The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-11-01
RARE FOSSILS.
Kansas Beds Are Enriching
Museums of the World.
Collection Of MarYels Sent From
Lawrence to Germany.
WONDERFUL CRINOIDS
Give Evidence That Kansas was
Once 8 Sea Shore.
Some Leaves That Are Only
100000 Years Old.
WONDERFUL CRINOIDS

Lawrence Kan. Nov several
boxes Of Archaeological specimens
have been shipped from Lawrence TO
Frankfort. Germany to be placed III
one of the great German museums
The specimens were found and pre-
pared by Chas. H. Sternberg, of Law
renee. who is recognized as one Of the
greatest collectors of specimens IN the
United states.
Mr.. Sternberg has spent his life as
a collector and his work has added
wonderfully to the sum Of human
knowledge Nearly all Of the great
museums of the world contain some OF
his work only a small part OF Whlcn
rem6ins with the State university Oh
Kansas.
The story published a few years ago
in regard to the prehistoric bunalo IN
Kansas reached back probably 2u,VVV
years, but these specimens collected by
Mr.. Sternberg o Z supposed TO run
back 100000 years to time when
animal and vegetable life could hardly
be distinguished one from the other
The buffalo was not scheduled 10 ar
rive until millions of years later and
the ancestors of the Lansing man were
wriggling their way through ooze IN
der the glare Of red hot sun.
At that time western Kansas. which
is now about 1000 feet above sea lev
ell was experiencing the ebb and flow
of tides each day The animal life
which filled the waters OF the sea be
came buried I'm the mud by the tides
and in the ages which have followed
have become petrided- which makes it
possible for us to see them today.
The crinOids. the remains of which
are on their way TO Germany, resem-
bic the octopus The body was from
two to three inches in diameter and
from the top there were ten arms.
some of them three feet in length, and
from these arms were a multitude of
little hlaments which Churned the
water when the animal was feeding,
causing the food to descend into the
mouth below.
Trees similar to the ones We have
now grew upon the shore and the
leaves falling upon the earth were
covered with the soft mud of old ocean.
So softly the mud gathered around
them as the tide came in that not a
leaf was cracked nor Wrinkled. Ages
passed and the mud became stone.
These stones now lie 1000 feet above
the sea on the plains of central Kan
sas, and when carefully broken apart
by the collector reveal the exact and
beautiful imprint of the leaf which
gave color to the earth millions Of years
ago.
Mr.. sternberg has gathered more
~tA1AA otlOo u THESE 4OHSll leaves. w n6n
the late Leo Lesquereux Of Columbus
o.. classified 400 OF these leaves. over
half Of his collection was credited to
AR. Sterberg.
The gathering Of the leaves is easy
work compared to saving the crinoids
The deposit Of the latter is only about
one-sixteenth of an inch In thickness
and before it could be saved it was
necessary for Mr.. Sternberg to build it
UP with three inches OF plaster He
saved two slabs each containing about
16 square feet and in them there is
preserved 20 perfect specimens.
There are hundreds Of other interest
ing remains which come into the hands
of Mr.. Sternberg and among them are
the remains Of the gigantic elephant.
the largest that ever lived. which occu-
pied the temperate portions Of the
country al the time the mammoths