The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-10-23

posed of scientists,
ii win be recog-
nized as place where prehistoric ma
ture lies disclosed and where wonders
Of the past are associated with the pic
turesqueness Of the present. These
important finds are the result of a
carefully planned geological exploration
Of the Band Lands" made by Prof. ].
p. Todd, state geologist of South Da-
kota, and five scientists of the state
untyersity-E. G. Eckert, r. w. Ellis,
P. A. Jordan, B. s. Payne and e. ].
Wallace. These explorers followed the
valleys of the White, Cheyenne and Bad
rivers, crossed their divides and COW
cred the famous trail between the
Black hills and Chamberlain. From
Rose Bud, Poreupine creek and the
noted fossil ground of Indian draw
they collected more than a ton of many
rare and several new specimens, which
they shipped from Hermosa to Vermil-
lion. First and foremost. that much
discussed animal, the great American
hog, has been found at last. For Prof
Todd and his associates unearthed it's
remains in the fossil beds of the bad
Lands" 1t bears in general outline
resemblance to its descendant COM
mon to this country. There the resem-
blance ceases, for it is almost as large
as a medium sized elephant and is
armed with two horns. several inches
in length, one on each side Of it's long,
flexible nose. Scientists recognize this
interesting brute as the brontotherium,
a compromise between the elephant
and the tapir on one side and the rhin-
oceros and hog on the other. Skulls
were dug up which measured two and
half feet in length and nearly as
much in breadth. They are saddle
chapel, much like that of the rhinocer-
os, the back of each rising in prom
inent transverse crest. Fortunately
for prehistoric man, the brontotherium
was almost exclusively a vegetarian.
1t was powerful beast and must have
been hard fighter Had it been car
niVorous it would have discouraged
immigration and interfered largely
with the census. 1t abounded in the
White river region, and was a very
quick breeder, The scientists say it's
habits were mostly those of the rhin-
oceros Of today, but they unite in clas-
styling it as the common ancestor of
the wild and domestic hogs. Above
the brontotherium beds Prof Todd
and the others found plenty of fossils
of oreodons and turtles, most of the
latter of enormous size, though some
were only few inches in length. Many
skeletons Of the oreodon, prehistoric
animal combining the characteristics
of the hog and deer, were as large as
a sheep. Four or five species of ro-
dents and as many of carnivora were
unearthed, none of the latter being
larger than dog. The professor
found complete specimen of that size,
but it was in very small fragments.
They also discovered incomplete speci-
mems of a species Of rhinoceros, a cam
ell and one of the ancestors of the horse,
the miohippus which was no bigger
than a Southdown sheep. In the
Loup Fork beds, everything the White
river, they dug up specimens of water
plants and fresh water shells and a
few Of the large bones of the NAM
moth and mtstadon, most of which
were very much under the weather.
"Of the picturesque features of the
Bad Lands, said Prof. Todd to the
writer, there can scarcely be an ex-
aggeration in language. Words fail
~ onnuoyT fJ,a oan4fu,,oI ~ -
lines, both beautiful and grotesque.
which meet the eye of the traveller as
he passes through this strange region.
Every one, as he passes through mile
after mile of these startling FORMS"
continued the professor, asks what
could have caused this region to be so
different from those which bound it
upon every side. The question is an
swered as follows:
"The country is largely barren, be-
cause the formations are nearly imper-
vious to water, so that most of the
surface quickly becomes dry; and al
though some species have evidently in
certain seasons succeeded in establish
ing themselves upon these barren sur
faces, yet the usually prevailing dry
ness Of the region almost completely
prevents vegetation, except on the low
er fats. where moisture is retained for
a longer time"
Speaking of the enormous fossil beds
Prof Todd went on: THE thickness
of these beds is from 300 to 300 feet,
and they were deposited by the waters
Of vast f"@9h water lake. A natural