The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-01-15
Proposition to Establish a National
Museum at Washington.
WOULD BENEFIT TIMERS
DIRECTOR WALCoTTs PLAN TO
HELP TEE INDUSTRY.
Proposes a Museum Of Practical &C.
ology, For a Complete Display of
Economic Minerals-Mission of
the Geological Survey Explained
To Aid Prospectors and Engineers.
(special Corresnondenee.l

Washington Jan. 11.-Director Wal
colt of the geological survey favors the
establishment by the government of a
museum of practical geology. In a let
ter to Chairman William NJ. Stewart
of the senate COMMITTEES on mines and
mining, which has been issued as a
| senate document he says:
The geological survey has some 49,
600 correspondents who furnish inEor-
nation in relation to the mineral re-
sources of the United States. There is
| little doubt that a plan for a museum
of practical geology would meet with
! the hearty cooperation of the mineral
producers of the country, and that a
collection of a representative display of
economic minerals and quarry products
could be obtained at a cost very little
in excess of the actual necessary cor
! reSpOndence' and freight charges on
specimens too heavy for transportation
through the mail. In a majority of
cases producers would be willing to
incur all expenses necessary to have
their products exhibited in such mu-
scum for the simple privilege of haY-
ing their names as donors attached.
''Such a collection would be quite use
full in the work of the survey, and
would possess great educational value
fer visitors. It is desirable, in view of
the large outlay which is being made
by the government for geological sur
veys and the collection of mineral sta
tistics that any person. interested in
any mineral product should be able to
secure statistical information and see
at the seat of government specimens Of
all products pertaining to the special
line in which he is interested. For eX-
ample, q person wishing to obtain in
formation 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 inquiry to
learn all that is known of any partic-
ular marble in which he may be inter
ested
In 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 geo
logic work benefits the daily life Of the
people should be developed. An illus
tration of this would be a representa-
ton of the artesian water supply Of the /
semi-arid region, showing the strait |
graphy and structure of the sedimen- |
tary rocks. and how hydraulic and ge- !
ologic Investigations clearly indicate |
the regions in which aFtesian water de- |
veloDment may be carried on success [
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also be illustrated in such a manner as
to place before the student and intel
ligent 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 national museum, according to
rough estimate, at least 10000 square
feet of floor 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 col
lection of great value. but it is not as
complete as it is desirable to have it,
and il cannot be kept UP to date with
the present force and space There
should be provided within a few years
a building that could accommodate all
the geological collections of the gov
1t is not proposed that these
should be removed from the
custody of the national museum, but
that they should be properly installed
and cared for independently of the
general collections Of the museum
MINING GEOLOGY.
The director also submits extended
comments on GCOHOlulC ellii iili--AAt6
ology. in the course of which he says:
In creating the United States geologic
al survey congress and the people whom
Il represents expected that it's energies
would be largely devoted TO the devei-
opment of the mineral resources OF tbs
How this method should be
ACCOMPLISHED is left to the director and
his principal assistants, who. by scieh-
tifiC training and long practical eXper-
fence. were the best qualified 10 Judge
what could and what could rot be done
by such a corps Of specialists as The
survey must necessarily consist Of
men whose whole life is devoted 10 the
abstract side of geology and whom
neither the regulations of the survey as
Defined By law nor the exigencies of !
their official duties would permit to
participate in the practical or CONNER
cial DEVELOPMENT of these resources.
Tt was evident that these specialists
could not take the place OF either the
nrosDector or the mining engineer. as
a somewhat superficial view OF the SUB
iect had led some to think they might
They should. of course. understand the
PRINCIPLES that underlie the work or I
either of these classes of men, but they !
cannot be expected to possess that eX-
pertness OF instructive second sense in
each Of these professions which can be {
acquired only by lifelong practice
ne survey SllOt-itl 1NAA 1851 Gil e'N~N.
rate basis upon which the work of each
Of these experts, so Indispensable II
the development of the mineral re
sources OF the country. may be found
ID The survey stands. SO 20 speak, be-
tween them and nature. 1t should en-
jeavor to tell the prospector where he
nav and where he may not prospect to
= dvantage for this or that valuable
but it cannot be expected to
actually find the mineral for him. 1t
snould aim to discover for the mining
engineer first OF all the general laws
which govern the occurrence Of the diff
rerent useful minerals, and to show the
5DeciaI application of these laws in the
particular mining regions that come
1n6er survey; but il cannot undertake
70 direct the workings OF individual
mines or uuarries. nor guarantee that
very mining engineer will make GER
Get application of the laws that have
1een discovered
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