Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-06-10

uc WoIh OA Iuc SeOlOSlcdl ana nat
ural history survey of the state will
begin about July l. The most i'm
portant investigation to be undertaken
is that of the building stones of the
state. This work is in charge of AS
sistant Geologlst e. r. Buckley, of the
state university, who expects during
the next six months to visit and ex-
anime all the mora important quar-
ries of the state. The work will be
begun at the limestone quarries of
Milwaukee from whence operations
will be extended north to the Berlin,
Utley and Montello quarries and thence
to Ashland. The red sandstone of the
Like Superior region will be studied
in detail, after which the investiga-
tons will be carried south through the
CT, stalline rocks back into the sand
stone and limestone regions of the
southern part of the State. The re-
suit of these Investigations are to be
submitted to the legislature a year and
a half hence.
There is no question but that a
large wealth Of resource still remains
ur developed in the building stones of
the state. The large cities are con-
stantly demanding immense quantities
Of building stone. There is also
steady, strong demand throughout the
country for good durable building
stone at reasonable price. At the
present time Wisconsin not only does
not supply her own market for build
ing, but largely imports the stone used
for ornamental and monumental pur-
poses. That Wisconsin can furnish rs
beautiful and durable stone for orna-
mental purposes rs any other state is
demonstrated by the work which Is be-
ing sent out from various parts OF the
state. The selection of the Monticello
granite for the Grant sarcophaglis is
stone are quarried throughout the state
for local purposes, bat to outside par
ties the character of the stone is not
known. Before using u certain stone
for building large structure, one must
know the character of the stone as
the quarries have but local use and
70 official tests of the value of the
stone have been made, one cannot eX-
pect for it a very wide reputation.
1t Is the purpose of this building
stone investigation to furnish to the
public reliable report Of the quality
of the various stones of the state both
! En- tn1 I,,;
If the geological and natural his
tory survey had been established by
the legislature for this purpose alone
It would have been owe of the most
highly commendable enactments of
the last session.
Mr.. Buckley has had a large train
ing in geological work under Prof. G..
r. Van Hise of the university, who is
one of the foremost biologists of the
country. The work is in the hands of
an energetic man of broad scientific
training which bespeaks for it a large
success. A generous assistance by
quarry owners throughout the state in
locating and visiting quarries will very
materially aid Mr.. Buckley in his
work.
Samuel Weidman, now of the Chi
cago university, has been chosen to
continue the detailed geological work
which has been begun in central Wis
consin. This work will begin in Mara
thon county and will consist of map
ping in detail and working out the
structure of the formations Of that
district The geological survey which
was terminated a number Of years ago
did not do any considerable detailed
work in this region, the operations be-
ing confined largely to the southern
portion of the state
1t is no more than right that the
people of the northern part of the
state should enjoy the benefits to be
derived from such survey, as we'll
as the people Of the southern part.
One does not need to go very far into
central Wisconsin before finding
scores OF men who have sent thous-
ands of dollars In an attempt to find
either gold and silver or iron ores in
the crystalline rocks of that region.
" llulH Il TduluS Vi ulleSu lullSS VI
Wausau one can find score or more
of shafts which have been sunk into
the rock in vain endeavor to find the
precious metal. They are being sunk
today in this region, by men who have
no knowledge of the occurrence of ore
bodies They have no source to which
they can go that will give them evil
dence as to its probable occurrence
and are left entirely in the dark A
careful mapping Of the relation OF the
formations of this region, such as is
to be undertaken by Mr.. Weidman,
will save the useless expenditure of
time and money in districts where
there is no possibility of the occur
renee OF ore bodies. There are profit
able fields for the development of our
natural resources into which this
money may be directed and such
survey will assist the right expendi-
tare of such monies.
For a number of years the teachers