The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-06-19

M full expedition com
posed OF scientists,
II will 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. ].
u. Todd, state geol0gist of South Da-
kota, and five scientists of the state
university-B. c. Eckert, R. w. Ellis,
P. A. Jordan. B. S. Payne and e. j..
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, Porcupine creek and the
noted fossil ground of Indian draw
they collected more than 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 it's 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-
oeeros and hcg on the other. Skulls
were dug up which measured two and
half feet in length and nearly as
much in breadth. They are saddle
shaped, much like that of the rhinocer-
os, the back of each rising in a prom
inent transverse crest. Fortunately
for prehistoric man, the brontotherium
was almost exclusively a vegetarian.
1t was powerful beast and must have
been a hard fighter Had 1t been car
nivorous 1T would have discouraged
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 1t as the common ancestor of
the wild and domestic hogs. Above
the brontotherium beds Prof. Todd
and the others found plenty of fossils
Of Freedoms and turtles, most Of the
latter Of enormous size, though some
were only few inches in length. Many
skeletons Of the Oreodon, a prehistoric
animal combining the characteristics
Of the hog and deer, were as large as
4 sheep. -Four or FIVE species of ro-
tents and as many of carnivora were
none of the latter being
arger than a dog. The professor
ound complete specimen of that size, |
tut 1t was in very small fragments |
they also discovered incomplete speci-
mems of species of rhinoceros. a cam
j and one Of the ancestors of the horse.
he miohippus which was no bigger
han a Southdown sheep. In the
cup Fork beds, everything the White
liver, they dug up specimens of water
lants and fresh water shells and a
ew of the large bones of the NAM
noth and mtstadon, most of which
gere very much under the weather.
"of the picturesque features of the
Bad Lands, said Prof. Todd to the
ritter, there can scarcely be an ex-
operation in language. Words fail
D convey the continual change of out
mes, both beautiful and grotesuue,
Vhich meet the eye of the traveller as
g passes through this strange region.
very one, as he passes through mile
fter mile of these startling forms"
Ontinued the professor, asks what
Ould have caused this region to be so
ifferent from those which bound it
pom every side. The question is an
wered as follows:
"The country is largely barren. be-
ause the formations are nearly imper-
lOus to water, so that most of the
lrface quickly becomes dry; and al
lough some species have evidently in
srtain seasons succeeded in establish
e themselves upon these barren sur
ices, yet the usually prevailing dry
sss OF the region almost completely /
revents vegetation, except on the low
: mats, where moisture is retained for
longer time"
Speaking Of the enormous fossil beds
ROT. Todd went on: THE thickness ,
these beds is from 800 to 500 feet {
ld they were deposited by the waters I
. vast fresh water lake. A natural 1