42 



of tlie first fertilizer control law wliich was eiiac-ted in this State, a law 

 which did so mucli to protect the farmers from fraud, and in its applica- 

 tion to point out to them the fundamental principle of applying artificial 

 fertilizer. This is another remarkable instance in which the geological 

 development of the State was associated with the chemical. Mr. Collett 

 had a strong personality. His snow-white beard and hair, his bright blue 

 eyes, and his ruddy complexion made him a striking figure everywhere. 

 The end of Mr. Collett's administration of office was followed by a re- 

 markable innovation of a scientific nature. A distinguished poet and nov- 

 elist, James Maurice Thompson, was elected to succeed Mr. Collett as 

 State Geologist. Mr. Thompson has shown in his writings an intimate 

 acquaintance with nature, but it was a poetic rather tlian a scientific 

 knowledge which lie possessed. Evidently the courses of scientific re- 

 search were not found compatible with his efforts so signal and success- 

 fid in the fields of poetry and fiction. After two years he resigned his 

 office. There was perhaps little loss to geology in his resignation, but 

 evidently a marked gain to literatiu-e, for had he remained as State Geol- 

 ogist that delightful romance, "Ali<-e of Old Vincennes," would probably 

 not have >>een written. ^Nlr. Thompson was succeeded Ijy Mr. S. S. Gorby, 

 who held the position until the present inciimbent assiimed control of the 

 office. We are so familiar with the valuable work which Mr. Blatchley 

 has accomplished that it will not be necessary for me to dwell long upon 

 it. One of the innovations which has been of distinct value in the prose- 

 cution of the geological survey of the State by Mr. Blatchley was the 

 abolition of the method of county surveys formerly in vogue. In their 

 stead he adopted the plan of taking up each of the natural resources in 

 detail, and preparing a monograph or special report thereon, accompanied 

 by maps, cuts, engravings and tables of chemical and physical tests. An- 

 other successful application of economic science to industry has resulted 

 from a study of the clay deposits in the State. The description of the char- 

 acter of these clays, Avith their chemical and physical composition, has 

 become valuable to intending investors and more than twenty large fac- 

 tories have been established in Clay, Vigo, Fountain, Vermillion, Parke, 

 Morgan and other counties for the manufacture of clay products. The 

 total value of the output of these factories in 1!)00 was .$3,3.j8,350. Another 

 result of the geological studies of Indiana was the discovery of petroleum 

 oil deposits. The output of oil in the State of Indiana in 1901 was 5,749,- 

 975 barrels, of which the market value was only a little less than $1.U0 



