The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1869-03-05

pose. Unfortunately, some teellng hd
been created against the survey, grow
ling out of circumstances entirely foreig
to its merits; nevertheless, the action 9
the House upon the resolution reporte,
iby the committee indicated an abiding
confidence in the enterprise. A motiol
to lay che report upon the table wa
negatived BY the emphatic vote of Al
nays, to 81 yeas, aud a motion to post
pone the resolution indefinitely was al
so lost by tie vote, yeas So, nays SO
A motion to postpone until the frs
Monday Of the ensuing December wa
also lost aud the resolution was a
length tabled No further action wa
taken, and no appropriation being mad,
for continuing the work it was arrested
BY tbs want of funds. esEaia 81
Since that time no public work hal
been done upon the geology Of Ohio
but local and private labors have beer
made by various geologists, which hay,
brought to light vast amount of new
minerals, and demonstrated the value
and even necessity Of more genera
and thorough exploration.
Though the old survey was suspend
ed in a most crude and imperfect con
dition, it was by no means unproductiyt
of beneficial and permanent results
The increased valuation of real estate
in single county, incident to the de-
Yelopments Of mineral wealth was es-
timated at not less than 100000, and
even as high as 100000. Many in
teligsnt citizens followed out in prac-
teal way, the hints given in the reports;
and secured valuable coal, iron and sail
lands, which have since developed to
the great pecuniary advantage of the
State. Single individuals have confess
edly reaped from such hints pecuniary
benefit far greater than the whole cost
ofthe survey. It's extent was too limit
ed to be of very great benefit to the
people at large, but had it been continu-
ed every intelligent lsndholder would
have been able to place a just estimate
on the value of his land and It's agricul-
tural or mineral capabilities.
Yet the survey was necessarily very
mesgre. But few counties were visited,
and these were imperfectly studied. No
geological map of the State was made,
and only two or three maps Of goelog-
ical sections. In economic geology, lit
tie was done, except to point out, over
limited areas, the position of portion
of the more important minerals.
1t should also be considered that the
old survey was undertaken under many
disadvantages. Since that time, great
progress has been made in all the de-
partments of applied. science. Many
questions, which must then have been
worked out de moro by the geological
corps, have since been settled by in
vestigations of a similar nature else
where; besides, the country was then
comparatively new, and the work of in
vestigation had to be commenced from
the very foundation.
During the thirty years which have
elapsed since the Ohio survey was sus-
pended, nearly all the other States have
had surveys more or less complete.
That of New York was inaugurated BY
the late Governor Marcy, and is, prob
ably, the most elaborote in a scientific
point Of view. The reports FIJI FIVE
large volumes, and are considered the
finest contribution to science made by
any State. In Pennsylvania, owing to
various Interruptions and the great di-
versity of her surface, ten years were
spent in making a thorough geological
survey-the final reports Of which show
the State to be possessed Of mineral
These reports occupy three
ponderous volumes, illustrated with
great variety Of typographical and geo
logical maps and plates, all executed in
the highest style Of art, and worth a
thousand fold more than they cost. The
New England States have all had care
ful surveys, and in New Hampshire an
additional one has recently been COM
menced. Nearly all the Western States
have had surveys, more or less complete
generally accompanied with full and
elaborate final reports. In some of the
newer States, the work was partly done
at the expense of the General Govern
nent, and the cost was more than eoun-
by the additional value
given to the public lands and the in
creased stimulus to purchase. AT the
present time, surveys, which are bring |
ng to light facts of the very highest
in economic geology, are
being prosecuted in the States of Illinois
md Iowa, The reports of these sur
7eys, so far as completed, have been
oublished-those of illinois comprising !
,hree and those Of Iowa two large and |
Iplendid volumes, The young State of
california, which came into the Union
many years after the preliminary sur
7ey of Ohio was suspended, has been
carefully surveyed and its vast mineral
md agricultural resources set forth in a
aud scientific way. i
Your committee also frd upon the
ihelves of our State Library the pub
ished reports of the surveys of Ken
lucky, Massachusetts,, Wisconsin, Yer
mont New Hampshire, Missouri, New
Jersey, Virginia, Rhode Island, Michi-
ran, Connecticut, North Carolina, Maine
Alabama, Tennessee, Arkansas, Cana
la and one volume comprising gem
'ral survey of lows, Wisconsin, and
limos. Besides these, many of them
cry elaborate and beautiful ia design,
he incomplete and cheaply executed /
lhio report stands in painful comparison
a no respect equaling any, excepting
'erhaps those of New Jersey, Virginia
nd Rhode Island.
As the various geological reports
AVE been extensively used by our Gov
rnment agents and railroad men in
foreign loans, and are care
ully consulted abroad by those who [
Tish to invest their capital, or fix their
iomes in Ameriea; and, furthermore,
sathese reports are considered the only {
and thoroughly reliable ex-
osition of the agricultural and mineral {
of a particular section, it is (
asy to see how important it is that {
)hio, one of the first States Of the h
JniOp, should no longer delay in giving tt
} the world adequate scientific infor- {
lation of the vast elements of wealth Ia
lat lie treasured in her bosom. G
There is, furthermore, a scientific i
eeessity for this in the fact that the {
surveys of New York and $
laDnavlvapia in tha aast and Kantuckv =