Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1872-02-27

relation of mineral veins 10 the same physica
forcessacting from below, and then the fact, al
so, that this north and south axis extendin,
through the State will be the physical basi
OF our mineral wealth, and along this line 9th
er and perhaps more important ore district
may be found.
The features Of this antielinal OF
crest line we must not expect to b,
very distinct on the surface. The
dislntegrating and abrading agencies
which, through vast cycles of the
past, have been leveling down anG
leveling up the surface of the lead
district, have almost obliterated
them and TO ind them unimpaired
we must examine the lower and un.
disturbed beds of the strata. To dc
this, let us take a stand at a point on
the Mississippi, where we have q
good exposure of the lower rocks; we
will commence at point just west OF
Potosi, where we find the blue lines
stone down even to the water level.
If from this point we follow line
east, or parallel with the mineral
belts before referred to, we shall find
the lower beds of the strata gradual
ly rising as we approach the center
of the distance, on branch of the
Platte river, we find the sandstone
rising from the bed of the stream.
and forming ledge of rock along its
banks, bringing up the blue limestone
at least fifty feet above its level at
our starting point on the Mississippi
In following this line across the
Platte we find the lower beds of the
strata still rising. Not only do we
find the beds Of the strata still rising
Not only do we find the sandstone,
but the lower magnetism limestone
that underlies it, forming lodges from
fifty to seventy-five feet high, bring
ing up the sandstone and the blue
limestone not less than two hundred
feet above its level west Of the Mis-
sissippi If we take our stand on the
Mississippi, little further north,
about where the Wisconsin, river en-
tiers it, and follow along tho line of
the Milwaukee and st. Paul Railroad,
we shall find section across this
elevation that will bring out to a
great extent its outlines.
AT this point the lower magnetism
limestone extends down tosthe water
level, or below it, the Potsdam sand,
stone forming the bed of the river.
East from this point, we fndin very
short distance the sandstone emerg-
ing from beneath the valleys, and
gradually rising until it reaches
point above the fourth principal me-
ridian. here we find an elevation of
the POtsdam sandstone from 200 to
$50 feet above the valley of the Wis
consin river, and not much less than
800 feet above the level of the Mis-
ssigsvsjppa mAAt eF o f62o VII il slong for
very perceptible dip sets in to the
east, and it soon disappears beneath
the deepest valleys. This section not
only brings out the fact that we are
crossing an elevation, or north and
south anticlnal axis, but shows us
Just where the summit is. The Gen.
ter of this strip, from the state line
south, TO the middle of Wood county,
| explored several years ago, at my
own expense, when first brought to
light the fact of bed of kaolin at
Grand Rapids, and also others not far
from Stevens Point, that are found
along the TANKS Of granite ridge. |
visited the east side of our state last
spring, as far north as the upper
peninsula of Michigan and this fall
the western side as far north as lake
Superior, and am now prepared to
state the facts obtained in those hasty
visits.
On the east side of the line, running
north from the lead district, and close
to it, | find heavy deposits of drift,
extending from Illinois on the south,
to the upper peninsula of Michigan
on the north. The strata does not
rise so fast to the north along the
eastern side OF the state, as it does
through the center, for we find the
blue limestone as far north as Green
Bay.
On the west side of the State, that
is to the west of the Mississippi, |
find the same drift phenomena close
to the river, and extending north the
entire length of the State, as we'll as
on the east, the rise of the strata to-
wards the north is little or nothing
compared to the rise of the strata
along the center.
Taking the azoic formation as
baais, we invariably find in this stra-
Ia the Postdam sandstone, lager OF
rock about $50 to 500 feet thich rest
ing on it the lower magnetism lime
stone about 300 feet thick resting on
the potsdam; the st. Peters sand
stone. about 80 to 100 feet thick, rest
ing on the lower magnetism; and the
blue limestone resting on the st. Pc
ters'. This is the geological order,
and the thickness of these strata,
when every bed is in its place, is from
500 to 900 feet.
Now let see what our facts will
prove. We have the blue limestone
on the cast side Of the State as far
north as Green Bay; on the west
side as far north as st. Paul, while
within our lines Cor the width Of the
lead DISTRICT 1t extends no farther
than town seven, in Iowa county.
Thus we see that the blue limestone
extends north along the TANKS OF
this elevation, 100 miles farther than
it does along the center. But let US
put these facts in another form. At
Green Bay we f1ud the blue limestone
about on leVa with the water; near
St. Paul it oc pes about the same
relative position to the Mississippi ;
but through Wood and Clark coun-
ties the azoic is in many places above
where the blue limestone would have
been if there had been no elevation
there.
If now we draw line on horizon
tai plane from the water level at the
Mississippi to the water level at
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