60 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 
Thayer to the Verdigris, is a chain of hills and mounds, including the Bender 
mounds and those around Cherryvale, which form a very striking feature of the 
country. They are simply the remains of outlying areas separated from the es- 
carpment by erosion. 
EARLTON ESCARPMENT. 
The next succeeding formation is the Iola limestone formation. Below the 
Iola system proper lie the Earlton limestone systems. From Elk river to east of 
Benedict they are closely associated with the Iola; but west of Chanute and 
northwest of Earlton, from which place the systems take their names, they pro- 
duce a separate escarpment, due to the thickening of intervening shales. Be- 
tween Altoona and Earlton there are a number of mounds which have recently 
been protected by the limestone which produces this escarpment. The escarp- 
ment fades out in the Neosho valley, and southwest of Vilas blends with the next. 
succeeding, which is the 
IOLA ESCARPMENT. 
The escarpment produced by the Iola limestone* is most prominent west of 
the Verdigris river from Table mound, northwest of Independence, to Benedict. 
South, toward the state line, it loses much of its importance, due to the pre- 
ponderance of sandstone. It passes into the Indian territory just east of Tyro. 
Walker mound and Table mound are outlying areas of it. The prominence of 
the escarpment west of the Verdigris from Independence, past Neodesha, Al- 
toona, and Guilford, to Benedict, is Jargely due to the position of the river valley,. 
which runs parallel to it, and to the great thickness of the limestone. At Bene- 
dict it crosses the river and, bending somewhat to the south, takes a northerly 
course, passing west of Vilas, to Ow! creek west of Humboldt, where the next 
succeeding escarpment blends with it. The Iola limestone descends to the bot- 
tom land and is not traceable far after crossing Ow! creek on the west side of the 
Neosho river. It is exposed at Iola along Elm creek and Rock creek, as well as 
at several places on the east bank of the Neosho between Iola and Humboldt. 
At the latter place it forms the heavy ledge which is so prominent at the river 
bridge. Further south it recedes from the river, producing an escarpment which 
trends to the southeast, then curves to the northeast, running nearly parallel to 
Big creek, but considerably west of it, and passes just east of Moran, becoming 
less distinct. 
CARLYLE ESCARPMENT. 
This escarpment is produced by the Carlyle limestone, + which is exposed 
near Carlyle on both sides of Deer creek. From that place it runs to the east 
and then to the north, being prominent at Garnett and east of there along the 
Pottawatomie river. On the north side of Deer creek it trends west from Carlyle 
to the Neosho river, crossing it below Neosho Falls. On the west side of the 
Neosho it follows the river bluff for a short distance, then runs to the south, 
passing about half way between Iola and Piqua. At Owl creek it blends with 
the Iola escarpment, as already stated, although the system is traceable some- 
what further to the south. North of Iola and between Iola and Humboldt, east 
of the river, there are a number of hills which are outlying portions of this 
escarpment. 
CHAUTAUQUA PLATFORM AND CHAUTAUQUA SANDSTONE HILLS. 
The back slopes of the escarpments thus far described possess no features 
which merit special description. The shale beds which produce them contain | 
* Haworth and Kirk: Kans, Univ. Quart., vol. II, p. 109. 
t+ Haworth and Kirk: Kans. Univ. Quart., vol. 1I, p. 110. Since learned to be the lower mem- 
ber of the Garnett. 
