Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-06-15
A BONE YARD OF NATURE.


to help us pass the time away we were
directed to the so-called bone yard.
We went as directed, and / am con-
strained to say that among the innu-
merable natural curiosities of this
strange and curious country none
possesses deeper interest than this
place. Here is the rarest and finest
geological display | have ever seen.
The little stream through whose can
Won we approached the now famous
field leaves in many places the forma-
ton cut clearly down three thousand
feet, showing all the qualifications.
The whole country for many miles
around is much broken, and the dip
or inclination of the rock is such that
in travelling from Canyon City TO this
strange and interesting quarry, we
pass over the exposed edge of all the
formations from the tertiary to the
silurian periods. But the exposure
ONLY becomes of more than usual IN
terest a. we enter the canyon OF OH
Creek, where the walls rise sheer ana
clear cut above you, showing the
qualification through many geoloS-
zeal periods. The Bone Yard proper
is but seven or eight miles out OF Can
Won City, but the interest continues
for thdstudent of nature, especially II
geologist, for many miles beyond
We found the superintendent, Cap
tain Felch. at the base of the CHI,
and in answer to our inquiry as TO
the location of the mine from when
they dug mastodons and many other
curious fossils, he pointed to a dizzy
height up the perpendicular SIDE OF
the canyon where sandstone strata
cropped out Looking up we saw
stretch of white sail-cloth that pro-
tected the redeemed treasures from
the disintegrating action of the ele-
ments. Yes said the superintend-
ent. this spot and in fact ali about
here is a perfect geological mine, but,
as a matter of fact, these saurian re
mains in the Jurassic exposures about
here are found in greater abundance
and perfection than any other place
vet discovered. Something like twenty
millions of years ago this spot with
ONT doubt was the mouth Of an old
Surassic river, and, therefore, Il nat
ural feeding ground for the seminar
phibious creatures whose remains are
now being eXcavated. This sandstone
is perfect mass of bones and the va
rietv of animal remains is greater
than at any other known place in the
world. Many of them, too, are highly
specified. To explain: Some OF the
animals whose remains we find have
become known TO the scientist, but
occasionally some are found having
such well-marked specialties chat IL,
individual features) as to require
new or revised classification. And
now and then we find some things
that, when they become known, will
startle the whole scientific world. We
think that we have found link. here
that will connect two classes of AMI
NAL life to all appearances more dis
tinctly separated than man and mon
key"
The superintendent took me up to
the edge and showed me the sand
stone quarry where the bones were
obtained. The journey was worth a
pilgrimage to any one of those who
see earth's history in rocks and read
the tablets of the qualifications which
are the sepulchres that hold the bones
of her dead self-all who have visited
this spot have been wonderfully in
terested. Although the place Is un-
known to the millions, there are but
few spots in Colorado that have re
ceiyed the attention of distinguished
scholars equal to this.
After some moderately hard climb
ing we arrived at the quarry, and,
distinctly visible in the soft gray
sandstone of the Jurassic era in which
they had become mired and persisted,
are the petrified forms of huge mon
sters fifty feet in length. The utmost
care is required in getting them out
and the labor of three men has been
engaged in this service for three or
four wears. This ia all done for the
museum of Yale college and paid for
out of the Peabody fund. The scien-
tific interest of this museum has been
materially increased by the remains
taken from this quarry and the work
viii no doubt continue so long as new
or special forms continue to be found.
We find in working over this field
and its products that the forms of
nature change, but her methods are
continuous The work that went on
here at the mouth of this ancient river
millions of years ago, is now to Inn
tied extent going on in the deltas of
large rivers that empty into the
ocean. Such rivers carry down food
that is relished by certain fish and
sea animals that come to these places
where the river debouches feed. Here
also come the larger and stronger OF
their kind to prey upon the weaker,
We know that the largest animals
and fishes of our time get mired and
cast ashore and thus perish. When
these species become extinct their
bones will in time become curiosities.
Thus nature continues to write her
history upon the rocks, which speak
it forth to man as he slowly and labor
iously turns the difficult and rarely
understood pages of her book. This
is a civilizing and refining work.
Whether it be that only gentle natures
- L H.. 10.