230 Clarence King. 



winter of 1877-8, and published in a quarto volume of more 

 than 800 pages under the title of " Systematic Geology." It 

 has been characterized as the most masterly summary of a 

 great piece of geological field work that has ever been written, 

 and is used to this day by university professors of geology as a 

 model for their advanced students. 



King's crowning service to geological science in America 

 followed shortly after the completion of the 40th Parallel 

 work. After two of his field seasons had demonstrated the 

 practicability of geological map-making in the west, the 

 Wheeler Survey was inaugurated under the Engineer Depart- 

 ment of the Army, and the already existing Hayden Survey 

 later adopted his example in making topographical maps as a 

 basis for its geology, employing for this purpose the 40th 

 Parallel topographers after their term of service in the latter 

 Survey had expired. The work of these two organizations 

 became so popular that each desired to cover the whole of the 

 unsurveyed area in the west, and their rivalry in time became 

 so intense that the influence of either party with Congress was 

 used to curtail the appropriation allotted to the other. Asa 

 final result of this rivalry the time came when there was serious 

 danger that all government aid for geological work would be 

 cut off. It was mainly through King's influence among the 

 leading scientific men of the country and his tactful manage- 

 ment of affairs in Congress that this crisis was averted. The 

 question was referred to the National Academy of Sciences, 

 and their recommendations, which were on lines laid down by 

 him, were finally adopted by Congress, and on March 3, 1879, 

 a law was passed establishing the United States Geological 

 Survey as a bureau of the Interior Department. President 

 Hayes, after consultation with the best scientists of the country, 

 appointed Clarence King as the first director of the new Bureau. 

 King accepted the appointment with the distinct understand- 

 ing that he should remain at its head only long enough to 

 appoint its staff, organize its work, and guide its forces into 

 full activity. At the close of Hayes' term, he offered his 

 resignation, but at the President's request, he held over until 

 after the inauguration of Garfield. The latter accepted it, on 

 March 12th, 1881, in an autograph letter, expressing in the 

 warmest terms his appreciation of the efficiency of King's 

 service and his regret that he did not find it possible to remain 

 longer in charge of the Geological Bureau. 



Brief as was the duration of his administration, his influence, 

 being exercised at the critical period of the Survey's existence, 

 left a lasting impress upon it. He outlined the broad, general 

 principles upon which its work should be conducted and its 

 subsequent success has been in a great measure dependent upon 



