The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-05
liz as four elephants.


and his fortune to their preservation.
When he had died he had left them
to the National Museum, with an in
spirational foresight which told him
.hat thus would the door of knowledge
ne mad found I've best left ajar to the
generations to come.
Rediscovcrcd Scientific Wealth.
Ibe man ded While his secret was
stiil held in stone. Last year the Ma.
tionai Museum found itself the posses.
sof oil a new building of magnificent
proportions. 1t had an opportunity ia
spread out and take stock of the ma.
,erl"i that 1t has been accommodating
since the nation began in lust the
way 1t had been bequeathed these
specimens. There are acres of base
ments about Washington filed with
such material, and in many cases lit.
tie record kept OF the source or ya1ua
or IT. In its investigation of its re.
sources the National Museum pulled
me iids off of some of those boxes OF
stone and began a study OF their con.
tents. SO far ii but partially know
OF their value, but already il is sur.
that such fossil wealth as 1t possesses
are as Ell Doraoos and klondikes tn
the scientific student. There are such
pay streaks as it will take another
generation 10 work out. &.
Professor O. c. Marsh is the man
responsible tor the existence of the
present collection. Back in the seven
ties lie was paleontologist for tho
Geological Survey. 1t was in the course
OF ms ield work for the government
that he discovered in wyoming vast
quantities of specimens of the remains
OF these prehistoric inns that eX.
listed in the days when the world was
i swainpy jungle overrun with rank
vegetation and inhabited by a race
OF monster reptiles such as are known
to modern man only through their
petTIiicd remains.
That 1.-The world has changed greatly
since those times is cvinced by the
iact that the regions that were then
great swampy marshes are now the
hlshest mountain range and plateaus
mat the continent knows Wyoming
ana Colorado have proven themselves
lHe greatest treasure houscs for this
SORT OF specimen tina the world has
ever known. Prot Marsh found that in
certain quarries in Wyoming rock was
D'ihE he"h out ana used for building
stone thar was Enthusiastically rich In
geological value.
fr"icSsnr nnrsh's Collections.
professor Marsh recognized the on
p"iiuhity t''4t was offered him Of col
iectihs valuaDic material. lie realized
"a 4oI Otttl-
atins IN an absolutely new field, OF
collecting the best in his ncld OF en-
"eavor thar WIS 90 be offered by n
ne" ma uncXplured country. lie In
dNteu Vale. at which university he had
l4uS"i. TO furnish certain amounts Of
MONEY Tor tho collection OF mis- fossils.
rom me Federal government he
peSsed tHe greatest possible appro-
"il ICONS. All these hr expended and
Nei the wonder mouse OF spccirncns
was hAEdly scratched. He was a man
%. comfortable private fortune. ana
'!1 ma lc also threw into the homer
AII these public ana private funds ne
'NpehHtd without STINT in gathering
~" bg"lHS p%ek-buund Specimens OF
we animals OF wore. lie rage In.
mountains ~ Colorado ana Wvomine
"a'I' and I"rth. finding Ia many locuII
'r''ll"eus thIt were to his kim
'IS'i bt"ek vf stone that mus, IL.
li'St'Nod uahrokcu until ihcIr hidden
'"ins. wire revealed were frrirbtad
"'h} miI"s over the worst OF mountain
''ln' ana shipped other thousands Of
.i'' NNtr Western roads. whore
'i,lF"' rates were high. Tie hard.
,Hipa 81 Inc West and of toll i'm ia.
il'' REGIONS were faced for years. Kut
" '"N INA ''r spreincns were stored
''' '""l were some day 10 reveal.
~ SttI'ts "I tue animal life on In.
"'''A az was q tropic, humid
'''""S' "itre 'hc only growth ,.as
I ''v munster Tern that dwarfs IL. ,.,
I esis OF to-day and the onlv nnt,"., -, ~
I as the kin OF our rcptiias H., ' ne
4 to the size OF mnstodons. CO."
10 seiG ratc The petrined rom,h,.