The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-10-19
RARE Discoveries.
They We're Made by the
Princeton Pa1eonto1ogi-
cal Expedition.
speetal TO the JERSEY c,tS Ns,c..

PRINCETON, Oct. 1Sy 1S93.-Last spring
an expedition was sent out by Princeton
College to delve among this sands aud
rocks of Nebraska. Wyoming mi South
Dakota in search of archaeological speci-
mems Of vertebrate life, having in view
the gathering OF weirdly. named bones
which should mutely assist in telling
when 1t was the continents, of Asia q
America were joined together up Bshr-
ing sea wav and what the attractions OF
climate and soil were that Induced herds
OF three toed horses aud other animals to
cross from continent to continent. Inct~
dentally the expedition, it was hoped.
would bring back specimens which.
mounted in Priuceton's museum, where
the Continental Congress one sat, might
offer a stronger counter attraction than
now exists to The delights OF football.
The expedition was successful beyond
the widest drea ms OF It's promoters, and
noticeablyso because 1t found aud brought
back the only complete skeleton OF the
mesohippus, a genus of very small horse.
which owes its r~eintreduction into this
polite and learned world to the discov-
cries origlna ally made by Professor Marsh
in 1875. AT that time, Professor Marsh,
acting under the direction Of the United
States Geological Survey, which has a
department OF pal. outology, found
specimens winch proved 20 belong
to h family Equldee, aud
specifically, TO. horse with three
functional digIts'a which Is the way
lar horse had three toes. all tu use.
Enough bad been previously known
about the early horse to warranE the
supposition that II he could only be
traced back far enough in an un broken
chain it would be found that the rudi-
k>.n 1EsiI 49, L--caf.
foot were "once functional" used In
lecomotion.
the whole archaeological world nearly
died of Joy when Professor Marsh made
his most exciting discovery, which was
based on the shape of the tail, or eve
sock cts, Or something equally remote
from the toes, In the specimen discovered.
All that was wanted To complete the
happiness OF the old bones enthusiasts
was q complete specimen. and, Is has
been said, the Princeton men VINO wen
OF into the West Co find 1t. found 1t.
THE EXPEDITION.
The expedition was In charge OF Prof.
W. b. Scott, assisted by Profs. ). B.
Hatcher end William Libby. 1t was
constituted otherwise by twelve Prince
ton students. two drivers, Que cook, ten
drauRht horses and sixteen saddle bol ses.
The Bad Lands were entered from the
Northern Pacific Railroad station. Hers
mosa. in South Dakota. There the exps-
dition was fitted out with camp supplies
aud moved ~tLirty-hye miles with two,
four-horse ard two two-horse wagons
and sixteen saddle horses. In that part
of the country the expedition made three
| camps within a radius of twelve miles,
and one OF them was within half a mile
of the camping grounds of the Pine
Ridge Indians, who made the ghost
dance SO well known in 1890.
] Tha Indians loakaj 11n0n tho aYpafi.
tion as merely another evidence of the
all round insanity of the pale faces. but
were at times condescending enough TO
admire the banjo playing IN camp. and
distiuc,l y approved OF the Princeton
College yell, ubon which they based their
expressed hope FOR the final regeneration
of New Jersey. at leasr, If not OF the
entiie white mans country.
From their cafnp the college boys took
ia stage Journey into the Yellowstone
Park, making the entire trip In twelve
days. Besides the South Dakota camp,
the expedition eamped near Running
| Water, Nebraska, and Lance Greek,
| Wyoming, where the sport was excellent,
both for those who hunted antelope and
those who hunted prehistoric bones.
PREPARING THE SPECIMENS.
The specimens are now being unpacked
in the basement rooms Of the college
museums, where skilltul workmen are
pioPdEAuk tAVm " AAouuVlAk anu cAuk-
bitiop.
With the present force at work in the
museum, it will take at least two years
to prepare. mount aud describe the
material collected. Among the material,
besides the treasured complete skeleton
of the mesohippus. which. by the way,
shows that horse to have been uot
larger than a sheep, there ara skulls.
teeth and many bones of q large number
of mammals, fishes and reptiles,
including the skull and bones of q titano-
therium and many shells and plants
which are new discoveries. Fossils
were obtained which biologists have
thought did not exist In this period Of
the worlds developuhent. Il has always
been a debatable question among geolo-
ogists in what age the Loup Fork bsds
should be placed, mauy contendiug that
a non-conformity was impossible between
the Pliocene and the Loup Fork beds.
Extensive engineering was also carried
on, determining that south of Hay
Springs, Nebraska, the Plioceue dipped
on the Loup Fork beds. making a nom
conformity by erosion, Professor Libbey
photographed the exposed portions Of
the dip.
The student members Of the expedi-
tion, chosen by competitive examinations,
we-e:-'93. W. |. Barkley. George Klots
and W. q. Stearns; 1914, James e. Bath
gate, Jr, W. q. Elmer. James H. Zen
| yon. Johu A. Murray. NJ. II. Sicard, H.
f. Smith, George r. Swain. James l..
Whitaker and J.J, VauSyltet.
~ nm nEI