200 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The whole subject as set forth in the governor's message and the 

 communication of the State topographer was referred to a select joint 

 committee and their report constitutes document No. 15 of the ses- 

 sion of 1846. The}^ present a concise and admirable sketch of the his- 

 tory of the survey and of its progress and results. Their statements 

 are appreciative and cordial and show that the labors and difficulties 

 of the v?ork have been duly considered. Since 1842, they say, no 

 officers in the geological department have been continued in active 

 employment except the geologist and topographer, and they at greatly 

 reduced salaries. They state that the total amount expended is 

 $82,829.03, which falls short of the amount appropriated $7,170.97.* 

 Placing a value of $8,000 on the material which has gone into the 

 university, there is left $24,829.03 " as the entire cost of the survey 

 to the State. This is enough to have constructed 2 miles of rail- 

 road." ^ 



The committee describe the collections made; the work done to- 

 ward the completion of maps, the very superior character of the 

 data and the workmanship, and give a statement of the unfinished 

 work. They embody a strong indorsement of the plan of com- 

 bining linear and geological surveys. Speaking of the character 

 of the materials belonging to the department, they enumerate " very 

 voluminous collections of notes, maps, diagrams, engravings, etc. A 

 wall map of the State and maps of 15 counties are in the hands of 

 an engraver, and, in addition to the four already published others 

 are nearly if not quite completed, and their reception has been de- 

 layed only by the failure of the engraver to fulfill his contract. To 

 execute the engravings for the final report, the services of a wood 

 engraver of great reputation and skill have been secured. These 

 have been cut by him from drawings by the State topographer. In 

 addition to these are many lithographs executed on stone by the latter 

 officer; and it nuiy be said, without exaggeration, that all these are 

 in a style of art far superior to any that have ever been produced to 

 illustrate a work of the kind in this country. More than two-thirds 

 of all these are now finished." 



eiich npppars not to bnve be'^n the fact. In January. 1S71. in searchini: the archives of 

 the State capitol I discovered. In some drawer, buried in dust and miscellaneous papers, 

 two or three blocks with well-executed drawings, apparently Intended for the engraver. 

 These are now in the university mupoum. Possibly the remaininc: drawings and engrav- 

 ings are preserved in the capitol. It is also not improbable that drawings not completely 

 engraved, or engravings not paid for, remained with the engravers; but I find it nowhere 

 stated who were the engravers, though a tradition exists that they resided in Buffalo 

 fWlnchell]. 



» I deduce different results as shown in the exhibit already Introduced. This committee 

 mnkes an error in footing up tne debits of the survey, aud in tbe crodits they do not in- 

 clude any appropriation for 1841. Compare also Governor Felch's statements [Winchell]. 



'The force' of this is denied from the fact that the State was impoverishing itself in 

 spending hundreds of thousands of borrowed money in building railroads. 



