The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-03-11
80 STATES HUNT
MINERALS IN 1925
More Than Million Spent in
Quest for Oil, Gas and
Various Ores.

Urbana, nl.-Surveys of the available
supplies of oil and gas, coal, iron,
structural material and other natural
resources, useful in future Industrial
development, called for the approprf-
alton by the several states during 1925
of more than $1,OOO,OOO. According to
information compiled by DR.. M. M.
Leighton, secretary of the Association
of American State Biologists, more
than thirty states in 1925 made sur
veys of mineral deposits and geologi-
cal formations within their boundaries.
These surveys provide information
of basic value to the Industrial growth
of the state. They often result in the
discovery of unsuspected mineral
wealth leading to the development of
new industries, and in greater re-
covery or conservation of resources
already known.
Fundamental studies of the struc-
ture and constitution of the earth's
crust, details for the most part hidden
from the layman but deciphered with
painstaking care by the geolOgist,
have been carried on in twenty states
through the agency Of their state
geological surveys. Such studies in
clude the determination of the extent,
thickness and character of rock forma-
lions and the mapping of known min.
eral deposits, matters of fundamental
Importance in locating and developing
mines, wells for oil and gas, and water
supplies, sites for power dams and
reservoirs and other enterprises.
Oil and Gas Inquiries.
Special Investigations of oil and gas
possibilities were conducted during the
past year in Illinois, Kentucky, New
Mexico, Oklahoma, Tennessee and
Wyoming. Wildcat speculation in
areas of little or no promise is being
more and more effectively discour-
aged and in some instances wells of
unusual productivity have been struck
as result of following the recommen-
dations made in these reports. y .~,
Coal deposits were studied in ILL
nois, Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania; iron ore in Georgia, North
Carolina and Wisconsin; lead and zinc
in Oklahoma; gold in Tennessee; mer-
curry in Arizona, and various ores in
Idaho, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and
Wyoming.
Concentrating materials were in
vestigated in Arizona and Kentucky,
clays for ceramic products in Pennsyl-
vania and South Carolina, building
stone III Arizona, Oklahoma, Pennsyl-
vania and South Carolina. Road
making materials were noted in Idaho,
South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Water Power Studied.
Water resources were studied in
seven states, from the standing of
potable supplies and agricultural and
Industrial needs as well as water
power. South Dakota started CAM
paign for the conservation of its ar
tesian water, while Kentucky, New
Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania,
Tennessee and Virginia made meas
urements Of stream flow, usually in
cooperation with the United States
Geological survey.
Studies of the soils, designed to aid
in conserving and increasing their fer
tility, were carried on in Mississippi,
New Jersey, Tennessee, West Virginia
and Wisconsin. ..-...
In addition to these surveys of nat
ural resources twenty states have CO.
operated with the United States Geo
logical survey in the making of au-
thOritative base maps, from which
most of the features of all other maps
are taken.