The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-31

AOOOo
The steps of evolution, as traced by Marsh
and Huxley in the genesis OF the horse, show
that the primary hoofed animals OF the ear
liest tertiary times diverged in two great
branches, each OF these again dividing and
subdividing until tine extreme branch IN one
direction became the horse, and the extreme
branch in the other direction became the
OK. Allied to the horse branch are the un-
even-toed tapir and rhinoceros allied to the
OK ana buffalo branch are the even-tOed
elks, deer and antelopes of our Western
plains; intermediate between these extremes
stand the elephants hippopotami and hogs
Among the ancient piocene horses of the
Bad Lands of Nebraska Marsh found his
protohippus or first horse OF the United
States not larger than Newfoundland dog.
OF course, all these are extinct, and the In
dian pony, which is sold in our city stock
yards is adescendantof the European stock
brought 10 America by the early Spaniards,
AN UNFINISHED WORLD.
The fact is, geologically speaking, America
is not the old, but the new world; the great
Rockies and the western plains are the new
est part of 1t, and is still in the making as is
shown by its lofty mountains, with glaciers
and active volcanoes-its bad lands,
hot springs and geysers-and, stronger than
all else, the rapid and extraordinary
change in its systems of plants and animals
Only comparatively recently, and millions
of years after the Alleghenies were heaved
above the ocean waters, and by their denuda-
ton had formed the Atlantic and Middle
State regions was the great interior creta-
ceous sea, which had divided North America
into two continents upheaved. its gigantic
reptiles abolished, and the continent became
one. The WahsatCh and Uintah mountains
were at the same time formed, the Eastern
Rockies greatly elevated, and with the enor-
nous changes in physical geography and
climate resulting produced parallel change
in the life system.
Mammals became dominant on the new
formed lands; reptiles sought safety
in subordinate position, decreasing in size
and number; the present aspect of field and
forest was introduced only in a luXurance of
plant size and species now unknown in these
waterless and treeless wastes. Modern his
tory commences here the congeners of man
from marsuiial forms up through the subor
dinate orders to the ape ana monkey types
possessed the western plains Finally the
great mammals and forests disappeared with
the subsequent oscillations, elevations and
changes of climate which succeeded in
quaternary times. With the high latitude
elevations came the glaciers, covering the
north half of the continent; these melted and
our great lakes and glacial rivers were
formed. with the later terraces and the es-
adjustment of the present conditions of
soil, climate and life.
One gets but little idea of the changes
which have occurred in even the later days
of the earth by studying our own flat and
glacier smoothed areas, where the rocks are
covered with drift, and this by grass and
forest. Even in the Alleghenies the heritage
and underground covers the rocks, and while
they are the most beautiful mountains of
the earth, their geological structure is not
revealed as in the verdureless areas of the
west, in the canons and gorges of the Rockies.
The forming earth here lies like an open
book; the strattied rocks are thrown on
edge; the GRANTEES, the traps, the eruptive
rocks of assures and craters are made plain
in the canons. The lesson forces itself upon
one, and he must see the way of it in spite
OF himself. The grass features of the bald
earth, seen in a railway ride along the North
ern Pacific, are infinitely more instructive
and enjoyable than all the brief and trivial
personal adventures and exploits of such a
trip.
What if Bckham was the best rider. and
got pitched off his mule; if Selby met an en-
thusiastic New York lady by the Firehole
if the Marquis took dinner with us; if G. X.
Shaw had the collie and a COPY of Hege's
philosophy that could not be read at home
much less in the mountains? or that Francis
Brown and Horace Rubee could quote
any desired line OF English poetry
about mountain lands and scenery?
or that Russell always beat the
Chicago boys and raked in the not at
poker? or that Winsor caught half a pound
more or less of mountain trout than did Nc
Culloch or that some of the party went
with Barnes through the park and others
went with Winsor? 1t availeth not. The
blessed mountains were there, the flowing
canon of tine Yellowstone the burning
Mines and the spouting geysers. Had the
whole party thrown themselves into the
canon or into the steaming crater of the
Giantess it would have only made fair
item for the Associated Press, and would
not have changed one iota the price of wheat
or of corner lots on the bleak hills of Bis
marck. The joy is in the land itself and in
its wonders-it is in the air, the snow, the
opal the blue gentan, Tower falls, Old
Faithful, the white formation OF the
springs" and, more than all, in the spirit
and intent of the traveller, for no one can
find out there any more than at home
what he does not take with him, or have in
himself. One look into the Grand canon OF
the Yellowstone is worth course in college,
aud to cross the American continent as a
saunterer is in itself a liberal education.
A. w. BRAYToN.
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