Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-03-24
For the Democrat.
THE STATE BIOLOGIST.

MEssRs. EDIToRs Under this caption the
STANDARD, Of Sacramento, in its issue of We'd
nescay last, INDUCES in some remarks which
render it most clear that the editor, however
well he may be posted in law, is not exactly
up TO time" in geology. Without discussing
the proprcty Of the authority vested in Prot.
Agassiz, under circumstances named i'm the
law, which is no doubt the best that could be
devised for the present, the editor, think,
pays bnt poor compliment to the intelligence
Of the people Of this State, when he supposes
them so utterly ignorant Of the duties Of a
party who is competent to ill this important
station. AS to the man named in the bill
%. ID. Whitney, it would be difficult to find
his superior in this science.
The ignorance DISPLAYED by the editor Of
the practical applicability Of geology and min
eraogy is to be accounted for, probably, in
the fact that neither Of these sciences were
taught as part Of the common school cduca-
tim Of his State, as it has been. for the past
twenty years, in most Of the others He is,
therefore, in some measure, cxcusabe. as We
presume he has pcnned his true convictions
as to the value Of the service Of the GeOlogist.
The editor Of the STANDARD is correct when
he states that "tO the true devotec Of science
the imprint Of fern leaf, or a marine shell
upon Diabolo, would be Of far greater import
ance than the lSh claim or Il WaShoc lead 4"
The man named in the bill! to fill this posi-
ton is man of this character precisely, and
in this particular lies the valnc Of the practi-
cal application Of this science, which the cdi-
tor. seemingly dcspising, ought to know.
Were it not for this little fern leaf" and
"marine shell" with other associate remains,
the science Of geology would have little prac-
al lnN Thn ~, Ian,
everything, should be acquainted with the
application Of the "frrn leaf" and other fpS
siIS, to the wants of life, its comforts aud it's
luxuricS, before he attempts to deride those
who know that value.
How much would our knowledge of the
extent Of our great coal.pits have been adj
vanced had it not been for these same drSpi-
cable fern leaves and marine Fossils" the
uncrring indexes Of the approach Of these de-
posts?
Again, how many hundreds of thousands
Of acres of lands in the Union would have
laid at waste, from their native SterIility, had
il not been for the demonstrations Of the geo
lOgst (not chcmiSt) Of the existence, al accent,
Of these same organic beds, which contained
all the requisite elements to bring these lands
to cultivatablc condition, and which at this
! moment i'll consequence Of these applications.
are now furnishing food, raiment and the
comforts Of home, to millions?
On the other hand, these same fossil leaves,
etc, have rendered most essential service in
many States Of the Union, in the negative
evidence they have furnished. Thus, in the
State Of New York. they have demon Stratcd
the utter impOSsibility for the Coalfirlds Of
the West and South to have an existence in
that State; and since the fact, many years
since announced, has been accepted, conpe.
tent statiSticians inform us that more money
has been saved to the people Of that State, in
preventing frutlesS exploration for Goals, than
the entire cost Of the survey OF that State, and
its printing. This rule might also, have saved
many thousands to the citizens Of our own
State long since, il our wise men had possessed
less presumption. Still, again, in mining op-
erati0ns, on lodes in stu, or outlierS of drift,
forming placcrs the "dcvotee (whOm Black
stone seems not to rcliSh,) Of this science has
been Of equal service. Without his all, our
information would have been but little ad-
vanced in regard to the great "faults" or
throws" so frequent Of occurrence in very
many Of the mines throughout the world, and
which (until their true nature was cstablishcd)
have been the cause Of vast and useless ex-
penditure. and final abandonment Of valuable
mines. Now, these facts and phenomena are
all well understood, better by the common
stopper Of the tin mines Of Cornwall than by
our crudite editor of the Sacramento Standard
il his writing is to be regarded as the index
of his information on this subject. ! would
like much to know il ell the light of science
has entered the Uranium cavity Of our lawyer
editor or does he presume to judge of the
intelligence Of the masses by the small amount
OF knowledge on these topics of which hC
seems to have availcd himself? Cos.