later ice or water-floods. Petrified trunks and branches of trees, that are found on the tops of our bluffs and even in the valleys, were undoubtedly brought there by the Northern flood, the same as the many inflated, bubble-like but almost porphyry-hard stone formations that are numerously deposited in some places, whilst those of the shape of fungi, that are found in smaller and larger dimensions, have developed in the way of stalactites" at their finding-places, and, like the former, consist mainly of silicate of lime. Remarkable objects are the hollow balls of stone (quartz nodules) of from six to twelve inches diameter, that are found mostly in the upper layers of the Potsdam sandstone, are easily detached from the stone, and are closely covered on their inner walls with colorless crystals. Along some of the bluffs, especially along the bluff-line at the mouth of Mormon Cooley, in the town of Shelby, there have been found cubiform crystallized groups of pure lead, and it seemed to appear that they had rolled down from the adjacent hill. Recently an enterprising citizen, at the State Road Cooley, in the town of Shelby, has dug a sloping shaft, close to the road ascending to St. Joseph's Ridge, into the bluffs, expecting to find copper. Among different materials without value, he has struck a bed of sandy marl of greenishblue color similar to malachite, but which did not stand the copper test of our chemist, Mr. L. Runckel. It is not impossible, yea, very probable, that at some places in La Crosse County, smaller or larger masses of less precious ore may be found; but it is unlikely that, according to the geological formations, they would be remunerative. But the Potsdam sandstone, especially the upper beds that are more or less impregnated with lime, yield an excellent reddish-brown, bluish-gray or whitish-gray fine-kerneled building stone.

The geological rock formations of La Crosse County and the adjacent counties on the Wisconsin side, as well as in Minnesota, at the time of their being covered by the ocean, consisted of one horizontal, coherent plane that was torn up by the force of the departing waters. The immense detrition consequent thereof has partly been carried south, and partly forms the valley bottoms. The extensive deposits of sand along the rivers, especially the Mississippi and Black Rivers, often of a thickness of one hundred feet and more, are the results of this flood and the crushing of the sandstone. Even to-day the washing and working of the southward flowing waves is easily perceptible at different elevations of the perpendicular precipices of the Potsdam sandstone and the limestone surfaces on the Wisconsin as well as on the Minnesota side, and, in some instances, the washings are particularly distinct, as, for instance, on the perpendicularly ascending bluff in the rear of Wyle's farm and further south in the town of Bergen, Vernon County. The violent power of the waters in the ancient Silurian period, in their grand process of demolishing rock and carrying off the detritus, has, in the course of time, formed the orographic relief of the earth's surface, and the hydrographic order of flowing waters and small lakes of our landscape. The presumption of a creation of our territorial picture by a momentary dictate, or even during a process of a few years' duration, must wane before the forum of geological science. It is more obvious and natural that, after the great flow of waters, a coarse impression of the present landscape was left behind, which. in the course of time, gradually molded itself in its present form. The original flow of the Silurian waters, with its effects, has, no doubt, concentrated itself in the direction of the present Mississippi Valley, and unfolded its mighty powers in the direction from north to south. The currents from the side valleys, and their smaller tributaries, especially in the territories of the Chippewa, Eau Claire, Beef, Trempealeau, Black and La Crosse Rivers on the east, and of Pine Creek, Root River and Crooked Creek, on the west side of the main valley, no doubt followed the main stream and were auxiliary in its formations, whilst within their own provinces they achieved similar orographic objects in a smaller measure. The landscape must have appeared monotonous and melancholy after the drain. Bald, rocky bluffs, and barren, desolate, stony valleys, made their appearance, large and small channels were filled with water, and before they found their regular beds lakes must have formed, and the water must have moved on over cascades and falls. The marine animals and plants that were not destroyed or carried off by the flood remained to enliven the lakes and rivers. But no plant and no animal vivified the air or land, no human eye could perceive the disconsolate desert, for man did not then exist.

The rock of the Silurian system, which is that of our country, is the oldest rock formation that has been built up by sediments of the ocean upon the primitive rock. At that time, the temperature of the water and air was incomparably higher than at present, the same as that of our globe itself. The evaporations of the water from the barren earth must consequently have been very rapid and voluminous, and the rainfalls immense; we will not call them deluges, because there were no sinners yet to drown. There were no grass plains, no brush, no forests yet to stop the colossal rain-streams rushing down hills and dales in their course. The rough, bare stone plateaus were at the mercy of the rapid streams; the surfaces of the bluffs were gradually washed off; the intervening large and small valleys were washed out, their surfaces smoothened, their beds deepened and transformed into regular stream channels, until the landscape assumed the orographic form and system of the present time.

There was undoubtedly a period when the waters on the North American continent, as well as on the whole globe, were a torpid mass of ice—it was the so-called Ice Period, and before the revolution above described. The movements of the ice masses upon the rocks and of the glaciers left their distinct grinding marks in the direction of their movement, which are to-day plainly visible in many places of our county. As in our days, and in our region, snow and ice melt with the increase of warmth in spring, so must have melted the ice at this pre-historic time, only in a longer period. The ocean was restored by the waters of the dissolved ice; extensive ice-fields of enormous thickness and ice mountains began to move; rocks, that before had rolled from the projecting islands of the ice ocean upon the icy plain, or that were frozen to its lower strata, were carried away hundreds of miles to places where they had no relations whatever. Geologists call such blocks erratic "foundlings" (bowlders). Often they have the size of small houses, and lay strewn about on plains or at the foot of hills. This catastrophe must have preceded the Silurian period, and the commotion of the Silurian ocean.

Let us now return to the barren, stony skeleton of our own province, which, after the cessation of flow of waters, presented itself for a fair vegetation and vivification by animals. It would doubtless be very interesting to the reader to insert here a history of the origin and development of the plants and animals that from beginning up to our day have enlivened our country, but that is not within our present object. But we cannot leave it unmentioned that the different genders and species of plants and animals were not produced at once or in the lapse of a few years, but that they gradually developed in a remarkably long period of time, and ascended to an increasing higher perfection, and that those inhabitants, in conjunction with the detritus of stony material, in the end furnished the rich, humus soil that now forms the essential substance of the orographic surface of the earth.

How long the Silurian Ocean covered the earth; what time it took to form the Silurian rock system by the ocean's sediment; of how long a duration the ice period was, and how many years passed away until our country received its fundamental adaptibility to become enlivened by plants and animals of different kinds and species, up to the appearance of man in his different forms, races and colors, it is impossible even to approximately estimate. Certain

it is, however, that to the geologist a period of six or seven thousand years for such development cannot be sufficient; nay, considering all the facts that appear to him in his scientifie researches of the development of the earth, and its inhabitants, his mind must conjecture & period of a hundred thousand and more years.

The geological formation of the area of our county presents a landscape of bluffy hills, interspersed with erosion-valleys. On the west side of the bluff-lands expands a wide level delta, extending northerly to the Black River and southerly to the Mississippi. A main chain of the bluffs, forming the western border of the bluff land, runs nearly parallel with the said two rivers, from the north in town of Farmington, through the towns of Holland, Onalaska, Campbell, La Crosse and Shelby, and extending far out in the town of Bergen in Vernon County; only in front of the northern section Black River makes a departure, forming a large curve in a northwestern direction, leaning on Trempealeau County, and returning to the bluffs near Onalaska. On many places, this chain of hills is intersected to the depth of the table

land, as by mountain passes, leading to the valleys in the rear and affording free exit to the numerous brooks of the valleys. Along the west side of this chain of hills one may perceive vault-like indentures and picturesque rock sceneries in a thousandfold variations, and more or less deep, tray-like vales and dales affording mostly a beautiful view. Similar bluffs extend in the rear of these main pillars in an easterly and southeasterly direction, thus forming the main and side valleys between them. In comparison with the main hills, we would call them of the secondary order. These secondary elevations partly run parallel with each other, and partly depart in diverging or converging curves, thus forming the direction and shape of their valleys. They frequently send out projectures, mostly in a rectangular direction, which, as bluffs of the third order, shape corresponding smaller vales and hollows that descend to and connect with the secondary branches. A labyrinth is thus formed of hills and dales, which, however, is expressed in a regular system, and may easily be depicted in a geographical map.

Considering the relation of these interior valleys to the main valleys of the Mississippi and the Black River, we must designate them as of the secondary order. On the southern terminus of the county, but in the greater part situated in Vernon County, we find a large bluffopening leading to the long and extended "Coon Valley," which sends out a few side valleys to the towns of Greenfield and Washington in our county. Another no less extensive pass in the bluffs leads us into the secondary valley of "Chipmunk Cooley," which, by means of intruding bluffs is cut up into three narrow, long valleys extending into the towns of Shelby, Bergen and Hamburg. A third well-marked opening in the bluffs leads to the long and expanded "Mormon Cooley," in the towns of Shelby and Greenfield, with its numerous larger or smaller side issues of the third order. A fourth gate to the interior, guarded on both sides by high bluffs, is the mouth of the comparatively short and narrow "State Road Cooley," in the town of Shelby. On the north side we have the fifth and most expanded opening to the greatest valley in the county, the "La Crosse Valley," which extends from the prairie through the whole county in an easterly direction to Monroe County. As side valleys, appear in town of Campbell the narrow "Smith's Cooley," in town of Barre the narrow "Roberts Cooley," then the very extensive "Bostwick Valley," of several miles' length and with a great number of long side-issues. A narrow but important side valley shoots out from La Crosse Valley in a southeasterly direction in the town of Bangor, known as "Dutch Valley." The balance of the passes in the bluffs further north lead to comparatively small, and at their termini, closed-up valleys, among which is "Sand Lake Cooley," in the town of Onalaska, and "Spring Cooley and "Long Cooley," in the town of Holland.

The bottoms of these valleys of all these different orders gradually slope in the direction of the above described gates toward the fronting delta, partly toward the Black River, and partly toward the Mississippi. All the water falling down upon La Crosse County and that coming from a distance east and south through the clefts and fissures of rock, feeding innumerable springs, must naturally move toward the streams of the main valley-the Coon Creek, Chipmunk Creek, Mormon Cooley Creek, State Road Creek, and the more voluminous La Crone River descend into the Mississippi; the creek of the Sand Lake Cooley, Half-way Creek, Fleming Creek, and others, into Black River.

La Crosse County, especially the bluffy part, is rich in springs and creeks, with the exception of the ridge-plateaus and the sandy prairie, and (excepting the steep slopes) is covered with a layer of humus more or less thick. These two factors, the abundance of water and the rich humus layer, impart to the county the greatest facilities for cultivation, of which the luxuriant growth of trees upon the slopes of the bluffs, the prolific growth on the farms in the valleys and upon the plateaus bear ample testimony.

NOTES. (1.) The layer of limestone that forms the transition to the Potsdam sandstone is known to the geologist as "Lower Magnesia limestone."

(2.) In many instances free from clay; in this case it is vitreous sand.

(3.) Silicate."

(4.) Of the form of very large fungi, like lymnoria, scyphia, siphonia, etc., which we can also find in the formation of the Jurassian period.

This curious cavern is situated on the farm of David Samuel, in the town of Barre, four miles from West Salem, and eight miles from La Crosse, on the northwest quarter of Section 20, of Township 16, Range 6. It was discovered in October, 1878, by Frank Samuel, a son of the owner of the land, eighteen years of age, who had set a trap for racoons at a hole of considerable size in the hill. Finding that he could, with a little difficulty, crawl into the aperture, which had been dug by wild animals through a land slide at the foot of a cliff of Potsdam sandstone, he entered, and finding that it opened into a spacious cavern, he procured lights, and with his two older brothers and a friend explored it. They found the walls extensively covered with pictures and hieroglyphic characters, and charcoal paintings. It thus became known to a few neighbors, and a few boys, who, in the winter, resorted to it and built fires and carved their names and their own pictures.

About the 1st of June, 1879, I heard of such a cave with such pictures and characters, and immediately visited it. I quickly saw that there was something of much value to the cause of archæological science; that the rude pictures were evidently quite old; that the now close chamber had been an open cavern in the cliff, which had been closed not less than 150 years by a land-slide from the hill above. A poplar tree, two feet in diameter, having 120 growths of circles, stood as a dead tree twenty-five years ago, when Mr. Samuel first came there, and had rotten and fallen; and a birch tree stood upon the edge of the cliff where the land-slide had passed over, of from 150 to 160 annual growths. I visited Mr. Samuel and informed him of the value to science of the inscriptions and possible discoveries to be made by digging. He immediately took measures to stop the vandalism that was fast destroying them; to enlarge the opening, and clear out the sand that had washed in from the land-slide and half filled the cave. In the meantime, I took fac similies of the pictures and characters by pressing tissue paper into the grooves, and with black crayons followed each line to its termination, preserving also its original width. In this way I got perfect outlines, and by placing other sheets over them, in the light of a window pane, took small copies that showed the pictures in their original form and size. I sent one set to Prof. Chamberlin, State Geologist, not intending to make anything public till an examination had been made by an archaelogical expert, and their value to science ascertained. In the meantime. it having become noised about that I was examining such a cave, I was called upon by the local editor of the Chronicle, of La Crosse, to whom I gave copies of some of the most prominent of the pictures, from which hasty and imperfect wood cuts were prepared, which appeared in the Chronicle. The article was seen by Mr. Lyman C. Draper, Secretary of the State Historical Society, who wrote to me for information in regard to it. I sent him copies of the pictures, so far as I had taken them, and designated a time, June 27, to dig into the bottom of the cave, requesting him to come, or send a competent archæologist. He communicated with Dr. J. A. Rice, of Merton, Waukesha County, who came at the time appointed with Mr. Rockwell Sayer, of Chicago. A company of seventeen men repaired to the place with shovels, wheelbarrows and other necessary things for explorations. Several intelligent ladies also attended, and prepared a dinner.

Commencing at the back end of the cave, the sand was carefully dug up and wheeled out, every load carefully inspected, and the work continued till the whole had been examined. We came upon four layers of ashes, each from four to six inches deep, and containing charcoal, and burned and nearly vitrified sand-rock. They were separated from each other throughout the whole length and breadth of the cave by layers of clean, white sand, of from ten to fourteen inches in depth. Below the whole was water, of the same level as a marsh that lies in front of the cliff. The lower stratum of sand and ashes contained nothing. In the second, were fragments of pottery, made of clay and ground shells. These were smooth, and of the oldest kind found in mounds. In the third more elaborately wrought pottery, the newest found in mounds, with numerous fragments and whole sides of Mississippi River bivalve shelves, and a bodkin

of bone, seven inches long. This, according to the opinion of old hunters, was of the "hock bone" of an elk. It was in dry, white sand, and is quite sharp and smooth with use, and in a perfect state of preservation, even retaining the glassy polish of wear and handling, as if used but yesterday.

All the layers had become compact and well stratified, and all contained bits of charcoal, and charred and rotten wood. In the upper layer, we found two bones of birds, and two of small animals, and a "clue-clan" of a deer, and a cartilaginous maxillary inferior of a reptile. The four completely diffused strata of ashes, separated by a foot average of clear sand, showed that there had been four distinct periods of occupancy, separated by considerable intervals of time. This was also indicated by two orders of pottery, one always below the other; but nothing to measure the time. The only conclusion we could arrive at was, that the first occupation was very ancient, and the last before the land-slide, or not less than 150 or 160 years ago. The zone of the pictures agreed best, for convenience of engraving, with the third occupancy, the age of the figured pottery.

Before the land-slide, it was an open shelter cavern, 15 feet wide at the opening, and 7 feet at the back end; greatest width, 16 feet; average 13 feet; length, 30 feet; height, 13 feet, and depth of excavation, after clearing out the sand of the land-slide, 5 feet. The pictures are mostly of the rudest kind, but differing in degree of skill. Except several bisons, a lynx, rabbit, etter, badger, elk and heron, it is, perhaps, impossible to determine, with certainty, what were intended, or whether they represented large or small animals, no regard being had to their relative sizes. A bison, lynx and rabbit are pictured in one group, all of the same size. One picture perhaps suggests a mastodon; another, the largest, a hippopotamus; but whether they were really intended to represent those animals, is quite uncertain. Other seem to refer to animals yet in existence. Many pictures are fragmentary by the erosion of the soft sand-rock on which they are engraved. In one place is a crevice, 8 feet long, 2 feet high, and extending inward 2 feet, with fragments of pictures above and below.

The appearance and connection of the pictures and characters indicate that they were historical, rather than engraved for mere amusement, and suggest that thorough exploration of caves may shed much light on the history of the pre-historic aborigines of our country.

ADDITIONAL NOTES ON THE PICTURED CAVE.

BY HON. JOHN A. RICE.

I visited the Pictured Cave you so kindly requested me to do in behalf of the State Histor ical Society, and avail myself of the earliest opportunity to examine my notes, and also the fac simile sketches of the animal representations there found, courteously presented to me by Rev Edward Brown, and from them have prepared the report, which I now submit for the use of the society. Great credit is due to Mr. Brown for bringing the discovery of the cave to the notice of archeologists. This cave is situated on the farm of a Mr. Samuel, near West Salem, in the county of La Crosse, and was discovered by a son of Mr. Samuel when trapping coons in a hole some animal had dug into the cave.

Mr. Rice then notices each picture as Mr. Brown has done, and adds:

In regard to the antiquity of these drawings there can be no question, for some of them were covered with sand, and, besides, I found pieces of the rock buried in the sand, which had fallen from the sides with portions of the inscriptions upon them, which fact must be regarded as proof positive of a greater or lesser antiquity. These are all the facts in regard to the cave that I think worth noting.

Now, as to the conclusions to be drawn from the representations here found, and which are the only objects of interest. The fact that we find four distinct and separate layers of ashes, with pottery in two of them of a different odor and make, would certainly indicate four separate and distinct occupations of the rock-shelter, each occupying a greater or less length of time, and when we recollect that the Indian always contents himself with the smallest possible amount