The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-09-17
MAMMOTH REMAINS.
Reported Fi.ding Of a skull Of Gresl
sise In san hateo Ceuafy,
California.

The evidences of life belonging "a
the preglaeial age are rare in CaIifor.
MIA; still specimen has been discoy.
cred near the coast in San Mateo eoun.
y, If the statement contained in a
Halfmoon bay dispatch may be relied
upon A well-preserved skull of the
mammoth is said to have been recently
taken out Of the bed Of Pilarcifos creek
BY some boys who were employed in
hauling sand at point about a mile
east OF Halfmoon bay. The skull is
reported 10 be about five feet in length
and portions Of the tusks a foot long
are attached to il and are six inches
in diameter at the junction With the
bone. These extend into the cerebral
cavity. Bones Of the mammoth were
also found in the neighborhood some
years ago.
The discovery Of these remains, says
the San Francisco Chronicle, is no
proof that the mammoth ever wan
dered al large during life in these parts.
The evidences are, Of course. indisput-
able that great herds Of these preQla-
eial beasts pastured in the valley OF the
Yukon and on the shores Of Siberia
and the Behring sea. During some vio-
lent convulsion Of nature great ice
sheets enveloped the far north. and
many of their carcasses have been
preserved therein up to the present
time, hides, hair, fiesh, bones and tusks
being found in perfect condition. Mines
OF mammoth ivory we're profitably
worked In Alaska long before the terri
tory became field for the search OF
gold. These mammoth remains hava
been discovered in the players of the
klondike and at other points In the
frozen banks OF the Yukon and its trib- |
ntaries. There would be nothing inn /
probable In the assumption that tho
mammoth remains now unearthed nm
Pilarcitos creek near the shores ~ |
Halfmoon bay had been deposited Al
The point where found by stranded ice
Toe brought down from the far north
II some remote period by the ocean
'urrent which sweeps down the west
rn coast Of the continent,
The only evidences of the mammotb
lie which once inhabited the earth
ound anywhere in the vicinity were
he footprints of the mammoth slotb
which were uncovered In the Carson
Ney.) sandstone quarries, Wyoming
the most fertile field on this contI-
ent, outside Of Alaska, for the fossil
emains OF the gigantic animals which
xlsted here in past geological ages.
he University of Wyoming has Sc
ured from the sandstones of that
tate the largest and most perfect and
omplete collection Of these fossils in
4.
y any OF these gigantic animals ever
al their habitat Ia California. the
langes which ice and flood and. other
sencies have since produced have
Tept away all traces of them. The !
aiaveras skull Of prehistoric man
men Bret Harte immortalized in verse
'longs to the world OF fiction. not OF n
ct Even though we are short on
SSH remains, it might not require
uch straining of the Imagination TO S
sume that the diminutive horned =
ad OF the southern counties is the :,
generate descendant of the horned II
nosaur, which ranged from 12 TO 15 :
ct in length and whose fossil remains \
I'VE been excayated from the plains
Laramie, or that the nimble lizard
una everywhere in the state is tbe
rect descendant Of the gigantic
lrians of the reptilian age.