The eastern clarion. [volume] (Paulding, Miss.) 1837-1863, 1858-10-23

single person, no matter how compe
tent and efficient. with the executio
of work like this. than Il would be I,
employ single workman to build
house. Every ore knows what disad
: vsntsges the latter would be laborin,
under; he might work lifetime, hav
ing tn perform himself all the particu
lars Of making and laying brick. saw
ing lumber. splitting shingles. etc. anG
after all, the edifce will neither be q,
; perfect as it might have been made
with very little assistance from 0ILcrs
nor will it have been Of any use until
completed; and what Is more. every
y one, and most Of all the workman him.
E self, would be out Of patience v ith il
2 And no one would suppose that the
capital so empl yed had been probably
invested.
Now. the case of geological and
agricultural survey Of a SisIe like Mis-
sissippi. is precisely snslagous to that
Of the house just cited The lsbors re-
quired in its performance are scarcely
less various in their character the
simultaneous CO operation Of several
persons is Of even greater importance /;
and the dispropo; tion between the
means employed, and the work to he
done. is quite as glaTing in the eyes of
those acquainted with the nature Of
such surveys. But in order to make this
apparent to all, it may be well 10 cite
the precedents of some of the other
States in which geological surveys have
been ordered.
stC Cas5s, certain sums were
provisiOnally appropriated for the Pur-
pose of those surveys; while the spe-
cialties Of their execution, and among
these the determination of the force
employed, were left, more or less, 10
the discretion of the Governors and
principal geologists. The work could
thus lie placed under the conditions
most favorable in the judgment Of COM
petent persons, to its advancement. un-
der existing circumstances they were
thus prosecuted as far the means per.
mitted, additional appropriations being
thereafter granted as they became nec-
essary.
Thus, the State Of New York in 1S.
Sc, appropriated the sum of $104 900
TO carry into effect the provision of an
act of which, be it remembered, the
act providing for geological survey
Of Mississippi is almost literal copy.
The State eTceeded by Mississippi in
area, was subdivided into three districts
in each Of which not a single person,
but full corps, and sometimes several
of these, were engaged in the opera
tiOns Of the survey. Even, thus the
field work extended over considera-
hle number Of wears, nor has the publi-
cation of the results been quite com
pleted at the present time. Subsequent
appropriations have swe'led the smnunt
expended $50 far as have been able to
ascertain from the incomplete docu-
meuts at my disposal) to more
than S2O0.0CO-i, has been currently
reported to exceed quarter Of mill
ion, at the present moment. Well may
New York be proud of that page of
her his 'ory which bears the record Of
her survey; the results of which-as
laid down in that magnificent work, the
Natural History of New York-aside
from their great practical importance,
nave proved to the wOrli more convinc-
iuglv than thousands Of annual Com
mencrment and Independence Day or
ations, that republican insiituiinns are
not necessarily unfavor BILE to the prog
ress Of science ;-fhat ScieHce which,
though still affected to be held in con-
Tempt by not a few wto call them
selves "pracIicaI men," has but so re-
Gently achieved one of the prOudest
lriumphs of the sge-lhe Atlantic Tel
egraph!
As yet, the example OF New York ia nds un-
rivalled on either eide OF the Aianuc Six
years ago, Mississippi gave promise Of following
the fOOistt ps Of her seniE sist r; but she fails
ed 10 deem that promise in pTartics. TskinR
az basis the above estimate Of s O0OOO. Aad
cassaf ring that Ike effects invariably F.quire
ike totcse To p'nducs them, the ssnUsi Appr0
pFa'ion If SO ito made hy Ninainsinpi. would
= g. 3. ! q ~ \ L. SaEil - 4
complete The survey in sccordancs with ths'set
creating il!
But although the letter Of the Law ofIs52 S,il
remains unchanged, IL has been practically az
sumed for some time past las before observed
that the more imuIediaie objects of geological
survey are he first 20 lie 4 iained L.tus com
surveys Of this kind hsve been ordered Ala
bama. Kentucky and Missouri have adopted the
New York plan OF spprOPriaiing from time to
time such suns as m ghl be found requisite for
the successful prosecution OF the work Missouri
began few years since, by making spprO.
priaiIn Of $eO,OO0; since then she hss had no
less than three parties in the field at any time,
besides a chemist constantly employed N the
laboratory work Being in skiIlui and efficient
hands the results of he work have, undeI this
system, been such as to insure The req Esis D.
prCpuaiIOns. whenever ne did. The sam- has
been he case in K-niucky: her survey. begun
IN 1854, and now almost compIeted. was carried
on by three corrs simu .taleonsly, appropriations
sufficient stain them being ma d ss rtqniF-d.
The Alabama survey, Al ftst advancing owly,
with limited IN rs supplied by the STATE Uni.
versity. was far advanced by an sppropria
ton Ul 81 ; 600, placed in the hands Of a Tou-
mey, that at the period 0f the nntmey demrse
| Of thai eminent nlan, II might he CO. sIdeIsd as
halt cumpit ted although IN hs lahOFs he hiss
hoen aided ty bu, one Assistant. UniaTlunsIe.
Iy, however in this case, the Appropriation failed
to DO renewed in proper tine and curing the
cons quent SUSPENSION Of operations (Rot even
the p'In,ing Of a report having been provided
for.) large part Of the results 20 far obtained,
| were buried with the observer II must be re-
collected. that when u work of this kind 10 sud
| denly stopped Ht point, Whes, If pTOSec1ted,
half Of the labor might be considered having
| been per THTmed, that 6Tst half will not by sRy
means contain proportional smount OF useful
| Horma lion; No more than. it we arrest the
manufacture OF cloth at tie point when the
,sTn is ready tor the loom. we cat use that una
IeFial as an iaf, TiOI kind of clolh
| II may be that the evils atiendan, upon the un,
| certainty ,f the renewal of az sp IopTlatian Ne
oessarily sn' jecI every few years to discussi IN
the political arena. a'e among The rsA>cn.
| which induced other States 10 pt dtf-Tenl
/ form Of appropriations; which, by rendering a
| rppeated special dscusslon unnecessary should
make The Continuance OF a work OF scknoW " Red
importance TO al, less liable 10 obstruction by
| every variation of the political Wind-vane. But
IN most cases, while avoiding Scyla. they have
! falen INTO ChsIJ bdIs. They intended 10 shield
the yOung ueeirom beihg pTemaluTely cut OF I;
but while successfully preventing Ihis, theN tor
got TO supply to II eueh nOuTiehmsnl as should
enable il 10 grow al all. Both 10 Tennessee
| aud Mississippi. WhrTe this policy hss been puF.
sued, the annual appropriations are insufficient
To secure the completion OF their geological
Surveys within decenuIum or two, Tennessee
has done even less than Mississippi Yet We
SCI, land this h,s added L. the dissatefsc ion
OF the Nississipp,ars) iha, the geoogics survey
the Former State stand, hlsh IN the good RF,
Of the public Witt due Preca,,un &c tie
high qualifications Of q q ieATntd gentleman no =,
| W. ~ ~ NA1A survey mhFN Nhe' I've tNAi ule
natural condiilons existing in Tennessee are as
decidedly fsrOrabis To tn appreciation Of Ia Z
geological SURVEY hy the tMh t. cen. SallY, n J.
Mississippi then afe nafao1r4tfe ioF Rtasnaa "a
fare stated Had we been shie g prnciuim ne
discovery Of Duckiown mine, u qaaFfies of
eAquisi ,e marble. or iaeAhausiIlls beds sOne
oal our short cnmngs might have heen c,NeTed
~ uh The broad mantle uf charity. But the din.
gN exterior Of our maIls, Ignit and limrslouss,
Is little calculated In dszzls the public e,s.
Our neighboT Stat OF AEkans =, hxs done
somewhat better, by catering the 6eld with an
annua' appropriation of $4O00. This sum.
, having been Appropriated from hs Ontsst. and
under circumstances peculiarly favorable, AP-
pesTs TO be adequate 10 insure to that survey q
fair rate ofpTogress in the hands Of is distinguish
ed Prsncpal, aiied by one ASS slant
Il NAV be observed that with the single sxeeP
ton Of Tennes .es no othe: State has msde as
small aprOvisioh foF its geological survey a.
Mississippi; notwithstanding that. a. before set
, forth. hsTsuTvey rquWes moTe especially, great
, and time ucOsting accuracy throughout, and will
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