Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-16
Bones of q Prehistoric Giant.
THE REMAINS OF A MAMMOTH MAsToDON
UNEARTHED.

THE REMAINS OF A MAMMOTH MAsToDoN
UNEARTHED.
| A giant mastodom's remains, the Toron
to Globe says, have just been exhumet
from their long resting place in cornfielt
near Highgate. The skeleton has piece BY
piece been disinterred since last Saturday
morning, and for massiveness and grand
eur Of proportions it equals, if it does NO
surpass, anything yet known to science. Il
has been dug cut of piece of farm lauG
which forms part of swampy plain. IT.
exact location is given thus: "The souther
ly part of the east port of Lot 8, Conces
sion 6, of the township of Oxford. in the
county of Oxford, owned by MIR. John Rey
craft" 1t is little over forty miles west
ward of St. Thomas, on the Michigan Cen.
trail Liue, and 100 miles from Toronto.
Four years ago the farmers of the vicini
ty decided to unite their energies in drain
ing a marshy bog-a place which had been
apparently more or less submerged for CEN
turies. To carry off the water that accu.
mulated on the surface they cut an open
ditch through several lots until they effect
ed junction with larger channel. While
the ditch was being opened in Mr.. Rey.
crafts land the excavator, a relative of che
owner, struck his spade against what he at
first regarded as log of wood, but on ex-
animation found to be the big bone of an
animal larger than any he had ever read or
heard of. As he continued his digging he
came upon some more remains, large
foreleg bone, part of the hind leg, several
ribs, vertebl@, and one or two smaller
bones.
The entire collection was carefully STOW.
fary 10 q
passed about the discovery. Mr.. Rey-
craft, however, made up bis mind to prose-
cute further search at more convenient
season. The years slipped by, and that
convenient season never came. About
twelve months ago one of the farr, hands
was plowing the field by the side of this
lonely ditch and the coulter struck another
massive bore. In bulk it was like the de
caying stump Of an ample pine. It proved
q stumbling block to the indignant Hodge,
and he contemptuously hurled it into the
ditch, whence it has not yet been recovered.
The discovery of the skeleton was mat
ter of small account to the good folks about
Higbgate, but through the medium of a
travelling Snowman the story reached the
ears of Mr.. John Jelly, of Shelbourue. He
took an active part in the finding ofa NAM
moth on Mr.. W. B. Jelly's farm, in the
township of Amaranth, last summer, and
he and his nephew, Mr.. W. A. Hil.house,
soon found that the facts were as represent
ed by the Snowman. Mr.. Jelly lost no
time in acquiring possession of all the bones
found four years ago, and the right to search
for whatever further remains there might
be in the field. He and his nephew, with
a gang of men, set to work Saturday, and
the reward of their first days toll was 100
pieces of the gigantic skeleton. The enor-
nous jaws, teeth and tusk proclaimed at
once that they belonged to the mastodon,
and one of tho largest of that branch of the
elephant family. Monday their efforts
were attended with almost equal success,
and the following day added to the collec-
ton, which now weighs several tons and
numbers several hundreds.
The area of this earliest of esrth's sepul
chers is 35 feet by 81. The bones were
scattered over it, one joint fitting the other
in bed of gray mari about six feet below
the surface. Over the mari is thick layer
of black loamy soil, resembling in compost
tion and quality the lands that skirt peat
moss. 1t is combustible and will, when
fire is applied, smolaer suddenly, and the
ashes are like the ashes of peat fire.