154 The American Geologist. March, i89o 
long shall we have these young men asking how this and that 
study, this and that bit of training are going to be of any use 
to them. As men who love science for its own sake, we get 
weary of such questions, and some of us feel driven, in order 
to emphasize our warnings, to avoid the useful altogether. 
Thus we occasionally have, on the one hand, men who have a 
horror of doing anything that is liable to be of practical value, 
and on the other, men who have no patience with an investi- 
gation which does not promise some tangible, material reward 
for their pains. My opinion is that there is little to choose 
between in these two types. One of them is just as far wrong 
as the other. 
There are many pitfalls in the pathway of the geologist — 
many inducements for him to profit just a little too much by 
his experience. His duties are often of a very delicate nature. 
He is called upon to examine and report upon properties 
where large sums of money are involved, and where the infor- 
mation obtained in his professional work might be used by 
him for his personal advantage. The importance of a right 
way of thinking and acting in this connection is of the utmost 
importance, for if one does not conduct himself properly just 
here he is liable to gain a good share of the whole world "but 
to lose his own soul." I am reminded to quote the man who 
advised his son to avoid the appearance of evil : "Never mind 
the evil itself, but avoid the appearance of evil." This is, of 
course, a perversion of good advice. "Avoid the very appear- 
ance of evil and evil will avoid you," is good advise for the 
geologist, as Avell as for other folks. 
I may say briefly that a professional geologist, especially if 
he is in a public place, such as state geologist, or is in any 
way connected with a state or national survey, has no moral 
right to have a personal interest in any mining property, or in 
any other property a knowledge of the value of which might 
come to him through his knowledge of geology. Abstaining 
from such interests is a duty the geologist in public employ 
owes to himself as well as to the public, and the public has 
the right both to expect and to demand that its employes 
shall not walk off with the profits of its investments, just as a 
manufacturer has the right to demand that his employes shall 
not appropriate the articles they make. The geologist not in 
public employ who becomes personally interested in mining 
