seen and examined at the capitals or at other important points, 

 by those who desire to study them, and can take the time to 

 travel from place to place for that purpose. But nowhere has 

 there been even an attempt to form a representative collection, 

 showing the distribution and modes of occurrence of the minerals 

 of the Southern Atlantic States, as a natural province. Ab- 

 solutely nowhere can such an exhibit be seen, for it does not ex- 

 ist; and yet it would be one of great scientific and practical 

 value. To form such a collection, is the purpose of the geological 

 department of the Charleston Museum. This is intended to be 

 its specialty; so that, when any student desires to acquaint 

 himself with the mineral productions of the Southern country, 

 the Piedmont and the eastern mountain belt, it shall be known 

 that he can find a representative exhibit thereof here. 



The idea of such a Southern collection has been for some years in 

 the mind of the honorary curator, and he is hoping now to 

 realize it very soon. A beginning has already been made, and 

 the aid and co-operation of a number of college professors and 

 state geologists have been promised. The State of South 

 Carolina itself will be well represented through the State 

 geologist, Professor Sloan; and arrangements have already been 

 made for obtaining material from North Carolina and Virginia. 

 Of course the work will require time and labor, and it cannot be 

 fully realized at once; but it can be begun at once; and grow 

 from year to year. The result will be a distinctive exhibit, 

 an honor to Charleston and its museum, and a positive and 

 most desirable contribution to American science. It is proposed 

 to designate it as 'The Piedmont Collection", not that it will be 

 actually limited to minerals from that division, but it will be 

 so largely made up of them, that this name will best express its 



characteristic feature. 



Daniel Strobel Martin. 



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