38 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 



better farmini:? land, or land more suitable for the cultivation of trees 

 and fruits, and its position will depend entirely upon the industry and 

 skill with which these, its only resources, are developed. 



ADDITIONAL NOTES ON LANCASTER AND CASS COUNTIES. 



From the sources of the Nehama River we simply pass over a some- 

 what elevated prairie, which tbrms the divide between that stream and 

 the head-branches of Salt Creek. 



Like the Nemaha, in Johnson Coimty, Salt Creek passes diagonally 

 through Lancaster County, in a northeasterly direction. It empties into 

 the Platte River about tbirty-five miles above its mouth. This creek, 

 with its branches, forms the entire drainage of the county. 



The southeastern portion of Lancaster County is underlaid by rocks 

 of the Permian or Permo-Carboniterous age. The basis rocks of three- 

 fourths of the county are the rusty sandstone of the Cretaceous formation, 

 ]No. 1, or Dakota group. After passing the divide, from the sources of 

 the Nemaha to those ot Salt Creek, we tind no exposure of the under- 

 lying rocks. At Mr. Mills's farm, about twelve miles down the valley, are 

 some exposures of the Permo-Carboniferous rocks, occupying an area of 

 about five miles square. The entire thickness of the rocky strata here 

 is ten to fifteen feet, arranged in layers six inches to two feet in thick- 

 ness. 



In abstracting the rocks from the quarry the fracture is so regular, 

 breaking into massive square or oblong blocks, and the texture so fine, 

 compact, and of light cream color, that they are highly esteemed by 

 builders, and make beautiful as well as durable houses. There are 

 quite a number of large dwelling-houses (made of this stone) in the 

 vicinity. It is works quite easily. The finest springs of water in this 

 county issue from this rock. 



There are five or six of these quarries opened at this time, but the 

 principal one occurs on the farm of Mr. S. B. Mills. 



These fine quarries must become of great value to this county, for 

 they yield the only good building material for thirty to fifty miles north, 

 south, and west, and from ten to twenty miles east, of the place. 



The rusty, rather soft, friable sandstones of the Dakota group are 

 used, to some extent, for dwelling houses. It presents an exceedingly 

 somber and uni)leasaut appearance to the eye, and possesses no elements 

 of durability. It can be relied on only in the absence of other building- 

 material. About twelve miles below these quarries, near the salt-basins, 

 Lincoln, the capital of the State, is located. Pretty good water is ob- 

 tained here by digging, but there is a liability even then to strike brack- 

 ish water, on account of the proximity to the salt-lands. 



From a point five miles above Lincoln to a point five miles above the 

 mouth of Salt Creek, there is a scant supply of building-material, of 

 timber, and of fresh water, so that it can- be seen at a glance that this 

 valley is not as desirable as many other portions of the State. 



Near Miss Warner's, about ten miles above Lincoln, a well was dug on 

 the high hills, bordering the valley, to the depth of sixty feet, without 

 striking rock. At Yankee Hill, two miles above Lincoln, a well was dug 

 sixty-six feet, without reaching the basis rocks. 



These facts show the great thickness of the superficial alluvial depos- 

 its of this region, and also the skeleton form of the surface prior to the 

 disposition of these deposits. I shall treat more fully on this subject at 

 a future time. 



The sandstones of the Dakota group are quite largely developed in 



