CONFIDENTIAL

314 WEST 30TH. ST. NEW YORK. MAR. 15 1878

PROF. O. C. MARSH,

MY DEAR SIR,

THAT INFERNAL HAYDEN IS ONCE MORE ON THE RAMPAGE, AND THROUGH CONGRESSMAN ATKINS HE HAS INTRODUCED A RESOLUTION OF INQUIRY INTO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES TO FIND OUT ALL ABOUT THE VARIOUS SURVEYS. I ENCLOSE A COPY OF THE REQUEST SENT TO THE WAR DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO THAT SENT TO THE INTERIOR.

HAYDEN IS NOW USING WITH GREAT EFFECT THE LETTERS WHICH WERE GIVEN TO HIM ON GARDNER'S ACCOUNT IN 1873. SINCE THAT TIME MANY OF THOSE WHO THEN THOUGHT HIM NOT WORSE THAN AN INDIFFERENT GEOLOGIST, HAVE COME TO LOOK ON HIM AS LITTLE BETTER THAN A CHARLATAN, SO THAT IT IS TOO BAD THAT HE SHOULD HAVE THE BENEFIT OF THE LETTERS. THE MORE SO SINCE THEY WERE GIVEN UNDER THE MISUNDERSTANDING THAT THE ENGINEERS WERE ENDEAVORING TO ABSORB THE WHOLE MATTER.

NOW WHAT IS WANTED IS TO GET SOME LETTERS ON THE ENGINEERS' SIDE, WITH WHICH TO HEAD OFF HAYDEN AND HIS LETTERS. ESPECIALLY IS IT DESIRABLE TO OBTAIN LETTERS FROM SOME OF THOSE WHO WROTE BEFORE FOR HAYDEN. CERTAINLY YOU CAN GET A CONSIDERABLE NUMBER OF YOUR FACULTY TO WRITE A STRONG LETTER TO GEN. HUMPHREYS, IN BEHALF OF THE ENGINEERS' SURVEYS, FOR KING'S AND WHEELER'S VOLUMES ARE WITHOUT DOUBT EQUAL TO THOSE WHICH HAYDEN HAS SENT OUT. YOUR ASSOCIATES CAN EASILY EXPRESS THEIR GOOD-WILL TO THE ENGINEERS AND THEIR APPRECIATION OF THE WORK DONE BY THE ENGINEER SURVEYS, WITHOUT STULTIFYING THEMSELVES, FOR THEY HAVE ONLY TO STATE THAT THE PREVIOUS LETTER WAS WRITTEN UNDER A MISAPPREHENSION.

I AM FREE TO SAY THAT I HAVE A DEEP PERSONAL INTEREST IN THIS MATTER, FOR WITHIN A WEEK I CONCLUDED AN ARRANGEMENT WITH WHEELER LOOKING TO A CAREFUL SURVEY OF THE WHOLE DISPUTED REGION IN NORTHERN NEW MEXICO AND SOUTHERN COLORADO, REACHING OUT AS FAR AS THE EOCENE TRACT, IN WHICH COPE OBTAINED HIS "BIG FIND". THE SURVEY IS TO BE AS INDEPENDENT AS KING'S WAS, AND THERE IS TO BE NO INTERFERENCE WHATEVER. I AM NOT TO BE PUSHED IN TIME, I AM TO SELECT MY OWN ASSISTANTS, AND THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THAT THE WORK BE DONE.

KING SAID THIS MORNING THAT AN EXCELLENT IDEA WOULD BE TO HAVE

SOME SENATOR MOVE THAT THE WHOLE MATTER OF THESE SURVEYS BE REFERRED TO
THE NATIONAL ACADEMY TO REPORT ON THE COMPETENCE OF THE PERSONS IN CHARGE
OF THE SEVERAL SURVEYS. WITHOUT DOUBT THIS IS AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION;
BUT I MUST CONFESS THAT SELFISH CONSIDERATIONS PREVENT ME FROM ENTERING
VERY CORDIALLY INTO SUCH A PROPOSITION. I AM NOT A MEMBER OF THE ACADE-
MY AND THERE WOULD BE NO INFLUENCE NECESSARILY SUPPORTING MY PRETENSIONS
AS AGAINST SOME ONE INSIDE. AT THE SAME TIME I AM NOT CERT IN BUT THAT
SUCH A REFERENCE WOULD BE THE BEST WAY OF SETTLING THE MATTER, PROVIDING
THAT THE MEN IN CHARGE OF THE SEVERAL SURVEYS WOULD AGREE TO ABIDE BY
THE DECISION. THE ONLY TROUBLE IS THAT HAYDEN WOULD NOT CONSENT TO THE
REFERENCE AS IT OULD MEAN SURE DEATH TO HIM.

VERY TRULY YOURS,

J.J.STEVENSON.

FORTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
SECOND SESSION.

CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.

In the House of Representatives.

March 8, 1878.

On motion of Mr. Atkins:

RESOLVED, That the Secretary of War be and he is hereby requested, at as early a day as practicable, to report to this House a list of all public geological and geographical surveys conducted by or under the authority of the War Department, during the past ten years, together with a statement of the areas of territory so surveyed, the years in which each district or area was surveyed, the cost incurred by direct appropriations by Congress, what aid and supplies and the value thereof have been furnished by the Ordnance, Commissary, and Quartermaster's departments, outside of said appropriations, from what funds transportation and office rents have been paid, together with a list of the publications made, and in progress, as a result of such surveys. Also, whether said surveys have duplicated other public surveys made by authority of Congress, the cost of such duplication if any have occurred, and the reason why they were made.

Attest:

GEO. M. ADAMS,
Clerk.

314 WEST 30TH. ST. NEW YORK. MAR. 20 1878

PROF. O. C. MARSH,

MY DEAR SIR,

I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GET UP A STRONG
LETTER EXPRESSING CONFIDENCE IN THE ENGINEER SURVEYS FOR I WOULD LIKE TO
USE ALL I CAN GET BY FRIDAY THE 29TH. INST. NEW BERRY IS READY TO DO THE
BEST HE CAN.

I DO NOT PROPOSE TO USE ANY OF THE LETTERS UNLESS I CAN
SECURE A GOOD LIST, NOT LESS THAN EIGHT OR NINE STRONG ONES FROM COLLEGES
AND DIRECTORS OF GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS. THE WAYS MATTERS NOW STAND IN CON-
GRESS MAKE ME THINK THAT NOW IS A BETTER TIME TO STRIKE THAN EVER BEFORE,
ESPECIALLY SINCE HAYDEN HAS PRECIPITATED THE FIGHT.

314 WEST 30TH. ST. NEW YORK. DEC 20 1878.

PROF.O.C.MARSH,

MY DEAR SIR,

IF YOU EXPECT TO SECURE THE APPOINTMENT
AS CHIEF GEOLOGIST OF THE U.S. SURVEYS FOR ANY REPUTABLE GEOLOGIST, IN
CASE THE PLAN RECOMMENDED BY THE ACADEMY SHOULD BE ADOPTED, YOU WILL DO
WELL TO MAKE YOURSELVES SURE THAT THE PRESIDENT WILL NOMINATE THE RIGHT
MAN AND THAT WHEN NOMINATED, THAT M N WILL BE CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE, I
CASE THE SENATE HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT. IT WILL BE INFINITELY BET-
TER IF POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE BILL DRAWN UP SO THAT THE APPOINTMENT WILL
REST WHOLLY WITH THE PRESIDENT; AND THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE A PAPER SIGNED
BY AS MANY GEOLOGISTS AS POSSIBLE TO BACK YOUR CANDIDATE.

YOU CAN'T BE TOO PROMPT IN THIS MATTER,FOR HAYDEN HAS ALREADY
MADE A LONG STRIDE TOWARDS THE POSITION AND UNLES SOMETHING BE DONE
SPEEDILY HE WILL BE THE MAN AND NOTHING SHORT OF OMNIPOTENCE CAN PRE-
VENT IT.

HAYDEN IS SUPPORTED INDIRECTLY BY MEN WHOM YOU WOULD NOT SUS-
PECT AND I MORE THAN BELIEVE THAT SOME OF THOSE WHO WERE MEMBERS OF THE
COMMITTEE HAD HAYDEN IN MIND ALL THE TIME AS THE MAN FOR THE PLACE IN
CASE A CONSOLIDATION COULD BE EFFECTED. IT WAS A MISTAKE TO ~~thow~~
THE
TOPOGRAPHY INTO THE HANDS OF THE COAST SURVEY,FOR HILGARD WILL UNITE
WITH ANYBODY OR SACRIFICE ANYBODY IN ORDER TO GET WHAT HE WISHES IN THIS
MATTERS I AM INCLINED TO THINK, FROMWHAT I HEARD TO-DAY THAT HAYDEN HAS
TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES MADE THE NECESSARY COMBINATION WITH THE COAST
SURVEY.

VERY TRULY YOURS,

UNIONTOWN FAYETTE COUNTY, PENN. AUG. 4 1879

PROF.O.C.MARSH,

MY DEAR SIR,

KEEP THE SPECIMENS, IF THEY HAVE ANY INTEREST FOR YOU. I DO NOT
WANT THEM AND UNLESS A NEW S ECIES CAN BE MANUFACTURED OUT OF THE BONE
I DO NOT THINK ANY BODY ELSE WANTS THEM.

University of the City of New York,
WASHINGTON SQUARE.

New York, March II 1889

188

Prof.O.C.Marsh,

My dear sir,

Personally it makes no difference
to you whether or not you belong to the Geological Society - you
will probably offer nothing for publication; you may not attend the
meetings; you have nothing to gain from membership; - but you
ought to be a member, for witho t you the Society is not complete
and your absence will weaken the influence of the Society among
the younger men.

This is a purely personal letter but I know that my feelings
are shared by not a few others who are spending much labor to get h
the Society on its feet. I enclose one of the nomination blanks.
If you see fit to let me nominate you, please fill out the necessary
information, that it may be laid before the Council at the meeting
in April during the week of the Nat. Academy's session.

I am