The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1868-08-12
Physical Survey of Virginia.

vey Of the State the one presented to us by
General LEE, as Chairman of the Committee
OF Professors Of Washington College, while
the other purports to come from the Faculty
of the Virginia Military Institute, to be
placed under the charge of Captain MAuRY.
General LEES Committee, we understand,
formally asks the cooperation Of the other
Colleges in the State, but the Institute pro-
ject seems to be con its own hook" and asks
in general way, the aid Of all good citizens.
The idea of Physical Survey of Virginia is
grand one. Let us consider it moment.
What is wanted? What is meant by Ply
steal Survey? What is demanded by the ac-
curacy of detail and perfection attained in
these surveys of other States and countries
Certainly no mere collection and publication
of general facts with regard to the resources
of the State, obtained in the leisure hours Of
Professors, however learned. Certainly no
set of County maps, based upon former I'M
perfect Surveys, or enlarged from the old map
of the State, and filed in during a reconnois-
sance made Oh horseback by topographer,
however skilled. TO call this Physical
Survey would be after the manner Of the
old fruit huckster in Constantinople,
who cries AIN THE NAME OF THE
PROPHECIES y J" It will not do to say
that the farmers and other good people of
the State will be contentcd with such
maps and such information. This sort of
contentedness does not make people. But
just here we say we do not wish to ignore the
value ofany collection Of general information
as to the great Physical and other resources
of VIRGINIA, and we believe that Virginia
Statistical Almanac, giving ciear accUuuu
of the Schools, Churches, Climate, SOIL
Mines, Farming, Planting, Population and
Products Of each County in the State, we'll
prepared and translated into German, French
and Swedish, would be of more use than all
our Emigration Societies. This would,
however, require no array Of names of scien-
ti6c men. It could be done by two or three
cnterprising men i'll few months, would
cost the State nothing, and could be placed
in the hands of any man who could raise half
a dollar. This would be figs, but not an
nounced in the name Of the prophet.
If we are to have physical survey Of
the State, let it be worthy Of the name. 1t
must be based upon triangulation and top
ographical Survey, accurate in its minutest
details. The immense results of the Geolog-
ical, Neurological, geological and Botanical
explorations of such Survey should be re-
duced and thoroughly discussed and illustra-
ted. Of course full use should be made of
the material already collected, of which by
far the most valuable is contained in the &C.
illogical Survey of the State made years ago
by that distinguished Geologist and Physi-
clan, Professor VIM. B. ROGERS, formerly of
the University of Virginia. What would be
the cost of such a work This, including pub
LEGATION, would be matter of several MILL
ons of dollars. HALLS Geological Explora-
ton of the State of New York cost more than
half million. :.
What would be the labor required to do
such a work properly? 1t would be i'm
mense. Can the work be properly done bya
system Of volunteer cooperative College
Committees composed of Professors, who ca1
only devote such time to it as they can with
draw from their regular duties We believe
not Can it properly be done, then, by
volunteer Committee Of ons Institution, that
Committee composed Of men whose chief du-
ty it is to give instruction to young men du-
ring nine or ten months of the year :? We
think not. This is not question ofscicntifc
ability, but of human capability.
Do the two Committees propose to coop
crate with each other? This but adds one
more College to the system Of operative
Colleges. Do they propose to undertake this
gigantic work without State aid? We pre-
sumo not. Can the State, in SO costly an af-
fair, afford to pay two distinct parties
for doing the same work ?
What is wanted to accomplish this thing
is the proper instrumentality, guided and
controlled by the wise judgement Of one
great head and chief. Let all jealousies be
cast aside. Do not let this grand work be
looked upon simply as good advertisement
for particular institution, nor claimed as
the special work of any particular Faculty.
Let the Physical Survey Of Virginia be the
crownirg work of the life of General ROBERT |
+. LEE Is there any man in the State who
will say nay to this proposition
Let General LEE have charge and super
vision of the whole, with his headquarters at
Staunton, or some other central point, in
'he full power to appoint a competent corps
IF engineers aud workers, both for the field
md Office work, to be responsible to him as
We would then have assur
NICE Of the work boing we'll done. As an in