Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1917-01-17
FROM BULLETIN CARRIER
TO RAILROAD MANAGER
George r. 5idweII, Now Retired and
Living In California, Has Many
Memories of Norwich.

/
George r. BidweII, Now Retired and
Living in California, Has Many
Memories of Norwich.
Showing that he has not forgotten
| the city of his boyhood days. George
F. Bidwell of Hollywood. California,
formerly of this city. where he was
B. Lee. has forwarded to Mr.. Lee an
interesting letter descriptive of the
deposit OF prehistoric skeletons and
fossils found in the outskirts OF Los
Angeles.
The letter follows:
Hollywood, California, Jan. 1, IT.
My Dear Charlie;
On the westerly outskirts of the
city of Los Angeles, California, lies
the famous Rancho La Brea which
has become a prolific oil field cover
ing several thousand acres. On the
southerly edge of this field and about
the center longftudinally lies a tract
of about fifteen acres in which have
been found very recently a marvellous
deposit of prehistoric skeletons dat
ing back to the Pieistocene period of
the worlds history 100000 to 200, 900
years ago. -Four years ago the owner
of this field realizing the scientific
and historic value of these fossils
gave the, board of supervisors of the
county of Los Angeles the exclusive
privilege of excavating and classify
ing them for a period of two years A
stair Of eminent scientists was organ
lied to pursue the work, which was
so far completed at the end of the
two year period as to establish all the
scientific data. and since then the
owner has made a gift of the fifteen
acre tract in which the Fossils were
found, to the county of Los Angeles,
for a park. on condition that it be
properly laid out and maintained as a
permanent park and that a museum
be constructed within it's boundaries
in which shall be installed the mount
ed skeletons and other bones which
have or may be in the future found in
the field. Many of the skeletons have
already been mounted and with the
other fossils are temporarily housed
in the Museum at Exposition Park in
the city of Los Angeles.
The Investigations made by the
scientists while excavations were be-
ing made, developed the theory, which
is sufficiently certain to be classed as
fact, that the Asphaltum which forms
fields, oozed up through cracks and
small holes on the surface of the
ground, forming small lakes which
had the appearance of water holes.
attracted to them and when stepping
in became uired, were unable to ex-
tricate themselves and eventually
were drowned in the asphaltum. 9th
the decaying flesh and in turn were
mired and unable to extricate them
selves. Carton birds met the same
fate. Indeed. the skeleton of an In
Gated as living in a period 10000
years ago. The Asphaltum formed
perfect preservative so that the
specimens are all in the most perfect
condition.
This field has become famous among
scientists and psychologists all over
the world and many have already Wis
tied the field to verify for themselves
T. tt
have made and promulgated. A group
of renowned scientists are expected to
visit it in the near future, and one
of the pits has been left in its origi-
nal condition (after having been ex-
cavated down to the Fossil deposits)
to enable them to verify and add any
thing they may be able to. the his
torical data surrounding the field.
I am sending you in the same mail
with this communication, a descrip
tive catalogue with some of the his
torical data concerning these fossils,
together with some copies of the CAL
articles on the same subject with the
request that you place them in the
archaeological section of the public
library in your city. l had hoped to
place of them. the final report of the |
scientists who supervised the excava-
tions, mounting and placing of the |
fossil in the museum. but it has not
L
shall take pleasure in sending it to |
be placed in the library with these |
that I am sending you now.
Thanking you in advance for your /
good offices in this matter, am,
Sincerely yours,
GEORGE F. BIDwEHIL.
Mr.. Charles B. Lee, Norwich, Conn. |
Mr.. Bidwell explained in anorner |
note that he was sending the stories |
Of this archaeological field to the
Iy-o vi ~ al he 1fr1a I'll
which he has lived and says: 1 do NOT
know of how much interest they may
be to Norwich, but to me Norwich |
mas many endearing memories. lived |
which included the years of the Civil
war. I was a newsboy, was one of
he first Carriers" of The Bulletin,
md also carried the Aurora and the
lid not reach Norwich till 2.3O p. m.
pumped" the Trinity church organ
when George Ward was the organist |
Mary Buckley (now Mrs. Learned) |
he tenor singer. I graduated in the |
lass of '65 in the Academy, went to
New York few week later. COM
nencing my business career as boy"
n a dry goods commission house. In
500 I came west and begun my rail-
Dad career as common laborer on
Continued in the work
# building railroads for ten years.
and Northwestern Railway
20, as clerk in the superintendent
,flce of the Minnesota lines, and re-
ired in 1906 as general manager of
hat company's lines west of Missou-
river. The pure. moral atmosphere |
f Norwich enriched my manhood and
shall never cease to be thankful that
kind Providence placed me in the
are of your father and mother.
The magazines which contain an
story o fthe fossil field
nth illustrations are to be presented