Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-10-03
Tho Iusk Found at BrattlebOro.
The following communication to the Rutland
HeraM VII DO read with interest.

The following communication to the Rutland
Heratd will DO read With interest
EAtor Ratland Herald Please permit me
through your paper to acknowledge in behalf of
tie state, the receipt Of rare and beautiful
/ donation for tho State Cabinet from D. ). Pratt,
Esq Of Bgattieb0rO, w.
| IL consists Of Tho tusk Of an elephant Tor pos
/ slbly mastod3n) which was found buried about
blk feet deep IA peat swamp on the farm Of
! Mr.. P0lt one milo west Of Biattleboro village
The tuss was nearly four feet in length, hut IN
fortunately the woIkmsa, who supposed it to be
a p.co Of wood, IN ryin. 10 pry IL out Of their
way, broke ID asunder nearly in the middle
| IL evidently had also been broken when the
elephant was living, for it shows signs Of an old
fracture o. the smaller end which is three inchea
in diameter, and appears rounded as if made 80
by the living animal.
Having lam lot centuries in that wet bed,
which was originally u pond, but afterwards
filled with vegetable matter tho tusk was quite
soft and pulpy when first taken out, and in dry
ing /. inclined ID crack ami etumble, but hope
by sataratng 1t with glue and keeping it tho.
| roughly bound with Irvine till ii dries, shall b.
able to preserve lt in good condition for ths
Cabinet
la tho peat bed from which the tuyk YVES taken
lre numar0u3 sacks and billets OF wood with tho
| bark peeled of and as clean and white IS though
they had been buried bat a few days, but having
oeea 90 long submerged they have become soft,
pulpy and very tender. GA their ends are dis
clnotly and unmi3'skably shown the tooth marks
Of beaver or some other aquatic rodent that
cut tlem of and dragged them into the pond,
as beavers DO in unlrequeuted p nds in the West
at the present day 1ho ,uak has also at both
ends and at other places on it, tooth marks of
the samo animal-prob4bly mlio after it had
been long soaked and become soft.
Possibly beavers may have dragged this tusk
into the pond from the skeleton Of an elephant
) chat died upon land near by, but it ia more
probable that when attacked by some fatal dis.
ease, tho elephant resortei TO tho pond for drink
f 10 quench i;s ieyersh thirst or perhaps to cool
itself by bathing in lis waters, and died near
the spot where ths tlak was !Jund
The remaining portions Of the skeleton may
have been wholly destroyed by the beavers, but
II Is more probable that the b0ny portions,
which are not as durable as the tusk, have com.
plotely otumbled into dust, and perhaps the re-.
: naming tusk and tho teeth were removed by
beavers OF Other agencies to places not IS favor
able for their preservation, and they too have be-
come GSntegr4sod aud united with the material
I that forms taat immense bed of peat
. This the third elephants tusk that Vermont
has produced. The frs. was found at Nit. fIol-
~ and is nos IN the State Cabinet the second
was found at Richmond, and is in the University
r Cabinet no Burlington.
+ Ia ,hr connection permit me to appeal to oil
To- wa5 are onricatng .aeIr farms by the fertilizng
elements contained in muck aud peat beds, Ia
be particularly watcb'ul and carefully preserve
Z all The bone, or animal remains found in them
+ and II not satisfied beyond doubt what thoy
q are, 70 cali Immediately tpJn some one who will
be likely 70 determine their true character and
asme. 10 is from these records that men are to
loarn the unwrItten history OF our globe
G Acknowledging great personal obligation to
Mr.. Pratt for his generous donation, | remain
very respectfully,
ALBERT ID. HAGER
p Curator OF State Cabinet.