The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-04-29
MASTODON TUSK AND FEMJR.
imal Dug up Near Clinton,
Oklahoma

Oklahoma City, April 29.-The
finding of a mastodon's tusk and fe-
muir in a sand pit on the Orient rail-
road near Clinton Okla, has excited
considerable interest there, and from
indications of the ancient remains
the find is probably one of the most
important of the kind yet made.
The tusk is six feet long and the
femur three feet and eight inches
long. Both were in a fair state of
preservation, but very soft, and
were affected Immediately when ex-
posed to the air. They were found in
an excavation seventeen feet below
the surface, or what would be the
level of the flood valley of the Wash
tia river. The femur is twenty-four
inches in circumference below the
ball of the joint. No scientist has ex-
amined the find which was made
made Monday, and no expert opinion
has been given, but it is thought to
be the largest specimen of the kind
ever found. Calculating from the size
of the bone the beast must have been
larger than the largest mastodon yet
discovered The first specimen of the
remains of the American mastodon
was found at Newburg, N. Y, in
1S45. The calculation upon its res
toration showed it to have been
eleven feet high and seventeen feet
from the end of the face to the root
of it's tail. Figures based upon the
size of the bones found at Clinton
Monday would no doubt show the an
imal to have been as great or great
er in size than the great elephant
Jumbo, and very much larger than
any remains of an American masto-
don heretofore found on the CONT
nent.
The bones were discovered in fine
sand, and from the character of for
nation and dampness which would
promote disintegration, it is thought
to be Of recent origin, probably only
few hundred years. Most if not
all such remains being found in bog
gy ground, where the animal had
sunk wheG seeking water, is evidence
that the specimen is recent The
spot where the remains were found
is somewhat removed from the pres
ent bed of the Washita river, but it
is the belief of those who examined
the country nearby that the animal
must have sunk in what was then
the channel of the river, as the course
of the river has actually changed in
the memory of people who have liv-
ed along it. 1t is ais possible that the
river must have been a much larger
stream in those days than it is now.
Still another theory is that the mon
ster beast might have laid down on
what was then pairie to die and was
covered up by the ever drifting sands
The western portion of Oklahoma
shows evidence of what must have
been at one time terrible upheaval
in the earth, probably in the glacial
period. For miles and miles north
and south through Woodward and
Roger Mills counties, and for the
most part line clear across the
state north and south, shows that a
glacier must have come down from
the north and lodged. Strata forma-
lions that would bear out the theory
are plain, in the vicinity where the
bones of this mastodon were found
1t Is possible that such all animal
could have been carried down with
the floating mountain and deposited
with the earth at that point.
Excavation for other parts of the
remains will be continued in the hope
that additional evidence may be dis
covered that will reveal the true
nature of the animal whose bones
have laid under the ground SO long.