of overstraining at words, and it shows that Mr. Voldo can be really
pleasant, if he will only be simple. Well, two out of fifty is above the
average!

* * * * *

It is only two years since a prominent American geologist wrote to a
foreign scientific paper that he had been on the point of sending to
Germany for two or three men to assist him in an important State
survey.[R] His reason for this determination was that our country did
not possess men competent to find and follow up intelligently the
different strata; except those who were already engaged on other
surveys. Luckily this discreditable act was prevented by the sudden
abandonment of one of these other surveys, which released assistants
enough to satisfy this extremely difficult gentleman. The truth is that,
by some means, geological science has been pushed in this country with
great vigor and with grand results. Within the last ten years there has
been a revival of energy in that particular science which recalls the
golden days of Hugh Miller, Murchison, Agassiz, and Lyell. The time when
the very exacting gentleman, above alluded to, could not find helpers on
this side of the Atlantic, was the middle point around which were
grouped the surveys of Newberry and Andrews in Ohio, Clarence King in
Nevada, Whitney in California, Wheeler and Powell south of the Pacific
Railroad, and Hayden north of that line. Michigan was just finishing a
partial, but extremely productive, survey of her mineral regions.
Missouri had plunged hopefully into another. Pennsylvania was planning
the comprehensive work in which Leslie and his aids are now engaged.
Indiana, New Jersey, and other States had taken the great steps so much
desired by the initiated all over the world, and had made the geologist
a standing member of their government. All this had been done without
the _necessary_ importation of a foreigner. One or two foreigners had
obtained employment on these surveys, but only because they came here
and sought the work. Nearly every one of the young men who performed the
work of assistants was an American. It is safe to say that in this
revival of geological work from twenty to fifty young Americans have
learned to be scientific men. As to the results of their activity, it is
sufficient to read a report like that of Mr. Powell, to find how rapidly
they are adding to our knowledge of the earth's history, and even
altering the canons of scientific