Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-19

information and see at the seat of gov
ernment specimens of all products per-
tanning to the special line in which he is
Interested. For example, a person wish
ing to obtain information in relation to
marble, either as a producer or consumer,
should be able to personally examine
specimens of marble from the principal
quarries of the United States, and by in
quiry to learn all that is known of any
particular marble in which he may be
Interested.
I'm addition to the series of rocks and
fossils illustrating stratigraphy in sue
cession of the sedimentary rocks, and
the systematic collection of minerals and
ores, an exhibit showing how geologic
work benefits the daily life of the people
should be developed. An Illustration Of
this would be a representation of the
artesian water supply of the semi-arid
region, showing the stratigraphy and
structure of the sedimentary rocks, and
how hydraulic and geologic investiga-
tons clearly indicate the regions in which
artesian water development may be car
ried on successfully. Mining and areal
geology should also be illustrated in such
a manner as to place before the student
and intelligent observer the import and
value of such work.
For the proper exhibition of the col
lections of practical geology, there should
be provided, in connection with the ma
tlonal museum, according to a rough esti-
mate, at least 5000 sQuare feet of tloor
space. The collection would include, in
addition to what has just been discussed,
the collection of rocks and minerals and
synoptic series of the fossils now included
in the national museum collections.
There exists at the present time at the
national museum a geological collection
of great value, but it is not as complete
as it is desirable to have it, and it cannot
no -n~{ 49, 80 IL, ~ Il c.--
and space. There should be provided
a few years a building that could
accommodate all the geological collec-
tons of the government. 1t is not pro-
posed that these collections should be re-
moved from the custody of the national
but that they should be prop
erly installed and cared for independ-
emily of the general collections of the mu-
The director also submits extended
on economic and mining
geology, in the course of which he says:
I'm creating the United States geo.
survey, congress and the people
whom it represents expects that it's en-
would be largely devoted to the
of the mineral resources of
the country. How this method should
be accomplished is left to the director
and his principal assistants, who, by sci
entific training and long practical ex-
We're the best qualified to Judge
what could and what could not be done
by such a corps of specialists as the sur
vey must necessarily consist of-men
whose whole life is devoted to the alb
stract side of geology, and whom neither
the regulation of the surve as defined by
law nor the exigencies of their official
duties would permit to participate in the
or commercial development of
these resources.
''Tf was evident fhof {Lo,a .z-.,I- !
could not take the place of either the
prospector or the mining engineer, as
. somewhat superficial view of the sub
Iect had led some to think they might.
lhey should, of course, understand the
principles that underline the work of
either Of these classes Of men, but thew
be expected to possess that ex-
oerthess or instructive second sense in
each of these professions which can be
acquired only by lifelong practice.
"The survey should furnish an accu-
basis upon which the work of each
II these experts, SO indispensable in
he development of the mineral re-
sources of the country, may be found
"a. The survey stands so to speak. be-
,Ween them n nature. 1t should en-
1eaVVf to tell the prospector where he
may and where he may not prospect to
advantage for this or tina valuable
but it cannot be expected to
actually find the mineral for him. 1t
should aim to discover for the mining
engineer first of all the general laws
which govern the occurrence of the diff
ferent useful minerals, and to show the
application of these laws in the
particular mining regions that come
under survey, but it cannot undertake
TO direct the workings of individual
mines or quarries, nor guarantee that
every mining engineer will make a cor
application of the laws that have
been discovered"