STEPHEN SON CO I 'NT Y. 71 



Economic Geology. 



The chief sources of wealth in Stepheuson county are to be found in 

 the richness and productiveness of its soil, and in its abundant agricul- 

 tural resources. So far as our examinations go, this is the best agricul- 

 tural county of its size in the State. It has less waste land than any 

 other we know of. It has a larger number of acres under successful culti- 

 vation than any of its neighbors. And from this cultivation labor reaps 

 a richer reward than California's golden mines can bestow, and as a re- 

 sult, unexampled prosperity attends the tillers of the soil, and through 

 them smiles upon all other pursuits and avocations which wait upon 

 successful agriculture. In her fat, rich soil, therefore, is contained the 

 first and chiefest source of wealth in this county; the one which is 

 nourishing all the rest, and fostering and building the city of Freeport 

 in a wonderfully rapid manner. But aside from this there are other 

 sources of wealth and industry demanding our attention. 



Clays and. Sands. Almost anywhere beneath the soils and sub-soils, 

 may be found clay beds, out of which an excellent article of common 

 red brick can be manufactured. This is more especially true of the red- 

 dish clays overlying the Galena limestone. Beds of sand are also found, 

 sufficiently pure for mortars and plastering purposes, but they are far 

 less numerous than the clay beds. A tough, tenacious, dark colored fire 

 clay also underlies some of the peat marshes, which has been dried and 

 baked into a tenacious, light colored brick, as an experiment, but this is 

 not, perhaps, of much economic value. 



Quid- Lime. The more" solid portions of the Galena limestone burns 

 into a quick lime of excellent quality, and there are many lime kilns in 

 the county. Certain portions of the Blue limestone also burn into a 

 good lime, and at Martin's mill certain portions of the Buff are being 

 successfully made into lime of fair quality. 



Building Stone. All the rocks hitherto described furnish building- 

 stone of better or worse qualities. The Xiagara is quarried in several 

 places. It furnishes a handsome colored, enduring building material, 

 but is unshapely and unmanageable on account of its irregular stratifi- 

 cation. The Cincinnati group, although considered an unreliable build- 

 ing material, is much quarried about Xew Dublin, and in that region. 

 It comes out of the quarry in good shape, for light work, and does not 

 crumble and decay, when exposed to the weather, as we have seen it do 

 farther to the west. Barn foundations, houses, bridge abutments, and 

 other such work, may be seen built out of the Cincinnati group, at 

 many places in the western part of the county. The Catholic Chapel, 

 before alluded to, is built out of this material, and does not, as yet, ex- 

 hibit much signs of decay. Indeed, some of the bottom strata are 



