CASS AND MENAKD COUNTIES. 175 



well. It has, however, been used chiefly for the rougher kinds of masonry 

 only, the limestone from the Joliet quarries, in the northern part of the State, 

 being generally preferred for the finer kinds of work, such as window caps and 

 sills, etc., wherever ij is accessible. I have seen this limestone used as dressed 

 stone in only one or two instances, but it then appeared to answer well. The 

 limestone quarried on the upper portion of Indian creek, is also said to answer 

 well for foundations and rough walls. 



In the western part of this district, a material which seems to promise well 

 as a building stone, is the brownish sandstone, which occurs in very heavy 

 beds above the roof shales of Coal No. 2. This sandstone is usually of a red- 

 dish brown color, though in some places it approaches a dirty white, or has a 

 bluish tinge, is very soft and easily dressed when first quarried out, but is said 

 to harden on exposure. At the junction of this rock and the underlying shales, 

 there is generally from one to three feet in thickness of limestone, which has 

 been also quarried to some extent at one or two points. The quantity of this 

 sandstone is such, that it is practically inexhaustible ; it is, probable, however, 

 that all parts of it will not be found to answer equally well as a building stone. 

 Other Building Materials. Limestones suitable for the manufacture of a 

 fine article of quick-lime, are found in several places in the eastern part of this 

 district, each of the localities already noticed as affording limestone as a build- 

 ing stone, also furnishes a material for the manufacture of lime. Some selec- 

 tion, however, has to be made among the beds at some points, for a material 

 which will afford an article of lime suitable to supply the local needs. 



Clay and sand for brick making are found in abundance in all parts of the 

 district, and will, probably, at some future time, become one of the chief 

 sources of building materials in those parts most distant from available stone 

 quarries. 



The general surface configuration and soils have been noticed in the first 

 part of this chapter, and but little more need be said. The soil of the upland 

 prairies in this district takes rank with the best in this portion of the State, 

 in general agricultural value. The soil of the timbered portions is also pro- 

 ductive when properly cultivated. Along the Illinois and Sangamon rivers, 

 in the bottom lands, there are occasional sandy tracts or ridges, generally cov- 

 ered with a growth of stunted oak and black-jack, which are, of course, infe- 

 rior, but as a general thing the soil of these bottoms is a deep rich arenaceous 

 loam, which, when sufficiently elevated or properly drained, is one of the most 

 productive soils in the State. 



