\\ATOX\VAN AND MAKTIX COUNTIES. 



Material reiourcev.j 



a large and prosperous population, mainly agricultural, with towns and 

 villages as required for manufacturing and centers of trade. 



Wattr-jijoinrt:. The only water-power used in \Vatomvau county is that of the Madelia 

 mills, owned by J. T. Fisher, on the \Vatouwau river about a mile west of the town: head, eleven 

 feet: a flouring mill, doing custom grinding; three run of sto.'ie. Other water-powers may be util- 

 ized on the main stream and on both its north and south branches. 



In Martin county, also, only one water-power is now employed, this beiiiij at the flour mill 

 of East Chain, owned by Ruble & Murphy, of Albert Lea. but leased to S. Vermilya; the fall or 

 head is eight feet. 



A dam was once built at or near the outlet of lake George iu the Central chain of lakes, 

 raising lake George six feet, and flowing back to Hall's lake, in sections 19 and 20, Fairmont, this 

 being raised about one foot. A grist-mill, said to have a head of six or eight feet, several years 

 ago stood a little below the foot of Wilmont lake, one of the same chain of lakes, in the north- 

 west part of Silver Lake township. Goo:l water-powers are also available on Elm. Center, ami 

 South creeks. 



Buildini/ stone. No stone-working has been done in these counties, 

 except the use of boulders, chiefly granite, syenite, and gneiss, with occa- 

 sional slabs of limestone, and in one instance a large mass of probably 

 Cretaceous sandstone, found, as already stated, in section 6, Rutland. 

 These erratics of the drift, though dissimilar, make substantial, rough 

 foundations, cellar walls, and curbing in wells. 



Brick-making is not carried on in either of these counties: but about 

 ten years ago red bricks of good quality were made on the north side of 

 Watonwan river, a little east of the bridge close southwest of Madelia: 

 and again a year or two after this, light-reddish bricks were made at Saint 

 James. 



No lime-burning was learned of in these counties. 



Peaf occurs in numerous places, and near Fairmont has been prepared 

 for use as fuel by Mr. A. L. Ward. 



ABORIGINAL EARTHWORKS. 



Two interesting artificial mounds, of the usual form like a low, round dome, are situated 

 about forty rods east and southeast of the mill at the north end of East Chain lake, and About 

 forty feet above the lake. These have been opened by Mr. S. Verrailya. who reports that the 

 northern mound here, about sixteen feet across and two feet high, was found to contain much 

 wood in poles four to six inches in diameter, suggesting that they might originally have served as 

 a roof, covered bv earth. Two skeletons, thought to have been male and female, were here 

 entombed in a sitting posture, about three feet below the natural surface or five feet below the 

 top of the mound. With these were found an iron spoon, wasted by rust; iron handles and frag- 

 ments of leather, as of a valise; two pairs of scissors, and a thimble, made of a brass-like alloy; 

 bracelets of similar metal, less corroded: and many beads of glass and other material, mostly, like 

 the metallic articles, not of Indian manufacture, but made by white men. 



About twenty rods south of this mound, a second, only elevated one foot above the ordinary 

 surface. with its top apparently sunken in. also contained poles of wood. The only skeleton found 

 here was apparently that of a woman, buried, unlike those of the first mound, in a reclining posi- 



