The Nevada Democrat., 1858-12-15
s.a,. neolor,cnl survey.

NE see LHtb QuCotiVh NV wy S~fA~A"'eJ 80
cussed, and more for the purpose Of being in
the fashion than from accomplishing any good,
we offer few suggestions The increasing
Importance of our quartz mining, and the nu-
merous discoveries making in this field, furnish
the facilities, and call for thorough and scien-
tiic geological survey. Our mining interests
are the real wealth of the State, and any source
from which additional light can be thrown up
on this pursuit should be offered to the public
But if the State is to incur the expense and dis
grace of such geological surveys and reports as
have heretofore been made, we ask to be count
ed out. The idea of appointing salaried pro-
fessor to publish statistics of the depth of shafts
the amount of pay, or the mode of working
gravel diggings, is simply absurd. Equally
useless is it to publish to the world the Charac-
ter or position of bed rock upon which the gold
deposits are found. 1t is from the attrition of
were formed, and IL sugar trough had been
the lowest point in the vicinity of such decay
ing ledge, the gold would have been found in
it. These alluvial deposits have never been
considered as fairly part of geological science.
The most of them belong 10 our era, and the
gold formation was long anterior to their crea-
ton. Of as little Importance, geologcally, is
it whether quartz ia raised from shaft with a
windlass or an engine, or how it is worked when
raised. These matters depend entirely upon
the caprice of the mechanic, and throw no more
light upon the gold formation than does the
mint vrnooce IF efo m niuor douhln Olaa Rut
of such stuff as this, our geological reports
have thus far been composed.
IF we are to have survey, let it be done by
scientific man ; one who would regard the
salary as only the me ans of accomplishing an
hon orable enterprise, and not as the end of
few beggarly statistics. Such a geologist
would find in every mining camp Of this State,
men of scientific intelligence, entirely compe
tent and perfectly willing to aid his investiga-
tons. He would 6nd throughout the breadth
of the land, as the alphabet to his researches,
the shaft of the miner, the footsteps Of enter
prise in the domain of the old, the primal world
Thus he could contrast, compare, and consider;
he could show the peculiar geological cOndi-
tions under which each quartz ledge became
the matrix of gold he could show the effect Of
changes in the surrounding rock upon this con-
dition and by thus contrasting the result, and
the accompanying condition throughout the
State, he might find himself, or furnish to 9TH
ers the clue, the index, by which to bring order
from this chaos, and establish law for the
mystery of this gold formation, where now all
seems chance. Could such survey and report
be had, it would well reward the State for the
expenditure. With the knowledge that certain
peculiarties attended auriferous rock else
where, the miner would be guided by such con-
ditons, to the hidden mine. And in the spirit
of Investigation it would foster, the mystery of
the mineral formation might be solved, and
leaf by leaf of the stone-book read, until the
miner would search for the ore, not by blind
chance, but by his knowledge of the law which
created it.
That such survey can be made, we have
but little hope. An appropriation for it,
would bring to the Capital swarm of greedy
ignoramuscs who could not give the geologi-
cal era ofa cheese. Some one of this class
would get the appropriation and clerk to col
lect statistics and again we should be told
how far it was in such shaft to the bed rock,
and that John Smith raised his dirt with whim
worked by horse, and Bob White with one
worked by o mule. For the credit of the State
we hope we have seen the last of such reports. |