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OGLE COUNTY. 105 



toined only to the grassy plains and green slopes of his native State, 

 bedecked though they be in their native wildness with flowers of gayest 

 hue, to him there is a charm in such scenery, as a ride along the river 

 bank from Byron to Dixon discloses. 



The resemblance to the old feudal castles of England, as, half-ruined, 

 moss-covered and ivy-draped, they are preserved to us in picture gal- 

 leries, is constant and recurring. The limestone bluffs, covered half 

 way up their steep sides with the accumulated talus of ages, look like 

 mural escarpments and Cyclopean walls among the wild hills. The 

 sandstone clift's of various hues, now glancing like snow hills in the sun- 

 shine, or glowing like hills of flame or yellow, when stained with the 

 red oxide of iron, are weathered into all sorts of fantastic shapes. The 

 rounded, tower-like, casemated masses, which stand out in bold relief at 

 the Indian Pulpit, three or four miles below Oregon, and at other places 

 along this heavy outcrop of the St. Peter's sandstone, need not the aid 

 of imagination or fancy to shape themselves into dome and minaret, 

 spire or cupola, or the graceful flutings, carvings, mouldings and col- 

 umns of Gothic, Doric or Corinthian architecture. If well painted in 

 oil, some of the more striking scenes would illustrate Illinois landscapes 

 of no mean order of beauty. 



These bold, perpendicular bluffs of rock and deep ravines cut into 

 them by the little streams, afford excellent opportunities for an exami- 

 nation of the geology of this county, and will be again referred to in 

 another part of this report. 



At Oregon and Grand DeTour good dams are built across the river, 

 and a part of the magnificent powers thus obtained are made available 

 for milling and manufacturing purposes. Dams might be constructed 

 at many other points on the river within this county, and a supply of 

 water power be put into use, unlimited in extent. Indeed, such a stream 

 as Rock river, for water powers, is hard to find ; and some day it will 

 enrich all this part of the State with its mills, manufactories, factories, 

 founderies and machine shops. Other but smaller streams run through 

 different parts of the county. 



On the north side of Rock river, and tributary thereto, is Leaf river 

 and Pine creek. The former rises about Adeline, and among the gravel 

 hills in the north-west part of the county, and flowing in a south-east 

 course, mingles its waters with those of the larger river, a few miles be- 

 low Byron. It is a considerable stream, and affords some fair water 

 powers for light work. Pine creek runs into Rock river a short dis- 

 tance below Grand DeTour. It comes down from the north, making a 

 sweeping bend towards the east. It is not a large stream, but, geologi- 

 cally, is one of the most interesting water courses we ever examined. 



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