided the imputation of interested
statements, we might have made far mor'
successful draughts on foreign capital ant
skill. ~
The Development Of the mineral wealth
has brought more than million of foreign
money into Cannelton, and twice that sun
to the value of the property of the county
NJ. Smith is confident that reliable geo
logical survey twenty years ago would hav
made the value of property in that count.
ten or twenty fold what it now is. If
would have done so much for single coun
ty, who can estimate what its benefits woul
have been to the entire State. Mr.. S. is
practical man, and speaks from experience
If his opinions are at all reliable, a geolog
cal survey made in 1887, would ere NO,
have added fifty or hundred millions t
the taxables of the State. If the Stat,
levy was 30 cents per 500 on the taxable
of the lowest sum fifty millions), the ii
creased property would pay an annual revt
nue. into the public treasury of Sl7O,o0o.-
This would have reduced the rate of take
on our present property one-half--not t
the State, butte the city, township and cour
ty.