f so respectable a citizen as Hon. J. D. Cox,
formerly Secretary of the Interior, was also heartily proffered.
To these forces were added that of a certain number of geologists,
though few or none of them were leaders in the science. Had it not
been for a private intimation conveyed to Secretary Schurz that the
scientific men interested might have something to say on the subject,
Hayden might have been appointed at the very moment the bill was
signed by the President.

Notwithstanding all of Hayden's merits as the energetic head of a
survey, the leaders in the movement considered that Mr. Clarence King
was the better qualified for the duties of the new position. It is
not unlikely that a preference for a different method of influencing
Congress than that which I have described, was one of the reasons in
favor of Mr. King. He was a man of charming personality and great
literary ability. Some one said of him that he could make a more
interesting story out of what he saw during a ride in a street car
than most men could with the best material at their disposal. His
"Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevadas" was as interesting an account
of Western exploration as has ever been published. I understand it
was suppressed by the author because some of the characters described
in it were much hurt by finding themselves painted in the book.

Hopeless though the contest might have seemed, an effort was made
by three or four of the men most interested to secure Mr. King's
appointment. If I wanted to show the fallacy of the common impression
that scientific men are not fitted for practical politics, I could
not do it better than by giving the internal history of the movement.
This I shall attempt only in the briefest way. The movers in the
matter divided up the work, did what they could in the daytime,
and met at night at Wormley's Hotel to compare notes, ascertain the
effect of every shot, and decide where the next one should be fired.
As all the parties concerned in the matter have now passed off the
stage, I shall venture to mention one of these shots. One eminent
geologist, whose support was known to be available, had not been
called in, because an impression had been formed that President
Hayes would not be willing to consider favorably what he might say.
After the matter had been discussed at one or two meetings, one
of the party proposed to sound the President on the subject at his
next interview. So, when the occasio