Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-06-07
Remarkable Fossil Tracks.

IN the early summer Of 1877, as Mr. Jacob
line joining on the west line of Garfield, Maho-
ming county, was clearing Off the dirt from a
large PED OF sandstone, for the purpose of quar-
appeared to him to be several rows of the
tracks of some gigantic animal Not being a
geolog1st; he could not make out what it all
meant He related the thing to VIM. Wetmore
and Mr.. Wetmore, as soon as he saw me- said
TO NE that lie thought it might be something
worth looking after, and ve mad better 90 our
FOUND that large portion Of the tracks-for
tracks they were, and no mistake about it-had
neen quarried out, but the blocks lay there and
were yet whole. The rock Is the common sand
stone, from which Is taken all OF our building
stone, and lies Immediately over the coal seam
through the tops Of ell the low hills In this vi
entity. DenudatiOn has been doing a great
work hereabouts and has cut through and
through this rock, making many long and mar
TOW valleys, and it is only where the rock was
harder that 1t has withStood the denuding &C
ton, and these places are these hills, and they
are rounded Off SO that the rock slopes In all
directions from the top. These tracks are on
the west side OF these rounded OF hills and
tie rock is planed down quite smooth
The animals were all going to the east, up the
SOpe or the rock, and their tracks were all
parallel to each other, and there were several
OF them even on the comparatively small space
OF the rock uncovered. They are all of nearly
the same size, eight and ali alf incnes long by
eight inches broad, except one, which was
about five inches long. This was calf in this
drove OF cattle, and no lot Of cows walking
across newly narrowed field ever left more
unmls taxable tracks. The tracks were mostly
about two inches deep. But as there had been
some planting done after they were made, they
were In some places worn Off some. Where the
lock or dew. claw appendage to the ankle was
very distinct, ard looked just as If the end of
fig er had been pressed In little way. and
there being only one, and that In the middle OF
tie foot, showed the animal tn he SNlid .hoOfpd
animal and not cloven- hOofed one. There
were no indications OF any toes Or Of anything
OF tie kind.
One track was full of very hard clay, and
succeeded in getting it out whole and the cast
was just like the end OF pestle. The length Of
the step forgot to measure, but it was some
all animals we have very nearly the length Of
the leg. was sorry that forgot to get that
measure, but VIII get it when i examine the
scription Of the tracks themselves think Il is
sufficient for the present; but now comes up the
question. What animal was 1t that made these
this might seem hard question to answer. But
rot to to those who have made these things
study.
OF all the gigantic animals that have lived on
the earth previous to man very few OF them, in
deed, have solid hOofs or are 'solipeda, as they
are called. They are almost all either cloven-
footed or with toes or clawS-Some very long
The most of those that are large enough to
make such tracks are either cloven-hoofed or
have three toes So we have a very limited
number sI to select from. About eighty years ago
CT Siberia an animal that was In so well pre-
served condition that we can see just what
kind OF feet he had, and his feet would make
just such track as those On these rocks, and
that animal was the same animal that roamed
over the country and left his bones here and
there, which we now dig up and call them man.
moth Dones.-tCanfeld tOhio) correspondence of
Hartford Tinsss