62 National Geograjyhic Magazine. 



The proposed survey was strongly advocated by President Jef- 

 ferson, and the Secretary of the Treasury, Mr. Gallatin, and in 

 February, 1807, Congress passed the first act providing for the 

 work. Thirteen separate plans, or schemes, were submitted for 

 consideration ; among the number was one by Professor F, R. 

 Hassler, which was finally adopted, and Professor Hassler was 

 appointed the first superintendent. It is not necessary to dwell, 

 in detail, upon the varying fortunes of the survey during the 

 three-quarters of a century that have passed since the original 

 act authorizing it. The first thirty years of experiment, before 

 it was finally established as a bureau of the Treasury Department, 

 show only too clearly the ignorance and prejudice against which 

 the supporters — we may say founders — of the survey had to con- 

 tend. But they had only the experience of all men who attempt 

 the inauguration of new things of which it cannot be shown that 

 they will return a cash profit at the end of six months. To the 

 opponents of the measure cash could not be seen at all, and the 

 profit, whatever it should be, was only an intangible kind of ben- 

 efit to be realized in the future by additional security to their 

 property and commerce ; but, in reality, as has since been appre- 

 ciated, the direct saving of many millions of dollars annually. 



The war of 1812 interrupted Professor Hassler's labors and it 

 was not until 1817 that he actually commenced work; but he 

 was stopped the next year by a limitation of the law requiring 

 the work to be performed by the Military Departments. In 1832 

 Congress passed a special act reviving the law of 1807 and Pro- 

 fessor Hassler was again appointed Superintendent. A further 

 interruption occurred in .1834 by the transfer of the bureau to 

 the Navy Department, but this was of short duration, as it was 

 re-transferred to the Treasury Dej)artment in 1836, where it has 

 since remained. Professor Hassler continiied as Superintendent 

 until his death in November, 1 843. He was succeeded by Professor 

 A. D. Bache, who was fortunate in assuming the charge under 

 much more favorable auspices than had prevailed under his 

 predecessor. 



By the appropriation bill passed in March, 184 3, the President 

 was directed to appoint a Commission to reorganize the Bureau 

 and prescribe methods for its future conduct. The plan recom- 

 mended by the Commission was substantially that which had 

 been followed by Professor Hassler. It was approved by the 

 President a few months before Professor Bache assumed the 



