44 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. IX. No. 211. 



the work and the reports were practically 

 gifts to the States. The Federal Govern- 

 ment sent topographic expeditions into the 

 Western country, most of them accompanied 

 by a surgeon who had more or less knowl- 

 edge of geology. Under such conditions 

 the number of geologists did not increase, 

 and when the American Association was 

 divided into sections, in 1875, the geologists 

 and naturalists became not Section A, but 

 Section B. 



The rapid development of the country's 

 Internal resources during the war and the 

 attendant growth in manufacturing inter- 

 ests made necessary increased efficiency in 

 scientific training, and enormous gifts were 

 made to our leading institutions for that 

 purpose. The importance of geological 

 knowledge had become very evident during 

 the development of iron, coal and oil re- 

 sources, and the geologist found himself ele- 

 vated suddenly from a place surrounded by 

 suspicion to a post of honor. As an out- 

 growth of the restless activity due to the 

 war came anxiety to learn more accurately 

 the resources of our Western domain be- 

 yond the 100th meridian. The AVar De- 

 partment, through its Engineer Corps, or- 

 ganized the Fortieth Parallel Survey, in 

 charge of Clarence King, and two years 

 afterwards authoi'ized Lieutenant (now 

 Major) George M. Wheeler to undertake 

 what afterwards became the United States 

 Geographical Surveys West of the 100th 

 Meridian. Mr. King's survey was pri- 

 marily for geological work, that of Lieu- 

 tenant Wheeler primarily for topographical 

 work, but each in its own field did all the 

 work, geological or topographical, necessary 

 to the accomplishment of the allotted task. 

 The Interior Department had charge of Dr. 

 F. V. Hayden's surveys, beginning iu 1867, 

 as well as of the work prosecuted by Major 

 J. W. Powell after 1870. The consolida- 

 tion, in 1879, of all the organizations then 

 existing put an end to useless rivalries 



and made possible the formation and exe- 

 cution of broad plans requiring a high 

 grade of preparation in those engaged upon 

 the work. But while these surveys were 

 advancing in the Far West great activity 

 prevailed in the older area. Within a de- 

 cade after the war ended State Surveys 

 were undertaken in New Hampshire, New 

 Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Ken- 

 tucky, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, 

 Iowa, Missouri and other States, while the 

 Canadian Survey, which had gone on unin- 

 terruptedly from the early forties, was made 

 more extended in character. Several of 

 the State Surveys, being well supported by 

 generous appropriations, employed large 

 corps of assistants, paid and volunteer, and 

 were prosecuted with great energy. Under 

 these conditions Section E, that of Geology 

 and Geography, grew rapidly and soon be- 

 came one of the strongest portions of the 

 American Association. 



The conditions which rendered impera- 

 tive an association of geologists in 1840 

 were the present conditions in 1880, but 

 more oppressive. The problems of 1840 

 were chiefly those of a narrow strip within 

 the Appalachian area ; those of 1880 con- 

 cerned the whole continent. Geologists 

 were increasing in numbers, but opportuni- 

 ties for making personal acquaintance were 

 few ; meetings of societies in midsummer 

 could be attended only by those who were 

 not connected with official surveys or were 

 detached for oflice work. Workers were 

 gathering into little groups on geographical 

 lines, and there was danger that our geology 

 would become provincialized. Members of 

 one group regarded those of another with a 

 feeling not altogether unrelated to suspicion; 

 letter- writing took the place of personal 

 communication, with too often the not- un- 

 usual result of complete misunderstanding, 

 with the attendant personal irritation or 

 worse. 



In 1881 the tension was such that several 



