126 • GEOLOGY OP ILLINOIS. 



Three miles and a half -west of the Big Muddy bridge, on the road 

 from Benton to DuQdoin, a coal about one foot in thickness has been 

 opened at rhe outcrop and some coal taken out for the use of the neigh- 

 boring blacksmiths. Still further west, in the barrens of Little Muddy, 

 another outcrop of coal has been found about two miles south of the 

 DuQuoin road. None of the seams outcropping in this county are thick 

 enough to be successfully worked in a regular way. 



All through the north-eastern portion of the county sandstones and 

 sandy shales are the prevailing rocks, and these outcrop at numerous 

 points on the East Fork and its tributaries, from the Shawneetown road 

 east of Benton to the north-east corner of the county, and numerous 

 quarries have been opened for building stone, in this portion of the 

 county. Sandstone has been found at the following points in the county 

 in addition to those already mentioned : 



On sec. 14, T 6, B. 1 ; on sec. 19, T. 5, B. 2 ; on sees. 1, 2 and 26, T. 

 6, B. 2 ; on sec. 20, T. 7, B. 2 ; on sees. 27, 33 and 34, T. 5, B. 3 ; on 

 sees. 4, 8, 9 and, 17, T. (5, B. 3 ; on sees. 12, 13 and 14, T. G, B. 3 ; on 

 sees. 20, 30 and 30, T. 6, B. 3 ; on sees. 1, 2, 3 and 5, T. 5, E. 4 ; on 

 sees. 8, 10, 15 and 21, T. 5, B. 4; on sees. 1, 5 and 12, T. 6, B. 4 ; on 

 sees. 24 and 30, T. 6, B. 4 ; on sees. 1, 2, 8 and 11, T. 7, B. 4; on sees. 

 12 and 30, T. 7, E. 4 ; on sec. 2, T. 7, B. 3. 



Limestone is also reported in the north-east corner of the county, on 

 sec. 11, T. 5, B. 4. This may be the same bed that was found underlay- 

 ing the thin coal on Hog prairie, in Hamilton county. 



Economical Geology. 



Coal, — No coal seams thick enougli to be worked in a regular way are 

 known to outcrop in this county, yet its entire area is underlaid by the 

 main coals of the lower measures which outcrop in the adjoining coun- 

 ties on the west and south. In the southern and western portions of 

 this county the Spiller coal (No. 7 of the general section) may be reached 

 at a depth of one to two hundred feet, while in the central and north- 

 eastern portions it is probably from three to five hundred feet to this 

 seam, and as much as eight hundred to a thousand to the base of the 

 Coal Measures. At the present time there is but little inducement for 

 the investment of capital in coal mining operations in this county, nor 

 will there be until some foreign demand shall be created by the con- 

 struction of railroads through this portion of the State giving this 

 county direct and cheap transportation to some of the large coal con- 

 suming centers of the West. 



Building Stone. — Sandstone of fair quality is abundant in the central 

 and eastern portions of the county, and some of the quarries like that 



