Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-04
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sometimes a story is developed.
a few weeks ago the Rambler and a
party. were sitting around the marlbanks
OF Sunnyside, in Prince Georges county.
a mile or so east of the District bound
airy. One of the party. it may have been
John Boyle. or it may have been Titus
like. said: did you ever notice the fos-
sifs in the stone flooring of the patent
office" The Rambler never had but
the first time he strayed that way. which
was two or three weeks ago. he looked
up those fossils. Returning to his office
he wrote what follows:
The paleontologist-if that is the prop
er word for the man who feeds his
thoughts on fossils-may find rich field
of study and many age-old specimens in
the stone flooring of the corridors of the
patent office.
The pave of those corridors is slate
and marble. The marble is white and
prominently crystalline. and the slate,
like most slate-but not all-is slate
gray. The blocks are square of large
size. and are set, marble and slate al
ternately. point to point 1t Is an old
fashioned style of flooring. with which
most persons who have trod the halls of
public buildings and hotel offices are
familiar. In the slate slabs are various
strange markings in a gray much light
er than the body of the slate and some
OF the markings are almost white. The
markings are spiralS, coils and unduIat-
ing lines. like small. wriggling. little
snake that has been transhxed for eter-
nifty. These are the fossils.
After writing this. the Rambler
sought out John Boyle in the patent
office and said: John, I have written
the story of the fossils Up to the point
where it is necessary to tell what kind
of fossils they are. Write me a line
about what these fossils are. and 1 will
tack on to my introduction and turn
1t in
John said
Those fossils are pretty old and I
have a suspicion as to what they are
but l wouldn't like to take the re-
sponsibility of naming them without
consulting DIR. Paul Bartch of George
Washington. under whom 1 am taking
course in zoology. 1t might be a good
plan to ask the geologic survey about
Them
The next day the Rambler sent this
note to Guy E. Mitchell, at the geologic
survey:
Dear Guy: Please send me down a
few facts about the fossils in the stone
floors of the patent office. Never mind
An answer indicated that the geo
logic survey was not in possession of
the facts concerning those fossils, but
would look them up.
A few days later the Rambler heard
that many persons in the patent office
were perplexed by seeing distinguish
ed and scientific looking gentleman
crowling on his hands and knees about
the stone corridors of the building.
making a close study of certain flaws
or imperfections in the paving stones.
The facts are that Guy Mitchell had
communicated with David White. chief
geologist of the United States geo
logical survey, who had asked Edwin
Kirk, one of the most scholarly ex-
perts on FOSSILS to investigate the mat
ter After sizing up the patent office
fossils-those in the fiooring-he wrote
the following report:
My Dear Mr.. White: In reply to the
Query as regards the fossils in the
patent office, the following information
may prove useful:
THE rock is not slate. but limestone