GEOLOGY OF LA SALLE COUNTY. 



25 



Section 3, and undoubtedly extends into Waltham 

 Township. In Kconomical Geolog-}^ of Illinois it is 

 stated tliat coal has been found in the valley of the 

 Little Vermillion in Section 35, Troy Grove Township, 

 and also in Section 25, one and one-fourth miles 

 farther up the stream, in each case about four inches 

 thick. 



But for all practical purposes a line starting- at the 

 west line of Dimmick Township, one mile north of its 

 south line and running* directly east across the county, 

 is the northern boundary of coal beds, althoug-h spurs 

 and thin strata of coal may be found farther north. 

 In this connection it is well to remember that within 

 the last twenty years many reports of the discovery of 

 coal at points farther north have appeared, but to this 

 time the evidence for their existence is so small that no 

 effort has been made to develop them, and we may feel 

 very sure in the face of this fact that no one feels con- 

 fidence enough in the knowledg-e and judgment of those 

 making these statements to lead him to venture an}^- 

 thing in an attempt to open a mine, or even to test the 

 truth of the reports. It may be safely assumed that 

 the coal measures extend to near the north line of the 

 county; it may be at one time extended farther, and 

 that coal beds may have reached some miles farther 

 north than they do now. The fact that we have found 

 frag-ments of coal in drift near the middle of White- 

 side county, and that the same is reported from near 

 Milling-ton would seem to indicate that this was 

 the case. 



At Seneca, or Crotty, Marseilles, Ottawa, and along- 

 the bluffs of the Illinois, but one bed of coal is found 

 east of the tunnel, on the ^orth side of the river, and 

 on the south, except near the Big- Vermillion. At 

 Streator there are two workable beds and four beds of 



