KANKAKEE AND IROQUOIS COUNTIES. 235 



of "old fields," the characteristic result of such farming in the older States. 

 The remedy, of course, lies in thorough manuring, which is, and always will 

 be neglected by those who are ambitious to have the largest farms, without re- 

 gard to the rate of production. The abundant marshes or sloughs, often un- 

 derlaid by deposits of shell marl, furnish the best of material for rendering the 

 sand ridges fertile. 



The water power of the Kankakee is partially utilized by four or five dams 

 and mills; but not a tithe of it is thus employed, though it might be made the 

 source of immense wealth. 



Coal exists in sufficient quantities for domestic use, though, even for this, it 

 must be hauled many miles ; but it can hardly be profitably used in extensive 

 operations until a railroad shall bring it directly from a larger coal field near at 

 hand. If the east and west road through the county, so long talked of, should 

 be built, an abundant supply of coal would be brought from Grundy and LaSalle 

 counties ; otherwise, the reliance must be upon Vermilion county and the Indi- 

 ana field, whence coal will soon be delivered in the eastern part of the county 

 by the new Chicago, Danville and Terra Haute railroad. The Danville coal 

 is now brought to Kankakee City, via the Great Western and Illinois Central 

 roads ; but the route is so circuitous that freights make a very heavy addition 

 to the cost. Possibly, the coal recently discovered in Iroquois county may 

 prove sufficiently abundant to be the best source of supply for Kankakee county. 



Iron. Bos ore is known to exist in small quantities in some of the sloughs 

 near the State line. If larger beds can be found within easy reach of the new 

 railroad, there seems to be no reason why Momence should not speedily have 

 an iron furnace, supplied with bog ore from its own neighborhood, with richer 

 ores from Lake Superior, via Chicago, with "block" coal direct from the Wa- 

 bash, and a blast driven by the water-power of the Kankakee. If this be un- 

 dertaken, it would be well to examine more thoroughly the beds of 



Peat, which are known to exist near that place, though now supposed to be 

 of small extent. 



Building Stone is quarried at many points in the county. The best rock 

 seen is in the southwest corner of Limestone township, in section 16, of that 

 township, and in the river bed at Momence. The quarries in section 16, of 

 limestone, should be more largely developed, and made to supply stone to all 

 the neighboring country. If the Kankakee were rendered navigable, this 

 might be made a very profitable business, and would pay well even as it is. 

 The rock quarried at Kankakee City is very objectionable on account of the 

 abundance of shaly partings which must ultimately cause the destruction of 

 buildings now erected at so great expense. It would be much wiser for build- 

 ers of any large structure, especially of those of so extensive and elegant a 

 character as the Methodist church in that city, to pay enough more to cover 



