The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1893-04-12
The WORLDS CHANGES.
Beautiful Valleys Formed From For
mer Desolation.

About forty miles west of Canyon City
and sixty miles from the head of the
John Day valley, the course of that river
turns quite abruptly toward the north
and makes its way through deep and
rugged gorge, which has been cut out
through the mountain ridge by ages of
constant erosion to depth of several
hundred feet. This gorge is the head of
the great canyon of the John Day river,
which continues with few exceptions to
the Columbia river. These exceptions
are but the widening out of the canyon,
and in some places form beautiful BASIN
like valleys, where farms are made, and
which have been made very productive
by the decomposition of the basaltic
rock and by washings from the mount
ain valleys above. These little valleys
extend, at intervals of a few miles, for
about one hundred miles along the
rivers course, and in these are found
the older fossil beds of that region. But
that portion of the river above this can
yon runs through the John Day valley,
fine, fertile region consisting of strip
of land forty miles long and about one
mile wide, to a short distance above
Canyon City, where 1t widens out into
valley twenty miles long and ten in
width. This is known as the upper
valley, and in it is situated Prairie City,
once a very prosperous mining town, on
Dixie creek.
The whole of this upper John Day
region represent the more recent fossil
formation, which has been designated as
the Loup Fork group of this country,
taking this name from being first found
on the Loup Fork of the Niobrara river
in Nebraska, where the same fossils are
found. These beds are most numerous
at the lower end of the valley, where the
river disappears into the great canyon.
The Loup Fork and John Day beds are
separated here by less than a mile. AS
the canyon widens out into basin-like
valley, that part of it below is the one in
which are found the beds containing the
older fossils. One may stand on the
high ridge between the two formations
here and beautiful scene is presented
to view. AT his feet he has the river
tearing through this mighty gorge,
while on one hand is the great cemetery
of the strange inhabitants that once
lived in this river, and on the other lies
another place of sepulcher of the queer
types of a more recent life, but not less
strange. 1t is all open to us there, as
great book, written by the hand of time
and preserved here for US to read.
In this upper or Loup Fork group of
beds are found the remains of animals
more like those of the present age.
During this period herds of camels wan
dered through the plains. Bison are
also found, rhinoceros, elephants, the
roared in the jungles here. I found
the bones of forearm of one of these
which Prof. Marsh told me was larger
than the greatest African lion of today.
Many cats of various species prowled
about; also dogs, and hog of many
species inhabited this pliocine region.
Here is whese is found the little horse,
no larger than sheep. This animal
was like our present horse, save that he
had three toes on each foot, which has
been many times proven by the abun-
dant remains found in various localities.
The first specimen of this animal ever
found in America, was Quarried from
these John Day rocks many years since
by myself and given to Prof. Condor,
then residing in The Dalles. During a
visit of Prof. Hendley, the great evolu-
ZIONIST to this country, he used this
little specimen to illustrate one of his
famous lectures in New York city.
Through an unfortunate circumstance,
Prof. Condor lost this specimen and I
think it is now in the Peabody museum
at Yale college. This specimen con-
sisted of the front part of well pre-
served jaw with the teeth complete; a
queer, and pretty little horse he must
have been, roaming with his mates over
the old pliocine hills and loupging in the
shade of the luxuriant trees, which
grew in this country then, as is well at
tested by the many fine specimens of
them found in the chalk-like beds of
that region. Beautiful impressions of
the leaves are found of maple, willow,
alder, oak, magnolia and many others,
also of rushes and luxuriant ferns.
The animal remains are found here in
soft clay rock, and in the gravel beds
overlying it. On top of this upper layer
of gravel is layer of rock composed of
volcanic ashes of an average thickness
of about 40 feet. This great rim rock of
ashes extends over vast region. In
places one can see large plateaus of it
standing out for miles. On closer in
spection it is found to rest upon these
old gravel beds There can he Iittlo