88 The American Geologist. February, 1899 
to carry on the geological work on the strata of New York 
which he had already begun, and would also allow him to 
continue his studies under Prof. Eaton. When the first geo- 
logical survey of the state of New York was organized in 
1836, he was appointed assistant to Dr. Emmons and from 
that time to the day of his death Prof. Hall was connected 
with the institution whenever it was in existence. Much of 
the time he was the whole survey corps, himself, and he ex- 
pended largely of his private means to carry it on, when other 
resources failed him. Prof. Stevenson rapiaiy passed in re- 
view Hall's connection with geological work in New York 
state, Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin, and on material brought 
liome by several government expeditions, as well as by those 
which he himself had sent out into what was then the great 
West. The speaker paid high tribute to Prof. Hall's acute- 
ness of perception, ability to stimulate others to work, perti- 
nacity of purpose, frankness of character and the steadfastness 
of his friendships in spite of many sharp contests. 
Prof. Stevenson's presidential address was entitled "Our 
Society," and gave a concise history of geological societies 
in America and showed the necessity for their existence and 
their v^lue to the scientific and general public. In abstract it 
was as follows: 
Several travelers of the eighteenth century, among them especially 
Guettard, Alexander, and Schoepf, gave more or less important in- 
formation respecting the geological structure and mineral resources 
of our country, but geological work, properly so called, began only 
with McClure's studies in 1806. The publication of his results, pre- 
sented to the American Philosophical Society of Philadelphia, on 
January 20, 1809, led others to make studies, and soon afterward 
there appeared numerous papers dealing with geological subjects. By 
1820 the students of geology had become so numerous that the 
American Geological Society was organized in New Haven, Conn., 
where meetings were held certainly until the end of 1828. Before 
another decade had passed there were groups of geologists in New 
England, New York, and Pennsylvania, while Olmstead and Van- 
uxem had made preliminary surveys -in North Carolina and South 
Carolina, Troost had begun the survey of Tennessee and Hitchcock 
that of Massachusetts. In 1832 the Pennsylvania geologists, feeling 
much in need of an official survey of their State, organized the Geo- 
logical Society of Pennsylvania to arouse public interest and thus 
attain the desired result. The volume of their publications contains 
l.apers which attack geological and economic problems of the first 
