INDUSTRY OF COUNTIES. 
403 
it; it relieves the landscape by its bold, perpendicular cliffs, that in places 
rises to the height of a hundred feet and affords prospects from its summit 
which it would be hard to match, for loveliness and extent, in the western 
states or, indeed, anywhere. When wealth accumulates, as it is sure to do, 
and, indeed, is fast doing, in this favored section, these beautiful uplands 
will be eagerly sought for the residences of the wealthy men doing busi¬ 
ness in the city of Fond du Lac, the average distances from the top of the 
ridge being not more than four miles. 
This ledge deserves more than a passing notice on several accounts: It 
not only supplies the county with materials for superior lime and building 
stone; but it also furnishes the most beautiful and true flag-stones, of any 
desired thickness, from one-half inch up to five or six inches; so true, indeed, 
that a carpenter’s rule will bear on its entire length in any direction. The 
supply of these is absolutely unlimited. There is enough to supply a con¬ 
tinent at low rates. About twenty quarries are worked along the ledge, and 
the business in stone and lime is not less than $20,000 per year. Event¬ 
ually the city of Fond du Lac will mainly be built of stone, as it is the 
cheapest and safest, as well as most durable material. The fronts of the 
finest stores and business blocks are built of bricks imported from Milwau¬ 
kee or Sheboygan, as those made here are much infeiior on account of the 
lime which pervades the clay. But the greatest value of the ledge, in our 
estimation, lies in the fact that along its whole extent in the county, that is 
to say, for a length of about twenty-five miles, innumerable springs of pure 
and unfailing water gush out at intervals of from a quarter of a mile to not 
more than one mile, so cool that the thermometer plunged into them never 
marks more than from forty-six to forty-eight degrees, and entirely does 
away with the necessity of iced water during the hottest months; they 
never freeze. 
A better watered section than the county of Fond du Lac could hardly be 
imagined. Almost every quarter section has a living stream of water, large 
or small, running through it; a circumstance of n small value to the agri¬ 
culturist, and especially to the dairyman or grazier; for it is well known 
that all animals, even sheep, thrive best where they can have access to 
water at all times, and drink when they wish, especially towards the middle 
of the day, instead of being watered only mornings and evenings as is the 
usual practice where they have to be driven to water, or watered from wells. 
Besides, running water is always more acceptable to animals than well- 
water. 
Where running water does not exist within the limits of the county, it 
can always be easily procured by digging, of a good quality, without the 
necessity of curbing, as the subsoil is sufficiently solid to remain as dug 
until the well is stoned up—sand being very seldom met witli in digging. 
The usual depth at which good water is obtained by digging varies from 
twenty-five to forty feet, in rare instances the wells have to be sunk to a 
