A CENTURY OF GOVERNMENT GEOLOGICAL 



SURVEYS 



By GEORGE OTIS SMITH 



Director of the United States Geological Survey 



EVEN a Federal Bureau must be considered a 

 product of evolution : the past of the United States 

 Geological Survey far antedates March 3, 1879. 

 The scope of endeavor, the refinement of method, and 

 especially the personnel of the newly created service of 

 that day were largely inherited from pioneer organiza- 

 tions. Therefore a review of the country's record of 

 surveys under Government auspices becomes more than 

 a grateful acknowledgment by the present generation of 

 geologists of the credit due to those who blazed the way ; 

 it shows the sequence and progress in the contributions 

 made by geologic science to industry. 



The earlier stages in industrial evolution mentioned by 

 Hess 1 exploitation, development, and maturity deter- 

 mine a somewhat similar progressive development in 

 geologic investigation, so that geographic exploration 

 and geologic reconnaissance of the broadest type are the 

 normal contribution of exact science whenever and 

 wherever a nation is in the state of exploitation and 

 initial development of its mineral and agricultural 

 resources. The refinements of detailed surveys and 

 quantitative examinations belong rather to the next stage 

 of intensive utilization, or, indeed, they are the essentials 

 preliminary to full use. Thus regrets that the results of 

 present-day work were not available fifty years ago are 

 largely vain : the fathers may not have been without the 

 vision ; they simply did the work as their day and gener- 

 ation needed it done. 



