Jan. 4, 1872

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.

Considering the vast extent of our territory, its varied formations, soils, mineral deposits – undoubtedly existing in great wealth in some sections of the State – and the fact that we have never had a survey of the State worthy of the name, except at a few points of easy access, is it not desirable that you should make provisions for a thorough geological survey by a capable, efficient, practical geologist? Such a survey would probably have saved the State the six sections of land consumed at Belle Plaine in the vain search for salt, the value of which alone would defray the entire expense of the undertaking, and might have saved to the citizens interested in that enterprise additional expense. A thorough geological survey would most likely reveal sources of wealth unknown, and not even supposed to exist, and would probably definitely locate and uncover others, the existence of which is only surmised. Nothing would so attract capital to seek investment in, and development of, our vast resources of iron and copper, and perhaps gold and silver, as an able and trustworthy geological report.