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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXIX. No. 740 



of tlie mineral resources of the country and 

 its influence on the various industrial ac- 

 tivities throughout the United States," and 

 that it " has been prepared with aid received 

 from the Carnegie Institution of Washington, 

 and is to form part of the Economic History 

 of the United States, which is to be published 

 by that Institution. . . . The work has been 

 conducted under the supervision of Mr. Ed- 

 ward W. Parker " and its preparation " has oc- 

 cupied two years," etc., from January, 1906, 

 to January, 1908. 



Perhaps the value of such a contribution is 

 enhanced by its character as a compilation, 

 and this may give some excuse for the repeti- 

 tion of details under different heads. But the 

 very semblance of statistical quality empha- 

 sizes the advantages which might have ac- 

 crued from the presence of an adequate index 

 or an expanded system of paragraphing. So 

 very much of laboriously collected material 

 has been itemized in the 720 pages, that 

 thousands of entries would be necessary to 

 properly catalogue them. This work has but 

 600 references in the index, and these are 

 mostly equivalent to the titles of broad divi- 

 sions of the text. There are typographical 

 errors in proper names of the west, some dis- 

 pleasing errors in grammar and rhetoric and 

 other literary blemishes, but these can all be 

 corrected in later editions and are much less 

 conspicuous than would be the case but for 

 the heavy proportion of quotations, in which 

 these defects do not appear. 



There are seven chapters, covering various 

 aspects of gold and silver. The first deals 

 in a semi-philosophical way with precious 

 metal mining as " a factor in the industrial 

 growth of the United States," crediting this 

 industry very largely with the development of 

 civilizing influences, by the inception of agri- 

 culture, extension of transportation facilities, 

 expansion of finance, stimulation of scientific 

 enterprises, the upbuilding of mining schools 

 and the general development of the mining 

 industry. 



The history of the discovery and growth 

 of precious metal mining and metallurgy is 

 then given in great detail, by geographic 



divisions, followed by a fuU chronologic 

 treatment, covering the period from 1513 to 

 1906. 



This portion of the work bears evidence of 

 painstaking library research, and probably the 

 results are, all considered, as satisfactory as 

 could have been anticipated by this method 

 alone. It is cause for regret that an institu- 

 tion of the prestige of the Carnegie should 

 not have availed itself of the services of re- 

 viewers in all parts of the country in order 

 to preserve an even balance throughout the 

 record. It is no disparagement to the able 

 young author to suggest this; for he has per- 

 formed uncommonly well an arduous task, in 

 assorting his material and condensing it as he 

 has done. The general impress is correct, re- 

 markably so, indeed. Very few false conclu- 

 sions are expressed, although some errors are 

 apparent, which need not here be specified. 



Chapter III. treats of " Occurrence and As- 

 sociation of Gold and Silver." It opens with 

 a professedly cursory review of current 

 theories of ore deposition, which is a model 

 of perspicuity and a striking example of self- 

 restraint in the presentation of the current 

 aspect of a much-involved series of problems. 

 The summary of it all is the quotation from 

 A. G. Lock, which puts the case in a nutshell. 



Following is a general discussion of the 

 variety of mineral occurrences, ending with 

 a review of prejudiced notions and their in- 

 jurious effects upon the mining industry. 



Then come 120 pages of detailed descrip- 

 tions of occurrence, arranged alphabetically 

 by states. This chapter gathers a vast array 

 of facts, wholly unclassified and largely re- 

 petitive, but often useful in this form. There 

 has been here no attempt to arrange this ma- 

 terial more specifically, or to trace connection 

 between the minor areas. Many more pages 

 are taken up with the occurrence, geograph- 

 ically, of gold in gravels. 



Only ten pages (chapter IV.) are given to 

 the geologic distribution of gold and silver, 

 and this deficit must be regarded as a blemish. 

 It is true that the presentation in this concise 

 manner bears abundant evidence of the au- 

 thor's thorough acquaintance with the subject 



