Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-10-07
THE MAsToDoNs OF NEW YORK.

A statement in this paper, copied from the Albany
Register of the 26th and purportng to come from
authentic source to the effect that the bones of
odon had been discovered in spot Poughkeepsie
and that Prof MORSE the inventor of the electric ele
graph engaged in the work Of their reconstruction
needs correction agree with the facts on which
the story founded The truth Of the matter is this
Some two weeks ago some laborers, in digging three
miles east of Poughkeepsie accidentally dsinterred
large bone which decided to be of the verebr
of mastodon. scientific gentleman who was present
the discovery desired continue the examinations in
order to obtain the complete skeleton but prevented
in consequence Of the rapid filling up of the trench with
water, the ground in that neighborhood being very
marshy An expenditure of four hundred dollars would
be necessary to drain the land sufficiently to allow of
further operations When that shall be raised Prof
Morse has volunteered his valuable assistance in dsn
terring and putting together the remains of the Pough
keepse megatherum if any such creature should turn
up That the prosecution of the excavation will reward
the explorer for his expense and trouble is than
possible.
The region along the banks of the Hudson above the
highland, appears to have been favorite locality for
these gigantic quadrupeds Indeed, here that the
first evidences of the existence Of their remains this
continent were procured. Goldman, the late American
naturalist informs that early 1712 letter from
Dr. Maher to Dr. Woodward published in the Philo
sophical Transactions, announcing that teeth and
bones Of monsrous size had been discovered at Albany
andin lSOl years afterwards the first skele
ton known in modern times of this wonderful animal
dsentombed the shores of the Hudson about eighty
miles below.
Rembrandt Peale has written minute account of the
exertions Of his father and himself in transaction in
teresting to the scientific world German farmer in
1799 living in the vicinity of Newburgh, while digging
mari pit came upon number of bones, which,
count Of their remarkable size he preserved in his gar
ret granay where they sometimes visited by the
curious. Fortunately Mr.. c. w. Peale able to buy
these fragments which went good way towards const
tuting entire skeleton For three months the father
and son. with numerous workmen and expensive machine
ry, patiently pursued their excavations Of
many square miles. Sometimes two hundred laborers
employed simultaneously The narrative Of the
elements and the dscouragemens incident to their tolls
is of deep interest," but too detailed for extended quota
ton When their success was finally crowned by the
long sought and long discovery Of the
under-aw, the unconscious woods" says Rembrandt
Peae, echoed with repeated huzzahs which could not
have been animated every tree had participated
in the joy. Gracious God, what q jaw! How many
animals have been crushed by it,! was the exclamation
Of all. fresh supply Of grog went round, and the
hearty fellows covered with mud continued the search
with increasing vgor" Thus terminated this strange
and aborious campaign of three months Our venera-
BILE relics says the narrator carefully packed up
in distinct cases, and loading two wagons with them,
babe adeu the valleys and stupendous mountains of
Shawangunk" From the bones thus Obtained two skee-
TOMS nearly perfect framed the summit of the head
and the end of the tail in each being the only de-
fciencies
There is therefore, to suppose that similar
result might attend further experiments of the kind
in the neghborhood of Poughkeepsie All that is want
ing, probably, is q subscription for the small amount
which have mentioned to add another to the scant
collection existing Of these memorials of age
terror to the periods Of authentic history But IL there
be not scientific enthusiasm and enterprise enough
compsh the undertaking may presume it will prove
inviting speculation to the showman.N T. Ec. Post