The Sumpter miner. [volume] (Sumpter, Or.) 1899-1905, 1901-07-17
JOHN DAY FOSSILS.
Scientists Now Exploring
These Deposits.

sity Of California, was IN Portland yes
terday on his way to the John Day val
ley, where he will spend the next six
weeks hunting for fossils in the famous
rattlcsnakc beds Of that district. lie
will bc accompanied by Professor r. II.
knowlton, of the United States gcologi.
cal survey, who expects TO meet him ut
The Dallcs tomorrow.
This is Professor Knowltons first trip
TO the John Day country, but DR.. Mer.
ram has visited il twice before. This
year the expedition was organized by
Professor Knowlton, who il interested in
collecting the leaves Of fossil plants, IN
which line Of work he IL an EXPERT.
Many species Of the soquola are To be
found there, not the gigantic, but related
species; together with hemlock leaves
and extinct ferns, all Of which are in the
tertiary formation. Last year fossil
flower was discovered, which was rare
treasure indeed.
DIR. Merriam expects to find early
forms Of the horse and mastodon, also
species Of the deer and camel, which,
stanpcly enough used TO range over the
hills Of eastern Oregon, together with
elephants, gigantic cattle, compared
with which our Texas steers would seem
quite diminutivc, and great sloth,
grotesquc creature entirely different
from any beast now living.
Last Summer DIR. Merriam was fortu-
nate enough 10 discover the finest fossil
Of the extinct horse that il known. This
IL thrce-toed. In constantly standing
or running on the longest or middle
toes, this ancient horse, which was in
size only as large ~ n sheep, obtained
from his limbs the highest possible de-
gree Of elasticity and speed, and at the
same time lost the use Of the side digits,
developing the one-toed type of foot
which We find in his living relatives.
This ut least il Dr. Mcrriam's theory.
The giants Of the John Day beds are
the huge clothcres, which are related to
the living hog, and rank among the
largest known mammals. The Univer-
sity Of California has specimen, found
ut Bridge creek, the skull Of which
measures 10 inches in length, and this is
by no means 80 large as other clotheres
that once roamed over the John day val
lev. These must have attained length
of over 10 feet and height of six or
seven feet. II seems odd that these
Mioccnc boars should have disappeared
entirely from the face oi the earth, with
on, leaving any direct descendants. when
they were 20 well able to defend them
selves in the struggle for existence.
DR.. Merriam has given the name "Pic- |
,urc Gorge" To great canyon, the most |
magnificent Of all those that are to be !
found in the valley. II is below DAY.
Vile, and in the mouth Of the canyon |
are peculiar paintings on the face of the
bcsaltic rock, the work Of an unknown
tribe. These pictures are in red against |
n black background oi rock, and repre-
sent men, strange forms of animals never
seen before by living man. Tha, one
which most impressed Dr.. Merriam was
a queer beast that looked like u salaman-
der, with plainly marked hammer ON
the end Of its tail. Another one seemed
to be an odd combination Of the para
graph sign and the dollar mark sign.
Putnam, the great anthropolo.
,ist, who, in addition To holding u chair
II Harvard, is curator Of the American
museum Of New York, saw some OF these
pictures in DIR. Merriam's office ut
and was greatly interested in
hem. No description of them has ever