The Placer herald., 1858-12-25
Democratic Committee for Placer County.
State GeOlogical Survey,

speaking out generally in favor of geoogi-
cal survey of the State and are calling upon
the legislators about to assemble at the
Capitol, to move in the matter, and secure
by Legislative action, the benefits that would
accrue to the great mining interests of Cali
fornia by the appointment of commission
of practical geologsts whose labor may re-
dound to the benefit of the laboring thou
sands who are now at work in this interest
ing field. In other portions of the globe, of
far less value in mineral wealth, the patient
research of science has been all important
in directing the atforts of capital and labor,
and rescuing from the hidden recesses OF
nature the precious and useful minerals that
daily enter into the wants OF commerce and
the arts.
California is a geological field of no
secondary Importance, and its product Of
gold has become a daily necessity to the
whole commercial world The time has been
when skeptical men have prophesied the
early exhaustion of the placers, and grew
gloomy in their forbodings. But each ad-
vancing year has served to dispel the fears
of the doubling, and establish the fact of
the inexhaustibe wealth that lies buried be-
meath our mountains and rivers; and to-day,
if the question were asked "When will the
mines give out?" countless ages would be
named as the period of their duration.
So far mining has beer carried on in Cali
fornia with little direction from the lights
of science, but by strong hands and hopeful
hearts; and although the general success may
be seen in the annual shipments of treasure,
the steady growth of mining towns, and the
gradual increase Of mining population, yet
the millions of dollars lost, thrown away, in
mining enterprises, tell too truly the neces-
sity for that knowledge that a thorough
geological survey Of the mineral region
would have impaired in directing the efforts
Of the gold seeker.
1t is due to the mining interest, and every
other interest in California, that the Legis-
lature should by wise and liberal policy
secure the necessary geological information
to guide and direct in developing the mine
raj wealth of the State. Other States, pos
sessing but little mineral wealth compared
with California, and far less interesting in
their geological features, have had accurate
surveys made, and constantly retain the SER
vices of eminent geologsts. The benefit
accruing from such policy has been found in
the discovery of valuable minerals that at
tracted capital to their working. 1t is not
asked nor desired that our Legislature should
appropriate large sums to be squandered in
retaining the services of men whose main
ambition would be to obtain their salaries.
and whose labors would consist in hasty and
superficial examinations and reports, but
that those selected should be eminent in their
profession, and who would labor honestly
and Jealous y to interpret the book Of ma
ture to the ordinary understanding Of men,
as they find it written upon the rocks and
hills, and deep down in the stratas of the
earth, and with a fullness and extent that
the interesting features of California so we'll
deserve.