Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-04-20
Old Times.

II is not usual. believe, to give US names
before we are born. Naming my topic a
few days ago with only vague idea OF
what might say Of it. may have done
something Of that kind. "Old Times" as
the phrase Is frequently used. refers to a
time within the memory Of elderly persons
hardly reaching beyond the recollection OF
that well-known character. "the oldest iu-
habitant." A more extended Specification
may take us back to the legends or the
facts Of history,-the history not only Of
the people that have gone before US, but
Of the earth that we till. of its physical
character. of its vegetation and OF its ami
NAL life. While we are chiefly concerned
with that which is present and directly
practical, time is not altogether lost when
we look back at the past. There are facts
that are valuable as a matter of knowledge.
not measureable by a money standard
facts not less valuable to US as farmers than
to those in the learned professions. A por-
tion Of the worlds history is traced in he
rocky crust of the earth, and in the soil
which we cultivate. Its study is not the
privilege OF any exclusive class. If the
history Of the soil Is an object of interest to
men of liberal culture not connected with
the farming interest, il should be no less
so to those who derive their support from
its cultivation.
Whence came the soil3 What was Its
condition in past agesl What is its his
toryp What nre these pebbles9 What is
this sandP What is this handful of dust.
How was it made The answere to these
questions alone might we'll fill a volume
In, ho Iir,itad kinna hat I -
cupy. l can only hint at some general facts
that might each be the subject of dis.
course. The history of the soil has been
written on the rocks, and men having the
inspiration Of knowledge have read it.
Not wholly written, ii may be,-not ALWAYS
read with absolute accuracy, vet suffi-
GENTLY so TO demonstrate facts Of wonder
ful interest How was it made' The
readers Of Uncle Toms Cabin will recol-
lect the familiar question asked the colored
girl "Topsy" respecting her origin, draw
ing out from her untutored mind the reply
II specs growed." Here is principle
that applies to all earthly things as far as
our knowledge extends. Everything has
growns the earth itself is probably no ex-
csption. Its substance may have been
accumulating from the infinite regions ol
space for millions OF years before it assum.
ed its present form and dimensions. But
perhaps this is going back to times that are
too old for this occasion. 1t is sufficient for
eur present purpose If we 90 back to a
time which every geologist will admit has
been, when neither vegetable or anima
existed on the earth. IF we take one ol
the latter periods in this stage of the earth's
progress, a permanently solid crust had
formed over the great ball of molten fluid
and the history written in the rocks was
begun. There was yet no beast or bird
no herb or tree-no trace Of life
Ages passed and waters overflowed the
original crusts. In portions of the earth's
surface and at certain seasons or periods
the heat OF the sun and the internal hea
Of the earth combined. may have raised
the water to high temperature or con
verted it into vapor Parts of the rocl
dissolved and held by the water in solu
tion, parts Of it abraded by the waves and
currents, were deposited rs sediment upor
the original crusts. and in process of time
these sedimontary deposits become strait
fed rocks. This was the period Of thu
dawn of life. Other and successive forma
tions accumulated above the first Organic
life, Mt first in its lowest forms, appeared
leaving a record of its existence in the re
mains dlstinguishable in the rocks. 1t il
probable that the first appearing forms o
vegetable life were hardly distinguishable
as plants. Perhaps something similar may
be seen in the green substance that gather
in frog ponds. or in the jelly like mai tel
that is sometimes found in damp placer
after long storm Of rain. Even the leas
developed of the fossils found in the frs
rocks containing organic remains, were
probably preceded by lower forms, the
structure Of which and their minutenes.
prevented their leaving any trace Of thei
existence in the rocks. Only marine plant.
are found in the older series of fos.iliferou.
rocks. Had other plants of higher ordel
existed. their remains would appear in th'
rocks Of the period with greater distinct
ness than those Of lower order.
The same may be said of the existence
of Il higher class Of animals the remain!
of horse, had horses then existed, woulG
be more surely found than the form of &
worm. In the first formed Of the slratifiet
rocks containing organic remains, no relic
of animal life appears higher than th,
crustacea, a class Of animals having shell
like the lobster or crab. The remains Of
animals having shells have been preserved
since their 6rst appearance in all the geo
logical formations of the different lif,
periods. The rocks in which only marine
plants occur and only animal remains of O
low order, include several distinct geolog
ical formations, each one Of which may
have been thousands Of years. not to say
millions, in process Of formation. Thou
sands Of ages might have passed since tht
dawn of life, and yet up to this period
there was no bird or quadruped-not even
a fish nor land growing plant. The de.
posits from overfowing waters continued
and other formations gradually accumulat
ed over those described, with new species
Of plants and animals of higher develop.
ment. In these formations the bones and
teeth of fish are found, and fossil remains
ofland plants. But the plants of this period
are all Of the cryptOgamous or non flower
ing kind as the lichens, MOSES, fungi, etc
In the rocks formed up to the period when
the fossils of fish and land plants first ap-
pear many hundred distinct species Of
animals and plants have been identified by
their fossil remains.
Ages upon ages intervene and other geo.
logical formations accumulate to the thick
ness of many thousand feet-slowly, per-
haps; possibly not more than fraction OF
an inch in year. New and progressive
forms OF life appear-plants of q more
perfect structure, and animals in greater
variety; still there is no bird or quadruped
or fruit-bearing tree. Passing again over
several life periods tina. may include an
other incalculable lapse OF time, we come
to the epoch next preceding the alluval or
present formation. In the rocks of this
period the fossils of monkeys, of carniver-
GUS and of herbivorous animals first ap-
pear. Traces of birds are found in some
Of the previous formations as also flower
ing plants and remains of trees similar to
existing species, as the poplar, maple,
elm, willow, beech, etc. Up to this period
no traces of mans existence are found.
This bring us to the alluvial Or latest
geological Formation, that upon which we
are living. It is still in progress of forma-
tion. The remains of man are found only
in alluvium and In recently formed lime
stone, in connection with the fossils OF
other living species. The remains of nu-
merous animals and plants that have be-
come extinct. as the mastodon, the mega