n arose, he gently introduced
the name of the gentleman.

"What view does he take?" inquired the President.

"I think he will be favorable to Mr. King," was the reply; "but
would you give great weight to his opinion?"

"I would give great weight to it, very great weight, indeed," was
the reply.

This expression was too decided in its tone to leave any doubt,
and the geologist in question was on his way to Washington as soon
as electricity could tell him that he was wanted. When the time
finally came for a decision, the President asked Secretary Schurz
for his opinion. Both agreed that King was the man, and he was
duly appointed.

The new administration was eminently successful. But King was
not fond of administrative work, and resigned the position at the
end of a year or so. He was succeeded by John W. Powell, under
whom the survey grew with a rapidity which no one had anticipated.
As originally organized, the survey was one of the territories only,
but the question whether it should not be extended to the States as
well, and prepare a topographical atlas of the whole country, was
soon mooted, and decided by Congress in the affirmative. For this
extension, however, the original organizers of the survey were in
no way responsible. It was the act of Congress, pure and simple.

If the success of an organization is to be measured by the public
support which it has commanded, by the extension of its work and
influence, and by the gradual dying out of all opposition, it must be
admitted that the plan of the academy was a brilliant success. It is
true that a serious crisis had once to be met. While Mr. Cleveland
was governor of New York, his experience with the survey of that
State had led him to distrust the methods on which the surveys
of the United States were being conducted. This distrust seems
to have pervaded the various heads of the departments under his
administration, and led to serious charges against the conduct of
both the Coast and Geological surveys. An unfavorable report upon
the administration of the former was made by a committee especially
appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury, and led to the resignation
of its superintendent. But, in the case of the Geological Survey,
the attacks were mostly conducted by the newspapers. At length,
Director Powell asked permission of Secretary Lamar to write him a
letter in reply. His answers were so sweeping, and so conclusive
on every point, tha