i5 



getting the money appropriated and getting the survey 

 reestablished. That was that that young man himself 

 should go to the members of the Legislature, and let them 

 see what manner of man he was, and tell them what inter- 

 ests the people of this State had in the economic side of 

 the question, leaving the scientific and higher portion of 

 the subject to take care of itself. That man was George 

 H. Cook, then a professor in Rutgers, with a previous 

 record as a teacher in the Troy Polytechnic Institute. I 

 aided him to some extent, introducing him to the mem- 

 bers whom I knew. The result was the passage of the act, 

 in 1864, by which the Geological Survey was revived, and 

 the singular compliment paid to Doctor Cook of having 

 him named in the Act, as the Geologist who was to super- ' 

 intend its operation. He was named because of the uni- 

 versal conviction that if he would undertake the work, it 

 would not only be well, but be honestly done. There was 

 not a single vote in opposition to this measure, and the 

 appropriation was made. If I remember rightly, the 

 appropriation was eight thousand dollars, possibly it was 

 five thousand, but I think it was eight thousand dollars. 



A Board of Commissioners was established from each 

 congressional district. There were five districts. The 

 original commissioners are now dead, all except four. I 

 believe the other three, with myself, are now in this room. 

 The survey was organized promptly, and Doctor Cook, 

 anxious to have the work done, refused to receive any 

 compensation for his personal services. He was finally 

 persuaded by the Commissioners to take a small sum — 

 very small, I think it was eight hundred dollars — out of 

 the appropriation, because we knew it involved expenses 

 as well as sacrifices, and the survey went on for four years, 

 when what was known as the final report of 1S68 was 

 finished. We became very well acquainted with Doctor 

 Cook, I mean the Commissioners. I think of all the men 



