St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1893-03-11
THE USE OF PALEONTOLOGY

"What is the use of Pacontology?'
The question has been asked in Congress
recently by Representatives, who frecl,
freely expressed the opinion that this
! branch of science was Of no value what
ever. Regarding it from this point o.
view they propose to Give no money to il
in the appropriation for the Geological
Survey. In order to get Il word or tive
on the other side Of the question a Wash
inyton .StHr writer asked Major J. W.
| Powell to explain what palcontoloGy was
| good for.
TO begin WITH" said he. ''all tn,
elementary rocks Of the world are char
actcrized by certain fossils of animals
and plants which they contain. The
rocks are classified by their fossils, which
Indicate the age of the formation in each
; case and the age ut which it was laid
down. Thus the study of the rocks is
the study of the fossils in them, and we
call that study 'palcontology BY its
aid we learn the history Of this earth on
which we livc-thc details of its build
ing and the story Of the development Of
life upon it.
''Paleontology is the basis of geological
science. 1t has elevated mining from
mere guesswork to the status Of exact
knowledge All the work of the mining
engineers of the world depends upon it.
The most valuable minerals are sought
for and discovered by the study of the
rock formations, which C; only be traced
by their fossils. All the coal in the
United States is mined by such means
Many beds of iron are in like manner
related to the sedimcntary rocks. All
the Lead of Iowa and Missouri and the
silver of Colorado are obtained from
rocks whose bcariug veins and loucS are
traced by the fossils they contain. Thus
you will perceive that in great measure
the riches of the earth are derived from
and civilization depends upon paIconto
logy.
'I'aleonto1ogy is recognized as the
basis of all the geological surveys of
Europe and Asia Next after paleon-
tology Ill point of Importance comes the
study of the chemistry of rocks, and
after chemistry 'lithology'-that is, the
study of the crystals Of rochs-is to be
considered. Incidentally an interesting
and valuable contribution to science is
afforded by studying the animals ard
plants whose remains are found preserved
in the rocks They tell the story of the
life history of the world. However.
that is only a matter of secondary i'm
portancc. Let me add that every State
geological survey thus far made, as well
as every geological survey executed by
the United States has been based on
palcontology.
"A secondary end of palcontology is
the cIucidation of the past history of life
upon the carth.' said Professor W. J.
McGcc. The application and uses of the
knowledge thus acquired are many and
varied, and yet they pertain chiefly to
pure science, which is now, as it ever
has been, the foundation for the future.
1t is the knowlee( &c of to-day that en-
ablcs men not only to predict but to con-
troll the events of tomorrow. The sim
pie experiments and spcculations Of a
Watts produced the steam locomotive
of Il later generation; the electrical toys
of a Morse and a Henry yielded the tcle-
graph, the telephone and the electric
motor.
Thus far the cultivation Of palcontol-
ogy rs pure science has not yielded its |
fullest fruit except in its application as
the basis for the classification of the rocks |
of the earth; but there are not wanting |
students who hold that the |!
study of the course of life in the past will |.
Indicate the safest direction for future
guidance, with respect not only to do
nestle animals and plants yielding food
supplies, but even for man himself"