EFFINGHAM COUNTY. 183 



Building rock. — On Sugar fork, near its mouth, there is a good quarry 

 of hard sandstone, and one of silicious limestone on Green creek above 

 the mouth of Sugar fork. 



A very good quarry is that of Eversman's on Salt creek bluffs, two 

 miles south of Effingham.- The rock is a firm, gray sandstone, iu even 

 beds. Very good sandstone, in thick beds, occurs in the bluffs of Shoal 

 creek near its mouth, on Fulfer creek, in sec. 2, T. 6 N., E. 5 E.; near 

 Eamsey creek, half a mile from its mouth, in sec '27, T. 6 1ST., E. G E. ; 

 and on Big creek, in sec. 29, T. 9 N., E. 5 E. 



On Limestone creek, and on Fulfer creek for two or three miles above 

 the mouth of Limestone, there are good limestone quarries. A good 

 deal of rock used on the Rational road was obtained at Mahon's quarry 

 on Fulfer creek, also north-west on Big creek. I do not consider this 

 rock of superior quality; that on the National road has undergone the 

 test of twenty five years, and is very much cracked by frost. The lime- 

 stone at kelson's coal bank is apparently of better quality. All these 

 limestones will make tolerably good lime. 



The various streams nearly all abound in a good quality of clean 

 sand, useful for plastering, etc. 



Potters' clay. — The buff and darker clays from just beneath the soil 

 of the white oak lands is very much used at Effingham to make common 

 pottery. 



Supply of water. — Good water can be procured anywhere by digging. 

 On the prairies in the south-east it is obtained at from 12 to 20 feet; 

 at Effingham, 30 to 44; at Watson, 16; in South-west, 20; at Masou, 

 18 to 30. The deepest wells I heard of were G. W. Nelson's of 50 feet, 

 through clay and Coal Measure rocks to good limestone water, and Jesse 

 Newman's, at Mason, 145 feet, with scant supply of water. On the 

 prairie, between Big creek and Fulfer, I detected a strong taste of sul- 

 phate of iron in water from a well 25 feet deep. Near the mouth of 

 Fulfer, in sec. 2, T. 6 N., E. 5 E., there is a chalybeate spring of very 

 excellent water; it issues from beneath thick-bedded Coal Measure 

 sandstone. 



On Brush creek, one mile from its mouth, there is a never failing 

 spring of very good water. It is called by some a sulphur spring, but 

 I could detect no taste of sulphur. 



Soil, — There is more or less saud mingled with the soil of this county. 

 The yield of corn is generally about 40 bushels per acre. Some persons 

 think the country is too flat to be good wheat laud ; the general average 

 is 20 bushels per acre — sometimes, but rarely, 30. When the seasons 

 are not too dry good vegetable crops can be raised. The soil is well 

 adapted to raising most kinds of fruit, but as yet orchards are not 

 numerous. The peach crop sometimes fails. 



