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Thus we speak of the DARK AGES, the AGE OF ELIZABETH, and the AGE OF ELECTRICITY. These crude divisions would be of much value if, as in the case of geologic time, we had no exact reckoning of human history by years.
The Christian era would make but a few seconds of the vast cycle of the earth's history. Geologic time!
In addition to this the bibliographic work previously described was initiated, so that the literature relating to American geology should be readily accessible to the workers in the Survey. At this point it became necessary to consider the best methods of apportioning the work; that is, the best methods of dividing the geologic work into parts to be assigned to the different corps of observers.
More than four fifths of the continent is of secondary origin and shows that vast geologic eras went to the making of it. It is equally hard to believe that the primary or igneous rocks, where they did appear, were sufficiently elevated to have furnished through erosion the all but incalculable amount of material that went to the making of our vast land areas.
Sixth, it seemed desirable, partly for scientific reasons and partly for administrative reasons, that a thorough topographic and geologic survey should be made of the Yellowstone Park, and Mr. Arnold Hague is in charge of the work, with a corps of assistants.
No less interesting in their own way are the remains of other hoofed forms that lead down to the elephants of to-day and to the mammoth and mastodon of relatively recent geologic times.
The haggard mountain ranges were of stone that seemed blanched with geologic superannuation, and at one place we ran by a wall of hoary rock that drew its line a mile long against the sky, and then broke and fell, and then staggered up again in a succession of titanic bulks.
Thus, each original race of organisms, would become the root from which diverged several races differing more or less from it and from each other; and while some of these might subsequently disappear, probably more than one would survive in the next geologic period: the very dispersion itself increasing the chances of survival.
It is true that some accept this belief with caution; knowing how geologic research has been all along tending to fill up what were once thought wide gaps.
In the next geologic age, the temples and monuments of the Grand Canon will have largely disappeared, and the stupendous spectacle will be mainly a thing of the past. It seems to take millions of years to tame a mountain, to curb its rude, savage power, to soften its outlines, and bring fertility out of the elemental crudeness and barrenness.
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