The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-06-24
As fossil BoNONZA.

rs A FOSSIL ]
'8 By Frederic
i 60 ssxs-e1eracaseaa
/ A vedtab5e glimpse into a preh.s-
toxic age when saber-pooched cats as
big as COWS preyed on giant groIac
;sloths and elephants ndirceen feee ls.i
/ N these Unired Stares5 when caIneas
4 ranged the western plains m nefos
as great as those OF tne osna - h
1 hundred years ago; when man, ~ ae
/ EXISTED at aH, was a covering. atda.a8
low-browed cave dwelteT, Is anordeo
by the discovery OF a remarkable De
post OF bones IN Los Angeles counS,
Calf Under the auspices OF 1he
county museum. these relics of an age
/ millions OF years gone by are oe1ne
carefully exhumed and pceser ved
This 3prehtstoric boneyard - a pee
| Of asphalt on a tract OF land known
as the Rancho Ia Brea, 1oca1ed Just
OUTSIDE the corporate limits OF Los
Angeles. The asphalt beds date from
the Plefstocene era, which occurred
/ only few uSlHon years ago 11nmedt-
ately ante-dating the modern peraoo-
| At sometime during the Pleistocene,
on began seepirS 10 the surface
! ~ ,,ocr The more volatile portions of
| 41,,a oi1 c,TIcl-lv eyanorated, leaving
f.rSas and nools OF tar which remain
to this day much as they were during
Pfefstocene times And Just as the
prehistoric animals were trapped
millions OF years ago, 80 Jack TaoDltS
and prairie dogs and birds are trapped
- +Ses<a ,,ndd1es OF tar that If a
s1rtroyniTeS swallow dsps his wing. he
e -,oore +ban an+ to he held fact
1 e. +hr,,,oSF the ages creatures of all
! t-,5o,Is' nave been caught IN this nat
81 ran Their bones have SUNK
iz,+1, tho visr;d mass which permeated
a - ,,res,aTred +aen1. while the softer
s.,,-+5ens ,,an,a+n.ed ON, the suHace and
t,oaerad Tn +7,is way whole skeletons
~ ,.-aat,,,,e.s that were dead million
tSS.ea.,-e be1ora nan came to five upon
- as,+5, 5,aye been. preserved in
! 70 -,a+,,-a1 e.1rhSrance These are
-,o+ etr|c+5v sneakinS. fossils. they
s,oe +he actual bones preserved In
! asnb11t their color changed but their
s,gbe+ance 11naltered.
w. .--e,,,a,,[lo,,s significance OF this
e. ~ : 4<s<sss1,.sa. NAV he iudeed from
. .sLe e ~ 41,s most or oa,1- knowledge
1sal,Is+esi[e anfInals has been
/, y, 49,, s,rsr+e,-ed ,enonants OF
,; - 1I.1e1 IN, 4i7.a SOW action
| ~ s,.ata-- When. a creature dies in
~ o-Si,,., ~ wavsbss homes are quick
IL tle e 1870, most Of mem are de-
sSasseA .. = .sine1e toot9,l or
o.. " $780, - % fo<,+ ia buried in
- - 80 100 4I,rnad II, stone by the
eiAs s<.s1 49, ~ aeses sound by a
ssoM +,,Ss 4ossiI viii afford a. val.1-
80 l.1no 20 - rhe lrind of creatures
sa1'1 H., = sat raT,<te> age Brt m
10 .panss,,oe !, prea denosits complete
s,Ee1e.aas - :, e-reat varie1y OF Great
Aea a. nerfecr1y as any
collector ce could desire. From this. rich
1N..ee ~ 1900 +b., -sc5ertIsr can
nlsa.s ,s.reS,,s srnc+ a vanished age.
os. 49, 5.o,,,fns+sne, +vnes OF the
,, ~ " - 1,.bicb numerous COM
o1so1 go 100 1,le,, fo1,nd was
yle's 80 .soe,-4ootf,e,f cat. preda-
t .n- e1an. See than tile largest
sf.,o-an lion and having its upper
800 - 4e,e+5, SeveIoped into saberIike
80 - &c sho,1+ q foot lo1s In build and
tus 1850 s3s.sac+er;sT5cS Il resernbted
Se .sa5a,-s- 49, more Formidable
StLSt 800 searcelv he designed. and
peaSt cat vas nrobably
etSe 1900 lecture that even
- 1ts 80, a. continen+ I'm the La
- Sa1e,s5+s ne slSeleton Is found
Ie,,oS5,,5+v wifi, those OF the
| 1900 "a Saose I+eon the Giant ground
49, ~. 49,, hose and even
SO So -!i,< amsIeTt- form of the
a t1et as.s. heiiered that t;he
eIs So4ao+,aJ cs+ WITH, ftss ,,r,ioue and
Sas.s.., 49,. Sen+I+o11 snccessfrlly
oessl ~, 49,, al ~ these creatnnes
pe;r.e..s up e,,,--,-es the aveage Iay-
oe .-.ass 49,. 70 ,es ~, mat i, ta1e
a,,, sre,+ 5,.a,37s f cam
$500 - +5,a 1Snj+ed states and
e So $50 NO., fo,1,3s5 IN, a7,e
1 T', 81 sAott -e.o1s AIrhoo,eT, .F7e