The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1878-02-14
SHORT CREEK.
A sketch of the Towns Of GaIena ana
EmPire-Their History and Future
l'rOspects-Thc County Geological
ly-PeOPle and Things In General.

Empire-Their History and Future
PrOspects-The County Geological
y-feOpie and Things In General.
EDITOR TIMEs-After many days your
correspondent has arrived at Short Creek
and, will try to tell your many readers
something Of the history, past and present,
also OF the future prospects of the towns
First will speak OF its past history; when
speak OF past, it is in the fgurative sense
Tor less than year ago there was not a
house where the two towns now stand. nor
had anything been done to mar the pri-
meval forest that covered the earth. all
was as the hand of nature had left il.
Rough and rugged, as though it had felt
thepower OF some huge subterranian Titan.
Through the center of the tract coursed a
little stream known as 'Short Greek" and
whose rough and jagged banks, flint-clad,
| Kept eternal guard over their treasure: or
| had, until the lustful hand of man. eager
Tor some way by which he might enrich
himself, RIDLEY thrust aside the huge bouI-
ders and, penetrating the bowels of old
| mother earth disclosed the rich treasure
she had so long and zealously guarded from
pryIng eyes. Short Creek has beauties
aside from those of monetary character
which Will always strike the beholder with |
pleasure. II the despoiling hand of man can |
be stayed andSsome of the beautiful oak
groves that have so long stood guard can be
preserved to delight the eye and refresh the
body. Before proceed further with de-
scriptionof
THIS WONDERFUL COUNTRY,
and 1t Is truly wonderful in MANY respect Is
Will speak of its geological history, for no
sketch OF 1t Is complete without that. Scat
tered over the exterior and beneath the
surface OF the ground are evidences of a
remarkable CONFUSION at some far distant
age OF the worlds history Several geoIo-
gists have visited the place and none of
them have as yet been able to place tine
form alton or formations in an exact epoch.
nor DO any two OF them agree; one saws
that the formations date back to the Sub ,
carboniferous" age, while another places il.
and think more justly, in the later "Si- ,
lurian age. Then, again, some say that il ,
was once a mountain; while Others sill :
contend that since its formation il has re-
manned much the same as we now see II /,
The formation is very peculiar, and have :
never seen anything resembling il, except \
near the mouth of the Big Horn river, and
that very slightly. There are three distinct
Kinds OF rock: First, and the oldest. is the
white flint I; next to this in quantity. though :
not In age, Ia the Limestone, corresponding {
70 the Trenton" formation; third and last. o
Is the brown sandstone, but in small GUAM
iities, and IN many places everything the a
lime and flint rock, and in some instances !
being overland by them, thus showing that ;,
t has been removed from its former bed by .
SOME sUBrERRANEAN FORCE. ~
! force that has not acted simultanao,slv d
'ut has burst through much the same ~ b
'ir bubbles rise in a caldron of bo;l;ng r.
water. The flint rock does not show the ir
east evidence Of qualification: il has the Al
appearance of having been forced throuob II
he everything rocks when in a LIQUID stale st
hat this has ever been caused by the de- Ii
'udation, think very unlikely. for had p
UGH been the case, the rock would have to
1ven evidence OF stratifcation, which is bl
low here present. There are geological ne or
ullarities here which l have never seen or tn
card OF before the mineral bearing rocE en-
q the generality of cases, is a hard flint ore te
wing In detached masses. But What frs, nc
Irikes the geologist is. that very fine min.
raj bearing lime and sandstone is ouite
bundaut, thing very rare-in fact / have No
ever heard of lead being found in sand. Vi,
one before, As the formation is thousand. iii
years older, and its pressure can be ac- ter
ounted for only by the superstition, and III,
hink correct one, that at the time Ibis In,
ed OF lead was deposited here, all the rock va
'rmation was in liquid state. That II cos
as once mountain chain is farther dis. litl
roved BY the fact that none of the surf.c. he
'cks bear any signs of attrition, which ers