186 G. 0. Smith — Government Geological Surveys. 



tion the scientific work of the Powell Survey. Similarly 

 Dr. Hayden was given the opportunity to prepare a sys- 

 tematic digest of his scientific results. This organ- 

 ization of the work and the selection of geolo- 

 gists in charge showed the relation of the new and the 

 old, and a glance at the personnel of the new Survey 

 indicates the extent to which the geologic investigation 

 of the Western country was to continue without interrup- 

 tion. Of the twenty-four geologists and topographers 

 listed in the first administrative report, four had been 

 connected with the Powell Survey, two with the Hayden, 

 three with the Wheeler, and five with the King Survey. 



In planning the initial work of the United States 

 Geological Survey, the Director speaks of the "most 

 important geological subjects' ' and "mining industries," 

 of "instructive geological structure" and "great bullion 

 yield" in the same sentences, so that the intent was plain 

 to make the geologic investigations both theoretical and 

 practical. 



It was expected that the field of operations of this 

 Federal Survey would be at once extended by Congress 

 over the whole United States, but the measure making 

 this extension, which would simply carry out the intent 

 of the f ramers of the legislation creating the new bureau, 

 passed the House alone, and it was only by subsequent 

 modification of the wording of appropriation items that 

 the United States Geological Survey became national in 

 scope as well as in name. The critical question of the 

 effective coordination of State and Federal geologic sur- 

 veys was met by Director King, who corrected an errone- 

 ous impression "industriously circulated" by stating 

 his policy to be to urge the inauguration and continuance 

 of State surveys. 9 This was the initial step in the 

 cooperation between State and Federal surveys which 

 became effective on a large scale in subsequent years. 



Though the Geological Survey has extended its opera- 

 tions over the whole United States, its largest activities 

 have always been directed toward the exploration and 

 development of the newer territory in the public-land 

 States. All four of its directors had their field training 

 in the West : the name of Major Powell, who succeeded 

 King in 1880, is inseparably connected with scientific 



9 For correspondence on this subject, see Minnesota Geol. Survey, Eighth 

 Ann. Kept., 1880, p. 173. 



