778 THE ILLINOIS GLACIAL LOBE. 



of Saline River and the northern portion is tributary to Skillett Fork of 

 Little Wabash River. The lowlands are filled to considerable depth with 

 drift, but the uplands, like those of White and the neighboring counties on 

 the north and east, have a very thin drift coating, averaging scarcely 10 

 feet. The surface of the uplands is uneven, the preglacial ridges and hills 

 being concealed but little by drift. A coating of silt covers the county, 

 but it is much more porous than that of the more level counties on the 

 northwest. 



WELLS. 



The wells of this county, as in neighboring counties, obtain water at 

 depths of but 20 to 40 feet or even less, those on the uplands being gener- 

 ally into rock a few feet, while these on the lowlands are obtained without 

 reaching the rock. No records of individual wells were collected. 



The village of McLeansboro has a fire protection in cisterns distributed 

 around the public square. There are also four tubular wells in the village, 

 which, the mayor reports, have hard water, unfit for domestic use. The 

 greater part of the citizens depend upon cistern water. 



FRANKLIN COUNTY. 

 GENERAL STATEMENT. 



Franklin County is situated south of Jefferson, about midway between 

 the Wabash and Mississippi rivers, with Benton as the county seat, and has 

 an area of 430 square miles. It is drained southwestward by the Big 

 Muddy River, which crosses the west-central portion of the county. Its 

 topography and general characteristics are so similar to Hamilton County 

 that further description is scarcely necessary. 



The wells on the uplands usually enter rock at a slight depth and 

 penetrate it a few feet. If a good quality of water is not obtained cistern 

 water is substituted. In the flats of the Big Muddy Valley, in the south- 

 west part of the county, wells may be obtained without entering the rock. 



JACKSON COUNTY. 

 GENERAL STATEMENT. 



Jackson County is situated on the east border of the Mississippi River 

 below Randolph County, with Murphysboro as the county seat, and has an 



