USA > Illinois > Jo Daviess County > The History of Jo Daviess County, Illinois, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion history of the Northwest, history of Illinois Constitution of the United States > Part 104
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Cooney & Ryan, Wylram, Gray, Leekly, Beadle, Briggs, Manly, Myers, Bruno, Cottle O'Meara, K. Orwick, Whim Ranges, Hawkins, Hart, Dugan, Hoskin, Shattruk, 15 Strike, H. H. Gear, Cox, Richards.
These mines extend some two miles in length, and it is estimated that they have yielded one hundred millions of pounds of mineral.
At this date (1878) there are some mining operations near Galena, but these are trifling in comparison with former years. The West diggings, 2} miles west of the city, the Pilot Knob diggings, recently discovered, and a lead on what is called the old Buck Hill, near the old Buck lead, are among the principal in the immediate vicinity of Galena. At Elizabeth, Vinegar Hill, Apple River, mining is still carried on to some extent. The best dig- gings now, however, are what are called the "New California," or Sand Prairie Diggings, about 9 miles south of Galena, in Rice Township, first discovered by - Lafayette about 1852. These are on the east bank of the Mississippi. At that point the highi bluffs approach very near the river, leaving in many places only a narrow roadway between the cliffs and the water. Here also some years ago the work of grading for the Illinois Central Railroad, which it was then proposed should reach Galena by that route, under the old charter, was commenced. Here the miners drift horizontally into the bluffs for thousands of feet, following the crevices or leads, taking out the mineral and wash dirt as they proceed. In the tunnel so inade, sometimes so sunall that the miner must almost creep, and at others expanding into caverns several feet wide and ten to thirty feet high, a wooden railway is laid, and the mineral and debris are brought to daylight in tubs, or miniature cars pushed by the men. Some of these tunnels are hardly ten feet above low water, and in very high water would be likely to be flooded. There are several good mines or leads now being worked in that locality, but the most extensive here, and in fact in all Jo Daviess County, is that of J. H. Burrichter, Esq., and Capt. D. S. Harris, on the Kamphous estate, on the south side of a little creek that pierces the bluffs at this point. This is said to be one of the largest deposits of mineral ever discovered in the mining region. It was discovered in January, 1875, and up to January, 1878, over 3,000,000 pounds of mineral had been taken out, and there appears to be an almost inexhaustible quantity still remaining.
The author visited this mine January 29, 1878, accompanied by Mr. John Dowling, of Galena, and it may not be uninteresting to the future reader if here is recorded a brief
DESCRIPTION OF A LEAD MINE.
At the foot of the bluff stands the engine-house, a rude shanty, in one end of which we found one of the owners, Capt. Harris, who personally superintends the operations, and who received us very cordially. The engine is kept constantly in operation, to keep the mine free from water, as the workmen are below the level of the river. Nye's vacuum pump is used for this purpose, which, although it raises less water thian some others, is less liable to get out of repair, and is, therefore, the "best and most economical," Capt. Harris thinks, "for miners' use." A short distance from the engine-house is a door, not unlike the door of a root-honse, in the side of the bluff. This is the entrance to the tunnel. Above, on a little bench, and perhaps forty or fifty feet higher than the engine-house is another small building containing a windlass, worked by horse power. Here is the inouth of a shaft, sunk to the bottom of the mine, seventy or eighty feet or more, and here all the mineral, wash-dirt and debris are raised. The wash-
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
dirt is dumped on the side of the bluff, where a huge heap of yellow dirt is accumulated. This is washed, and "from it," says Captain Harris, "we get mineral enough to pay expenses of mining." At the side of the build- ing built over the mouth of the shaft, lie three or four hundred thousand pounds of mineral ready for smelting.
Borrowing rubber coats from the engineers, and each furnished with a miner's lamp, we are now ready to descend into the mine, with Captain Harris for our guide and instructor. Entering the door above mentioned, we find ourselves in a tunnel, perhaps thirty inches in width and about four feet high. In the middle, in an open wooden aqueduct, runs quite a little stream of water, raised by the pump from the galleries below. Stooping low and stepping on each side of the aqueduct, we slowly make our way perhaps a hundred feet; here the tunnel enlarges and we are able to stand erect, and a short distance further we arrive at the perpendicular shaft. Here, on a rudely constructed, but strong, ladder, we descend, one by one, about twenty-five feet, and find ourselves in a gallery stretching away sev- eral thousand feet into the heart of the bluft. At the bottom is laid the little wooden railway before described, by means of which the miners trans- port the mineral, etc., to the shaft. In some places, for some distance this gallery is so narrow and low that it is only with difficulty that the inexperi- enced visitor can make his way; at other parts it expands and we are able to walk erect. This tunnel or gallery is simply the fissure or vein from which the mineral has been removed. At the sides are pockets or side leads, from which have been taken large quantities of mineral. In several instances, the gallery opens into natural caves of considerable size. "Some of them," says our guide, " were open, and others full of mineral when we reached them." Ever and anon we find ourselves walking on the narrow track over a black abyss or chasm from which the mineral has been removed. In one of the caves the cap-rock has been shored up with timbers. Slowly we grope our way along by the dim light of our lamps-above us, beneath us, all around us, the yellow clay the miners like to see, glistening with mineral. Ever and anon we must stop and stand close to the walls to permit the pas- sage of the "miners' trains." After traversing several hundred feet, we descend by a ladder sixteen or eighteen feet, to still another and larger gal- lery below. We are nearly a hundred feet below the surface, and 1,000 or 1,500 feet from the entrance. We are in the midst of one of Nature's mys- terious laboratories, where for ages she has been accumulating lead for the use of man. Her processes are beyond his knowledge. He can only wit- ness the results. Who shall say that these processes are not still in active operation, and that in these hills, in this strange yellow earth, crystallization of mineral is still going on ? It can not be that all this mineral wealth stored away was created in a moment, and if it be the result of slow processes and these have stopped, what stopped them ?
Following this lower gallery for some distance we arrive at a cave of respectable dimensions. Clambering up its sides on a ladder and creeping around a jutting point, on steps cut in the clay, we suddenly come upon the miners at work, picking the lumps of mineral from the yellow, sulphurous earth, in which, and perhaps from which, it has been formed. These lumps are of all sizes, from the little crystals that can only be obtained by washing the dirt, to large masses of aggregated cubic crystals weighing hundreds of pounds. The miners are working by the light of tallow candles. The air is tolerably pure, for a little distance away, a hole has been bored from the
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY. .
surface to admit fresh air. The miner's pick strikes a mass of mineral and in a moment lie throws out a lump weighing, perhaps, 150 pounds. We break off a piece as a souvenir of our visit. We have seen the mineral in its native bed, we have seen it removed by the sturdy miner, and now we start on our toilsome journey to the world of sunlight above. Returning to the upper, or rather the first mineral gallery, our guide informs us that this stretches away for about 2,000 feet beyond us and terminates in a large cave, the bottom of which is covered with water, and which has not yet been explored. Here Capt. Harris picked from the wall of the gallery a bit of the " pipe clay " that overlies the heaviest deposits. It is white, plastic, cuts like a piece of old cheese, and doubtless may be valuable for pot- tery. Why it should be spread over the chemical laboratory below, is a. problem for the scientists to solve. " In this mine," said Capt. Harris, "we liave found pure sulphur, both in powder as it is sold in the shops, and in crystallized form." But we must not tarry here to speculate upon the mys- terious and wonderful processes of nature, the results of which only we have witnessed, and we soon find ourselves again in the sunlight of heaven.
From seven to twenty men are employed in this mine. Ten are now at work raising about 25,000 pounds of mineral per week. Beneath the lead, we are informed by Capt. Harris, are immense deposits of sulphuret of zinc, blende, or " black jack," as it is called by the miners, and in the future, when the lead is exhausted, this may be profitably mined.
Thanking our kind host for his attentions, we returned to Galena.
Miners seldom smelt the ore they raise. Mining and smelting are sep- arate and distinct occupations. The miner sells his mineral to the smelter, and this custom prevails at the present day. Mineral is sold by the 1,000 pounds and at this time is worth $18. This is considered low and miners are holding for better prices.
SMELTING.
The Indian furnaces for smelting were simple affairs. They were con- structed of stones and sand on the side of a hill or bluff, so built that the lead could run off on the smooth inclined plane of earth below. In this manner, rude as it was, they succeeded in obtaining a larger percentage of lead than the whites obtained in their log furnaces at the first smelting, it is said, because the latter applied too much lieat at first. These old Indiau furnaces were rich "finds" for the early miners. The ashes were rich in lead, and the banks of earth over which the molten metal flowed from the furnaces were full of pure lead. The heat cracked the earth in innumerable places, and these " cracks" were full of metal.
The first furnaces employed by the early smelters were the "log furnaces," and the ashes, etc., from that, were re-smelted in what they called an " ash furnace." These furnaces went out of use when the " blast " and "cupola " furnaces were introduced. The first or primitive log furnaces were simply heaps of logs properly piled on the hill side, the largest logs on the down-hill side. On these logs was piled the mineral and this covered with smaller wood, a hole was excavated on the lower side which received the lead as it run down from the burning pile. Later, these furnaces were constructed of stone and mud. The following description is given by Harvey Mann, one of the early smelters:
Selecting a proper spot near the foot of a hill sloping down at an angle of about forty-five degrees, a wall about two feet thick was built along the line of the hill, ten feet long and about eight feet high. At each end a wall
840
HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
of same thickness was built up the hill; another of same thickness was built in the centre, dividing the furnace into two compartments or pits, each four feet wide, and from the surface of the ground at the top to eight feet deep at the bottom. These "pits" were paved with flat stones on the bottom, and at the sides were placed stones about six inches high to keep the logs from resting on the sloping floor down which the lead ran. Through the head wall, at the bottom was made a hole in the centre of each pit. These holes, or "eyes," served the double purpose of giving draft for the fire and for the escape of the melted lead which ran down the inclined plane through these, and by channels was conducted into a basin excavated in the earth below, and from which it was dipped with iron ladles into the moulds and .converted into "pigs" or bars weighing seventy-five or eighty pounds each. Smelters usually had at least two of these furnaces, so as to charge one while the other was burning and cooling off.
To charge a furnace, oak logs were sawed into lengths of four feet, the largest were rolled down to the bottom and smaller ones succeeded until there was a floor of logs, raised about six inches from the stone floor from the bottom of the enclosure to the top. Then smaller wood stood on end around three sides of the pit, and about 2,500 pounds of mineral packed in on the logs in each, the largest pieces at the bottom; wood was then piled on the top of the mineral, and the furnace was ready to fire. In burning, fresh wood was constantly piled on the top and the fire kept up until the logs were burned out underneath, and then allowed to die out. When the furnace was sufficiently cool the pits were cleared out; the largest pieces of mineral remaining, taken out to be added to the next "charge," and the ashes thrown into a pile to be washed and re-smelted in an ash furnace. A log furnace of this description costs about $25. A "charge" usually burned out in sixteen to twenty-four hours, depending on the size of logs used.
The ash furnace was a different and more expensive affair. Selecting a proper spot at the foot of a hill, a sort of box, with bottom and sides of stone (not unlike a mason's mortar-bed in form) was made. This was gen- erally about six feet long and three feet wide. On one side was an eye, on the level with the floor, but filled with clay, and on the other side another, higher up. Over this was built a structure of masonry, and extending far enough below or from the hill for the fire, which was fed through an arch in front, something like the arches of a brick kiln. From the other end of this structure was a long flue, three feet wide, floored and covered with stone, something like a chimney built on the ground up the sloping side of the hill, fifteen or twenty feet, with a flue three feet wide and about one foot high. Here, then, we have a huge fire box, with the " lead box " in the up hill side, w th a chimney from it lying on the ground at an angle of about forty-five degrees. The fire kindled, the ashes, after being washed. are thrown in at the top of the chimney, smelted by the heat and draft from the fire passing over them, the lead runs down into the box prepared for it below, which is kept hot by the fire which passes over into the chim- ney. Here the liquid lead accumulates, the " slag " or dross, which floats on top running out of the upper hole in the " box." When the lead gets high enough to run out of the same "eye," the clay is knocked out of the lower " eye " on the other side, and the pure lead is drawn off and cast into " pigs." The " eye " is then plugged again, and the process is repeated. The " slag " was for a long time considered worthless, but when the cupola or blast furnace was introduced, it was smelted, yielding, in some cases, fifty per cent pure lead.
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
The introduction of the " cupola" furnace, and improvements invented by N. A. Drummond, in 1837, and called the " Drummond Furnace,"and the " blast furnace," entirely superseded the rude log and ash furnaces above described. The " cupola " or chimney of the furnace of that name was from thirty to forty feet high, with a flue about eighteen inches in diam- eter, and was so constructed as to cause the blaze and heat from the fire to pass over the mineral, and it was necessary to keep it in operation con- stantly, day and night. The " blast furnace " was so called because a strong and constant current of air was sent into the fire from a bellows, driven by water or other power. The blast furnace "blowsout " in from six to twelve hours. The blast furnace requires more labor and less fuel than the " cupola." Ordinary furnaces smelted from sixty to one hundred and fifty pigs of lead, of seventy pounds each, per day. At some of them two hundred pigs per day were manufactured in the palmy days of the mining interest.
In 1846-'7-'S, there were at least twenty-four smelting furnaces within Jo Daviess County in active operation. The mines reached the maximum of production about 1846, during which year about 25,000 tons of lead were manufactured. The importation of lead into the United States in the year ending June, 1859, amounted to about 64,000.000 of pounds. This shows that the importation of lead into the United States that year much exceeded the whole production of this county in 1846.
At this date (1878), there are only five furnaces in regular operation in this county, and these are not run to their full capacity. These are as fol- lows : T. B. Hughlett, Galena, who is the largest smelter; M. Spencely, Vin- egar Hill; Richard Bowden, Council Hill; Henry Green, Elizabeth; T. G. Stevens, Rice. There is also a small furnace at Warren. Mr. Hughlett, smelted during 1877, about 1,500,000 pounds of lead, and the total produc- tion in the county last year, he estimates at 3,300,000 pounds, or a little over 1,600 tons, against 25,000 in 1846.
In February and March, 1877, mineral was worth $35 per 1,000 pounds, and lead was sold at $6 per 100 pounds. In April following, mineral went up to $38 per 1,000, and lead to $6.25 per 100. In February 1878, mineral was worthi only $18 per 1,000, and lead was dull at $3.50 per 100.
It is thought by some, because the product of the lead inines has de- creased, that the mineral has become exhausted, but this is not a correct conclusion. It will undoubtedly be found that the proper development of these mineral deposits has only just commenced. Capital and labor, directed by science and observation, and rightly applied to deep mining, will pro- duce more wonderful results than any yet attained. The Burrichter & Harris mine, which has been described in the preceding pages, may be cited in corroboration of this statement. It is probable that many old leads now abandoned. will be found to yield abundantly under the skillful application of labor and capital.
The lead inines of Cumberland, Durham, and York, in England, are said to resemble these in this country in their general features, and from these are raised more than one half the entire lead products of Great Britain.
The production of these English mines is more than double that of all the lead mines of the United States, and this result has been brought about by deep mining. An English miner stated to Mr. Houghton a few years ago, that his father, who was also a miner, well remembered the time when
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
it was believed in England that their lead mines were nearly worked out. Capitalists then took hold of the matter, invested prudently but boldly, sunk deep shafts, and made discoveries astonishing for their richness, and which are apparently inexhaustible.
The same process should be inaugurated here. That it would be suc- cessful in a high degree there is no doubt. The old mines will l:e taken up by and by, drained of their water, sunk to the depth of English mines, if necessary, and be worked as successfully.
ZINC AND ZINC MINING.
The. mineral wealth of the territory embraced within the limits of Jo Daviess County is not developed as it must be in the future. The applica- tion of capital and labor in deep mining for lead will probably utilize im- mense deposits of lead now only supposed to exist. But the treasures hid- den in these hills are not confined to lead. Zinc ore has been found more or less intermingled with galena in nearly all the lead diggings, and in some instances, at least, it is known that the mineral has rested upon inexhaust- ible deposits of zinc in the forms of sulphuret (blende, or black-jack), and carbonate of zinc (calamine, Smithsonite, or dry-bone). The sulphuret, or blende, underlies the lead in the Burrichter & Harris mine, and undoubt- edly under all the Sand Prairie leads. The carbonate of zinc whichi fre- quently occurs in lead mines, is called "dry-bone;" by the miners, probably from its fancied resemblance to old bones in color and appearance.
In March, 1854, the celebrated Marsden mine, was discovered by Ste- phen Marsden, about four miles south of Galena. The spring on the farm at the foot of the hill, in a ravine, had become choked up and for some dis- tance around. it was boggy; the water was unfit for use, and the place was unhealthy. Mr. Marsden determined to drain it. In digging the drain he found " float " mineral, and when he reached the spring he struck a large mass, indicating a lead. For twelve hours the water ran off through the drain, perfectly black. He then followed the lead about 20 feet into the hill and discovered a cave 20 or 30 feet in diameter from which the water had been drained, and which accounted for its color. This cave contained a large amount of mineral blende and pyrites, the cogs, or cubes of lead and formations of blende being coated in some instances to the thickness of half an inch with beautiful crystallized sulphuret of iron. From this another vein led to an immense deposit in circular form, in some places fifty yards wide, and from the inner edge of this circle it was found that the mineral "fell off," on an angle of about 45 degrees. From the cave to the " pitch " is a distance of about 75 yards. This mine has yielded proba- ably 8,000,000 pounds of mineral, and was worked from that until 1868. Large quantities of blende had been raised and thrown away as worthless, but about this time it was found to be valuable. Mr. Marsden sold the first " black-jack " from this mine for $12 per ton. Since that time he worked it for blende principally, taking out immense quantities and jshipping it to La Salle.
In January, 1877, Mr. Marsden sold the mine to the Illinois Zinc Company of Peru, for $20,000, by;whom it is now extensively worked un- der the skillful superintendence of Mr. August Pein.
About $15,000 worth of machinery has been put in operation including an air-compressing machine for operating the drills. The miners have
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
reached a depth of about 90 feet, and are still working downward on the inclined plane of about 45 degrees. The ore here is mixed with lead which must be separated from it before smelting, but the farther down they go- the less lead is found. The ore is worth $16 per ton, and is shipped by rail- road to the company's factory, in Peru, Ill., to be smelted. It yields abont 45 per cent pure zinc. Eighty men are constantly employed producing about 120 tons of ore per week. Galena, black-jack, pyrites, spar, etc., are found in wonderful combinations in this mine. Immense quantities of sul- phuret of iron are raised and thrown away, as the blende was until within ten years. It is more than probable that this now worthless inineral will be utilized in the coming future and become valuable. The finest cabinet specimens of mineral, black-jack, pyrites and spar, and other strange and beautiful combinations, ever found in this country have been obtained from the Marsden mine.
Other zinc mines will undoubtedly be worked in this county in the not far distant future, and wonderful discoveries of mineral wealth in this re- gion are yet to be inade. For a more extended and scientific account of the mineral treasures of Jo Daviess County, see the chapter on Physical Geography and Geology, which will be found very interesting.
ANCIENT MOUNDS.
The history of Jo Daviess County would be incomplete without some mention of a subject which properly, perhaps, should have been mentioned first, and would have been, but for the fact that the first occupants of this region have left no records from which their history can be written, and there are no traces of their existence except the mysterious mounds they built containing the bones and some of their singular implements of war and household utensils to mark the spot where they once lived a numerous semi-savage people-the Mound Builders.
The high bluffs on both banks of the Mississippi, from its head waters to the low lands of Louisiana, are thickly dotted with these remarkable mounds, which are also found along many other water courses of the West. These mounds have largely attracted the attention of antiquarians, who have proposed many theories of their origin, plausible enough, perhaps, but which thus far are only vague speculations, for there is no voice from these won- derful old sepulchres, the only traces now of the pre-historic age, except to tell that they were built by the race that occupied this country and became extinct many centuries ago.
On the top of the high bluffs that skirt the west bank of the Mississippi, about two and a half miles from Galena, are a number of these silent mon- uments of a pre-historic age. The spot is one of surpassing beauty. Standing there, the tourist has a view of a portion of three states-Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin. A hundred feet below him, at the foot of the perpendicular cliffs, the trains of the Illinois Central Railroad thunder around the curve; the Portage is in full view, and the "Father of Waters," with its numerous bayous and islands stretches a grand panorama for miles above and below him. Here, probably thousands of years ago, a race of men now extinct, and unknown even in the traditions of the Indians who inhabited this region for centuries before the discovery of America by Columbus, built these strangely wonderful and enigmatical mounds. At this point these mounds are circular and conical in form. The largest one is at least forty feet in
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
diameter at the base, and at least fifteen feet high now, after it has been beaten by the storms of many centuries. On its top stands the large stump of an oak tree that was cut down about fifty years ago, and its annular rings indicate a growth of at least 200 years. Whatever may have been the character of these mounds in other localities, these could not have been the dwelling places of their builders.
The mounds on the bluff have nearly all been opened within the last two or three years by Louis A. Rowley, Esq., Mr. W. M. Snyder and Mr. Jolin Dowling, assisted by Sidney Hunkins and Dr. W. S. Crawford. These gentlemen liave taken much interest in these pre-historic structures, and have very carefully investigated them. In all that have been opened the excavators have found in the centre a pit that was evidently dug about two and a half feet below the original surface of the ground, about six feet long and four feet wide, in the form of a paralellogram. The bottom and sides of this pit are of hard clay. The bones found in this pit indicate a race of gigantic stature, buried in a sitting posture around the sides of the pit, with legs extending towards the centre. In some cases the position of the bones indicate that they were placed back to back in the centre with their feet extending toward the walls of the pit. Over these bones are found layers of anhydrous earth of dark color, hard from pressure, but easily crumbles into fine powder. Above this is a strata of hard-baked clay or cement, on the top of which is found a layer of ashes mingled with burnt shells and bones, indicating that after the bodies were barely covered with dry earth, a layer of the clayey cement was spread over the earth and a fire kindled upon it perhaps in the performance of some rite-perhaps to liarden the cement, or both. This done, a huge mound of earth was with infinite toil heaped above the pit thus filled and finished, and what is remarkable, the most of it was evidently brought from a distance, as it is unlike the surrounding soil, and there is no evidence of excavations in the vicinity.
It will be seen that thus hermetically sealed from air and moisture, the bones became indestructible and will be preserved until the world ends or they are exposed to the action of the elements. Removing the superincum- bent eartlı, penetrating the shell of baked clay and carefully removing the earth beneath, Mr. Rowley and his associates invariably found several skeletons at the bottom of the pit before described, and in most cases, but not all, mingled with the bones, or lying beside them, were found various implements of stone. Axes, arrow and spear-heads made of a species of flint not found in this region; a singular and finely finished pear-shaped imple- ment of stone, flat, four or five inches long and sharp at the edges, probably used for skinning animals; large pearls perforated to be strung; very finely wrought copper chisels and wedges; great numbers of the large teeth of sonie carnivorous auimal supposed to be the bear, in some instances with a piece of the jaw attached and carved, and each pierced with holes like the pearls; ornaments made of copper mingled with silver, indicating that the metal came from the Superior region; copper implements somewhat resem- bling a bodkin, about the size and length of a lead pencil, pointed at one end and chisel-shaped at the other. Lastly, and most important as indicat- ing some civilization and knowledge of arts, a piece of pottery, about twelve inches in height, urn-shaped, round on the bottom and ornamented. This was made of clay, but when broken the fracture shows in the centre a sub- stance like pounded lead or silver and ground flint.
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HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY.
The skulls found are packed with earth. Some of them testify that the original owners were killed, as they are pierced with holes made with some blunt, sometimes sharp, instrument. Generally they have low, receding forelleads, are long from front to back, narrow across the top and indi- cate a preponderance of back brain; a patient, plodding people with some little intelligence, and a brain formation unlike the modern Indian.
It must be admitted that these mounds were built and the race who built them had vanished from the face of the earth long before the Indians occupied the land, but the date must probably forever baffle human inge- nuity to discover. There seems but little doubt that these are as old as the pyramids and indicate that in the days of "Cheops and Cephenes " the . American continent, at least this part of it, was densely populated by a semi-civilized people, perhaps more civilized than these pre-historic relics indicate. At best, however, the origin of these mounds can be only a matter of speculation. Only the " Ancient of Days " can unravel the mystery.
In this connection it is to be stated that in several localities in this county, miners have found at a depth of 100 to 150 feet below the surface, the bones of animals now extinct. These have been found in Elizabeth, and have been pronounced by eminent savans to be the bones of the cave bear, and an animal of the buffalo or bovine species. The position of these bones says Hon. Henry Green, indicate that they were either carried into the caves, which in ages past abounded in this region, by the action of water, or that the animals fell into deep crevices and remained there, sometimes being washed into the caves. It is a problem whether since that period this entire region has been submerged beneath the waters of an ocean which deposited the superincumbent clay, filled the almost bottomless chasms, broke into and filled up many of the caves, covering the bones where they are now found. Some geologists do not coincide with this view, but it is the opinion of many intelligent inen that since the mysterious mounds were. built, this entire region has been for ages submerged, and was the bed of an ocean for ages before it was again thrown up to become the dwelling place of a great and prosperous people. However this may be, close observers, says Mr. Green, can not fail to recognize the action of water in connection with these fossil bones.
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We believe that we offer the only School Desk that is durable, and which will grow stronger and stronger by use and time.
It is made by dove- tailing the iron into the wood, and the shrink- ing of the wood only tightens the work.
School Officers will ob- serve that we received the highest award for the Tri- umph School Desks at the Philadelphia Internation- al Exposition of 1876.
No. 180.
SUNDAY SCHOOL SETTEE. Arranged for sweeping or for entering the Pew. A reversible seat corresponding accom- panies the above to alternate.
.8VTAXA592 ORS. 360SIMUL 1
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BOUND BY
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UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 977.334H629 C001 THE HISTORY OF JO DAVIESS COUNTY, ILLINO
3 0112 025389518
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