The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1912-06-13
GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS AND GEOLOGY; ARE THEY A
SUCCESS?


The Mining and Engineering World in its issue of June
begins series of articles by Walter Harvey Weed with partc
reference the failure of government geological bureaus
predict to observe valuable Of deposits
Several such failures have been commented edoriay by
the journal previously and below given few further
details of some of these failures
In the early days Of Butte when this silver camp
the Geological Survey spent several years in field investigation
the deposits and geology and just before the report
the 'Bue Silver District ready for publication
suspected copper deposits developed Butte became
copper camp The report the Butte "Siver District be
came worthless and the had to be done again the
light of the copper discoveries Now that Butte gives
promise Of developing into highly important zinc producer
la resurvey may perhaps be needed.
Then referring to the Leadve district the wonderful
searches of the elder Emons and his in this dis
rict be known to all for these researches which
really gave birth the wode science OF practical geology
economic geology Of deposits Yet the workable deposits
Iof which alone today permit the existence OF Leadve
las profitable mining camp totally unsupported by the
government biologists 1t true that you Will IND IN the
eadve reports numerous references to the OF
Zinc minerals you will find indeed references to hundreds
lo edspas cates carbonates and other minerals but
1.-The existence of the zinc bodies which responsible for
1.-THE reuvenaon of Leadve received attention from the
peoogists Yet as will be shown and may be readily
lderstood this by reflection on the ability OF En-
and his associates and successors Rather perhaps we
expect too much of a geological survey.
Then too as will be pointed out fully by Mr. weed,
the past decade of the most important mining districts
lin the southwest copper region have been studied and de
crbed in detail by the skilled experts Of the Geological Sur
lvey In two of these districts important discoveries have
been made in outlying parts of the districts where ore had
|been predicted In one locality (Mami) mention was
made of what recognized being remarkably favorable
indications and where deposits valued at many million dollars
have been developed 80
The largest and most important area of phosphate rock I'D
the world was examined years ago by the predecessor OF the
present T. S. Geological Surveynamely the Hayden Survey
able geoogst actually stepped upon the phos
pate bed east Cokeve Wyo also in the Salt River noun
ain in western Wyoming and at other points, and yet failed
to recognize the Of the rock He called back shale
remained after % years. for aymen and nongovernmen
mining and ee interests to discover the true nature OF the
back sae phosphate rock to prospect the deposits II
Wvomng Utah. Nevada and Idaho, and to develop MINES
the materials to discover for the citizens OF the nation billions
of tons of mineral valued at several Do OF
dollars and extending thousands of miles IN Mon
tana Wyoming Nevada Idaho and probably other states and
after had invested their pioneer energy and resources
in this work the government biologists stepped into the affair
and withdrew the phosphate deposits from location AS
matter of fact government Geological Survey party with sew
ea months experience phosphate work in 1902 and which
was into the country west of Woodruff Utah. to look u
some phosphate Mines failed to find OF the mines
because they happened be caved I'M Another federal geo
ogist 1910 Pine Creek Irwin Idaho had to be con
WINGED against will that he actually standing upon the
phosphate; fact he convinced only after sample was
collected mailed Washington and yzed and by that time
the Survey party under his charge too far away to return
to the Pine Creek region give suitable examination