Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1859-01-27
GEOLOGY OF MISSOURI.


Prof SWALLOW, State Geologist, address
cd the members of the Legislature, on the
18th. We give portion of his Address,
beginning where he speaks of what has been
done, and the benefits derived r-
After eighteen months examination we
were called upon 10 make report. That
report showed that you have twenty-seven
thousand square miles of coal lands, that all
OF lie State extending from the North east
corner, through the counties of Clarke,
Lewis, Shelby, Munroe, Boone, Cooper,
Pettis and on 10 the Northwest of Jasper,
is underaid with Coal. or this, Ten thou
sand square miles had been erroneou,ly re-
ported by United States Geologist as desti-
,ute Of Coal. We also stated that in the
Southwestern portion Of the State, there
are one hundred square miles of the best
mineral land IN the world, extending through
the counties of Jasper, Newton, Lawrence
into Taney,
This has proved true. Wherever the
miner has gone wit! his spade and pick and
opened upthe earth, he has found The rich
ore; and CRANKY Immediately sprang Up
In those coeI bcds in the North west, there
is coal enough 10 furnish l00,000U00 of
tuns per annum for thirteen hundred years.
We still adhere TO that opinion. We also
stated that there are beds of iron of the best
quality in near y every county in the State.
The Northwest does not contain any of the
best qualities. Il has however, beds of that
ore, from which the English iron is made.
Other counties contain large quantities OF
the very best Of iron ore. lii one single
locality there is iron enough 10 make l.0O0,-
GOO OF tun per annum, for two hundred
years. There is enough in that one place
now above the surface, 10 supply The de-
mands Of the world tor ine next two hun
dred years. Ores Of Copper, Zinc and Co.
bait were reported abundant in some parts
Of the State.
Your soils were collected, described,
classified, and pronounced equal to any on
The continent The climate was shown 10
be mild and salubrious.
Thus after eighteen months labor, the
results were published TO The world. Mis-
souriaus, il possible, loved their noble Slate
better than ever; while others were sur
prised at our wonderful mineral and agri-
cultural resources. Our reports al once
took rank among the first geological works
OF the country, as testified by the best SCI
entific men Of Europe and America.
Many of our own people thought Missou-
ri first among the States for her mineral
wealth; that report placed her in that posi-
deed would prefer the gold and silver of CAL
iiornia md Mexico, but orr cobalt and zinc,
and copper and lead, and iron and coal, and
soils. are a better foundation OF national
wealth and greatness than the golden sands
of California. The latter may give tempo
rary prosperity, but the former will insure
permanent greatness. Scarcely three GEN.
turies have elupsed since the united thrones
Of CASTLE and Arragon swayed as power
ful sceptre as the crowns of Albion and
Scotia. Spain extended her power over
the fairest portion of the Western Continent,
and commanded the commerce OF both hem
ispheres. Gallon after Gallon, deeply la
den with the precious metals from the mines
of Mexico and Peru, poured their precious
cargOes into the treasury Of the home gov
ernment. Egland, on the contrary, was
tracing ont The veins of lead and tin, and
beds Of coal and iron, and establishing man.
by all the appliances of science
and capital. While Spain was lining for
gold and silver, England was digging for
iron and coal. Spain became luxurious and
effrminate, and squandered her gold, and
has become a mere pensioner upon Cuba.
But England holds the commerce o! both The
Indies, and the world pays golden tribute
10 her iron and cocJ. She annually raises
from ner m nes 81 100000 worth of raw
materials; and our reports prove that Mis-
souri, has as much mineral wealth as Eng
land.
At this point in the history of the survey,
the work could have stopped with credit
TO the State and to those engaged in its pros
ecution. l then stated in this Hall, and
before a Committee of the Legislature of
81 So, that the work should then be stop
ped, unless ii couId be completed by max
ing detailed examinations of all the counties
in the State. But vised, in strong terms
the completion fthe work, by making conn
ty rurveys and maps and sections, in the
same manner as We had done The work for
Marion county. The report, map and Sec
tions Of this county, are published in our