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The Prairie Slate -- And Much More (Second in a regional history series by Virginia Differding and Walter Wallace, prepared as a Biceneennial contribution from Northern Illinois university. -- Ed.) Illinois is a study in physical contrasts. From hilly, almost moun­ tainous regions in the southern tip and northwest corner, to the vast expanses that give us the nickname, the Prairie State, the lay of the land is important to our region's past. "Relatively flat or un­ dulating topography prevails in our part of the state," notes Northern Illinois University geographer Martin W. Reinemann, "except, of course, for the northwest corner which the glacial ice sheets avoided, leaving realtively rough terrain." Physical differences such as large bogs, swamps and forests are the results of the succession of glaciers that covered nor­ thern Illinois, he adds. Much of Illinois is natural prairie though and before the advent of farming, explorers noted huge expanses of both high and low grasses. "There are prairies three, six. 10 or 20 leagues in length, and 3 in width," marveled French explorer Louis Joliet. Noted John Mason Peck in an INGS TOME- 1834 travel diary, "Prairies are comparatively small, varying in size from those of several miles in width, to those which contain only a few acres. As we go northward, they widen and extend . . . from six to 12 miles in width." A traveler through the state in 1827-28, Capt. Basil Hall observed: "In summer the prairie is covered with a tall grass, which is coarse in ap­ pearance, and soon assumes a yellow color, waving in the wind like a crop of corn." Prairie dock and compass plants, sunflowers and goldenrod, thoroughworts and wild roses, black-eyed susans and purple cone flowers thickly covered the land, he wrote. "In the early stages of its growth," Hall continued, "the grass is interspersed with little flowers, the violet, the strawberry blossom, and others of the most delicate structure. When the grass grows higher these disappear, and taller flowers displaying more lively colors take their place, and still later a series of still higher but less delicately formed flowers appear on the surface." The word "prairie" comes from the French for "meadow" or "grassland," which was an appropriate description for much of our region prior to the start of its exploitation in the 19th centruy. "One of the most marvelous sights of my whole life, un­ surpassed in my travels in nearly all parts of the world, was that of the Illinois Prairie in the spring," wrote Dr. A.W. Herre in 1850. "Every spring and fall the prairie was covered with water so that the whole countryside was a great lake. "All day long swarms of water birds filled the air, and far into the night their cries sounded overhead. At the first gleam of dawn, vast flights of ducks dashed to and fro and great flocks of wild geese sped swiftly across the sky." Still, at one time, more than 42 percent of Illinois' land was forested, though Woodlands now dominate only in the far southern portion. "Long points of timber project into the prairies, and line the banks of streams," wrote Peck. "In some cases there are copses of timber . . . like islands in an ocean." Today, many might think it odd the prairies afforded a seemingly infinite number of trees and shrubs, but the German botanist Hilgard, starting in 1836, spent twelve years classifying the flora found in Illinois. "Nothing so much surprises the European on his first en­ trance to the western country," he wrote in his diary, "as the grandeur and beauty of many of the trees, and more par­ ticularly if he happens to arrive in the spring; not fewer than 10 species produce a profusion of beautiful blossoms and the undergrowth consists mostly of some of our finest flowering shrubs." Except for the Grand Prairie in eastern Illinois, northern NATURAL PRAIRIE AND WOODLAND OF NORTHERN ILLINOIS Prairie Woodland vvXv."-.vXv.C".v.- Primary River Drainage Illinois has the largest expanse of natural open land in the state. In large part thanks to glaciers, this is some of the richest farmland in the world. Both Indians and early white settlers were unable to cultivate the land successfully, however, because of ( the abundance of bogs. Only in the last quarter of the 19th century were the bogs finally brought under control, though remnants of them still can be seen throughout northern Illinois after a heavy rain leaves pools of water in plowed fields. Illinois slopes downward from its northwest corner to the south central area, ranging roughly from 1,000 to 600 feet above sea level. Rivers generally flow toward the Mississippi, or to rivers such as the Illinois, which then join the "Father of Waters." Though inclined toward the southwest, the northern part of the state has a gentle slope from west to east, resulting in large part from the drainage effect of the Great Lakes basin. Illinois can be likened to a bowl, with most of the major rivers in surrounding states flowing toward our southwest corner. The reason of course is that Illinois lies between the two great mountain ranges, the Rockies and Appalachians. From Wisconsin, come the Rock and DesPlaines rivers; from Indiana, the Wabash; from western Pennsylvania and other states, the Ohio. All of them flow into the Illinois Bottomlands, the primary drainage for the east central states. In fact, seven drainage areas are either completely in Illinois or touch the state. Two of them in our northern portion are separated by a hilly, soil divide in western Cook county and Kane county. To the east of the divide lies the Chicago Plain, which is part of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence river basin. Before the building of the Chicago river's flow, all of the plain's drainage was into Lake Michigan. To the west of the divide lies the Mississippi valley drainage - the Des Plaines, Fox, Rock and other rivers in northern Illinois thus flowing to the southwest. Until technologies existed for efficient drainage of swampy areas, and for plows that worked well in the drained soil, most of northern Illinois agriculture could not be suc- , cessfully developed, thus both Indians and early white settlers Consumer Forum PAGE 3 - PLAINDE ALER-R KD\fc.Sf>\Y AUGUST 25, 197« by Illinois Attorney General William J. Scott There's the classic story of the consumer who read a direct mail ad in a comic book: "Send now! Only $2.00! Receive a Genuine Engraved Portrait of Abraham Lincoln!". He sent. He received: One one-cent postage stamp. Most complaints about direct mail foul-ups and frauds are not that bad. And there are many established, reputable companies who give valued service and quality products to their customers. But there are exceptions. And if you ever have become immersed in the morass of trying to get a refund from a disreputable mail order firm, you know well the aggravation and headaches that can cause. The best advice, as always, is prevention. Follow these guidelines and there's a good chance you won't get burned: 1. Read the offer carefully. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. 2. Check the details. The illustration may imply the item is bigger than it is, for example. Look for weight, size, color and materials. 3. Whaf is the tone of the language? If it's full of glowing adjectives, all "razzle-dazzle," beware. 4. Read the guarantee carefully. What is the return policy? What about guaranteed delivery date? 5 Is the business' full address listed, or merely a post office box? Postal boxes are harder to pin down. 6 Where does the ad appear? were drawn first to the southern bottomlands. Gilbert Imlay, commissioner in charge of laying out the western lands for the United States, observed in his 1797 Topographical Description of the Western Territory of Northern America that "the country of Illinois is the finest spot of earth upon the globe." His editor added his own unusual footnote: "It isplainthe Kentucky country was not known at the time this was written." Naturally, there are Illinoisans who prefer Imlay's original evaluation. NEXT: Digging Into Nor­ thern Illinois' Past). Is it in a reputable publication? But remember, even that is no guarantee that the mail order firm is legitimate. 7. Can you get the same item in a neighborhood store for the same price? 8 Pay only by check or money order. 9.Keep a copy of the ad until you are fully satisfied with the merchandise. 10. After opening and checking the item upon arrival, if you-'re not satisfied, keep the merchandise until you have informed the company and received a reply acknow ledging your problem. 11. Keep copies of all correspondence. 12 Don't buy expensive items through the mail unless you are certain of the company's good reputation. BET PR0H88I0IUU. cippft dwiing rasultsl (Hfaitpumlfpicu) RENT OUR RINSE N VAC-th* n«w portable. Msy-to-usa hot watw attraction carpet cleaning machine t h a t f M t l y . . . rimes carpet fibers with hot water and cleaning solution ( loosens and lifts all dirt, grime and residues to the carpet surface where they are immediately • leaves your carpets- CLEAN, FRESH end 0D0R-FREEI MS'ittC <t- Bmt tor only HEPS TNM CUMEII LOBGM ($2'/iHRS„ * PER $5.00 MIN.) HOUR OVERNIGHT SPECIAL I 8:00 P.M. -9:00 A.M. ' $10.00 HORNSBYS f a m i l y c e n r o r s 4400 W. ROUTE 120 McHENRY. ILL However, if you do hat^a direct mail problem, the Direct Mail-Marketing Association, Inc., a trade group of 1.600 companies involved in direct mail marketing, offers help It's called the Mail Order Action Line (MOAL). Through MOAL, says the "DMMA, "we intervene on behalf of con­ sumers in an effort to achieve solutions to mail shopping problems individuals have been unable to resolve with com­ panies involved." The DMMA also offers a service for people who want their names removed or added to mailing lists. It's called Mail Preference Service (MPS), and will send you, upon request, a "name-removal" form or an "all-on" form. For both the MOAL and MPS, WHte to: Direct Mail- Marketing Association, 6 East 43rd Street, New York N Y. 10017. And, as always, the Attorney General's Consumer Fraud and Protection division will try to help any consumer who feels he is the victim of fraud. INCREASED SCHOOL AID School districts In 96 counties, outside the Chicago metropolitan area would receive $38,854,298 more than last year under Gov. Dan Walker s proposals for general state education aid. The in­ creased aid would be available if the legislature approves the Governor's proposals for funding education at the $1,250,000,000 level and the Jaffe bill revising the school aid formula. FIND THE LCTTtfcS IN T H I S P I C T U R E f H A f f P e L L POKIY THE TURTLE ax ^L^ancs ^Studio REGISTRATION AUG. 26-27-28, 11 A.M. to 5 P.M. PLEASE CALL OR VISIT OUR STUDIO TO RESERVE YOUR PLACE IN CLASS STARTING DATE SEPT. 7 TAP, ACROBATICS and BALLET COMBINATION CLASSES GYMNASTICS BEGINNERS INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED MODERN JAZZ ADULT TAP & EXERCISE CLASSES ¥ SPECIAL PRESCHOOL CLASSES FOR TINY TOTS TAP & TUMBLING FOR BOYS 3923 W. MAIN, McHENRY 385-6077 WITH6 ARMS or 6LECj-S on 3 NECKS A B5CKT& SCHOOL 3ER2 SPECIAL BUY TWO PAIRS of PAMT5 & <rET ONE FREE (see fine pkiut) -UMIT- 3FREE PAIRS PER CUSTOMER % wsm r/b'AM, If J) vifttytvv WmwWiW Wk 1mm BUY TWO SHIRTS GET ONE FREE C&ee fine print) S CfrLAPSTOME S l& AH EQUAL STRANQ-E PERSON S SALER --LIMIT-- 3 FRE£ SHIRTS. PER CUSTOMER jJtOF COURSE, REGULAR TYPE PERSONS WITH B OR LESS LE^S OR ARMS On 2 O* FEWER NECKS ARE ALSO MOST WELCOME TP AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THIS MARVELOUS BACK-TP- SCHOOL SPECIAL. I aye DDIklUMO FA>* *UVlN5' 2 el-CMEAPOS ft. WANTING- SMOOTH PUPS FREE. THE. Fine rKIWIT FREE0IE PANTS OR SHIRTCS) CAN HOT 0E MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE Okies you buy. this offer applies to all pants & shirts in stoch. offer <*oop THURSDAY, FRIDAY\i SATURDAY AU&.26-28 ONLY Gladstones 1219N.GREEN ST. McHENRY PHONE 815 385 0182 /