Personal and Scientific Hews. 269 
In economic results the existence of extensive deposits of free gold 
and of gold and silver-bearing lead, copper and zinc ores has' been 
fully demonstrated. As in the central district, deposits of minerals 
containing the rare metals are abundant and many new minerals are 
under examination. 
On the 13th of January, we announced the finding of platinum and 
tin by Prof. W. H. Streeruwifz, in the Quitman mountains, El Paso 
county, and while it is not possible, at this time, to make a positive 
statement regarding the quantity in which these metals are likely to be 
found in this district, the fact that their presence has been thus defi- 
nitely determined should prove an additional incentive to active prospect- 
ing in this region, concerning which we have already made such strong 
statements in the publications of the survey. 
The second annual report is now in the hands of the printer and it 
will be issued at an early date. Yours very truly, 
E. T. Dumble, State Geologist. 
Austin, March 5th, 1891. 
PERSONAL AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
The Legislature of the State of Alabama has placed the 
appropriation for the Geological Survey at $7,500 a year, and 
made it continuous, i. e. till otherwise provided by act of the 
General Assembly. This puts the survey on a very desirable 
footing as to permanence. The printing, engraving and all pub- 
lication come out of another fund, the above-named appropri- 
ation being for salaries, and field and office work and general 
expenses. Prof. Smith proceeds at once to the more detailed 
examination and mapping of the Warrior and Coosa coal fields. 
, Governor James P. Eagle, of Arkansas, sketches the im- 
portant features of the work done by the Geological Survey and 
also enumerates that which remains yet to be done. The annual ap- 
propriation has been 5,000 dollars per year. He thinks that sum 
is too small and instances Texas which appropriates 35,000 dollars 
per year for field work, Alabama which has given $5,000 per 
year since 1882, Illinois which expended $139,700 in four years, 
Indiana which has annually paid $5,000 since 1869, the Iowa 
survey which had $6,500 annually, Michigan, which spent 
$91,000 in four years, Wisconsin $149,000 in six years, Ohio 
which spent $7, 788 a year in field and office work, Pennsylvania 
which has spent nearly a million and a quarter in eleven years, 
and New York which has spent nearly two millions of dollars on 
its geological survey. These figures show that the Arkansas sur- 
vey, in the judgment of Gov. Eagle, has been conducted economi- 
cally. "When we compare the expense of the survey with the 
