The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-10-26
MONTGOMERY COUNTY CRlNOIDs.
Wonderful Petrifactions Which Have Found
Their Way Into the Worlds Leading Museums.
OF tie Indianapolis Journal:

To the Editor OF tie Indianapolis Journal:
As early as 1886. Prof. 4. o. Hovey. now
deceased. of Wabash College. called public
attention to these curious small specimens.
striking out everywhere in the blue rocks,
and which resembled the little roots of
trees petriied, and are now known as
crinoid stems. He often visited the banks
on the north side of Sugar creek. just west
of the L., N. A. & G. railroad bridge. and q
mile and o half north of Charlottesville,
taking with him his college classes. and
collected these specimens, which were sent
to various colleges in the United States. 1t
was on one of these collecting tours, in 1912.
that Horace G. Hovey, q son of Professor
Hovey, found the first crinoid head in these
beds, which have since become celebrated
throughout the world. In 1851 X. X. Krout
and Ira Crane visited these banks and col
lected q large number of specimens, and
digging in these banks, obtaining q won
derful collection, which was sold to H.. c.
Hovey, for the Wabash College museum.
Yale College, hearing of what Mr.. Cory had
found, sent Professor Bradley to Craw-
fordsville to make q collection for the
museum. INT Charles Dyer, of Cincinnati,
who is known throughout he scientific
world as an enthusiastic collector, also
made a collection that was sent to the Brit
ish Museum. After this Fred Braun. of
Cincinnati, took out q carload. which was
shipped to the colleges throughout Europe.
1t is a fact that there are
more crinoids from Montgomery county in
the college museums in Europe than from
all other places combined. About the same
time NJ. Zoller. of Charlottesville. secured
Springer and Charles Wachsmuth. of Gin:
~cinnati, for 5000. Prof. ID. A. Bassett. for
merly of Wabash College, purchased all of
the above. ground except an acre owned by
Frank Springer. and carried on the work of
securing specimens on an extensive scale.
In 1888 Charles s. Beachler quarried out an
extensive strip of ground. securing a large
collection, which was sold to Messrs.
Springer & Wachsmuth.
The rocks containing these crinoids geo.
logically form the edge of the rocks form
ing the great basin in which the coal was
boniferous. and are the equivalent of the
Keokuk limestone division. represented at
Keoknk. La. While these beds are the old
est worked in Montgomery county, yet the
most wonderful collection of Keoknk
crinoids were discovered and taken out last
year by Charles s.. Beachler. four miles
above the mouth of Indian creek. in Brown
township. This creek is a tributary of
Sugar creek, along whose banks the crinoids
were first discovered. This collection was
sold to Springer q Wachsmutb. and con-
tanned many new things, which will be
fiRu red and named In a new work that has
been in preparation for two years. NJ.
Zoller also secured q collection from this
new place. which was purchased by Mr..
Beachler for $500 and sold to Springer Il
Wachsmuth.
There are also other localities in Mont
gomcry county in which specimens have
been found, among them being some fine
deposits on the lower branch of Walnut
fork and in the lower Keoknk rocks at New
Cp IvropnsvuI Ind Oct os