Council Bluffs bugle. [volume] (Council Bluffs, Iowa) 1860-1868, 1868-09-10
FROM Oh. 81 a. WHITE


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Harrasen, nHonona Ana weed
h1ry Ceam9faa.
corrsspsaasnse - sss sssts- -
August 25th, 1883.
These COUNTIES are 50 similar in
Physical features, that Ii is thought
best TO group thsm together Sox de.
, scription Ina Ehis letter. Indeed the
exposures Of rocks In place are %
few, that description of The ssgiou
Is necessarily eonf1ned, efaialiy 20
general typographical features snd
and the physical character Of the
surface. rather than 10 geological
strucsure. In Harrisoa county the
only exposures ofrock In place are .
couple uf limited outcrops Of the up
per coal measure limestone, near
Reefs mill on Boyer river. Tt b
not known that Monona contains .
single exposure Of rock, and the only
ones In Woodbury. county are those
of Cretaeeous age, found principally
In the vicinity Of Sioux City, There
being 50 few exposures In region 30
large, comparatively little could be
known of the underlying rock for
nations without an examination
also Of the adj acG at regions, bat with
such an examination we obtain q
very satisfactory knowledge Of it,
The existence of rocks OF Cretaceous
age in this part Of the State although
long known Ia very Interesting, and
will form the subject for future let
ter, but the most conspicuous features
of these counties and common 10 all
of them, are the bluff deposit, and
the broad bottom lands OF the Mis-
souri, rive. In my letters upon FIRE.
mont, Mills and Pottawattamie coun-
ties, it was explained that the pecu-
liar material forming the soil and
sub-soiI Of the high lands, including
the ranges Of bluffs Of such strange
and peculiar beauty, was deposited
As sediment In a broad lake which
at the close of the galaeiai epoch ex-
isted in the course Of the Missouri
river before it had cut its channel to
It's present depth In the lower part
of its course. As this was gradually
done, the sediment with which the
muddy river had previously filed
the lake to its brim, was readily cut
out again by the waters OF the ever
flowing river, of sufficient width 10
form its channel and broad flood
plain, leaving the remainder Of the
material spread over large area,
covering up the surface of the drift
and forming hills from two hundred
10 three hundred feet high upon
each side, looking iikeas they real
~ are-miniature mountain ranges
Of dried mud-just such mad as the
SINE river would now deposit Ii II
were possible to throw an obstruction
across its valley 10 form lake. This
peculiar deposit covers the surface of
these counties as well as OF the three
COUNTIES to the southwark OF them,
except where it has been swept Oh
from the dr.f deposit by the cross
iug OF the valleys by their own
streams, and the same broad bottom
lands Of the Missouri river, form the
western portion Of each, extending
from the Missouri State line on the
south to Sioux City, in Woodbury.
county, where it ends abruptly so far
rs the state Of Iowa is concerned.
This deposit having been largely
derived from the rocks Of Crekaceous
age which as is now well known,
contained many beds Of friabie and
chaIky limestones, contains in con-
sequence greater propo on 0fiiDle
perhaps than any other soil except
that Of the cliffs of Dover in Eng
land. This abundance of lime Is
manifest in the numerous limey con-
cretiOns which the deposit contains,
resembling pebble stones, but which
have in reality been formed since Its
deposition; and by the abundance OF
the same material In the waters OF
the springs aud wells obtained In it.
The limey eoncretiOns crnmble upon
long exposure TO the atmosphere or
10 any considerable force. Since the
greater part of the surface Is prairie
there is consequently nothing to inn
Pede the plow Or to JAR wheel in
the whole region except the drift
with its pebbles and boulders oc-
casionaliy barred in the valleys. And
since water pereolates the mass suf-
ficlentiy without under draining,
farming opperatians are carried on
with remarkable facility at any part
Of the appropriate season. The very
manner of the formation Of this soil
should dispel any doubts as 70 its
fertility, for being alluvi0 0-lacsls-
trine in it's origin It approaches In
character more nearly those Of the
delta of great rivers than any other,
but fortunately those il possession
OF II are not In waHt of any theogpti-
cal proofs OF it's fertility, Cor the
abundant crops now burthening the
fields give assurance that Its good
name as grain producing region Is
to be steadily maintained. The
promise also which Nature gives In
the remarkable abundance ofindige+
uious grasses will no doubt be full
filled In the production of equally
abundant crops ofthe cultivated va
rieties whenever 1t shall be necessary
to introduce them.
Taking the region altogether it
cannot be denied that there Is at
present too little timber to serve the
want ofa full population, but it In All
encouraging fact, and one which, In
view of It's Importance to the future
prosperity Of the State I love to
dweli upon, that all kinds Of our In
digenous trees win rapidly encroach
upon the prairies whenever and
wherever the annual ffres are kept
out. These trees grow with aston
ishing rapidity upon all varieties OF
our soil where they receive such pro
lection, and although it Win beeome
necessary 10 plant them in many
places for future use, 90 rapid Is their
growth that the whole region can be-