The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-02-15
science and Research.
THE QUARTERNARY.

The Quarternary is the Age that saw the
world In Its best development. There were all
the animals living then that live today, besides
many kinds that have become extinct In Quar-
ternary times three kinds of elephants and two
kinds OF bnffalo roamed on the great plains OF
North America The Saber-Toothed Tiger
CMegatheirum) Cave Bear and dozen other
kinds OF fierce beasts were the inhabitants of
the jungles and caves. There were also two
kinds OF elk (the Moss elk and the great Fan
Horn) the former was confined to the shores
OF the great Lakes of the northern country and
became extinct when the Glacial period set in.
The latter lived late enough for early human
inhabitants OF this country to kill them
Flora-The vegetation was about the same in
Quarternary times as 1t is today All the hard
woods existed, but flowers were not so profuse.
rhe Mammoth, and man, came In just about
the same time-the Mammoth little earlier
probably. 1t was an inhabitant of the north
man OF the south. The Mammoth OF course
lived far enough south for the northern men to
know him. They, as 1t were, overleaped each
others zones. have seen drawings of Nam
moths made by contemporaneous man, on fiat
stones. no further away than the banks OF
snake river. But mans natural enemy in the
Quarternary was the Saber-Toothed Tiger 1t
existed and commended with the first men for
the right to lnhabit the caves There are few
remains OF the Cave Bear in this western
country, but In the east there may be found
many specimens of their bones. The Mastodon
was the largest of all the elephants. 1 would
hesitate TO make any assured statement as to
their size, for have never seen very many of
their bones, but Of the few have SEEN / must
say they are the largest animals bones 1 ever
saw Mammoth's leg bone is nearly two
thirds smaller then q Mastodon's, and old
Jumbo the great modern wonder would be a
calf besides a Mammoth.
The first appearance OF man is here in the
Quarternary, but it is such vague insufficient
evidence that many scientists refuse it alto
gether, and deny the existence OF pre- historic
man.
The Glacial period oil over the northern
country from latitude 50 degrees northward;
there may be found over hill and valley, some
times for many miles in extent and sometimes
only little spots, peculiar heterogeneous de-
post. 1t is made up wholly OF fragments OF
rocks that are alien to the country. and again,
they are unstratnfied except locally. They are
all subangluar rocks OF all sizes mixed with
clay, showing plainly that they were never de-
posted In the usual way. They have the an
pearance OF having been shifted and carried
bodily to the place OF deposit. which has really
been the case. This deposit is known to geolo-
glsts as drift, " and these stones were left bv
the DRIFT Ice OF the Glacial period. Sometimes
TINS drift Is only 20 to 80 feet deep. while again
nave seen 1t where it was not less then 400 IT,
deep making great ridges and plataus. The
bedrock under this drift will be found to be al
ways secured, and marked in trenches and cuts
made by the moving ice. OF course, as the
water froze at the northern end OF the glacier.
stones and boulders were frozen In the ice also
ana ut once began their journey southwark with
the moving Ice. When they had travelled far
enough south for the suns rays and the warm
atmosphere to melt the ice. The ice was melt
ed ana the rocks were dropped. Thus at the
southern extremity OF the glaceiar there was a
wall Oh TINS mixture, OF stones OF all Sizes with |
immense Doulders, and the finest pulverized
clay all mixed together In widest confusion. as |
the glaciers receded. At the end OF the Clacei. |
al period they dropped their debris along the |
pain OF their retreat, and today we can find |
THESE old giaceial tracks and trace them from |
beginning to end. great popularity of these |
horains' is tine fact that the stones composing |
them are wholly different from the surrounding |
country rock and some of the larger boulders |
nave peen taken as special study by u few
prieht scientists. and by much patience and |
work, these men have succeeded in tracing
them to the parent ledge. One taken in south. |
ern Michigan. was found to hive been carried a
Instance of s27 miles by actual measurement II
having come from point on the shore of Lake
Michigan, north of Sagaway inlet. showing thai
the trend OF the drift was southwest. Yet in
idaho all the morains are local. except those
along the extreme northern portion. and they
"ere apt 70 De pointed in any direction. most
Always being formed in mountainous districts
and as general rule, on the northern side ~
the mountains; they drifted or slid downward
and OF course toward the north.
There has been many theories advanced as To
the cause of the Glaeeial period. the most urac.
ueai one of which was advanced by the master
ia'na o. Darwin His theory was, that the