The Lincoln County leader. [volume] (White Oaks, Lincoln County, N.M.) 1882-189?, 1884-05-10

straw scattered ABOUT, and with IL
much other material-materia, of
a plastic nature; mud, to wit; acres
Of it; and this material and the
straw did of a truth and by custom
combine and form unto him uncre-
ated sandels, as you may say-un-
created, because not projected by
volition nor wrought by art-nay,
they were but the accumulative
achievement of time; that is to say,
time and patient neglect, And as
the prosperous years rolled on, his
sandels waXed and gathered grace
and style, and magnitude and maj
esty; inSomuch that the footprint
of him was like the footprint OF a
hogshead which is upended in the
snow. And he became a legislator
and also speaker. But there was
jealousy because of the splendor of
his attainments in the field; there
was a rancor because of the subli-
nifty of his sandels. And besides
there was not room, for the alkali
flat was circumscribed in area, and
they uniustly occupied space proper
and sufficient tor the representa-
tions of several counties; also, he
trod upon the feet of distant men,
bers. Those near at hand could
see the danger and avoid it, but
those who were further removed,
having no warning, his step being
n~oiseless, like that Of the stealthy
and cushioned cat, suffered. Yet
his intentions were pure; he did
these things inadvertently-usually
while absorbed in thought concern
ing the national debt.
So charges were brought against
him, and he was indicted, tried and
condemned as an obstructionist.
The verdict was confirmed in the
appellate courts in succession, by
congress also, and finally by the
United States court sitting in bank
or chambers, or somewhere, and
this latter condemned HIM to cut
his sandals down to eight inches
broad and eighteen inches long,
with costs; and thus it was with
these reduced powers, these dimin-
ished capacities, that now made the
now world-renowned footprints for
the ~prineval man. But suppose
he had a chance to do some frssil
tracks for the benefit Of science be-
tore they trimmed his golden slip
persl Which one of the late la
mented would they have laid them
onl But that is not vital to my
theme-they'd have found a fossil
to fit them, | Judge.
Such is history; and thus is the
primeval man indicated, struck
from the roster and dismissed from
further service in this conflict. |
now proceed to dispose of the rest
Of those myths. If | were gone,
and the treasury of history with me
they yet could not stand; even for
the scientific theory that gave them
being would be also their descrip-
ton. Because it locates them
back in the old red sandstone peri
cd. There were no Irish In the
old red sandstone period. The
Irish are a comparative recent for
nation. They belong to the old
blue grindstone tertiary, and are
there confined to the stratitied
rocks OF the postpolicene aluvium
and upper pentamerous limestone.
The assertion of Hugh Miller and
other early observers, that traces
of them are discoyerable in the Ju-
rassic deposits Of the carboniferous
chalks, between the median layer
OF old basaltic gneiss and the mar
supial crinoids vt the paleozoic on
glomerate was regarded with Sus
picion at the time, and 10 now
known to have been wholly btu
minous. Now then, we come to
the point. If these footprints be-
lsng to the old red sandstone peri
cd, what becomes of your Irish elk
What was he doing there when
there weren't any Irish yeti Ans
wer me that. Crack me that nut,
Messeurs Marsh and Hardness
and pray let us have a square deal
lust this once. The case in sim
pie; l e your geological blunder,
and go you a geological fact better
now YOU call me If you can.
Then we'll draw three apiece and
double the pot. | think nobody
can o er fairer than that.
And so ! have disposed of the
Irish elk-as | look at it. Now
we come to tic cave bear. What
i. his period He belongs among
the talcose hornblendeSo of the post
tertiary Devonian, along with the