66 EDITORIAL 



years of the survey, such well-known men as J. D. Whitney, Henry 

 Englemann, Leo Lesquereaux, F. B. Meek, and J. S. Newberry, 

 and while the personnel of the corps changed somewhat in the course 

 of years, the roll included always well-known and honorable names. 



The work of the Worthen survey was largely directed to a study 

 of the general geology and paleontology of the state, and was carried 

 out by counties, the entire state being covered. It resulted in a gen- 

 eral geologic map, on the scale of six miles to the inch, and, in addi- 

 tion to the county reports, individual papers on the various formations 

 and groups of fossils. There were, however, no economic reports, 

 as that term is now understood, and when the legislature directly 

 ordered a report on the economic geology of the state, the law was 

 nominally complied with by making a scissors-and-paste compilation 

 from the general volumes and publishing separately three small octa- 

 vos. In those days the close relations of geology to industry and to 

 technology were not so well understood as now, and geologists con- 

 sidered work on paleontology and pure science more in keeping with 

 the dignity of their profession. The older survey none the less laid 

 broad and deep foundations for future work and very greatly stim- 

 ulated the development of the mineral resources of the state. When 

 it was discontinued — and field-work seems to have practically stopped 

 in 1872 — the curator of the museum took up the work of a bureau of 

 information, and, despite the fact that that office soon became part 

 of the political spoils of the state, this work at least was well done. 



Feehng the need of a modern re-study of the state, and particu- 

 larly the completion of the economic work left by the older organiza- 

 tion, the last General Assembly appropriated $25,000 annually for 

 the field-work during the biennial term, and provided for a 

 further draft of $5,000 a year on the printing funds of the state, if 

 necessary. The credit for this move belongs largely and directly 

 to Governor C. S. Deneen who, when the matter was brought to his 

 attention, saw at once its importance and devoted himself to bring- 

 ing the matter about. The co-operation of many others was of 

 course very important, but the active interest of the state adminis- 

 tration was essential, and is significant of the new creed that the best 

 government is the best politics, and that reform means as much doing 

 new things as correcting old abuses; it must be dynamic, not static. 



