KANSAS SCIENTIFIC SURVEY. bW 



York has spent over half a million dollars on her scientific survey, and her rocks 

 have become classic ground. The New York scientific nomenclature is known in 

 all counti-ies, and is the nomenclature of our best geological text books. Her 

 survey has resulted in the profitable investment of a large amount of capital, and 

 since the definite results of the survey have been made known, the unprofitable 

 investment in prospecting for minerals, formerly so common, has ceased. Several 

 other States have prosecuted geological surveys which have fostered many indus- 

 tries and added much to their material wealth. 



But the scientific survey of any country has, we believe, a higher and a 

 broader plane than even the development of its mineral resources. A free and 

 an intelligent people, like those of Kansas, stand related to nature, at many points 

 where science touches the inner life. Nature in her material aspects, contributes 

 to our physical wants, and supplies from her abundant resources the materials 

 with which our homes are constructed, furnished, and beautified. But in a deeper 

 sense nature speaks a language which fills the thoughtful mind with higher and 

 better truths. When nature unfolds her deeper meaning to the percipient mind 

 science begins to fertilize every department of life. The people of Kansas need 

 ample collections in all departments of nature to illustrate scientific studies. The 

 State has already suffered irreparable loss in the transportation from her Western 

 borders of the finest and rarest specimens, to enrich the cabinets of Eastern 

 colleges and universities. Prof. Marsh of Yale College has paid $i,ooo a year 

 to cover the transportation of vertebrate fossils, collected in Western Kansas. 

 Such materials are the richest endowments of educational institutions, and are 

 indispensable in educational processes when conducted on the best plan. Kansas 

 can ill afford to let Eastern institutions rob her colleges, on account of her lethargy,, 

 of rare material of learning which, once gone, can never be replaced. 



During our civil strife, Kansas won golden opinions over the civilized world 

 for the advanced position she took and held in the maintenance of the ideas of 

 freedom. She has a double land grant for the establishment and maintenance of 

 public schools, and her State University has already exhibited a wonderfully 

 vigorous growth. Her Agricultural College, in spite of many discouragements in 

 past years, is beginning to yield excellent results. Intelligent people all'over the 

 State are very anxious to have the scientific survey begin at the earliest practical 

 moment, for Kansas cannot afford to lag behind her sister States in this funda- 

 mental work which lies at the base of the highest physical development and the 

 best intellectual culture. 



The Legislature of Kansas can not do any act which will contribute more to 

 the welfare of all the people of the State and be more acceptable to all intelligent 

 citizens, than to inaugurate the geological survey of the State during the coming 

 session . — Kansas City JournaL 



