USA > Wisconsin > Grant County > History of Grant County, Wisconsin > Part 45
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ARTICLE V.
Congress, whenever two-thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amend- ments to this Constitution, or, on application of two-thirds of the Legislatures of the several States, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution when ratified by the Legislatures of three-fourths of the several States, or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress ; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no State, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.
ARTICLE VI.
All existing debts and engagements shall be valid against the United States under this Constitution.
This Constitution and the laws of the United States made in pursuance thereof, and all treaties made under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land, and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby ; anything in the Constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding.
Senators and Representatives, members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by oath or affirmation, to support this Constitution ; but no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.
ARTICLE VII.
The ratification of the Convention of nine States shall be sufficient for the establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the same.
DONE in convention by the unanimous consent of the States present, the seventeenth day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, and of the independence of the United States of America the twelfth.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF we have hereunto subscribed our names.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, President and Deputy from Virginia.
[Other signatures omitted. ]
303
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
Proposed by Congress and ratified by the Legislatures of the several States, pursuant to the Fifth Article of the original Constitution.
ARTICLE I.
Congress shall make no law respecting religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press ; or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
ARTICLE II.
A well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
ARTICLE III.
No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.
ARTICLE IV.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons and property against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched and the persons or things to be seized.
ARTICLE V.
No person shall be held to answer for any infamous crime unless on an indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger ; nor shall any person be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb for the same offense ; nor shall he be compelled, in any criminal case, to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law ; nor shall private property be taken for public use without just compensation.
ARTICLE VI.
In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation ; to be confronted with the witnesses against him ; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense.
ARTICLE VII.
In suits at common law, when the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States than according to the rules of the common law.
ARTICLE VIII.
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual pun- ishments inflicted.
304
HISTORY OF WISCONSIN.
ARTICLE IX.
The enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or dis- parage others retained by the people.
ARTICLE X.
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively or to the people.
ARTICLE XI.
The judicial power of the United States shall not be construed to extend to any suit in law or equity commenced or prosecuted against one of the United States by citizens of another State, or by citizens or subjects of any foreign State.
ARTICLE XII.
The electors shall meet in their respective States, and vote by ballot for President and Vice President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same State with themselves ; distinct ballots shall be made for President and Vice President, and distinct lists made of such ballots and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify and transmit sealed to the seat of government, addressed to the President of the Senate; the President of the Senate shall, in presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates, and the votes shall then be counted; the person having the greatest number of votes for Presi- dent shall be President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed; if no person have such majority, then from those having the highest numbers, not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose imme- diately by ballot the President. But, in choosing the President, the vote shall be taken by States, cach State having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or mem- bers from two-thirds of the States, and a majority of all the States shall be necessary to a choice. If, whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, the House of Representatives shall not choose a President before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice President shall act as President, as in the case of death or disability of the President. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice President shall be the Vice President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice President ; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice President of the United States.
ARTICLE XIII.
SECTION 1. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
SEC. 3. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
ARTICLE XIV.
SECTION 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, or subject to the juris- diction thereof, are citizens of the United States, and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty or property without
305
CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
due process of law, nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.
SEC. 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the States according to population, counting the whole number of persons in each State, including Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote is denied to any of the male inhabitants of a State, being twenty-one years of age and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty- one years of age in such State.
SEC. 3. No person shall hold any office under the United States or under any State, who having previously, as an officer of the United States of any State, taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid and comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two- thirds of each House, remove such disability.
SEC. 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, including pensions and bounties, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave ; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
SEC. 5. Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
ARTICLE XV.
SECTION 1. The right of citizens to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, or by any State, on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
SEC. 2. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
306
ALPHABETICAL LIST OF COUNTIES AND CITIES WITH GUBERNATORIAL AND PRESIDENTIAL VOTES.
Note .- The Republican or Democratic majority in each county is given as between Smith and Mallory. Green- back majority is only given when the vote for Allis exceeds the others, and is taken from the highest vote.
COUNTIES.
GOVERNOR. 1877.
PRESIDENT. 1876.
Smith.
Mallory.
Allis.
Maj.
Hayes.
Tilden.
Maj.
Adams
580
233
116
R.
847
981
442| R.
539
Ashland.
86
163
D.
77
109
189 D. 80
Barron
459
203
53
R.
256
644
257
R. 387
Bayfield.
40
34
2
R.
6
86
74
12
Brown
1387
1740
1015
D.
353
2755
3647
D. 892
Buffalo
1075
810
76
R.
265
1186
1162
R.
24
Burnett.
336
24
R.
312
285
28
257
Calumet ..
450
1130
389
D.
680
1012
2145
D. 1133
Chippewa ..
685
693
589
D.
18
1596
1774
D. 178
Clark ..
449
153
816
G.
367|
1255
660
Ř.
595
Columbia
2048
1597
118
R
451
3532
2493
R. 1039
Crawford.
806
1008
146
D.
202
1355
1604
D. 249
Dane
3613
3903
614 D.
290
5435
5726
D. 291
Dodge
477
126
283
R.
351
1095
596
R. 499
Douglas
21
28
D.
7
42
67
D. 25
Dunn
1208
805
597
R.
403
2266
1785
R. 481
Eau Claire.
3086
3414
1249
D.
328
4845
5660
D. 815
Fond du Lac
2620
1938
1037
R.
682
4723
3198
R. 1525
Grant.
1823
849
580
R.
974
2601
1735
R. 866
Green.
879
896
215
D.
17
1739
1514
R. 225
Iowa.
802
391
521
R.
411
1507
718
R.
789
Jackson
1917
2418
296!
D.
201
2874
4134
D. 1260
Jefferson
1045
883
463
R.
162
1714
1458
256
Juneau
938
907
51
R.
31
1610
1432
R. 178
Kenosha.
247
558
20
D.
311
561
1654
R.
163
La Crosse.
1409
1300
269
R.
109
2424
2299
R. 125
La Fayette.
27
15
169
G.
142
71
174
D.
103
Manitowoc.
1365
1951
98
D. 586
2700
3908
D. 1208
Marathon
301
755
746
D.
454
668
1796
D. 1128
Marquette.
447
730
76
D.
283
697
1112
D. 415
Milwaukee
5843
6388
1228
D.
545
9981
12026
D. 2045
Monroe
1102
1096
1019
R.
6
2558
2030
R. 528
Oconto
1059
764
157
R.
295
1813
1174
R. 639
Outagamie.
437
1579
17
D. 1142
583
5480
D. 1897
Ozaukee.
521
171
123
R.
350
836
394
R. 447
Pepin.
1523
545
408
R. 978
2135
985
R. 1152
Pierce
Polk
916
363
60
R. 553
1019
362|
R. 650
Portage
1080
917
728
R.
163
1855
1794
R. 61
Racine
2304
1906
112 R.
398/
3560
2880 R.
680
R.
767
2033
894
R. 1139
1174
407
412
1021
R.
286
2651
2348|
R. 303
2333
4267
381
D. 1934
3236
6361
D. 3125
Door
Green Lake
1461
1175
Kewaunee.
1968
1115
524
R.
853
2644
2481;
D. 1093
Lincoln.
777
2005
992 D. 1228
1859
3608
D. 1749
R.
R.
307
GUBERNATORIAL AND PRESIDENTIAL VOTES-1877-1876-Continued.
COUNTIES-Continued.
Smith.
Mallory.
Allis.
Maj.
Hayes.
Tilden.
Maj
Richland
1201
729
70
R.
472
2038
1591
R. 447
Rock
3375
1620
78.
R. 1755
5755
2814
R. 2893
St. Croix
1558
1489
93
R.
70
1775
1736
R. 39
Sauk
1826
922
574
R.
904
3395
2201
R. 1194
Shawano
269
605
92
D.
336
582
873
D. 291
Sheboygan.
1598
1737
750
D.
139
3224
3633
D. 409
Taylor ..
195
254
53
D.
59
240
246
D.
6
Trempealeau.
2483
731
176
R. 1452
2360
790
R. 1570
Vernon
1678
416
846
R. 1262
2764
1117
R. 1647
Walworth
2904
1374
160
R. 1530
4212
1970
R. 2242
Washington
994
2187
187
D. 1993
1321
3047
D. 1726
Waukesha
2484
2388
276
R.
96
3129
3335
D. 206
Waupaca ..
1473
990
772
R. 483
2642
1592
R. 1050
Waushara
1282
257
377
R. 1025
2080
548
R. 1532
Winnebago
2068
2238
1887
D.
170
5092
4426
R. 666
Wood
247
196
601
G 354
658
745
D.
87
CITIES.
Appleton
231
522
201
D.
291
549
911
D. 362
Beaver Dam
320
361
D.
41
357
465
D. 108
Beloit.
377
109
240
268
745
627
R. 118
Berlin
219
197
36
R.
22
456
312
R.
144
Buffalo
25
17
R.
8
14
31
D. 17
Centralia.
16
5
97
G.
81
64
93
D.
29
Chilton.
31
128
33
D.
97
Chippewa Falls.
229
294
143
D.
65
475
572
D.
97
Columbus ..
210
123
3
R.
87
254
212
R. 42
Eau Claire.
620
459
250
161
1205
1013
R. 189
Fond du Lac.
862|
884
520
22
1382
1542
D. 160
Fort Howard
150
85
195
45
669
288
R.
81
Grand Rapids
50
42
110
60
121
191
D.
70
Green Bay
432
333
1811
R.
99
696
647
R.
49
Hudson ..
226
207
3
R.
19
250
224
R.
26
Janesville
771
605
31
R.
166
1036
848
R.
188
Kenosha.
281
314
42
D. 33
514
544
D.
30
La Crosse.
712
671
351
41
1085
1549
D. 464
Madison.
740
1057
13
D. 317
834
1252
D.
418
Manitowoc
349
284
17
R.
61
660
512
R. 148
Menasha
146
311
67
D.
165
291
344
D.
53
Milwaukee.
4816
5027
10501
D.
211
8218
9625
D. 1407
Mineral Point.
260
249
21
R.
11
348
324
R.
24
Neenah.
115
146
376
G.
230
511
385
R.
126
New London
84
125
118
D.
41
206
208
D.
2
Oconomowoc. ..
172
167
24|
R.
5
222
238
D. 16
Oconto
270
311
6
D.
41
399
506
D. 107
Oshkosh.
724
954
375
D.
230
1496
1910
D. 414
Plymouth
€9
127
28
D.
58
Portage.
245
405
D.
160
366
532
D. 166
Prairie du Chien
155
267
D.
112
215
377
D. 162
Prescott
87
61
10
R.
26
143
108
R. 35
Racine.
1052
921
82
R. 131
1672
1324|
R. 348
Ripon
270
239
33
R.
31
397
333
R.
64
Shawano
55
73
13
D
18
87
83
R.
4
Sheboygan.
248
440
681
D.
192
575
873
D. 298
Stevens Point.
252
270
14
D. 18
423
563
D. 140
Watertown
232
687
164
D. 445
372
1295
D. 923
Waupaca.
210
49
20
R. 161
280
52 R.
228
Wausau.
761
170
300 G.
130 !!
210!
595 D. 385
6
R.
R.
D.
G.
G.
GOVERNOR. 1877.
PRESIDENT. 1876.
POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES.
STATES AND TERRITORIES.
Area in; square Miles.
1870.
1875.
Miles R. R. 1872.
STATES AND TERRITORIES.
Area in square Miles.
1870.
1875.
Mlies R. R. 1872.
States.
States.
Alabama
50,722
996,992
1,671
Pennsylvania ....
46,000
8,521,791
5,118
Arkansas
52,198
484,471
25
Rhode Island ..
1,306
217,353
258,239
136
California.
188,981
560,247
1,013
South Carolina.
29,385
705,606
925,145
1,201
Connecticut.
4.674
537,454
820
Tennessee.
45,600
1,258,520
1,520
Delaware.
2,120
125,015
227
Texas
237,504
818,579
865
Florida
59,268
187,748
466
Vermont
10,212
330,551|
675
Georgia.
58,000 1,184,109
2.108
Virginia,
40,904
1,225,163
1,490
Illinois
55.410 2,539,891
5,904
West Virginia.
23,000
442,014
485
Indiana.
33.809 1,680,637
Wisconsin
53,924
1,054.670
1,236,729
1,725
Iowa,
55,045 1,191.792 1,350,544 3.160
Total States.
1,950,171 38,113,253
59,587
Kentucky
37,600 1,321,011
1,123
Louisiana
41,346.
726,915
'539
Territories.
Maine ...
31,776
626,915
871
Arizona
113.916
9,658
Maryland
11,184
780,894
820
Colorado.
104,500
39.864
392
Massachusetts ..
7,800 1,457,351 1,651,912
Dakota
147,490
14,181
Dist. of Columbia.
60
131,700
Minnesota
83,531
439,706
Idaho.
90,932
14.999
Mississippi.
47,156
827,922
Montana.
143,776
20,505
65.350
1.721,295
New Mexico
121,201
91,874
75.995
123,993
828 Utah.
80,056
86,786
875
New Hampshire.
9,280
318,300
790
Wyoming
93,107
9,118
498
New Jersey
8.320
906,096 1,026,502
1.265
Total Territories.
965,032
442,730
1,265
North Carolina ..
50,704 1,071,361
1,190
Ohio
39.964 2,665,260
3,740
Oregon
95,2441
90,923
159
* Last Census of Michigan taken in 1874.
* Included in the Railroad Mileage of Marylard.
PRINCIPAL COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD ; POPULATION AND AREA.
COUNTRIES.
Population.
Date of Census.
Area in Square Miles.
Inhabitants to Square Mile.
CAPITALS.
Population.
China. .
446,500,000
- 1871
3.741,846
119.3
Pekin.
1,648,800
British Empire.
226,817,108
1871
4,677,432
48.6
Loudon ..
3,251,800
Russia ......
81,925,400
1871
8.003,778
10.2
St. Petersburg.
667,000
United States with Alaska.
38,925,600
1870
2,603,884
7.78
Washington
109,199
France ..
36,469.800
1866
204,091
178.7
Paris ..
1,825,300
Austria and Hungary
35,904,400
1869
240.348
149.4
Vienna
833,900
Japan ..
34,785,300
1871
149,399
232.8
Yeddo.
1,554,900
Great Britain and Ireland
31,817,100
1871
121,315
262.3
London.
3,251,800
German Empire
29,906,092
1871
160,207
187.
Berlin
825,400
Italy .
27.439,921
1871
'118,847
230.9
Rome.
244,484
Spain
16.642,000
1867
195.775
85.
Madrid
332,000
Brazil.
· 10.000.000
....
3,253,029
3.07
Rio Janeiro.
420,000
Turkey .
16,463,000
..
672.621
24.4
1,075,000
Mexico.
9,173,000
1869
761,526
Mexico
210,300
Sweden and Norway
5,921,500
1870
292,871
20.
Stockholm
136,900
Persia.
5,000,000
1870
635,964
Teheran.
120,000
Belgium.
5,021,300
1869
11,373
Brussels.
314,100
Bavaria.
4,861,400
1871
29,292
Munich
169,500
Portugal.
3,995,200
1868
34,494
115.8
Lisben.
224,063
Helland
3,688,300
1870
12.680
290.9
Hague ..
90,100
New Grenada.
3,000,000
1870
357,157
8.4
Bogota ..
45,000
Chili ..
2,000,000
1869
132.616
15.1
Santiago.
115,400
Switzerland.
2,669,100
1870
15,992
166.9
Berne
36,000
Peru
2,500,000
1871
471,838
5.3
Lima ..
160,100
Bolivia.
2,000,000
497,321
4.
Chuquisaca
25,000
Wurtemburg
1,818,500
1871
7,533
241.4
Stuttgart
91,600
Denmark.
1,784,700
1870
14,753
Copenhagen
Venezuela.
1,500,000
368,238
4.2
Caraccas
Carlsruhe
36,600
Greece ..
1,457,900
1870
19,353
75.3
Athens ..
Guatemala
1,300,000
`1871
63,787
15.6
Hesse
823,138
2,969
277.
Liberia
718,000
1871
9,576
74.9
Monrovia
3,000
San Salvador.
600.000
1871
7,335
81.8
Sal Salvador
15,000
Hayti ..
572,000
`1871
58,171
6.
Managua ..
10,00J
Uruguay ..
300,000
1871
66,722
6.5
Monte Video
Honduras
350,000
1871
47.092
7.4
Comayagua
San Domingo.
136,000
17,827
7.6
San Domingo.
2.),000
Costa Rica.
165.000
1870
21,505
7.7
San Jose ..
2.000
Hawaii.
62.950
7.633
80.
Honolulu
7.633
3,529
Kansas ...
81,318
361,399
528,349
1,760
Michigan*
56,451 1,184,059 1,334,031 2,235
598,429
990
Missouri.
2,580
Nevada
112,090
42,491
52,540
593
Washington.
69.944
23,955
New York.
47,000 4.382,759 4,705,208 4,470
Aggregate of U. S .. 2,915,203 38,555,983
60,853
44.500
Nicaragua.
1,180,000
1871
40,879
28.9
218,928
5.9
Quite
70,000
Paraguay
Asuncion.
Darmstadt
30,000
10,205
56.
Port au Prince.
177,800
Argentine Republic.
1,812,000
1869
871,848
2.1
Buenos Ayres.
120.9
162,042
Baden.
1,461,400
1871
5,912
247.
43,400
Guatemala
40,000
Ecuador.
1,000,000
48,000
20,000
350,000
7.8
441.5
165.9
Nebraska.
246,280
1,606
1,612
857,039
POPULATION.
POPULATION.
14.000
47,000
Constantinoplo
Chan de. Parmiles)
PLATTEVILLE
HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.
GEOLOGY, MINERALOGY AND SETTLEMENT OF THE LEAD REGION, WITH A GENERAL INTRODUCTION AND MENTION OF THE DRIFTLESS AREA.
AMONG THE ROCKS.
The narration, for which we are indebted to Plato, of part of the experiences of Solon the Athenian law-giver in Egypt, was for many centuries considered fabulous in its relation of the dis- appearance of the vast Island of Atlantis beneath the ocean. We respect the noble character of the Athenian sage too much to suspect him of misrepresentation, but the Egyptian hierarch, with whom we are less acquainted, might be supposed capable of disseminating travelers' stories, in regard to which, moreover, the priesthood were possibly themselves deceived. Modern think- ers are inclined to believe that the supposed fable carries with it some elements of truth. It is not easy to follow the almost shadowy story of a lost land with such precision as to establish its identity with this continent, but the position assigned to Atlantis by the Egyptians favors the idea, to which modern investigation is inclined, that our own America must have been known to the ancients way back in remote antiquity, and that its submersion beneath the waves had been recorded in curiously preserved traditions ; but we cannot pretend to determine what era in the upbuilding of this continent may have been indicated by that semi-apocryphal story.
Geology tells us of upheavals from the depths of the sea, to which we are able to trace an island now known to science as the Island of Wisconsin, which appeared at about the same time with several other islands, comprising parts of the Appallachian Ranges, and of New York, as well as probably other parts of the land now being covered with a population of millions, governed and to be governed by the United States of America.
The cooling and contraction of the globe is credited with having diminished its diameter by about 180 miles, and a diminution so great might easily account for the fatal depression of Atlantis ; but that shrinkage occurred at a time when human life was not possible. The popular reader will not so readily perceive how the inevitable continuance of the same process would account at a later date for the resurrection of the land which we now inhabit. The chief geologist of Wisconsin, Mr. T. C. Chamberlin, tells with a simple eloquence, which science advanced as his cannot always command, the story of the rocks upon which the greatness of this nation is securely builded ; and, in trying to embody the main facts of the earth's revelation in this history, we shall endeavor to follow in the footsteps of the eminent Professor, though with the modesty and diffidence of a learner, venturing to deal with presentations which have tasked the powers of masters whose dictum is accepted by the world of learning.
The first cooling, whose catastrophe may have been attended by the submergence of Atlantis, if we may imagine a race of Salamanders rejoicing in extremes of temperature, was a comparatively general reduction of warmth and bulk, in which the earth's surface was sufficiently ductile or elastic to participate without fracture; but later, when the superficial coating of our molten globe had become more rigid, nature was constrained to work by other methods ; the granite rocks, incapable of contraction, otherwise, in such a degree as would meet the changing conditions of the body which they enfolded, and subjected to pressures, compared with which, the vastest
310
HISTORY OF THE LEAD REGION.
applications of mechanic force by human agency, sink into insignificance, bent under the ocean until the outer shell touched the shrunken kernel ; and then the semi-rigid envelope, heated in every particle by the compression, changed and wrinkled its mighty form, projecting its peaks above the surface of the ocean as a series of granitic islands, whose shores sloped more or less declivitously toward the depths of the sea. There are folds in the strata, observable to-day, which indicate the long-continued application of a power capable of creasing and bending adamant just as irresistibly as the hand of man may crumple paper.
Could we suppose an Alexander Selkirk possible on our inhospitable Island of Wisconsin, he would look abroad upon a limitless but comparatively shallow sea, in which, possibly, was yet no sign of life, vegetal or animal, and his island home would necessarily present to him a bleak and desolate rock, without shrub, grass, soil or insect, if we may assume that the uplifted crystal- line mass had not commenced its process of disintegration.
The phenomena of building anew the Western Hemisphere can be studied in Wisconsin as advantageously as on any part of this continent, and the writing on the wall of rock is so clear and precise that the wayfarer, even though a fool, may not err if he will patiently unravel the legend which the globe offers for our acceptance. Strong winds, dashing waves, evaporation and precipitation, with some chemical conditions of the atmosphere that helped to disintegrate the exposed surface of rock more rapidly than would be possible now, acting upon stone similarly compacted, gave back to the ocean a vast aggregate of detritus worn from peak and precipice by those unceasing forces, to form the vast deposit of sandstone now known as the Potsdam, which ranges according to the convolutions of the sub-oceanic surface upon which it lodged, in thickness from a few feet to more than one thousand feet. The superimposed layers have each their own revelation to make clear; some of them in fossils which the human eye can readily decipher; others in forms so minnte that the microscope is needed to unlock its mysterious message from a world possibly pre-Adamite.
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