MEMORIAL OF C. K. VAN HISE 103 



of some general principle of ore deposition, he took up eagerly and com- 

 prehensively the stndy of ore deposits and developed certain principles of 

 ore deposition, through the action of ordinary ground waters, which be- 

 came the basis of wide discussion and much observation. Geologists are 

 by no means agreed on this difficult subject ; but, whether agreed or not, 

 one can not go very far in the study of ore deposits without having to 

 consider the principles presented by Van Hise. It is tmfortunate that 

 so many geologists have assumed that Van Hise ascribed the origin of 

 ail ore bodies to the kind of processes he emphasized. This was distinctly 

 not his view. His purpose was rather, in view of the strong tendency to 

 connect all ore deposition with vulcanism, to show the application of an- 

 other great set of factors, which were unquestionably important in the 

 deposition of many important groups of ore bodies and which were often 

 ignored by geologists working principally on ore deposits undeniably 

 related to vulcanism. 



The eager search for fundamental laws in the physical field was paral- 

 leled in later life by a similar method of approach to the broad subject of 

 mineral and other natural resources in their human relationships, as 

 expressed in his "Conservation" and in his "Concentration and control." 

 It is unfortunate that he did not live to complete his work on ^^ineral 

 resources and the history of civilization," which is an attempt to formu- 

 late certain principles which have controlled the interrelation of civiliza- 

 tion with natural resources. He presented a paper on this subject in 1909 

 to the International Geological Congress in Sweden, and after that time 

 he wrote and lectured on the subject at odd times, with the result that a 

 volume was approaching completion at the time of his death. The con- 

 ception is a great one and Van Hise had approached the subject with his 

 usual incisiveness. I hope that it may be possible within a reasonable 

 time to find means to complete this work, not only as a memorial to Van 

 Hise, but as a scientific contribution of great significance in these times 

 of world change. 



In each of the fields I have mentioned, Van Hise was in a sense a 

 pathfinder, advancing the frontiers of geologic knowledge with unsur- 

 passed energ}', industry, and enthusiasm. His far-reaching contributions 

 during a comparatively short period of years were vital and significant. 

 He was one of the pioneer geologists, like Gilbert, Chamberlin, and 

 Powell, who set broad lines of geologic investigations for years to come. 



Van Hise's outstanding contribution to the future development of the 

 science of geology is perhaps the emphasis he laid on the (piantitative 

 application of physical and chemical laws. While he obtained large re- 

 sults hv tlu* ay)f»lication of these laws, even more imporfant was the irn- 



