Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-08-24
For the Ts!sUNK
Romance of Geology.

and direct their attention to a partic-
ular branch of natural science, and
as we do not pretend to write on our
subject With scientific precision, we
viii. follow the track of ingenious
minds by calling it the "Romance of
Geology"
Geology is the science which ex-
amines and describes the crust of
the earth. 1t is of modern origin,
yet has taken front rank in the march
of human knowledge, giving us a
view of the earth's history during a
long period, while as yet no human
beings lived upon it. The facts Of
this history are extremely curious
and interesting. 1t appears that the
space of time occupied by it was
vast-beyond all conception; that
during this time the surface of the
earth underwent many changes
beds of rock being formed at the
bottom of seas; other rocks thrown
up by subterranean forces; hills and
valleys formed; and sea and land
frequently changed the one for the
other. And most wonderful Of all,
while these operations were going
on, there arose a succession of ami
mails, beginning with those of the
simplest form, and advancing to
others Of higher character, until
those nearest the human figure APP
peared; these animals however be-
ing of different species from any
which now exist. All of these facts
have been ascertained by investigat-
ing the rocks which compose the
earth's crust, in Which are found the
remains more or less perfectly pre-
served, of the animals in question,
as well as of a similar success on of
plants, the order of the existence
of both animals and plants being
established by an order which is
ascertained with regard to the age
of the rocks, the oldest Of which of
course is placed undermost, and the
newest next the surface. 1t is surely
very interesting to youth TO be told
how this history has been compiled;
not as histories usually are, from old
famil y and state documents, from
medals and monuments, but from
particulars placed before them, as it
were, by nature, that we might first
observe and then reflect upon and
mako differences from them. The
character of this evidence of the
human race, are as clearly ascertain
ed rs are any events in human his
tory. 1t was at first thought by
some religious people that these
curious revelations of geology mit-
gated against the account Of creation
given by Moses in the book of Gen
esis, but as we become enlightened
this supposition is now generally
diminished, and the prevalent con
viction exists, that there is nothing
in the one history to interfere with
a becoming reverence for the other.
! The remains of the various animals
and plants called fossils are found
in various conditions; sometimes
what was once a coral, for instance,
is still coral, the original hard
substance being entirely preserved;
sometimes the original substance has
been withdrawn, particle by particle,
and replaced by siiec or some other
mineral substance, but without the
! slightest change of form; on other
occasions there is merely IN impress
sion Of he original plant or animal,
. but this is in general as useful to the
geologist as if the primitive sub
stance remained There is no limit
to the number and variety of these
remains Of animal and vegetable
! existence At one time we see be
fore us, extracted from solid piece
of rock model Of the softest, most
delicate, and least easily preserved
! parts of animal structure; 1T another
time, the actual bones, teeth and
scales, scarcely altered from their
condition in the living animal. The
very skin, the eye, the footprints of
the creature in the mud, and the
food that it was digesting at the
time of its death, together with
those portions that had been sepa-
rated from the digestive organs as
containing no further nutriment, are
all as clearly exhibited as if death
had within few hours performed
its commission, and all had been in
stantly prepared for our investiga-
ton. We find the remains of fish
SO perfect that not one bone or scale
is out of place or wanting, while
others in the same bed present only
the outline of Il skeleton, or various
di>jointed fragments We have in
sects, too, the delicate "nervurey" of
whose wings are permanently I'M
pressed upon the stone in which
they are imbedded; and we see shell
not merely retaining their shape,
but perpctuating their colors-the
most tlpetlng. one would think, of