Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1854-01-23
miscellaneous Selections
WESTERN WISCONSIN.

State, VIII be confined TO 1fant, CfaW-
ford, Bad Axe, and La Crosse Counties
They all lie upon the Mississippi, and
except Grant County, are above the
Wisconsin river. Our first impressions
OF their general features and resources
were derived from the deck Of u steam .
er on the Mississippi, and were anything
but favorable. We have recently had
an opportunity to travel TIN ough them al
the dis lance of from five to thirty miles
from the Mississippi, and have had occa-
sion to modify our opinions.
Grant County lies directly south Of
tho Wisconsin, and is in the great lead
district. The prevailing rock is lime
stone from the disentegration Of which
the soil is formed. There is we should
suppose more prairie than wood land in
the County but still there is timber e.
nough in the northern and western por-
tions of it for all practical purposes
The section between Shullsburgh and
PlattegIle is beautiful elevated rolling
prairie. The soil appears to be very
good but much Of it has been nearly
spoiled for agricultural purposes by the
miners. Mining seems to be carried on
by digging holes i'll the ground at no
great distance from each other, and when
a certain depth IS reached they are aban-
doued. The holes may be filed up it is
true, but as long as land is SO plenty and
so cheap, this is not likely TO be DONE
1t locks almost like pity to spoil so
much fine farming land, but we presume
the "mmerat" pays better, and to this
all other considerations must yield in
this utilitarian age. Platteville, Shulls
burgh, and Lancaster are hourishing
towns, all situated in this County. From
the Hsraid, published at Lancaster, we
learn that there are still in County some
100000 acres Of land subject to entry at
government price. Much of it we have
no doubt is excellent farming land, and
we would prefer TO trust ourselves to
dig gold out of the rich soil of that Coun-
ty rather than to run the hazard OF secu-
ring .'our pile" Of shining dust from the
sands Of California.
Above the Wisconsin river The sand
stone rock predominates, and we have
very little prairie. The geology Of the
district interested us very much. The
general level Of the country is from four
to five hundred feet above the MiSsis
sippi; but the streams seem to have cut
down deep valleys in all directions -
These Vsiteys are catled s'cooIfes. Ar
ter leaving Prairie du CHEN and ascen-
ding to the general level Of the country,
the road following an Indian trail, pass
es for many miles Oh the dividing ridge
between the Kickapoo river, which emp
ties into the Wisconsin, few miles d
boyo its mouth, and The Mississippi. -
From this ridge, almost innumerable
coolies run out on either side to the Mis-
sissippi and the Kiokapoo. 10 many of
them, and in fact all OF them near their
commencement on the 'divide," there
are only very small rivulets, and it is not
till a number of these are united toge-h-
err that any considerable sized stream is
formed.
The strata Of the sand rock which
forms the base Of the country, lie nearly
horizontal, and il becomes an Interesting
problem if the principle that all geoIogi-
cal phcno"'..-''" -0'-' to DO @'tr'hato,' to
s-,,s55a now IN operation is admitted, how
these coolies, running in opposite direc-
tons from the same ridge were formed.
Causes now in operation may have pro-
duccd these valleys; but they must have
operated with far greater intensity than
at present. The only explanation that
suggested itself to our mind was, that far
back in the history OF our lanet, this
same rock was much less solid than al
present; and that the position of this re-
giJn with reference to the then existing
oceans, was such and the atmosphere
was SO constituted in that early period,
that immense floods of rain were poured
down upon it, wearing out the valleys as
we now see them.
The springs and rivulets that are found
IN these coolies are most excellent water.
Speckled trout are found in them in a.
bundAnce. The soil is rich, and even TO
the top of The ridges it appears to be ca
pAble OF cultivation. For the raising OF
stock and especially sheep, we should
suppose it 10 besone of the very finest
sections of country with which we are
acquainted. On the stage road to St.
Paul, for eighty miles above Prairie du
Chen, we found farms opened every
few miles, and in the vicinity Of Viro-
qua, the County seat of Bad Axe Conn-
ty there is very considerable settle
ment We saw some half dozen men in
a single company in the woods west of
this village looking for places to locate.
They appeared much pleased with the
country, and their only anxiety seemed
10 De TO make the best selection.
81 About ten miles above Prairie du
Chen there are large number OF lndi-
an an mounds of almost all imaginableshapes.
HEY extend some eight miles along the
Top Of the ridge and are generally oPpo-
SIZE TO the coolies running east and west
70 The kickapoo and the Mississippi
me only impress sion we could get from
Helr location and construction is, that
Mey were used in some way TO defend
we inhabitants living on The one river or
:ae other; but of what service they were
" would be difficult to imagine. They
cie from che 10 five feet above the sur
'aVs' and We noticed large oak trees
s'U~ing on some of them.