154 KANSAS UNIVERSITY QUARTERLY. 



In the drift region of Kansas as a field of stud}', the student has 

 some advantage, which he does not find in similar regions covering 

 entire states. The drift occupies a relatively small part of the state. 

 On the west and south it is bounded by unglaciated territory. A 

 profitable comparison can thus be made between it and the adja- 

 cent driftless region. The fact also that in the state there are no 

 morainic accumulations of the later glacial period removes one ele- 

 ment of uncertainty and complexity encountered in the study of 

 some other glacial regions. 



The native rocks of eastern Kansas are carboniferous limestone, 

 interstratified with heavy beds of shale. This arrangement has 

 made it possible for water to show its erosive power very effectively. 

 A topographic type has been produced which Prof. Haworth has 

 described in Volume II of the Kansas University Quarterly. 

 The shale has been easily worn away, leaving a hard capping of 

 limestone which forms a table-topped hill, with terraces formed of 

 layers of hard limestone, which have resisted wear more success- 

 fully than the over lying shale. This type of hill presents the ap- 

 pearance at a distance of steps leading up to a level surface. This is 

 the characteristic erosion contour in that part of eastern Kansas not 

 covered by the drift. We may safely say then that it was charac- 

 teristic, previous to glacial times, of the region now lying under the 

 drift. 



The preglacial streams had eroded wide valleys. The smaller 

 streams in some cases have valley bottoms two to three miles in 

 width, with their former bordering limestone ridges still apparent. 

 A good example of a preglacial valley of a small stream whose 

 ancient bluffs still remain prominent is that of Walnut Creek, six 

 miles southwest of Horton. The valley of Wolf river in north- 

 eastern Doniphan county it also worthy of notice. The river flows 

 in an easterly direction as far as Severance. There it bends toward 

 the north, and flows northerly, until it joins the Missouri. The fact 

 that this river flows to the north in its ancient valley has seemed to 

 me to be unusual. A closer study of it will perhaps reveal im- 

 portant facts in regard to the manner in which the drift was de- 

 posited. It has not been easy to secure data in regard to the depth 

 of old river valleys. Most of the wells have been dug in drift lying 

 on ridges, and not in river bottoms. And in those cases when 

 wells have been made in bottom land water is usually struck be- 

 fore the rock is reached, so that even if we knew the depth we 

 could not always tell the true vertical extent of drift in the valley. 

 In the W^olf river bottom near Severance is a well twenty-two feet 

 deep. Most of the material passed through was joint clay. Near 



