Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1892-11-03
aSrEprLUy srS.
Unearthing the Natural Wonders of Idaho.
"a Fossilized Forest.

"a Fossilized Forest.
+. B. Schermerhorn, mineralogist
and geologist and assistant worlds
fair commissioner, has just returned
to Boise, Idaho, from an extended
trip to Lemhi and Custer counties.
He spent four months in looking up
matters of curiosity and returned
with over, 900 specimens. Near
Gtbbonsville he discovered the bones
of some antedilavian men. He saved
enough of the bones TO i1aEe a
classification. His report on the
discovery of a fossil forest near the
center IL Custer county adds greatly
to Idaho's natural @onders. This
forest covers an area of three square
miles, and the condition of the ground
shows that at one time an enormous
flow Of clay which worked in from
the northwest had buried the tree
trunks TO a great depth. This clay
has tdrEed TO stone and no one can
ascertain its true depth without
going togreat expense.
All of the trees in this forest have
their tops broken off and stand from
10 to 40 feet ab0vetheground, averag-
ing about 2S to the acre. Mr..
Scherme rhorh took the exact
measurement of some of the trees
ana found them TO average 12 feet in
diameter at the top ana is feet In
diameter at the surface ofthe ground.
How far the trunk reached through
the Clay stone TO the soil he had no
means of ascertalhing. A branch
which had become detached from the
tree and was lying about l6 feet from
1t was three feet in diameter. From
the size Of the tree and their branches
Mr.. Schermerhorn found them TO be
a species of redwood, such as is
found in California, and attributes
their fossilization to the clay which,
bearing a large part of mineral and
presumably coming from some
volcano, has turned the living trees
into monuments of stone TO stand for
all time as wonders of Gods creation.
On the northeast of this fossil
forest tract lies the Custer county
coal measures, 10 miles long by 80
wide as far as discovered, and cover
ing an area Of 500 square miles. The
coal therein is of the first quality,
Laramie" and is used by settlers,
miners and others FOR domestic
purposes, and as a blacksnitth'sco coal IT
is without an equal. Although these
coal measures are comDaratively
undiscovered, enough work has been
done to show that not far distant lies
a body Of coal second TO nohe in the
West.
Another d~is66Fefy Of no small
moment and which upon development
may prove a source Of great wealth is
that of a large deposit of tin some
where in this country. Mr. Schermer-
horn discovered some fine specimens
of float tin and is going into that
section to prospect further for that
metal.
Among the specimens secured from
Lemhi and Custer counties are gold,
lead, copper, iron, tin, zinc and
platinum, used in fine electrical and
surveying instruments. Anthony
was found largely in the sea-foam
district of Custer county, and
tellurium from Garden creek, in
Custer county.
During the four months MIR.
Schermerhorn was out on this trip he
travelled ofer 1000 miles and secured
a display of minerals and curios
of which any one would be proud.
He is now engaged on the mineral
exhibit from Alturas county, with
headquarters at HALEY.