Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-05

and fresh from the kiln-so much so, in
fact, that one is almost inclined to doubt
that they are centuries, perhaps thousands
of years, old. The cause of this new ap-
pearance is due to the wonderfully dry
soil and climate of Arizona, where any
thing buried under the soil 1000 years ago,
1t is declared, Will appear to be as fresh
when disinterred it was on the day it
was made.
The stone axes are, for the most part
of block basalt, although there Is one ex-
ceedingly curious ceremonial ak, made Of
very fine grained, fair, white limestone
that, in texture, almost resembles Carrara
marble.
Conditions in Puget Sound Country.
Mr. F. v. Coville, botanist of the Depart
ment of Agriculture, has just arrived from
the Puget Sound region Of the Pacific coast,
where he spent several months investigat-
ing the agricultural features of that re-
gion. Speaking of his trip he stated that
the people of Oregon and Washington are
enjoying an era of unparalleled prosperity,
by reason of the fact that they are finding
a market for all that the region can pro-
duce in the Philippines, Guam, China,
Japan, Hawaii and Alaska. Ten years ago
this section was in the dumps over hard
times and lack of market facilities, but the
rush of gold seekers to Alaska, and the
opening of Uncle Sans empire in the east
has changed all this.
The race question. Mr.. Coville states,
which proves a thorn in the flesh of so
many other states cuts figure in the
Puget Sound section. Thousands of In
dians,. from as far north as Alaska, come
there every fall to harvest the hop, apple
and potato crops.
Mr. Coville also states that the Japanese
are fiockng into this section, where every
one is welcomed, the question there being,
"Do you want to go to work p, -,: -
Mr.. fCoville also says the. shortage in the
eastern potato and apple yields has give
the Puget Sound farmers a chance this
year to send a large part of their product
of this section is reaching Boston and New
York in competition with northern white
and southern yellow pine.
The public grazing lands of the section,
Mr. Coville says, are being overgrazed to
such an extent that they are producing just
one-half Of the beef and mutton that they
are capable of producing under careful and
judicious grazing. This he regards a
drawback to the prosperity there.
Two Pairs of AntIers.
Mr.. G. S. Miller, curator of mammals,
National Museum has received number of
small, though highly interesting. specimens
during the past few days-among others
two pairs Of moose antlers from Alaska,
the largest ever given the museum Quite
a large display of skulls and skins, for the
most part of rare and interesting varieties
of monkeys, has been received from DR..
W. l.. Abbott, now in the Mergui archipel-
ago, in the Indian ocean. Another collec-
ton was received yesterday of skins and
stuffed specimens of all the mammals in
digenous to the state of Colorado.
The most interesting object received
lately by Mr.. Miller came in yesterday in
the shape of stuffed and mounted ocelot
from gentleman in London, England who
uador South America.
The peculiar feature of this animal is
that it is marked differently from any Of
the species of ocelot known to science The
ocelot is an animal of the cat family, rang
ing from Texas to Cape Horn, and embrac-
ing eight or ten varieties, all of them beau
tifully marked with spots, stripes and, in
one species, large patches of pur-
pie black color. The skin mentioned, how
ever, bears both stripes and spots. and in
the opinion of DR.. Miller and his assist
ants, is in all probability new species.
Some time ago a New York paper printed
a story to the effect that the National Mu-
scum was anxious to secure Geronimo"
the last of the once famous race Of long
horned Texas cattle, the institution being
without specimens of this now almost ex-
tinct race. In this connection 1t may be
stated that just over the entrance to DR..
Miler's room is a magnificent head of one
of the old-time Texas steers the horns
OF which, though not quite long as those
of Geronimo being nearer the ideal of
the Texas steer of 1860, by reason of their
urdulating and spiral form from root to
tip
Collection of Fossils.
Mention was made in The Star Wednesday
of work having been started on the Marsh
collection of fossils found in the tertiary
beds of Nebraska; mentioning DR.. Lucas
work on the skull OF fossil horse larger
than that of the largest known variety of
prehistoric American horses; the 'Equus
Scottii" Since then Prof Lucas has con-
tinued the restoration of this horse, and
has found that whilet the head Is larger
than that of the largest Percheron horse
OF today, the legs are six inches shorter
than those Of modern animal of its kind
of average size.
In view of these facts DIR. Lucas con-
cludes that this aninalswas more like an
ass, or a zebra, than horse, having short
legs and body, with q large, bulky head and
long muZzle.
MI. Alban Stewart. assistant to D,
Lucas, is expected to return in few Gays
from leave Of absence When he does he
will begin, at once the work of setting up
the two hind limbs of the enormous ''Tri-
ceratops," the skull of which Is on ex-
hibit in the museum and which was one
OF the largest beings that ever inhabited
America during cretacious times, when
the plains Of the west were a series OF
lakes and marshes.
Dr. L. O. Howard, chief entomologist of
the Department of Agriculture, will return
October n from protracted tour CT CALI
fornia, Oregon Washington, Idaho Mex
leo and Texas, bringing with him fine coll
lection of rare insects.
The Easy Life.
From the Detroit Free Press.
ssTT -.