2 6 TEE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



enlarged and G. K. G liberty, with E. E. Howell, was appointed, eacli 

 being attached to a party as geologist. In 1873, there was farther en- 

 largement and a party was formed to map and to explore about half 

 of the mountain region of Colorado, with as much of New Mexico as 

 possible, an area of not far from 30,000 square miles, containing much 

 extremely complicated geology. J. J. Stevenson was assigned to this 

 party as geologist. The party consisted of Lieutenant (now Brigadier- 

 General, retired) W. L. Marshall, two topographers, three "scientific 

 workers," an imposing array of packers and an escort of 25 infantry 

 soldiers, who were to serve as protection against Indians. There were 

 some good men in this escort, but before the season was well underway, 

 there seemed to be reason for supposing that the authorities at Eort 

 Leavenworth had unloaded their guardhouse on us. Ninety six mules 

 of varying temperaments completed the equipment. 



The request for a large appropriation from Congress had been en- 

 forced by proof that the work of previous years had been done at an 

 almost incredibly small cost per square mile— and the argument was 

 effective. The work in 1873 was to be an improvement on that of the 

 past but the importance of economical operation was not to be forgotten. 

 The geologist received a small mountain aneroid, a clinometer compass, 

 a pocket level and a hammer ; the naturalist-surgeon was equipped with 

 a Spencer carbine of large bore, that he might shoot birds and other 

 small animals; the collector in botany had his presses; the youthful 

 barometer-carrier had his burden strapped on his back; the expedition 

 was ready to start. After a series of misunderstandings with the mules, 

 one of which led to a stampede which startled the youthful city of 

 Denver, the party set forth in single file, as is the manner of mules. 



The geologists associated with the Wheeler organization had gained 

 some experience in the field, chiefly in connection with the Ohio survey, 

 and they had gone with Wheeler in search of a wider field of usefulness. 

 The field of the Colorado party proved very useful to me, but very soon 

 I had misgivings as to my usefulness in that field. It became evident 

 very quickly that geography, not geology, was the objective, and that 

 the important elements in equipment of a geologist for this work were 

 a lively scientific imagination and ability to solve stratigraphic puzzles 

 by intuition. There was no map and the topographer's notebook was of 

 little service. The direction of travel was determined by conditions, 

 so that, without a map, one could not keep his bearings in the maze of 

 valleys and canons. The topographer was always secure, as the expe- 

 dition was for him, but the geologist was in constant uncertainty. If he 

 saw a section, which might relieve his perplexity, he was in anxious 

 concern, knowing that if he measured the section, the train would dis- 

 appear and he might be as a man hunting the needle in a haystack. 

 But he bad to secure sections, he had to examine anomalous exposures. 



