PENNSYLVANIA MINERAL SPRINGS. 123 



PENNSYLVANIA MINERAL SPRINGS. 



SEVERAL members of the series of geological formations, 

 constituting the surface of this State, give origin to valuable 

 mineral springs. When a full, minute, and perfect explora- 

 tion, such as has now been partially achieved by the geo- 

 logical survey of the State, shall be made known to the 

 world, it will be discovered that Pennsylvania, so munifi- 

 cently provided with mineral resources of so great a variety, 

 and so exhaustless in quantity, is also as richly furnished 

 with a diversity of mineral waters. This would follow as a 

 necessary consequence ; the source of all mineralization of 

 water being, as we have seen, the rock formations of the 

 earth, which are the medicated media or sieves, through 

 which it passes after its descent from the clouds. Diversity 

 of composition in mineral masses would then give, conse- 

 quently, a variety of mineralized waters. This we find to be 

 eminently the case throughout the State of Pennsylvania ; 

 and thus it ultimately will be discovered that the State which 

 persists with such obstinate pertinacity to call herself, and 

 insists upon being called by everybody else, the EMPIRE 

 STATE, with her large catalogue of mineral waters, will only 

 have enjoyed her pre-eminence in this particular because the 

 Yankee has been sharp enough to endeavor to ascertain the 

 true character of things about him, and smart enough to tell 

 it to the world when he did the splendid final report of 

 the Geological Survey of New York, and its beautifully ela- 

 borated division on the chemistry of her rocks and mineral 

 springs, having long been before the world.* 



In this department it is to be deeply deplored that Penn- 

 sylvania has so long remained in darkness, and her indus- 



* Mineralogy of New York, by Dr. Beck. 



