Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-05-15
VALUE TO SCIENCE.
The Head of Prehistoric Mon
Ster Discovered.
is FOUND EMBEDDED IN BlTUMEN.
Discovery In the Asphalt Mines Deep
Down In the Bowels of
the Earth.

about four weeks ago in the asphaltum
mines in Kern county, when miners
working 30 feet below the surface ex-
cavated the skull of prehistoric mon-
ster.
The bones were imbedded in the as
phaltum deposit, and in close proxim-
ity were pieces of wood in fair state
of preservation, though hardened and
blackened like Irish bogwood of forests
belonging to a far-away geological
period. Fossils in the bowels of the
earth are nothing uncommon, but this
jawbone, or skull, is more than fossil,
which fact gives it peculiar signifi-
cance in the study of geology and
natural history. There are several
teeth in the jawbone that still have
coating of enamel, which proves that
aons of ages ago beasts moving amid
the desolation of-earth had teeth differ
ing none either in texture or for from
animals of the present age. The
enamel is we'll preserved in color and
substance. though inside it the dentine
is changed to asphaltum.
The skull is not perfect, as parts of it
had either turned into the black sub
stance itself or rotted away, although
there remains enough to show that 1t
was longer than horse's head and
shaped like that of moose. The teeth
are longer than those found in
horse, being about three or four inches
long and a inches wide. and they are
arranged in long rows, showing that the
extinct creature had mouth built for
heavy business. From the forehead
massive horn protrudes like the spike
OF rhinoceros, but Of different shape,
being flat and resembling the broad
portion of the moose deer's horns. 1t
gives the head formidable aspect.
Now it is merely asphaltum that indi-
Gates the bone fiber.
AS a scientific discovery the import
ance of these fossiliferous fragments
can be appreciated when it is known
that scientists differ regarding the
origin of asphaltum. Some of the
most eminent geologists have satisfac-
torily reached the conclusion by induc-
tive processes that it is a mineral
formed by certain chemical action,
while others. whose standing entities
their opinions to quite as much respect.
claim it is vegetable substance, or 1T
least organic. and probably was animal
matter similar to what can now be
found at the bottom of the ocean.
The fragments are now packed ready
to be sent to the University of Califor-
mia, where they will be classified if
possible and preserved as some of the
most interesting specimens in the Ber.
kelley museum of natural history. The
fragments of brambles embedded in
asphalt will also be forwarded, and no
doubt there will not be much difficulty
in determining its species. The dis
coyery and preservation of those ex-
ceedingly valuable specimens are main
ly due to Bernard Bienenfeld, civil
engineer connected with the mines at
Asphalto, who studied at the univer-
sity.
1t deals with the mysterious, said
he, while describing some of these
wonders Of study in the almost scien-
tifically unknown region of Asphalto.
lit brings us to think of what might
have been. The mysterious study
opens up a new world to our view.'
And is it really so wonderful'''
well, who can explain it all?
Asphaltum is supposed to be of animal
origin, or of vegetable origin. The
presumption favors the theory that it
is from the animal matter of infusoria.
'And here-see for yourself-we
have well-preserved head of an ami
NAL hewn out of the asphaltum deposit
100 feet down in the earth. | would
not wish to set up an opinion or draw
an inference from this fact, but it does
impress me strongly that this head was
part of the animal remains that formed
asphaltum. Possibly it was millions
of years ago-who knows? Who can
count the geological periods in years ?
limo is lost in it. And, think of it,
here are teeth with the gray enamel
still firm, still smooth and shiny, in
the asphalt.
He unpacked the fossils with extreme
care lest pieces of the friable stuff
might crumble off at his touch. Re-
member. strictly speaking, they are
more than fossils, for the teeth are en-
ameled, and-fancy the sensation of
handling portions of creature that
moved and had its being countless ages
before this world was ready for man!
One package contained piece of jaw
bone showing the teeth on the outer
side. another showed sections of teeth
and the bone in which they were en-
bedded, with mere shelllike covers fol
asphalt that once was dentine. A
tooth curved like segment of circle,
fully inches long and inches by l a
inches in section, weighed nearly 9
pound. The horn is horrible thing
to look at. 1t measures about 6 inches
/ O