Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1859-10-14
From the Somerset Whig.
BEDFORD COUNTY.

interesting TO some or the readers ot the Her
aid, since it differs in almost every respeci
from our own county. When we cross Laurel
HUI We End a country very much like our own,
but when We cross Allegheny we get altogeth-
er ont pf our element, and into country al
together different from our own. The ascent
aud decent Of laurel Hill are almost equql
bat the Allegheny is quite different, when we
reachithe summit Of the mountain fron the
west, re look down on country which may
very properly be called 'sdown below" Aud
this eeuntIy down below has many very in-
teressiag features Here is almost every ysri-
ely q soil; here are very steep mountains al
mostwlthout end here are springs, such as
would astoash any Que Who has never seen
ibems here there is no coal (except Broad
Top, but plenty of limestone Here on the
best VI land, grows serubby dwarfsh kind of
timber, such as is found on the very poorest
laud ID our county. Here the taus and
frostsare very sectional, while in our county
they arc more general, here are eels in the
streanle, and variety of other things, very
different from our county, just over the AIle-
ghenYand Why these things so.
There are no doubt, reasons, but | don't
know whether | will be able to give :hem, but
think the reason why the Allegheny is so
much sieeper On the east than on the west, is
because the water h4s much lnore descent, and
consequently flows more rapidly sni has more
power % that It carries away the surflce
material so much more rapidly than on the
west. Ga the east sde the waters reach the
oce2nln distance Of three CIR foer hundred
miles, sShle on The west it does not reach il 10
less tkan three or four thousand miles. o.
the east Of the Allegheny, the hills look bare,
and itsee.as as If the soil IN many places is
carried off faster than the elements eau form
il, By decomposing The rocks of which it IS
formed, while on the west We have our GLADE
botiosas aad thick sod and, more than that,
our cusl basins 2lIieh are regularly stralitied
and veil calculated 10 hold water and with
stand rs operations, and at the same time, the
heads of our streams generally glide along
snlooebly, 50 that any matter which may mix
+ WTgn III, will n3FV time 10 astffo @ia II, s8ssz
is carried far. Bat here are the rapid streams
all the time busy, which have worked their
way down to tue lower and more easily denudef
formations, far below the coal measure, slill
busy by rain aud shine, carrying off small
particles all the time to the ocean, forming its
deltss there, and this | consider the reason Why
this county is so much lower han ours.
In our county, being altogether in the coal
formation, our soil has generally the same ap,
pearance, but here il is very different. 1t has
almost every variety OF color and quality, ii IS
read, yellow. black, sandy, slayty, clayey and
loamy some very loose aud some very light,
and in consequence of this the productions are
also very irregular. The rod soil is generally
decomposition of limestone, and red shale,
and the yellow soil is almost pure clay, while
| tho black is generally an alluvial sofia mix
ture Of all other varieties where for ages no
doubt vegetable matter grew aud decayei.-
The sandy soil is generally found along the
edges of mountains fornled Of sandstone where
fer ages the sand FROM the rocks above, has
been carried down.
The slate soils are of different kids, some
being we'll drained and clhecs not. Ga cheet-
nut ridge there is soil of sand slate which is
well drained aud very productive, while on dry
ridge it 10 composed Of clay slate, not well
drained and rather uuproductive, around
chestnut ridge are number of interesting
springs, several of which drive grist- mills all
the gear. Where the water comes from Is
mystery to so some, but 10 me ii is plalD.-
Some here advocate the opinion that 1t comes
from some distant lake, but that idea is GER
tanly absurd and ridiculous, the water all
comes out of chesuut ridge. The surface Is
very loose and porous, and at small distance
! from it, is large strata OF limestone, probably
hundred feet thick This LINES tone is broken
and in many places decomposed, which IS
evident from the numerous holes which are
sunk in the surface, caused by tue limestone
| below decomposing, and being carried oil by
the stream of water which flows through the
ridge. aud ruus out at Trout's Mill, on the
north, aud at Huli's Mill on the south
Springs are scarce in this couu'y compared
with ours, but some of them are very large and
the reason why they are so, is on account OF
tho many underground passages of the water
Bedford County is the best naturally drained
county ever saw, which no doubt accounts for
the good crops of wheat, which are raised IN
these sections.
The reason why the mountains here are SO
steep. is no donbt because here the qualification
Of the rocks generally, is almost perPendlcular'
while in our county it is more HORIZONTAL. mere
is every reason TO believe, that at the time OF
tie formation OF these rocks they we're horizon
tai too, but how they came into this upright
position, is more than would undertake to ae-
coult for new.
As for the coal, this country is certainly too
low 10 contain it. contend that the top oil
Alleghany mountain was once farther east than
Il is now, this is evident from the fact that the
stratas still continue to rise, till almost up to
the Cove mountain. AS for Broad Top, 1t Is
curious relic of the coal measures, which has
puzzled almost all geolo lists, and will net at
tempt to say anything about 1t.
The reason why we have no eels in cur wa
ters is | believe because saltwater is necessary
for their reproduction and they would have to
90 too far on our side, to get to 1t.
ORION.