Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1869-04-02

county, through which he drew a lin,
marking the boundary of petroleum
deposits. He said the oil producing
wells which have been dug since tina
/ time, have approached the line very
nearly, but have never crossed it, thu,
confirming his observations to almos
, mathematical exactness.
Yet how much money has beer
squandered in the frUitless search fOl
oil in Ohio More than would pay fol
a geological survey many times over
f | or even perhaps cancel the entire deb
of the State. Most, il not all Of this
money might have been saved by care
ful and scientific Investigations, fol
oil, like salt, accompanies a certain
kind and condition of rock formation
which can be detected with accuracy
by the geologist.
Beds of porcelain and marble have
been found in Ohio, and there are
authenticated discoveries of zinc and
lead. It is important that we should
know to what extent these minerals
exist.
: Peat has been successfully employed
in MANY parts of the United States in
burning brick and lime. It is also OF
some value as a manure. This sub
stance is known TO exist in immense
quantities in Ohio, one marsh in Craw-
ford county containing an amount es-
cords. AS a fuel it may not be used tC
any great extent for many years, but
it is well to know its location and econ
omic qualities.
In building stone, Ohio is wonderful.
Iy favored. The Waverly sandstone is
considered the finest of any in the
United States. This stone has already
been discovered in a considerable part
of the State, and may doubtless be
traced over a much larger territory
than where it is now quarried.
] Of our building stones in general, we
have a very inadequate knowledge. 1t
! is not great many years since it was
supposed that no such material existed
! near Columbus. When the National
! Road bridge was about to be built, the
! intention was to bring the stone for the
! abutments and piers from Waverly, ia
| Pike county, but fortunately, before
| the work was commenced, "a quarry O {
! limestone, equal To the best granite,
i was found within two miles of the
| bridge. Since then, the State House
and the Penitentiary have beeB built
out of the same material, and proofs
are not wanting that a better quality of
stone than some of that used for the
Capitol might have been found by a
more careful search.
From the village of Berea, grind
stones, such as are found, I believe, no
| where else upon the continent except
| in Nova Scotia, are sent to all parts of
| the Union. It is not unlikely that the
deposit exist elsewhere within the
9idb6 LudL db Ll1lo S4llEAO lOCo1A4Igs
Stones for Iithographing are now i'm
ported from Bavaria, at great expense,
while the same variety OF stone, equal
lily as good, is found in Kentucky, and
may also exist in Ohio. The discovery
and use of these stones would very ma
terially reduce the present price of
Willie we have an abundance
of fire-clay of the best quality, we
are importing most of our fire-brick
from other States. II we understood
the properties of the clay, we would
probably manufacture our own brick.
We are now obtaining our hydraulic
cement from other States, and import
ing annually some hundreds of thous-
ands of barrels from New York and
Kentucky, while private examinations
have shown that we have, within our
State, an abundance of hydraulic lime,
not inferior to quality to any IN the
country. A scientific examination of
these lines might work very import.
ant saving to the State.
\ geological survey would probably
show that we can supply ourselves with
gas coal from our own coal deposits,
without sending to Pennsylvania for it,
as we are now doing.
It is believed we have sand of q quail
itY and quantity which would justify
the manufacture of glass to a large ex-
tent in Ohio. We ought to k now the
facts.
The negative value of the survey in
showing where mineral deposits do mot
exist, is really Of great Importance.
The fact developed by the New York
survey that the State has no coal,
has, probably saved millions that would
otherwise have been expended in use
less attempts to find it. The want of
like information has cost the people of
Ohio far more than it would to have |
obtained it.
The reports of thorough scientific
survey, would be the best advertise
ment to other States and countries of
our material resources. Such reports
are always sent to the great libraries of |
the world, and being the only reliable |
information concerning mineral depos-
its, are carefully consulted by capital |
lists in making their investments. I 4
believe the suitable publication of a ]
attract capital to Ohio than anything
else.
Besides attracting capital, a survey
would invite immigration. No law we
can pass would be so efficient in this re-
spect. No agent we can send abroad, !
working classes of the Old World, as
volumes like those before me, contain !
ing the surveys OF other States
Almost every week we have practical |
proofs that we have been distanced by 1
other States in this important matter. /
For example, take the following, which /
I clipped from one of the newspapers a
few days ago, :,,
''The General Western Emigrant |
Agent reports that 2I0 emigrants passed |
through this city last week. p pro-
pose to settle in Ohio, 50 in Missouri, 2S !
in Illinois, 81 in Il diana, % in Ken |
lucky, 80 in Tennessee, q in Wiscon- |
sin, z in Minnesota, IL in Kansas, and |
in Nebraska"
Now, why should Missouri, Illinois, |
Indiana, Kentucky or Tennessee gePl
Not, certainly because our magnificent |
State is inferior to any of those named. |
1t must be, partly at least, because her |
advantages are not so we'll understood. /
On the other hand the survey woald |
have tendency to diminish emigra-
ton. Many people leave our State and |
go westward every year, who could |
scarcely be induced to do so if they |
fully cOmprehended the relative adYan-
tages of Ohio and other States. More |
especially would this be true if the
great mineral and agricultural inter-
ests of Ohio were developed as they
ought to be, creating new sources OF
employment and wealth, new demands
for labor, and with increased produc-
tion, better market for the products
of the farm.
The census of 1860, in giving the ma
tivitY of population of some of the
Western States, shows to what extent
the drain of our bone and sinew has
been going on. OF the population of
Missouri III there were born
In nOhto................ ................S58S 8S9 |
O1 ILLINOIS,. .lolro roof 1
OF 1nd1ana.-----..---. ...-....-.lI 20
or S,z4U
OF Kentucky IA 4i9
OF Michigan .............Si2s3 2s35
OI ol4
OI w lscOuSln ,6U1
OF fCalftorn1a..-..........'... 6e2
Total. .53i ,t24
The census also shows that seven
teen counties of Ohio actually decreas-
ed population between the years 1850
and 1860, the aggregate amount of de-
crease in the State being $4,000.
In the light of these facts the inquiry
is not only pertinent butserious wheth-
or much of this emigration may not be
traceable to the want Of a proper un-