A CENTURY OF GEOLOGY IN INDIANA. 97 



State, commencing with those portions in the vicinity of the contemplated 

 public works (alwaj's having reference to the directions hereinafter pro^^ded) 

 and thence through the other portions of the State with as much expedition 

 and accuracy as may be consistent with minuteness and dispatch and he 

 shall prepare and lay before the legislature a detailed account of all remark- 

 able discoveries made and the progress of the work, accompanied with proper 

 maps and diagrams including a geological chart of the State. 



Sec. .3. — It shall further be the duty of the Geologist of the State, at 

 those seasons not suited to the active prosecution of the geological survey, 

 to analyze and ascertain the qualities and properties of mineral substances 

 or soils left at his office or residence for that purpose by any citizen of the 

 State and taken from any portion of the territory of the State. 



Sec. 4. — That the said Geologist appointed by virtue of this act, shall be, 

 subject to the orders of the executive of the State and shall hold himself 

 ready on reasonable notice to make geological examinations in the vicinity 

 of t,he canals, railroads or other works of internal improvements which the 

 legislature has or may hereafter direct to be made. Provided, That this act 

 shall expire at the termination of the year 1838 unless the same be re-enacted 

 by the next Legislature of the State. 



Sec. 5. — This Act to be in force from and after its passage. 



Right here I wish to call attention to certain phrases of this Act which I 

 have emphasized in the reading. This was probably the first sum ever 

 appropriated by a Legislature of Indiana for scientific purposes. That emi- 

 nent body evidently thought it was buying a gold brick and proposed to 

 pay for it the least sum possible. Here it was proposed to hire a man who 

 had spent years and probably thousands of dollars in preparing himself for 

 the work — "A person of talents, integrity and scientific attainments," who 

 shall travel on foot or on horseback through a wilderness from one end of the 

 State to another and make a "complete and minute" geological survey of 

 the whole State with accompanying charts and geological maps. For this 

 he was to receive the munificent sum of SI, .500 a year and $250 for all expenses. 

 He had to do all the work himself or else hire assistants and pay them out 

 of his own salary or that S250. He was to do field work for nine months of 

 the year and for the other three, instead of having his time to prepare his 

 report and make his maps, he was to analyze soils and minerals for every 

 crank and hobo that wanted something of the kind done. Ye Gods and little 

 fishes! I wish the author of that bill were here tonight to take his medicine. 



This then was the beginning of that short sighted parsimonious policy 

 which has continued, toward not only the geological department but every 

 other scientific bureau of the State of Indiana, from that day to this. The 

 writer carried on the work of the Geological Department of the State for 

 sixteen years with never to exceed .?4,2.50 a year for help and all expenses, 

 when Illinois Avas getting $25,000, Pennsylvania -$100,000 and other states 

 in proportion. The average politician who is chosen as a "representative" 

 (mark the word) of the dear "peepul" of the State of Indiana knows nothing 

 8432 — 7 



