Memorial and biographical history of Ellis county, Texas ... Containing a history of this important section of the great state of Texas, from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its future prospects; with full-page portraits of the presidents of the United States, and also full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of the county, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers, and also of prominent citizens of to-day ... Page: 51
573, [1] 123, [1] p. incl. 23 port. front., 2 pl., 28 port. 28 x 22 cm.View a full description of this book.
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HISTORY OF ELLIS COUNTY. 51
inent Prof. Agassiz, who, in reply to the
question of a horse-breeder desirous of obtaining
the professor's opinion as to the best
mode, scientifically, of producing high-class
stock, said, "It is entirely a question of
rocks." A substantial confirmation of this
theory lies in the fact that the Blue Grass
region of Kentucky produces a breed of
horses that outstrip the world for speed
and endurance. The physical structure of
the Kentucky thoroughbred is much finer
than that of horses of most other sections,
and an examination of the bone of the former
shows it to be almost as ivory compared to
the bone of the Conestoga and other lowbred
horses. The productiveness of the soil
of Ellis county is attributable to the same
reasons as just stated, and not altogether to
climate, although the same soil a few hundred
miles further north could not be made
to produce cotton. The combination of temperature
and peculiarity of soil are here in
perfection, and " the best" is the result.
The geological strata immediately underlying
the soil of Ellis county belong to what
is known as secondary rocks, and is classed
as the third, or cretaceous, of the three
groups forming the Mesozoic division, being
uncrystalline, or of aqueous origin. The
stratum of white rock is universal throughout
the county. It lies at various depths and
in many places outcrops at the surface, but
in several sections it is itself underlaid by a
rock of a more grayish tint and of better consistency.
Gravel, also, in many places underlies
this white rock, and especially about
Waxahachie, where it is utilized in makingsidewalks and in improving the streets.
These gravel beds have been somewhat puzzling,
owing to their situation between two
strata of secondary rocks. The age of the
secondary rocks is almost recent when comnpared
with the flint and granitoid gravel.
There is no flint or any other of the rocks
from which the gravel was broken, in this
region of country. It must have been produced
here during the glacial epoch. or it
may have been washed from the north when
the waters covered all of this portion of the
continent. The latter theory is, probably,
the correct one. At any rate its proximity
to the rocks above it and below it suggest
periods of time in the geological history of
our planet that are so wide apart as to bewilder
the mind of the speculative geologist.
The gravel, so to speak, is full-grown, or at
least was ground by erosion from its parent
rock after the parent rock had attained its
maximum of hardness. The white rock is
an infant, so infantile that it cannot be utilized
for any purpose. It is so soft that it
crumbles into dust on exposure to the elements,
and therefore not of any real value in
building, whilst for making roads or for
paving purposes it is worse than useless, as
it soon becomes mud itself. There may be
some as yet undiscovered purpose to which
this rock may be put, for nature seems to
have no limit to the utilization of her products.
We may wonder some day why our
white rock, so prevalent and so pleasing to
the eye, with its snowy color and close texture,
should have lain uselessly so long.
Many of the products which now are bring-HISTORY FELS ONY
51
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Memorial and biographical history of Ellis county, Texas ... Containing a history of this important section of the great state of Texas, from the earliest period of its occupancy to the present time, together with glimpses of its future prospects; with full-page portraits of the presidents of the United States, and also full-page portraits of some of the most eminent men of the county, and biographical mention of many of its pioneers, and also of prominent citizens of to-day ..., book, 1892; Chicago. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth33018/m1/53/: accessed May 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dallas Public Library.