72 GROVE KARL GILBERT— DAVIS ^* 0,EB t v£xxt 



poned to uncertain dates. Hence, after three field seasons under Wheeler and a fourth season 

 of report writing in Washington, he gladly accepted the opportunity of taking up work under 

 Powell. Wheeler, who had himself spoken freely of his admiration for Gilbert as a man and for 

 his ability as a geologist, generously approved of the transfer and recognized that opportunity 

 for fruitful results was likely to be thereby greatly augmented. This was very clearly the case. 

 Gilbert's connection with the Wheeler survey closed on September 30, 1874. While he 

 was in Rochester at the end of his wedding journey he wrote, on November 27 of the same year: 



My Dear Major: ... I am getting to be a little anxious to be at work — partly because it has eome to be 

 more natural to me than play, and partly because I ought to be earning something. So I am going to Washing- 

 ton in a few days with the intention — if you have not changed your mind — to begin work with you at once. 



On the very day, December 2, of his arrival at the National Capital, he formally joined 

 the Powell survey, and remained a member of it until, five years later, the various separate 

 surveys were merged in the United States Geological Survey. 



These two master minds were, from the first, admirably suited to work together, for where 

 they were not alike one was in large measure complementary to the other. Powell had, in 

 addition to his proved ability as an explorer, an extraordinary capacity for organization and 

 administration, and after the establishment of the National survey he most successfully used 

 this capacity in providing means for the prosecution of special studies by men like Gilbert — or 

 as nearly like him as could be found; while Gilbert, caring little for directing the work of others 

 but excelling in field work of his own, was still more excellent in the theoretical discussions to 

 which his field observations led. Moreover, Gilbert became more and more deliberate as he 

 gave an increasing share of attention and thought to research, seeking out all the possibilities 

 of every theoretical explanation for observed phenomena, and thus testing the worth of every 

 explanation that came to him from whatever source; and at the same time Powell, while turning 

 more and more from research to administration, nevertheless still enjoyed the occasional 

 exercise of his unusually speculative intellect in the solution of problems that his associates 

 encountered; but he was well content to leave the closer definition of his suggested solutions to 

 men of Gilbert's analytical power. More important still, these two men had entire confidence 

 in each other; they cared little for personal priority or individual credit; in their generous de- 

 votion to the search for scientific truth each gave the other free use of his every thought, asking 

 no greater reward than that the thought might be of service. What Gilbert said of Powell at 

 a memorial meeting in 1904 was equally true of himself: "Phenomenally fertile in ideas, he was 

 absolutely free in their communication, with the result that many of his suggestions — the 

 number of which can never be known — were unconsciously appropriated by his associates and 

 incorporated in their published results." 



Gilbert must have been greatly refreshed and invigorated by the favorable conditions 

 afforded on Powell's survey. From his former chief he could have had no helpful counsel on 

 geological problems; the study of the basin ranges was surely not advanced toward its solution 

 by any suggestions or criticisms from Wheeler; but stimulating and helpful counsel was received 

 from his new chief at every turn. During the investigation of the Henry Mountains, the first 

 problem upon which Gilbert reported for the "Survey of the Rocky Mountain region," each step 

 in the discussion was submitted to Powell for criticism, and many of the criticisms thus received 

 were accepted by Gilbert and embodied in his text. Little wonder that the scientific companion- 

 ship of the two men endured, or that when, a few years later, the unified National survey came 

 under Powell's direction, Gilbert as one of its leading geologists more than replaced the right 

 hand which the director had lost in the War of the Rebellion 20 years before. 



FIELD WORK FOR THE POWELL SURVEY 



Gilbert's first field season on the Powell survey was spent on the high plateaus of southern 

 Utah and in the vast amphitheater of excavation to the east of them. Salt Lake City was 

 reached on the outward journey on June 16, 1875, and on the homeward journey on September 

 12. The huge, east-reaching plateau spurs, known as the Aquarius and Kaiparowits, as well 



