No. G. DErAPiTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 363 



suiTOuudiugs and the mining aspects or mineral deposits at home, 

 and were tliereby easily deceived, relative to the actual presence or 

 value of the same. The Oeological Survey, from 1874 or 75 to 1895, 

 was extensive and far reaching in its design, efforts and publications, 

 and every county and district, so called, received a measure, if not 

 a modicum, of atiention and study, and a report, thereon, contain- 

 ing as much detailed and descriptive geology as was possible under 

 the conditions attached and the means provided. But the appro- 

 priation of three quarters of a million of dollars, was really not more 

 than a bagatelle; enough only for the real initiative of a complete 

 and perfect Geological Survey and such as the importance of the 

 State demanded and its citizen land owners deserve. The successive 

 Legislatures, doubtless, with a, proper spirit, but without the re- 

 motest conception of the actual work required or appreciation of its 

 value and importance, in a commercial and utilitarian sense, made 

 such meagre provision or allowance of money, that it was impossible 

 for Prof. Lesley, great and capable as he was and a master mind in 

 geology, to secure, in all instances, the most efficient experience and 

 ability that the conditions required; and much of the work was done, 

 hastily, and under such limitations of time and means, that the out- 

 come, in many instances, was a misfortune and a calamity, I may 

 say, — the undoing of a vast number of land owners who relied on 

 such reports and maps, as were thus published, for guidance and 

 information and which the several assistants of the survey, though 

 well equipped, were fully aware could not be a certain or reliable 

 guide in all localities, relative to the coal and other mineral de- 

 posits. My own experience was typical. In 58 or 60 days, I sketch- 

 ed the formations of two important coal counties, containing over 

 1,100,000 acres; while justice to these two counties, and to myself, 

 indicated, that I should have had a "full" year for the construction 

 of the map of each county. It was not possible to give a correct col- 

 oring of the coal areas and other formations, in so short a period, and 

 with only |1,200 to defray all of the expenses, incident to the field 

 work and completion of the said two maps. One most deplorable 

 result of this defective work, — and I do not reflect upon the ability 

 or integrity of any assistant engaged on the survey, — was, that 

 vast areas of coal and clay lands were not included in the basins, 

 as described in the reports or defined by the maps, or the actual 

 height of measures was not indicated or the scope of the same accu- 

 rately depicted; and, in a score of counties, the expert, or underling, 

 employed by some autocrat of the coal trade or other designing 

 speculator, found it most convenient and easy to dupe or mislead 

 the farmer, or other land owner, by referring to the Geological Sur- 

 vey of his county, or the map and report thereon, and belittling his 

 mineral deposits or denying their presence, on his lands, entirely, 

 when the said expert knew that such minerals were there and of 

 greater or less value. A farmer, ignorant of th(^ coal or other depos- 

 its on his land, is induced to permit a driller, by direction of some 

 capitalist, to take a core, with a diamond drill, from the formations 

 on his farm; but the farmer is not permitted to see the core. It re- 

 veals to the driller, peradventure various coal seams, from 3 to 10 

 feet in thickness, not to mention good clay and iron ore, and the 

 owner of the farm is apprised that there is no coal of any value, or 

 over three feet in thickness, on his lands. He sells the whole right, 



