elisha mitchell scientific society. 13 



Kerr Survey. 



The Kerr Survey was organized under the same law and with 

 the same general functions as the Emmons Survey, of which it 

 may be considered, in some respects, a continuation. 



Professor Kerr was appointed State Geologist in 1864, and 

 held the position nominally during the last year of the war, hut 

 1)0 appropriation was made for the survey and no geological 

 work was undertaken. 



During the following year, 1865-'66, the survey does not 

 appear to have had even a nominal existence. Professor Kerr 

 was re-appointed April, 1866, the survey was reorganized, and 

 its work resumed. In 1877, by legislative enactment, the geo- 

 logical survey, which formerly had existed as an independent 

 organization, was made a co-operative department with the De- 

 partment of Agriculture, and the State Chemist was made chemist 

 ex officio to the survey; and in 1879 changes made in the law 

 governing the survey brought the work of the latter still more 

 under the control of the Depanment of Agriculture. The field 

 work of the survey was practically discontinued in 1882, when 

 Professor Kerr resigned to accept the position of Geologist on 

 the United States Geological Survey, but was continued at inter- 

 vals until his <leath in 1385. 



The survey was sustained by an annual appropriation of 

 $5,000, which covered all expenditures, including salaries, except 

 that of publication. 



The general plan of operations was an outgrowth of the great 

 variety and extent of the work to be done, and the smallness of 

 the appropriation, and as many of the results obtained by the 

 Emmons survey having been lost during the war, others were 

 out of date, and it was necessary that the work of the Kerr sur- 

 vey be extended over the entire State and investigations pursued 

 with more modern methods. The general work of the survey 

 was undertaken by Professor Kerr in person. In the several 

 divisions of the work specialists and general assistants were 

 engaged when needed. A list of these is given below under 

 •personnel. 



