Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1867-02-06

GEOLOGY CT IOWA lNe lecture la>t cNt-
ming at LeClaire Hail. by our State Gcolo
gisi, Dr. White, was well attended, the hall
being filed with large and apprecia.ise
audience. DR.. c. C. Parry introduced the
speaker, who commenced bv giving brief
outline Of the principles Of geology. illustra
ting this part Of his subject by diagrams
upon black board provided for his sccom>
mediation. lie spoke at some leogth upon
the different formations Of rock and the
different ages Of their formation. arranging
and naming them according 10 their deposs
is, ss geoogists only recognize the rock
by the fossil remains found in them In
CONNECTION With this, he stated very curious
and beautiful fact, that nature at no time
since her operations began, has ever repro
duccd an animal specie after it had once be
come extinct. OF Iowa rock. he stated that
it was the deposit of water, and not strait
fed, excepting the large bouldeis. His
theory Of accounting FIR the presence Of
these is that at some period in the history
ofth.s continent an immense glacier extend
ed from the north pole To the OHIO river, or
about t. the 3gth degree OF ncrth latitude,
which gradually worked its way south.
ward pushing these bou!iers along AM de-
posting them at different points. Another
po,nt adduced i'll support Of this glacier
theory was the rock deposit Of our State,
in which they all dip toward the South, and
finaliy disappear. He states that all Of
our r.ver vallies are formed by the eroding
of the rivers, not even excepting the Missis.
,ppi itself ard as an Illustration, referred
t. xhat the farmers call the second and
third river bottoms. which seldom if ever
are reached by high water In speaking
more particularly oil the State, he dwelt
largely upon cur coal prospects. OF tim
ber it is known that we have compsrtve-
ly little, but ii is his opinion that it can
be crown to good advantage upon all Of
cur prairics. The coming season he will
spend some time investigating the subject
of peat. In his investigation in the north
crn part Of the State he did no. find il as
we'll watered and well drained as the west
ern part. A serious drawb back in some
counties is the lack Of stone, which cannot
be found at all. In speaking
Of oil-pctrO!eum, cte., it was anus.
ing to see with what attention his
words were listed to by many in the audi
ence, indicative, sl.nost, of stock interest in
the subject.
Arrangements have been made whereby
Mr. St. John, pupil Of Prof. Agassiz, will
assist Dr. White next season, when more
thorough examination and survey will be
made. Large collections Of specimens are
also to be made, pu. up aud labled for the
institutions OF learning in the different parts
of the State Or. White is evidently doing
good work, and, we trust. will be con,lnu
ed at the work by the 5 ate after the time
of his appointment shall expire, as this kind
of work is dong more ior the State than all
other things combined We regret that we
are unable to give as extended report Of
the lecture as its importance demands, and
hope our citizens NAV be favored with an
other when 1t may suit the Doctors con-
venencc.
Life A.surnncc.
The important subject of Life Assurance
is gradually and dcscrvcdly gaining public
attention by tie force Of It's own merits
The time is not Tar distant when the death
of man leaving his family unprovlded for
by policy OF Life Assurance, will leave
the stain of neglected duty upon his charac
ter 1t is duty which q man owes to his
own dependents. aud to the community. lie
who neslects it is not good husband,
father or ci.ixeu. lie has no right even 10
risk he chance of throwing the future sup
port Of his family, III case of his death, on
the community at large, or on relations and
friends, when i. is in his power 50 easily and
surely TO prcvide against such contngen>
cles The only question winch every man,
having others dependant upon him tor sup
port, should ask himself, is, In what COM
psnv shall assure - This question has
been well answered bv one OF our most
prominent writers, who says III reply TO II :
"Just a you know what banks are good
and what badly inquiring, by using your
common sense, just AZ you find cut good
doctor, II good lawyer. good schoo agood
het.l. Ask questions. 30 To honest men
Is ho 20 know. have assured my own life
in the Equitable Life Assurance Society Of
the United States, and have thus been made
better acquainted with its affairs than these
Of others. should select it again II were
70 choose again" On examining the official
public records respecting the subject, We fin
that the Equitable stands IN the very front
rank OF all the Life Companies Of the world.
In the short space Of Seven years, II has az
camulated fund OF ovet three millions of
dollars. and has secured an annual income
Of more than two miilisns. During the
year 1866 alone, il assured by new policies
over thirty millions of dollars, increased its
income over one million and added to its
fund more tdan fourteen hundred thousand
dollars. It's progross has in fact been al
most marvellous, certainly never equailed
in this country or Europe. II is thorough.
ly established OH Q solid basis. conducts its
business on the cash plan, has ample means
for security, and its officers and directors
have proved themselves TO be men Of en>
larged. liberal and sound business ideas. 1t
dec!arcs dividends Of all its surplus funds
annually, payable to the policy holder in
cash. II is purely mutual in principle. and
its ratio of "75tai Expenditures" to Total
Income" is much less than that Of any 9th
cr vel established company. Its prowpt-
ness in the payment Of losses has become
provsrbial. In fact, it has never contested
Z claim on one Of its policies. All persons
desireus Of procuring policy in this ster-
ling society, have only to apply BY letter,
or otherwise, either to the chief Office. No
80 Broadway, New York. for the necessary