Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-02-14

III operation, ana the latter has one,
which commenced operations in the
Spring of 1874. The clay used is usu-
ally of grayishsyellow color which
becomes red on burning. 1t appears
TO have been formed in the same
manner as other portions OF the soil
as already described.
In the Platteville yard an opportu.
nifty was found to sec the proc ass OF
manufacture. The clay is dug from,
an adjacent bank, some selection be.
ing necessary 1t is then run on small
cars to the pug-miils (Which are three
IN number) and ground with water,
until 1t forms homogeneous paste.
After this comes the moulding into
bricks, which are spread out on the
floor OF the yard, dried and piled in a
kiln to burn. A kiln of these bricks
takes about eight days to burn. 1t is
estimated that about 5000 bricks per
day can be made in this yard.
In the city of Monroe, in Green
county, is brick yard where two
kinds of brick are made from the same
kind of clay. One is red brick.
similar to all common red brick the
other is a cream colored brick, of
very handsome appearance, closely
resembling the Milwaukee brick.
From the latter, many of the hand.
soonest buildings in Monroe are con-
structed. The difference in color is
due to the difference in burning, the
red color being caused by greater
and long continued heat.
The origin of the clay of which the
brick are made is matter of some
doubt. IL does not have exactly the
appearance of drift clay and if not,
Its situation indicates that it must
have undergone some subsequent re-
arrangement.
Glacial Drift. AS has been before
intimated, the Lead region is a drift
less tract of country not a single
bowlder, pebble or clay OF foreign or.
Ign being found in its limits, except
in three or four isolated cases, which
will be hereafter described.
The northern boundary line of the
drittless region lies far to the north of
the Lead region The eastern line
was found in Green county, and traced
out with all possible accuracy. For a
particular description of it, reference
is made to the geological maps; in
brief, however, it is as follows: It
commences on the west side of the
Pecatonica river, crossing the state
line at the southwest corner of the
town of Cadiz. From here it pro.
ceeds almost in straight line to the
city OF Monroe. Thence north, it runs
along the divide between the Pecaton-
lea and Sugar rivers, until about two
miles south of New Glarus, where it
takes northeasterly course, and
passes out of the county about a mile
west Of Belleville. The course thus
indicated is its present line as shown
by cratic powders lying upon the
surface. If the drift deposits origin
ally extended farther westward. no
trace thereof now remains. East of
the line described, powders are found
In all parts of the county, with more
or less frequency. The boundary line
where powders are found, does not
appear to conform at all to the surface
features, but crosses the valleys of the
streams, and the ridges between
them, with equal impartiality.
The different kinds of rock found in
the drift are so numerous that it would
require quite catalogue to enumer-
ate them all. 1t will be sufficient to
state that the great bulk of them are
granite, metamorphic, or trappean
the most frequent being varieties Of
granite and gneiss, and next to them
the trappean rocks; chloritic rocks,
and those of schistoze structure, are
also quite numerous.
In addition to these there are. in
certain places, beds of gravel, sand
and clay. The distribution of the
powders does not appear to be very
regular in Green county, in fact, the
whole of the country verges so near
the western boundary of the drift,
that comparatively small deposits
were made here, which are quite in
sufficient to exemplify any general
laws of distribution. No difference
could be seen in their frequency, be.
tween the eastern line of the county
and the western line Of the drift.
The powders are OF various sizes,
from few inches to two or three feet
in diameter, and always rounded and
worn smooth. They are frequently
found quite numerous in one place,
and then scattered along at very dis
tant intervals, on the same kind of
ground, but do not exhibit any dis
tinctive morainic appearance.
Gravel beds are not very frequent.
although they are found in several
places in Green county. There is
one situated very near the boundary
OF the drift, on the N. w. or. of Sec.
4, I. l, r. Z, F., where there is bed
of gravel about eight feet thick, un-
derlaid by bed of stratifed sand and
clay about four feet in thickness. This
sand is very fine, and has just enough
clay mixed with it to make good ar
ticle of moulding sand for iron foun-
dries; it would give a fine impression,
and make smooth casting. A SINH.
lar bed was found about two miles
east of the preceding, in the s. w. ar.
of Sec. 2, T. 1, r. Z, E., where the
drift sand and gravel have accumular.
ed to thickness of about twelve feet,
A large amount of it has been utilized
for railroad ballast. A third bed, like
the other two, was observed on the
N. E. or. of Sec. Q, 7. l, r. Z, E.. al
so several others in various portions
of the county. Those already de-
scribed will serve as samples for all.
The amount of drift clay in Green
county is comparatively small, it prob
ably having been dissolved out and
washed away from the greater por-
ton of the surface. 1t was only OBJ
served in one place, in the N. w. ar.
of Sec. %, I. 8, r. Z, E., where
well had been sunk in the drift. There
was here thickness o! about twenty
feet of slate.colored clay, full of small