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Show 28 HOOKY MOUNTAIN S ' EN.JWY. oLlwr ht'll t> lJn.v b n discover' lin val"iou:-; localitil's in tlli l:l ellnlk, n.nd all of tll >m are ·tri ·Lly marine in dmradt•r. Mud1 or Lllis limn:-;to JH', tlJough cOIOrCtlla.rgeJy wit!J the OXidt• or iron, is sort, :~11] h'tLV('i> :t llJ:tl'!\. on a black board o1· ·loth, like our <·ommon. chalk of <'0111JJil'I'C<. H JH also ·ompo d la.r<>ely of infn~ol'ial n·mains, as <: i;;ti ndly Hhown . liiHit·•· till' miero:copc. Tlli formation, a!:l wt•ll :tH tlmi o! LIH' H:tnd;;tonP, 1 VPI'.)' widPly distribut>d over thP plain country in rt,lmtska Dakota, and Kan 'HR and it' intlut ncl' on liH' agri('ultural pro }WI'ity of t ht•St' n•gion;; is very <>r<'a.t. Thr ft•J-tility of thP :-;oil i · largPly dtll' to tiiP calnm•ous matter of ihe ont', mingl •<1 with t-~ilka <l<·•·i'·"d from th<' othl' r. Th r taccon sandHtoncs, eont:ti n i ng t h<' i nt pn•Hsion:-; of' ll<'l'id no us lmvr ', <•xtend fi"Lr southwa.J'(l Lh1·ough N •bra ·1m an<l l<:umas, ancl show wry elcal'ly, that this n·gion was eovPrt·d with quiLt: lnx11riant an<l rxlrn ive for ts at thit> ti11w. Tht•JJ, again, <llll'ing th saHH' g<•ologieal JWriod, tlw sra rollt'd over all th<· area o •t·upit•d hy 1hPS(' f'orPsts. \Y" · •c h I'C th allt•rnation. of' lan<l a1Hl Hl':t most el<•a rly, :tn<lw' Hh:tll how ll<'l'Paftci' that myriat11:l of a~l'S al'tPrwanl tlw K:tll11' n•gion was clollwd \\~th till more luxmiant an<l !'Xtt'nsivt> for ;;ts tlH• t•vitl<•nct'S of' whil'h ltav • bct•n pre.· •rr>d in the rocks higlwr up on tht• MiHSOttri Hivl'1'. 'l'hPsc ar a hv of the thougltlH of tltl' Url'alor, whi ·h lmv • bPt'll lJitldPn away for ag 'fl in the e tony r COltlH, and whi ·It it i. the glori ou!l pri vil('o·' of tho g<'ologist to r evt'al to th • world. llttt j(' I w · r~ to l'l'lat• all Uw WOJJ<lorful l<'p;l'litls or th<· past which U1es• n•cord· eoult1 unfold, it woultlrequirP r lllnH·H, aH well n.:-; years of' timt•. I h:w only pro11ti rd to eull her!' ancl thPn· a llowl' l' snflil\ipni lo k •p the gl'Oiogi ·al con1wetion of' tlw ·tory. 'l'hu proofs of glacial a('t iou in lh vV t are not common nor Vl'l'Y n•markable in tlll'ir dJ:tr:tdPr. till th y ar hown to a c •dain t•xt •nt, not only in thP lltountnins 1)1lt ali:io in th plain . Alon<> the Platt' Rivl'r, lwlow Omalm and 011 tlte Mi ·soul'i, ll<'ar th city th carbonif't!l'Ou .· limPslone lmv • Jm<l thE'ir upp ,r snl"f'ace ·o thor ugltly mootlted by glarin.l action, tlta.t tht·y ean ho qurtnicd out and used fo1· ·n.ps antl sill , witlwut any farL11 •r Jini :-;h t.o th '111. And the proc s · appea1·s to hav b en carried n with woll < h·l'ul uniformity, fo1· the U}l]lt'l' smf'a · ·pem to be as I >vel a: ir .iL had l)et>n wr ught with a ])lumb-lill '· 'l'h ro are a lhv small grooves or ,'CJ'alche , and by means of a com]>ll. , In. c rtajn ·d theil' cli1·reLion to b about 27° a t of north, 01· about N. B. aml . '\Y. There• t' •m al ·o to b lwo ·ct · of scratclte · cro~; ·inO' •a ·h oilt .,. at diilh· nt angles. 20 Tt would apJw:u·, frorn th Pvidc•nc W<' hn.v<', that all tlw 1 i m<•stonc•s uml 'l'TH?atlt tho yc·llow Juarl n.nd pobhl' <kpoHils ai"OUlHl Omahn., ancl sonth to tit Pla!Lo Rivt'I' woro sntooihPd o1· planl'l of!' by illtlltl'llHn 111fLS8(' of' ice J)<LHfolinp; OVI'l' tlwm, for· wlit'I'<'V<'1' tiH•s supt>rlieial cl •posits lmv' lwen strip1wt1, th<' uppPr rocky layt• l'H am planPd of!' wilh l"Pmn rkablo snt oot hnPHH. In tlt mountnins pi'Opl'l', Ute• l'\'idl'll0PH of glacial ad ion :J1'P not 1lltc·ommon, l'H]ll'l'ial ly on thr sid 'H of lit' <lt•Pp va.llt·y · n.nd gorgPs, but tit' ':LUSC'H WI' I'(' ]o('a,j :Lll<l OpPmk<l Whl'll lite tt•ntp •r:tllll'' or tlu• tlinmtt• wa lltllC'It low('l' titan it i:-; at pi'I'.'<'nL. Although the ear· ol' Ill\' nion Pacifie l{ailron.<l ar amonrr lh' fint>Hl in till' world, nnd alt.hough 'Vt'ry r·onvt'IIi<'ll<'O for tml'<'l in rr hy nig ht 01· hy day c·aH bo f'urni sltNl to us, pPrha.pH l'Vt'II stqwrior Lo any of' Lit<' nmdH in tiJ ·East, j'l'i w • shall find it f':tl' lllnt·o in:-;lnll'iiv<· to vlocl our ~;low way atTOHH th gn•at str •tch of' co untry, as lltt w•st•rn trains of t·migr:wt: wc•rc ollig<'<l to do a f'rw yNtrs ago. It has 1WP11 wl'll Ha itl by Humboldt that ' to HI'<' is not alwayH to OhHt• rVt'" and W lllllY llOW lll:tkl' Olll' ti':LIIH-C'Oillilll'Jital trip with SO ntn<'h t•asP, eomf'ort ancl HJ><'<'<l as lo br v<'ry litll<• wiH<'l' for it an<l p;n i11in rr no prolitahlr knowlt•clg<•, onl. t'll:tl>ling IIH to hoa: t thai II'<' lut 1' 1' passPcl. OI'<'I' t ltis vuHL Hpae<'. '\Vl'stward fl'Oltl maha. W' wPntl. Otll ' way :tlllong lh' rounclPd gms:-;y ltillH whi ·l1 ri: in w:tvt•-liko unclulation :-; a~; l'a1· a:-; tltt\ <'YI mll n•arlt ill I'V '1'.)' din•etion. '!'Ito li •·si p;laliC<' at sur h :t f!l' no :-;ki kt•H i.ltt· st1·ang •r wi Lit :tHtoni:ltllWlli at itH wondl'rf'ul b 'fJ.l lL.)', lJJtL it soon h<•('Oll1Nl HO lliOilOtonouH tltat any J1at vlain o1· rugg<'cl mountain iH a reliPf'. About 30 lllilt• to tlw w<'stwa.nl til • road passes out of tli<' hiliH into tit<' vall<·y or the' Platte, and th<' jou1'11<'.)' WPHt.warcl iH 01H' gnulual a:c·Pnt to the moulltainH, wallt•cl on •ith •r , ido hy mor! or I ss ab1·upt ltill:-; o1· hlult"s. llt>r • wt· lll:t}' ·top for n. wiiil to li scus.· SOJlW of' tit· mo1· • important "'t·olop;i<'al !i·:ttures, fo1· tliP first 100 lllil c::o of' HI' rouiP. 'l'IH• surfa 't' dcpo ·it: ovt•r t iii · ~Ll'Nt poss s no small cl(•gree of inkr<•Ht, hoth i11 an t'COJlomiC'al aH wt•ll a ·ci •ntilic point of vic•w, b11t .I ltav<• n.ll·<>ady suflieiently xpl:tinl·d tlteir ·lw.ra ·tc•·. 'l'ltPy s< <•m, how •vc r, to oecupy n. V<'l'.)' hL•·g :ti' •n. in tiii:-; portion of' NelH'aHka, concPtdino- ahnoHt (•ntin•ly tlin undPrly.ing r l):tSis roc·ks. 'TlH, "•olop;y, th '1'0f'ort', 1 ~· ornp. om 'what. ob · ·uro, and ran bP tu ii<'d only at a f•w out-c·1·oppinrrs, f'rom point lop int. Tli prin ·ipal 'XJJOSUJ' an• a.lono- th • Platte, wher th 1·iv ' l' ha ·ut a witl and |