Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-26
IS AMERICA AN OLD COUNTRY?
Scientists Reckon from a Fossil Klon-
alike skull that Asia IL Junior
- Continent.

81 from the discovery In the valley of the
Yukon OF the giant skull OF broad-faced
Ok, known to science as "Bos Latifrons.
the eeologtsts- and others versed In. the
mystic lore of the time when this old
earth was In its baby days, read the start
ling fact that the western hemisphere
should be termed the "old country" and that
Mother Asia after all is much the junior
OF the American continent. E. s. Strait of
Dawson has sent the skull Of the pre-
historic monster TO the Alaska club of Be-
attic, Wash, where Secretary Shefneld
proudly shows 1t to all Corners as one Of
the treasures Of the club,
: The skull Of the great creature was dug
out OF q gold mine on one of the creeks
entering the Rlondike near Dawson. From
tIii to tip the horns measure thlrty-sx
inches, The skull is supposed to have been
pushed about together with rock and gold
nuggets By the action OF the glaciers of the
pa5t. Scientists claim that the Bos Lati-
SfronA Ii the precursor Of the great Amer
/. taan buffalo They also state that there
u reason 20 believe that the western half
/ OF the werld know nothing whatever Of the
horse and camel and that these were
products Of O later age and long following
! che tIme when humanity and animal life
threYe on this continent
Prof, u, 4, Meany Of the University OF
Washington examined the skull with great
Interest, He said regarding iti
''The fossil skull cent to the Alaska club
by u, 8, Strait 10 undoubtedly specimen
ar tile broad. faced OK. A few years ago a
similar specimen was found underground
on claim ~ above, on Bonanza creek, near
Dawson, aud was presented to the uni
veFslly Of washington by Judge Arthur
y, drifiia OF Seattle.
"9hs bame creature formed part OF the
life In Oregon during past geologic ages.
1.-THE greatest authority on such things in
this region is the venerable Thomas Con-
don, professor OF geology at the University
% Oregon. In his valuable book called
"Phe T'we Islands Is found this paragraph
aheat Hos Iatisrons,
"Trhe precursor Of the bufralo In Ore
keA was thls broad-fRced OF HIS horns
s We're longer and stouter and his bony
forehead was wider than that of the buff
ft,io, measurinE nineteen inches across the
llAe Of che eyes Ills skull was not only
very wide, but unusually thick. being two
and half inches in mid forehead
= nrAe book contains the picture of skull
tl,At was found i've or six miles east og
Che pailss, ore.
"fsiBswhare IN the book Prof. Condor
Eec hlth OF the proDapie age VI TINS creature
a. fellows,
"'The fsld intended by the term surface
beds includes all slight depressons Of the
surface producing ponds with sediment
enough 10 preserve bones and teeth washed
into them. and also swumps and boys into
which large mammals often sink 10 their
death, leaving their bones to such preserv-
inH agencies as might occur there. And In
asnauch as the latest great surface-leveling
agenoy Of the north temperate zone was
that Of the glacial ice. most OF these surface
dspressions would date from glacial times,
and would, therefore. be properly dssig-
mated as Fleistoeene. Furthermore, up 10
the glacial period the horse and the camel
were abundant here. and the question OF
their continuance IN Oregon through glacial
times Ia stili In doubt. so that our group
OF surface sediments must provide the set
ctllng testimony on this question.
.'fff the hogs. swamps aud minor sur
kfnon ,depressions furnish no horse or camel
honee' then must II be accepted that the
<Iaclai cold drove these manuals away or
Ioslroyed them. II Is plain that the man,
<1clh elephant got him q coat OF fur and
Ifl<1 through the cold spell OF the times.
<11 fosails OF this group of surface beds.
&II1 - ihs mastodon. the mammoth. the
|'.|<-f1cod OK and inyloden. though deeply
I.t7t4tlns. bring added historical attrae-