The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1892-07-28

feet nine inches high at The shoulders
and six feet five inches at the rump or
hips, while the head Is exactly three
feet four inches in length, with low,
fiat mngwumpian slsuil and powerful
jaws
The single tusk is three feet long, and
at its union with the plate of the skull
six inches in diameter, thu diameter at3
the tip being about five inches, The
tip, instead of being pointed, as is usual
with cogniculatc animals, IL blunt and
also hollow, forming tube or cylinder
and suggesting q choke-bore gun. The
inner surfaceishows in places marks Of
erosion effc9ted by repeated and forcible
contact with some finty substance, the
ivory being Worn in parallel grooves 10
the depth of a full qpartef inch PROT
Waskish isof tho opinion shat the horn
or tusk was employed in the killing OF
the. animals preys though not in the
way of thrusting Or itnpaling The object
pf attaciG ma herc'cones his plausible
theery,which, if sustained, contributes.
to zoofogics hitherto
suspected fact, at once astounding and
interesting the fact that there once
existed genus of aniuals whose in
stinct and physical makeup led them
TO anticipate in crude way the modern
practice among mankind of using ex-
plosives or compressed air for hurling
projectiles.
This tuslS, he contends, was employed
for firing projectiles through the air.
He says that the animal had proboscis
with which to gather stones of suitable
size and to place them in the hollow of
his natural tube; that there was an ex-
terror opening t'the base of the tusk
for the admittance of air, and that the
creature possessed sufficient lung power
for the expulsion of air to propel the
projectiie through the tube with enough
force and to such distance as to easily
overcome and kill his prey. In facthe
was a. dead shot. The professor be-
lieves, moreover, the dinotherium shows
fighting family, three of his ribs hav-
ing been broken at some time and
afterwards reunited by nature. The
~tibla Cbone of the right forcleg) had
also been fractured and, like the ribs,
repaired by natural forces.
as before mentioned the tusk
shows but little wear. The Skeleton
head is perfect, except that two teeth
are missing. The size and formation Of
the leg bones show that the animal was
one of great strength and agility and
capable Of rapid motion. Whether or
not the toes were armed with claws he
doubts, but inclines to the belief that
they were. 1t is also said that the
creatures skin was very similar in text
ure to that of the rhinocerous, but as to
that, of course, we have no means Of
positive demonstration.
This discovery has thus far been kept
from the general knowledge of those in
this vicinity for good and sufficient rea-
sons, one being the desire to first clear
away all possible doubt of the genuine
ness and significance of this almost un-
precedcnted discovery, This is now ac-
complished. No other specimen of this
genus is to be found in any public or
private collection throughout the world,
though Prof. Waskish states that doubt.
less other similar relics of this testimony
from the tertiary period lie buried in
Minnesota under the geological drift
mentioned, especially between Browns
creek and Comedian lake. Tempting
offers have recently been made the 50.
ciety to allow the placing of the skefe-
ton on public and miscellaneous exhibi.
ton, but have thus far been declined,-
st. Paul Globe.