fuller.] COLLECTION OF WELL RECORDS AND SAMPLES. 37 
both to science and to the practical driller, would undoubtedly be lost 
if the samples were discarded as soon as examined. Of course, cer- 
tain simple types of sandstones, shales, and limestones can be described 
with a considerable degree of accuracy, and such samples, together 
with duplicates from the same, bed, can be discarded, but the present 
policy is to preserve everything that can possibly be of value. 
Labeling of sample bottles. — When the samples are transferred to 
the bottles a label is made out from the field label which accompanies 
the sample It is printed on gummed paper, so that it may be easily 
attached to the bottle, and on it are written the well and sample 
number, depth, date, locution, and name of owner. 
Temporary files. — The samples frequently come in one or two at a 
time, and it is generally desirable to postpone final examination until 
all those from the same well have been received. As received they 
are put into bottles, labeled, given well and sample numbers, and put 
into a case for temporary filing. The object of the temporary files is 
to afford storage for samples from miscellaneous wells until the sets 
from the individual wells are complete. The cases are built in units 
with smooth ends 40 inches long, 32^ inches high, 24 inches deep, and 
arc provided with glass doors to shut out the dust. Each contains 14 
drawers in 2 rows of 7 each. Each drawer is 15-J- b}^ 20£ inches, 
inside measurement, and is 2| inches deep. The guides are so placed 
(hat a space of three-fourths of an inch is left between each drawer 
to allow for the projecting bottles. The drawers are further subdi- 
vided by pasteboard partitions, similar to those used in packing eggs, 
into 108 compartments, each one of which will hold four of the 
smaller bottles or one of the large jars. The maximum capacity is 
432 bottles to a drawer, or about 5,000 to a case. As but few of the 
larger jars are used, the actual capacity is very near the maximum. 
Permanent sf<>i<t</< of samples. — After examination, or when a set is 
complete, if desired the samples are filed in permanent storage cases 
of the same type as the temporary files. The compactness of the stor- 
age system will be appreciated when it is pointed out that over 200,000 
samples can be stored in a 10 by 15 foot room. The samples are filed 
by wells, which are numbered consecutively as the reports are received, 
the numbers being entered on the record cards, which are filed alpha- 
betically under States a'nd counties. 
RECORDS COLLECTED INDEPENDENTLY OF SAMPLES. 
The most thoughtful drillers generally keep records of all wells 
drilled in new fields, but do not attempt to save samples, because of 
the labor involved in their handling and storage under ordinary condi- 
tions. Many of these records, which are often of much value in deter- 
mining the geologic features of the region, have been, through the 
