266 SPARKS FROM A GEOLOGIST'S HAMMER. 



In December the Chicago Academy of Sciences made 

 an excursion to the University, and the State Geologist,, 

 by request, devoted an hour to an exposition of the results 

 of the geological survey. A report of this lecture was 

 contained in the Chicago papers. 



The First Biennial Report of the Progress of the Geo- 

 logical Survey was presented to the governor, and by him 

 to the legislature, on the 31st of December 1860. Some 

 later developments connected with the salt interest were 

 added during the printing of the report. The Detroit 

 Advertiser published, in January 1861, a copious resume 

 of the results, and the Tribune published, during the same 

 month, very extended extracts, including everything re- 

 lating to the production of salt. An advance copy of the 

 geological portion of the report was sent to the American 

 Journal of Science, August 14, and was noticed in Sep- 

 tember. The complete report w^as distributed between 

 November 16 and November 30, 1861. 



In this report the following estimate was recorded of 

 the importance of the salt interest, then just emerging 

 into notice : " If the sjeolocfical indications on w^iicli I 

 found my opinions are not fallacious, we have the most 

 magnificent saliferous basin upon the continent east of 

 the Mississippi" (p. 165), "The vast geographical extent 

 of the salt basin of Michio-an, too-ether with the extraor- 

 dinary strength of the brine, furnish strong reasons to 

 anticipate that at no distant day Michigan will be the 

 leading salt-producing state in the Union" (p. 193). This 

 was said ten months after the success of the first well. 

 In 1880 Michigan produced more salt than any other state 

 in the Union, the official inspectors reporting 2,678,598 

 barrels. 



