12 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



tions, timber, etc., and the permanent cultural features, such as towns, railroads, etc.; 

 but the less permanent cultural features, the minute natural features, the lesser 

 boundaries, etc., it does not locate. The general geology is given on the maps, but 

 not the minutiae which are necessary for economic purposes. These extra details 

 the State should secure by paying for the additional expense of making maps of a 

 larger scale, and it should be done by prompt action on the part of the Legislature. 

 It is interesting to note the exactness of the Government survey work, in that 

 the average error of the geodetic work of the coast survey is not over one-half inch 

 per mile, and the average error of the topographic work of the geological survey 

 is not over six inches per mile ; that is, in a line of twenty miles the error would be 

 ten feet. That is the height of human accuracy, for such error cannot appear on 

 any ordinary map, even of the larger scale. 



The maps in the far West were constructed by the geological survey on a scale 

 of four miles to the inch. But in the Eastern States in conjunction with the coast 

 surveys, the scale is one mile to the inch, which shows all the minute natural and cul- 

 tured features required. Such a map costs $10 per square mile to survey, one-half 

 being borne by the General Government, and one-half by the State. Such a map the 

 State of Kansas needs and can easily afford for the benefits acquired. Extra minute- 

 ness in the geology will of course cost something additional besides, but only a trifle 

 to this great State with such wonderful mineral resources. There is now enough 

 capital being thrown away in any one year in the blind search for coal, iron, zinc and 

 other minerals to pay for a good geological survey in connection with the national 

 work. Why, the city of Topeka has voted |15,000 for the purpose of boring a shaft 

 to ascertain if a paying vein of coal does not underlie the city somewhere in the 

 bowels of the earth. The experimental boring is to be made on the principle that 

 the coal is sure to be found, if the money holds out to go deep enough. But the 

 geologist knows that there are many factors to be considered in such an experiment, 

 which only an exact and comprehensive survey can furnish. So capital is being 

 wasted everywhere in the State. 



3. The surveys of the General Land Office are made by chart and compass, with- 

 out the least regard to scientific location. Townships are drawn upon paper and 

 then staked out on the ground, beginning anywhere, and ending when it runs up 

 against another party's survey. It seems amazing that there should have been no 

 astronomic starting-point for these surveys, but such is the fact. They should have 

 been founded as the cadastral surveys of other civilized countries are based — upon 

 geodetic surveys; but it was not so done, and cannot now be remedied. Trouble has 

 already arisen in regard to boundaries in many of the Eastern States, and much more 

 difficulty and litigation will follow. The land surveying is performed by contract by 

 private surveyors, being let to the lowest bidder. Anyone can readily appreciate 

 what sort of work that would result in. The surveying was done by a party staking 

 off a north-and-south meridian anywhere, and measuring off the mile-square sections 

 from that. Where the plat of one party joined that of the next, fractions were intro- 

 duced to fill up the space. But fractions also occur elsewhere, owing to errors neces- 

 sarily made by the crude methods of measurement. I>ut even if accurate and well 

 done, it would be impossible to secure permanent boundaries, so necessary for decid- 

 ing disputes, for the starting meridians are located without any reference whatever 

 to the meridians of longitude, astronomically located at regular intervals and readily 

 determined. So that if the accidental meridian of the land survey is lost, by the de- 

 struction of the stakes or corner-stones, it cannot be found again. If the land sur- 

 vey had been properly founded on a scientific survey, boundaries could be readily 

 found and titles of all kinds of property in the West would be more secure. The 

 coast survey, where it has mapped the coast and a narrow strip of adjoining land, 



