The times and democrat. (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, June 27, 1911, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3
With the breath of spring comes to
all of Uncle Sam's Geolological Sur
vey men the call of the vast stretch
es of sagebrush and shortgrass coun
try of . the West, the mountains and
.glaciers of the backbone of the coun
try, and the snow-bound territory of
Alaska. During the winter months
-they have been busy at their desks in
the office a: Washington, but now the
reports and maps of the last field sea
son are completed and the geologists,
the hydrogaphers, the topographers^
the animal and plant fossil experts,
and other specialists are spreading
Throughout the United States and in
to the vast silent places of Alaska.
There are over five hundred of
these field men of science . The to
pographers will invade the remote
places in many western States that
are yet unsurveyed, and will also
push their way into unknown parts
of Alaska. Among the newly dis
covered coal beds of Arizona, Utah
and other states the coal geologist
will busy themselves in the land clas
sification work that has proved to
"be of such great economic value.
The topographers and hydrogra
?phers are perhaps more widely trav
eled than any other of the field men,
tor they are going to carry their map
making and their study of water
power and lakes and streams into the
Hawaiian Islands. Phosphate' beds
are constantly being discovered and
classified The discovery of another
fertilizer, no less than potash, is con
Udently hoped for in the great pre
"historic lake basins of the. arid re
gion, where vast beds of the mineral,
so vital to our farmers, were un
doubtedly deposited in the early ages
of the world.
Summer finds the men of the Sur
vey scattered through the swamps
find desists, the .mountiaincfas re
gions and the rural districts of the
country, leaving only a small admin
istrative body at the headquarters at
"Washington. If one might obtain a
nird's eye view of the United States
and its territories it would be inter
esting to note the progress of these
small bands of workers.
Among the snow-covered mountain
ridges and through swollen rivers
they struggle. Forest fires threaten
them and in some districts so num
erous are the dangers by which they
are surrounded that even the new
?field assistant, thi^ting for exper
lence, is more than satisfied. But
seldom are there any real mishaos,
for adequate preparations are made
to overcome most difficulties. As a
matter ol fact, what seems to the
first year man daily adventures, oft
time too thrilling, become, after a I
year or two of service, simply a part
of the days work, and not of suffi
cient imrortence to mention. Men
who have gone through trials and ex
periences in the high Sierra country,
along the vast Continental Divide, or
who have placed their maps on the
untrodden sections of Alaska in the
hands of "explorers'' who come later,
can scarce be prevailed upon to ad
mit that Ihey have ever had any "ex
periences."
Laden with their telescopes, their
plane tables and other surveying in
struments, the topographers are gen
erally first on the field unexplored by
survey men. All the rnboimtans, can
yons, and plains of the country are
duly sketched; no lake, marsh,
stream, spring or Inequality of the
ground escapes the surveyor's eye.
The Geological Survey maps are made
in the fle'd, upon the ground and are
more acrurate than would be a se
ries of plxttogTaphs.
In the closer populated districts
all the routes of travel, the cities, the
towns and even the farm houses are
carefully indicated on the topogra
pher's field map which is later en
graved and published at Washington.
During the thirty-one years of the
Survey's existence, the topographers
have survoyd in this fine detail more
than one-'.hird of the United States
and much territory in Alaska. Be
sides the country actually mapped,
large arer.s have been covered in a j
reconnaissance way, and this is es
pecially true of Alaska, where the
Survey has been active only about
ten years.
Indeed, of the 600,000 square
miles of that north country there is
less than a third that has not been
explored in a greater or less degree
by the Geological Survey men The
work in Alaska, which, with the ex
ception of a few centers, is almosl to
tally undeveloped, is naturally more
difficult than in the United States
RKof>lfi<
proper. In some of the districts the
men can not depend on pack trains
or even dogs, but must rely upon the
sturdlness of their own legs, or resort
to canoe travel. In many Instances,
especially during the earlier purely
exploratory work, advantage has been
taken of the enormous length of some
of the Alaskan rivers. Worlkng their
way up one stream as far as possible
with canoes, they portage to the
head-waters of another stream flow
in.? in a different direction, and de
scend that stream, emerging perhaps
inlo another ocean.
In such cases it has been no holi
day jaunt to work a couple of heavily
laden canoes, carrying five months of
provisions, up the rapids of some
swiftly flowing mountain stream with
the .glacial water at a temperature of
40 to 50 degrees Nor when the
stream shallowed to get out into the
icy water and push and pull. One
twelve mile portage across the central
part, of the Seward Peninsula occu
pied a week. Several trips were nec
essary, the men carrying their canoes
and th6ir provisions and camp outfit
?over a mountain divide 1200 feet
high.
For four or five or six months?
until the snows of the fall drive them
in?many of these field men live and
work in the wilderness apparently
oblivious to the outside world. They
map out. practically untrod -ground,
occasionally meeting some prospector,
but for the most part having only an
J2j2oio?rapnm? Among I
intercourse with each other. Living
three or four of them in a littie world
of their own for perhaps half a
year do they become homesick? Well
i naturally, as the leaden skies of au
tumn forecast the close of the field
season, there may be a wish to get In
touch with the haunts of men.
"Lool, fellows, the northern lights
are wonderful to-night." enthusiasti
cally cried one member of jjst such
a party.
"Northern lights!" groaned a,
weary traveler. "Good heavens! for,
a sight of the white lights of some
town."
Yet when the sap begins to Bwell
the buds the next spring, these same
men will be the most eager to fare
I forth again in the wildernesa.
The result of the topographer's la
bor is a map so wonderfully accurate
that it is noted throughout the world,
and the United States Geological Sur
vey men have been called upon to
teach topograhic mapping in many
foreign countries and to organize gov
jermentai topographic surveys from
Canada to Argentina. During the
past year 36,53 0 miles in the United
States proper were topographically
surveyed in groat detail. The survey
has its own engraving plant and it
is one of the greatest map engraving
establishments in the country. The
maps are used in all government de
partments and by engineers and min
ers engaged in private enterprises. I
eGEQLO
They are ideal automobile maps.
In the western part of the United
States are about 70,000,000 acres of
coal land still owned by the govern
ment, in addition to the great coal
fields of Alaska. It is the work of
the coal .geologist to examine these
coal beds, to estimate the tonnage per
acre and to fix the sale price. This
land classification work has proved to
be of great economic value to the gov
ernment. Until .1906, all of the gov
ernment coal land was sold at a price
of $10 to $20 an acre, fixed according
to its proximity to railroads and with
out regard to its real value.
Now, however, Uncle Sam is man
aging his vast coal property en a bus
iness basis. His geologists are exam
ining every forty acre tract, measur
ing the thickness of the coal seams
and calculating the tonnage. Then
the old landlord is fixing the price
according to the quality of the coal.
But how can a geologist tell how
many tons of coal an acre will yield,
when the coal bed is 1000 feet under
ground in a virgin field perhaps 100
mile3 from a mine shaft? He does,
however, for the business of the ge
ologist is to look deeper into the
ground than anyone else.
Equally active is the Survey In its
work of classification of the petrol
eum lands belonging to the govern
ment as well as the phosphate lands
helfoanlain jPetzJcg
and the water power sights. In all
these great resources additional leg
islation is necessary to protect the
interests of the people to the same ex
tent that they are (Safeguarded in
their coal property. A leasing law is
needed to prevent waste in the devel
opment of oil lands. Another law is
needed for handling of water power
sites on the public domain. And a
leasing law is badly needed to enable
the mining of the weswrn phosphate
lands, but with the provision which
will enable the government tc pre
vent the exportation of this wonder
fully valuable fertilizer.
If the Survey geologists shall dis
cover this year great deposits of pot
ash salts, a law to provide for their
mining through leases will become
necessary. Such a discovery as the
great German potash deposits would
be worth hundreds of millions of dol
lars and obviolsly it would never do
for the government to sell them and
thus perhaps foster an American pot
ash monopoly.
Most all underground water flows
through grave lor rocks. Knowledge
of the rocks therefore means to a
groat extent, knowledge of the pres
ence of water. Just as the coal geolo
gist can see a bed of coal way down
in the ground, so the water geologist
or the "hydrologist" can locate un
derground water. He deals in black
magic. Geologist Darton advised a
railroad to drill for water at Edge
'GICAL
nior.t, S. D., and told them they would
strlko a strong artesian flow at 3000
feet. They drilled and got a flow of
half a million gallons a day at just
2982 feet.
Very similar to the hydrologist is
the man who can tell in just what ter
ritory an oil well Is located and at
about what depth the oil will be
struck. He is a wizard who makes
underground maps of an oil district.
Another important man of the Sur
vey staff is the hyrogapher?the man
who measures the flow and studies
I the rivers and streams of the coun
I try. Where the government or where
corporations contemplating irrigation
enterprises, or where it is desired to
know the available horse power that
can be developed on a stream, the da
ta furnished by these water experts
is utilized. The hydrographer by de
termining through a long series of
gaugings, the amount of water the
stream carries and the fall of the riv
er, can attain the desired result. But
this often means wading into icy
streams throughout the winter and
working under other conditions that
are not exactly play.
The natural resources of the Unit
ed States are barely scratched, ana
O
"opopr&jQjbens Working
ontfw&mjDyGround
discoveries of useful and precious
minerals are being made every day.
The work of the Geological Survey
has proved this country to contain
greater natural resources than any
other of its size. The men who have
so successfully undertaken this work
of exploration, discovery and classifi
cation have been forced to demon
strate their capacities before going
into the field. The efficient geolo
gist, after spending several years in
specialized university work must pass
a government civil service examina
tion before he finds himself launched
in a field of scientific research, and
then, within the Geological Survey,
his real schooling begins. Thus it is
that the field, men are capable and
well trained, while they are all en
thusiasts and willing to tackle any
difficulties.
Which Are You?
I'd rather be a Could Be,
If I cannot be an Are;
For a Could Be is a May Be,
With a chance of touching Par.
I'd rather be a Has Been,
Than a Might Have been by far;
For a Might Be is a Hasn't Been,
But a Was was once an Are.
Also an Are is Is and Am,
A Was was all of these;
So I'd rather be a Has Been
Than a Hasn't, If you please.
Felder worked off a bluff on Gov.
Brown when he said he was coming
to South Carolina soon. There are
not mules enough in South Carolina
to pull him across the line.
OUIS
232 and 234 King, and 203 Meeting Streets, Charleston, S. C.
The Arcade Department Store.
The Largest Wholesale and Retail Mail Order
House in the South.
QPFPF AI ^e are memkers ?f the Charleston
^* ^"""""Refund Association, and will pay
your Railroad fare to Charleston if you shop here. In
addition we guarantee you better values and greater
varieties to choose from than you will find outside of
the Great Market Centres.
CLOSING OUT SUMMER STOCKS
^?^?^????ii^MWWMWaMMMWMMMMWIWMMMjiiij ? i lull . in in i?kwmiuiwi uini?a?Mwi. ??.a
We are overstocked with Spring and Summer
Merchandise of every kind: Tailor-Made Suits, Silk
and Lingerie Dresses, Children's Dresses, Ladies
Waists, Walking Skirts, Dry Goods and Notions,
Floor Coverings, Lace Curtains, Shoes, Millinery,
Gents Furnishings, Etc.
Tta
Be 1
TO ACCOMPLISH THIS WE HAVE PLACED THE ENTIRE STOCK ON SALE
From a Quarter to a Half Less Than Original Pric
Pay us a visit. Write for Samples or send us an open
order. We will attend to it as carefully as if you
were here in person.
In thai: Mad Chase
for the Almighty Dollar don't
make the serious mistake of neg
lecting youir personal appearance
?it's one of the most important
factors.
If you wear our short and full
length underwear, our shirts, hats,
neckwear, you will be able to chase
the dollar more successfully be
cause you'll be properly attired
and really comfortable.
A FULL line of hats and fur
nishings at
Renneker & Riggs
THE FASHION SHOP.
THE
CLEMSON AGRICUL1 UR
AL COLLEGE.
Enrollment Over 700?Value of
Property Over a Million and a
Quarter?Ninety Teuchers and Of
ficers.
Seven full four years courses, in
Agriculture, Engineering, eu.
Cost per session of nine months,
including) all fee3, board, heat, light,
laundry and necessary uniforme?
$121.87.
Student? who are financially able,
pay ?40.00 tuition additional.
SCHOLARSHIP AND EN
TRANCE EXAMINATIONS.
The College maintains 124 agri
cultural Scholarships, and 43 Textile
Scholarships, worth each $100.00 and
free tutition.
(Students who have attended
Clemson College or any other College
or University, are not eligible for the
scholarships unless there are no oth
er eligible applicants.)
Scholarship and entrance examina
tions will he held at the. County
Seats July 14th, 9 a m.
Next Session Opens
SEPT. 13, 1911.
Write at ONCE to W. M. Riggs,
President Clemson College, S. C, for
catalogue, scholarship blanks etc.
If you delay, you may be crowded
out
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
Low Round Trip Fares
From Orangeburg. "
Tickets on Sale July 7, 8 and 9, 1911.
$24.00 ATLANTIC CRY, N. J.
Account Benevclent and Protective Order of Elks. Final
return limit July 20, which may be extended to August 20, by
depositing ticket and paying $1.00.
ROCHESTER, N. Y. $30 60.
Account A. A. O. N. M /stic Shrine. Final return limit July
18, which may be extended to August 15 by depositing ticket
and paying $ 1.00.
These Rates are Open to the Public
For illustrated booklets descriptive of each of the above cities
and trips a*d for schedules, Pullman reservations, etc, call on
S. A DANTZLER, Ticket Agent, Orangeburg, S. C.
or address
W. J. Craig, T. C. White,
Pass. Traffic Mgr., Gen. Pass, Agent,
WILMINGTON, N. C.
WHERE rOV CAtt
W IT" PV1 YOUR
MOSEY IS A RISK
SO YOU HILL *?
/f!)LE TO PAY YM R
BIILS A S I) MAKE
PV-RCHASES BY A
CHECK IT Glt'?&
?y O V A COG 7>
CREDIT ?RATISO.
I
EOISTO SAVINGS BANK
TOTAL RESOURCES 8525 750J5.
i% iHTIBESIMlOJS S?YIMI3S