Letter from Mississippi State Geologist Eugene W. Hilgard to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; December 26, 1860

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Letter from Mississippi State Geologist Eugene W. Hilgard to Mississippi Governor John J. Pettus; December 26, 1860

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People

Barksdale, E. (Ethelbert), 1824-1893 Hilgard, Eugene W. (Eugene Woldemar), 1833-1916 Lieber, Oscar M. (Oscar Montgomery), 1830-1862 Pettus, John Jones, 1813-1867 Riddell, John Leonard, 1807-1867?

Organizations and Businesses

Mississippi. Geological Survey Mississippi. Legislature Newspapers Newspapers--Mississippian (Oxford, Miss.)South Carolina. General Assembly South Carolina. Geological Survey

Occupations

Geologists Mississippi. State Geologist Physicians

Places

Oxford (Miss.)South Carolina

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[note] E49 [/note]

Oxford, Miss., Dec. 26, 1860.

Gov. J. J. Pettus.

Dear Sir,

For some time past, I have been unable to find any one suitable in all respects to the position of Assistant in the Geol. Survey; the intended arrangement with Dr. Riddell jr. having also failed in consequence of other occu-pation offering. Since however, the necessity of further assistance is as great as ever, if the Survey is to be maintained up to reasonable completeness, I have continued inquiries, and now beg leave to present to you the name of a gentleman who possesses all the requisite qualifications, but who some time ago de-clined the nomination, in expectation that the Survey of South Carolina, of which he has been in charge for some years past, and which had but been temporarily suspended, should be set on foot again, There being but little immediate prospect of a renewal at present, he proposes to accept the assistantship

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here, though with a proviso which, as you will see from his letter herewith inclosed, is a natural one in the present condition of things, and will not lower him in your estimation. I think it desire-ble to engage his services, even temporarily, as far as the interests and progress of the Survey itself are con-cerned; without pretending to judge what, at the pre-sent conjunction of affairs, you may deem the most advisable course, in a general point of view. If appoin-ted now, there will be none of ^the^ time available for field-work lost in preparations, since the joint ^office^ work of a few months will suffice to initiate him into the features of the State, and the course to be pursued, in the field. Such an initiatory course must, at the present stage of the Survey, precede the advantageous prosecution of field-work, whosoever might be the new incumbent; and specially at this moment, we could with the greatest profit be jointly occupied in the laboratory,

Mr, Lieber has made four annual Reports to the Legislature of South Carolina, which have given satis-faction both practically, and with the scientific world.

I sincerely hope that a sufficient number of copies of my Report will be bound and ready for distribution

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by the time that the legislature meets in January. I have done all I could in this respect, but for the rest must depend upon Mr. Barksdale. If you would form a definite judgment as to its merits, before that time—and it would give me great satis-faction if you could find the time to do so—I would refer you to some copies (unbound, but stitched) which are in the Mississippian Office,

With the highest respect
Your obedt svt,
Eugene W. Hilgard
State Geologist

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Hillgard on an Ass^t—Geologist