New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-30
HUNTING FOSSILS.
BEING HUNTED BY RED ANTS AND RATTLE.
SNAKES.
AND GENERALLY RoUGHING 1T, PROFESSORS
AND STUDENTS TOGETHER, IN THE
OREGON WILDERNESS.

AND GENERALLY RoUGHING 1T, PROFESSORS
AND STUDENTS TOGETHER, IN THE
OREGON WILDERNESS.
ffRoN AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
Princeton, Sept 2o.-Thc Princeton University Sci
entifc Expedition has returned nom its three months
ransacking OF old bones In Oregon OF course you
know what the p. U. S. +. Isl The rsnchers and
rangers in Oregon know II well enough In order
that there may be doubt about II, will tell YOU
II has been OF the original features at Princeton
to send out expeditions composed of students and
professors 10 the Bad Lands and other regions Of
the West, during the vacations, to investigate
the geological formations and gather material among
the fossil remains, for scientific study and research
The first expedition was sent out In 1877. That Of
this year the seventh. Professor W. b. Scott
who has the chair of geology, with the first two
expeditions, and has had charge of the last five, which
went out In the years 49,, 's4 's5. 's6 and 80
respectively. These parties explored pretty ex
tensively IN Colorado Nebraska, Dakota, Wyoming
and Montana and all of expeditions, except that
Of 1884, have met with very gratifying degree OF
success result of which the Museum at Princeton
contains one of the most important collections OF
American fossil mammals in existence.
This year we went to the extensive exposures OF
The John Day. formation in Oregon. This is a
separate horizon OF the Miocene period, which con
tsins large series of animals not to be found csc
where These beds were deposited in ancient
fresh water lake. which must have been in the neigh
borhood OF active volcanoes, as appears from the
suantlty of ashes which occur in them. Our party
consisted OF Professor W. b. Scott, as leader; A. NJ
Miller, Of 1884; p. Kneeland, c. ID. Van Wagenen,
George Edwards. c. Il. Mebelscker. David Bovard,
IT, NJ. SILL Victor Kaufman and p. A. Rollins, OF
$780, and Henry NJ. Alexander, jr., of 1890. These
were all selected on competitive examination at the
close of special introduced for the purpose
Every one of us had bis gun and rifle, blankets and
general outfit for rough life In the wilds After
delightful trip through the sublime scenery OF the
Marshall Pass on the Denver and Rio Grande, 1oooo
foot above the sealevel and the Black Canyon of the
Cunnson. and a bath in Salt Lake, Utah, we got to
MIR railroad terminus, at Baker City, Oregon Here
we found our guide, and bought our four-hose team
IN carry baggage and horse for each of us, at $50
4 horse This done, we started off on our $50 miles
,ds with a party Of fifteen, including teamster and
guides. ...,
mountain roads, ofentimes in the boiling sun, Win
nights spent the open air, with the hard GROUND
for bed. was pretty violent change OF habit for
n, NJ co,,epe boys But we stood It WELL Those
,rbo were strong grew stronger; those who were
delicate, after the first shock grew vigorous. The
oreeon soil when slept for the first time MAKES
your bones little sore, but one soon gets used 10 H.
We turned ns at night two and two zach OF us
had two blankets and waterproof spread. Comoin'
ing these two Of us would bunk together But one
does not always lie still like log on the hard
ground, and one morning two OF us woke up ana
found ourselves separated each with his own compile
nent OF blankets rolled around him. We carried
tent with us, but II not used until we came 10
permanent camp and then only for protection 10 our
stores. We invariably lay down for the nights rest
under the open sky or beneath the shade OF a tree
In crossing the Blue Mountains, we found 1t de-
cldedy cold after sunset and woke up more than
hahn md inPh
our waterpails.
We had already got away from white shirts and
polished boots. We had become accustomed to being
accosted as "Culy,' and seeing men with pistol IN
each side of the belt and knife in the boot The
brakeman on one of the cars had given us vivid
idea of life in the West with the following anccdote:
Ono day the conductor train demanded ticket
from a cowboy. The cowboy instantly drew his
cooked pistol and pointed It at the conductor, saying
THAT is my ticket" The conductor dlscroetly passed
along and went into the next car. There he borrowed
a rifle from a passenger and returning. approached
the cowboy from the On getting close to him.
he put the cold steel of his shootngiron against the
cowboys head, and, with his finger on the trigger.
said pleasantly. Now, I'm ready to punch that
tlcket!s The cowboy surrendered good-naturcdy,
paid his fare and he and the conductor were ever after
the fastest friends The shortest route to the heart
Of one of these sons of the desert IS TO get the
drop him.
But rough as the people seemed TO us while travelling
on the railway train, we soon found after teaVhs
Baker City that we were in for the hardest Khu OF
life We did not press Immediately to the John Day
River but encamped. after six days riding, at Cotton
Wood Creek about three miles from whore 1t empties
into the North Fork of tho John Day River Here
we soon found enough fossils TO make the stop
valuable one A rbinoceross head and the hind legs
Of a threc-toed horse were among our discoveries.
The rim rock in this country Is all of volcanic origin
s,a1n - laun of
this material. They are consequently rugged and
barren Below these is sedimenary rock varying
in color from white to red, and very dirty, hard in
some places and soft in Others which were once the
bottom and shores of the great lakes which covered
this district, before the lava outbursts took place
The bones of the animals which lived and died here
sbouts were buried in this rock. which formed after
the lakes dried up, and were there preserved. In
later times the streams. by continual wearing, have
cut down through the lava under which the bones
were securely sealed up, and which In the course
of ages had become petrifed, and through the ruck
and have left prccpitous cliffs standing OF from ten
10 200 feet in height The fossils are imbedded In
this rock and as the cliffs eroded edges of bones
protrude and it is necessary to climb about on the
face of the precipices and hunt for these little
cresoenoes when one IS found the whole skeleton. or
as much of 10 be secured, has 10 be dug out
with the greatest not to break it, as 1t Is
very fragile. The work severe. The sun Is so hot
that oftentmes had TO lie by during the hours
about noon. 1t IS hazardous, too, for 1t
common thing TO crawl up the side Of almost
perpendicular rock using the slightest Irregularities in
the surface for rungs In our ladder, ard reaching
dizzy height 10 be unable to rerace steps and
be obliged 10 scale the whole cliff 10 the top
10 was delicious. after fauguing days work,
which left us hot and dusty, to take refreshing
plunge in the river. and get cool and clean again.
When / say clean comparatively clean. One
can't be absolutely clean to wearing apparel when
he has to wash his own clothes. We all made our
debut in the laundry line during this trip found
that TO wash clothes conveniently l had TO get
altogether into the brook myself. / can't plume
my self overmuch on my first attempt, i lost one
sock in the mud and tore the other one 10 pieces
the rocks AS for the rest Of the things. the most