The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-10-06
he WAS SIXTY FEET HIGH
Vertebra of a Biped Found in a
Gravel Pit Near Glen
dive.
Scientists Say 1t Was Not an
Ape and Not a
Man.
Ma or It Lived on the North American
Continent in the Pre-
historic Ages.

Secretary James G. Ramsey, of the board
Of Worlds fair managers, Ia exhibiting a
relic of the prehistoric ages, in Helena. 1T
was dug up In a gravel pit about a mile
from Glendive in eastern Montana, on the
line of tho Northern Pacific railroad. 1t
has been examined by members OF the
institute and Obe'lin college
and pronounced TO be one OF the most val
usble discoveries of its kind ever made on
she North American continent. The RENO
was found some time ago by Col. j. II. lay,
of Glendive, and at the time was supposed
TO be a bony structure belonging to the
skeleton of a mastodon, such remains being
in the neighborhood of Glendlye.
When the scientists saw the relic az Glen
dive they made several high offers OF money
to Col. Ray for the curious looking piece OF
bone. After repeated attempts to Res pos
session of ID the gentlemen from she
Smithsonian institute and Ooerlln
college informed its owner that he had
something of great value. They told mini
was q section of the vertebr@ of an extinct
biped OF some kind which they could not
name. for the books from which they had
obtained their knowledge OF the men and
beasts of the prehistoric ages did not Tell
of any suoh thing. They knew 1t was NOS
any part of an ape. and yet from It's struc-
ture ii must have formed the backbone of a
biped that was sixty feet high. When Col.
Ray told this to Secretary Ramsey the lat
ter thought there was some joke about II.
but there is not. The scientists told Col.
Ray to get a section of the yertebre OF a
human skeleton and compare it with his
relic. He sent to a medical college in New
York and received she piece of bone and
the information that it was taken from the
framework of a man six feet high. Ihls
specimen from New York was then laid
alongside the relic dug from the gravel pit,
and found to be almost a perfect counter
part Of il, only that the relic was ten times
larger. The relic is somewhat worn in
places by the gnawing tooth OF
time, but the smallest peculiar
tiles noticed in one can be found
duplicated in she other. The hole through
the center of the smaller piece of bone -
where the spinal cord was once and 10 said
TO be an indication of the size of the brain.
The hand of any ordinary sized man can
almost bs placed in the cavity Of the pre-
relic. This hole is what convinced
the gentlemen from the Smithsonian insti-
tute and Oberlin college that the piece of
vertebre ia not a part of the skeleton of
some huge ape for they said such an animal
could not have the large brain which the
cavity would indicate. These learned men
would NOT say it was a man but did not hes.
itate to say it was n biped of some kind
- w.,H r,..x ~ y ~ IA ru RI
TO that Of a man.
Just think" said Secretary Ramsey,
"what an appearance this two-leRged thing,
sixty feet high, must have presented as 1T
tramped around the Rocky mountains ages
and ages ago.. Perhaps there were no
Rocky mountains when this giant drew the
breath of life through his nostrils by gal
Ions. Whatever it or he was, he was built
ON q scale TO contend with the mastodons
and other big fellows OF those times"
Some of the people who examined the two
pieces of bone yesterday were inclined to
think that the secretary was taxing their
powers of belief, but the relic and its
counterpart from the skeleton OF q man
shipped to Montana by a New York medi-
cal college are at the rooms of the board OF
worlds fair managers at the Montana Ma
ticnal Bank building for the inspection of
any one. Secretary Ramsey says if there
is any person along the line of the Northern
Pacific who thinks he can make it out to be
ANYTHING else than as represented he will
pay his Expenses to Helena for that pur-
pose.
Secretary Ramsey will leave for Glendive
in a few days to procure the skeleton of a
mastodon lately discovered near the gravel
pit where the piece of vertebr@ was ound.
Some idea of the immense size of the mas
todon may be formed when 1T is stated that
IL took four men to lift one of the shoulder
blades; one of the thigh bones ia over six
feet long and one of the socket joints meas
ures twenty-five inches in diameter. The
skeleton of the mastodon is but partly ex-
humed and it is hoped by SEQ etary Ram
sey that ii will be found complete. 1t is
we'll known that remains of prehistoric an
imals are very plentiful in the Bad Land
region of country contiguous to Glendive.
Several pa rites from the Smithsonian insti-
tute have made visits there for specimens.
Secretary Ramsey says the bones are scat
tered about the country az thick as cobble-
stones but no one has paid much attention
to them heretofore. He believes that sys-
tematic and careful search throughout that
section of county would result in the dis
Covery of ancient remains which would be
q feast for the scholars and no doubt throw
much light upon the character of animals
which made that part of the north west
their habitat. Inc specimens taken away
by the Smithsonian expeditions have re-
ceived but very little public attention.
Nine boxes of ancient bones were gathered
up last summer in MeaRher county in the
bed of an extinct lake and shipped TO the
Smithsonian institute. No complete skel-
etons were found but the bones must have
been valuable from a scientific point of
view to warrant their shipment to Wash
ington.
When Secretary Ramsey secures tho re-
malns OF the mastodon at Glendive he will
have il sent to the Worlds fair to form
part of the Montana exhibit. Col. Ray has
partly promised him the piece of vertebrit
found in the gravel pit for exhibition al
Chicago. Before Col. Ray knew it's value
his q anddauRhter used it as o playthint
about the house and one day broke it il
several pieces. Ii is now held together by
wire. 1t weighs about three pounds, il
somewhat circular in form and has q pro-
nouneed projection on one side.
Every qualified voter in this county who
can possibly get there is expected al tn,
auditorium this evening to aid in the or
Eanization of "A Capital club, Candidate
of ali political parties are especially ex
pected to attend.
sanuel X. Davis Spectl.
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