The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-09-24
GEOLOGICAL EXHIBIT.
Dr.. G. {. Swallow Calls Attention
to 4 Very Important
Subject
Montana Should Show the World
tho Basis on Which Her
Mines Stand.
An Exposition Urged OF Our Resources At
the Worlds Fair That Win De
Untold Good.

Dr.. g. G. Swallow, thar whom no man Ia
better equipped to discuss The subject in
diligently, has written = letter to Judge
Stephen DsWolfe. president Of the Mon
tana board of Worlds fair manaRers. in re-
gard to the great nccsssity of tho state
making a geological exhibit at the Worlds
fair in Chicago. In the letter DR.. Swallow
says:
Having bsen appointed a member Of
~ advisory council OF the Worlds con-
gross auxiliary Of the Worlds Columbian
exposition on geolosy,' ] fssl il my duty to
call the attention Of your honorable board
and the people Of Montana to the import
ance Of making = suitable geological ex-
hibit at the Worlds exposition next year.
There never has been such an opportunity
to show the scientific and industrial world
our vast mineral resources and the solid
geological basis on which they rest. n
which insures their p~ermanency. Those
best qualified to judge depend a. much
upon the geological structure Of the coun-
try 40 upon specimens Of the ore In deter
mining their extent. and value OF minea.
your board has made provision for the
exhibit Of the ores and other products OF
the mines OF the state At the Worlds expo
sition, and. II We do not have the best OF
all in the world, II will be our own nsgli-
gsnce; for no other atats has such vast air
ing resources to draw from ~ Montana has
In her Z. 1000 mines and mineral locations.
While making provision for ths expedition
OF our ores ~ we'll a. some OF our other re-
sources, but little or nothing has been done
to show the geological relations OF our
mines upon which their valus and perma-
nsncs so largely depend. And yet these
geological relations are deemed Of the drst
value bv all well informed scientific auo
practical miners, of whom man Thousands
will bs at the exposition from all parts of
the globe. And ill these will desire to
know the geological basis Of our mining
exhibit. Shall We have an answer there, or
shall No not? Shall We. who have in our
rocks The proof Of in%s1hsustible mines OF
Shall Montana, which has more extern
sivs deposits Of the fossil remains Of the
most wonderful animals and plants which
ever existed uDon the earth, from which the
best cabinets of she world have bsen en-
richinR their collections for the last forty
remains Of our past history for our own
credit and bsneht7 Shall We not show these
proofs Of our geological and mineral
wealth? Montana can show the skeletons
of the most wonderful animals that ever
lived on tho earth. Reptiles a hundred feet
long-compared with which the alligator is
. piRmy-reptiles with wings ~ large a.
the sails of q windmill. tn ee-told horse.
mastadons larger than the elephant, and
other animals and plants as strange and
wonderful as these once lived in Montana
and their bones are preserved in our geo
logical strata.
"A proper geological exhibit will show tho
soientifio and practical mining men of the
world that We have such . geological basis
for our mines of the metals and coal as
mako them permanent and practically in
exhaustible. We have more beds of coal
and more veins OF minerals than any other
state. Why not show the world they are in
formations and developed under circum-
stances which make them permanently
p%roductive2
Some mineral deposits are limited AM
are soon worked out, as shown by the lead
mines Of Galena, which were discovered
and exhausted within the memory of men
now living. All geoloRists knew these
mines were not on permanent veins. Other
mineral deposits are in true veins which
60 20 deep. they have never been exhausted.
% the best mines Of Wales, which have
bsen worked for Thousands Of years. and
tho Comstock, of Nevada. Let as show
the geological as we'll a. the mineral char
acteristios of our mines which proves them
both rich and i~nexhaustibls. My excuse,
il any be needed, for addressing you in
this behalf, is In appointment recently be-
slowed By the Worlds Congress Auxiliary
Of the Worlds Columbian exposition. as
a'membsr of the advisory counoil' for
the department of geology. Az member
of the advisory council I feel it my duty to
call the attention of tho people of Mon
taua and especially Of your board, to whom
the governor, acting tor tho people Of the