Bisbee daily review., 1918-08-07
PREHISTORIC MAMMAL CONTRIBUTES TOOTH COLLECTION OF D2. W. E. HANKIN,
 WELL KNOWN 1 0CAL DENTIST
TREASURE HOUSE oF FOSSIL BONES EXTINCT ANIMALS OF MANY THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO AND OF VAST SIZE,
 CAVATED NEAR MINING PROPERTY OF LOCAL MAN

While possessing an excellent show ing in silveTiead, manganese and Van-
 adium, group of claims lying near
 the old town of Charleston, this c9un
 ty, now being developed by Dr. w E. Hankin Of Bisbee with William Freyne and Michael Gredell, the two latter being on the property, is noted chiefly at present for the production of two immense ivory nuggets. the teeth Of some huge, prehistoric animal. One of these the doctor has on exhibition in his office in the Bank of Bisbee building. The other is at the proper ty.
 The teeth did not come directly from the property but from the bed of tLe San Pedro river, nearby. There, slumberipg in bed of clay, which un- doubtedly has served as a preserva- tive through countless ages, the skel- eton of the mOnstrOus thing which once drew breath of life and roamed across the plains and valleys of Ari- zona. has lain covered until few weeks ago, when flood waters barred part of the head.
 It was dug up by Freyne and Cred ell. who noticed the peculiar whitish color of one tooth, protruding through the surrounding soil Getting them out of the hole offered no difficulties as the jaw bone of whatever animal it had been was so decayed it fell to pieces leaving only the livery of the tooth to attest that once it had been set in the jaw of a great beast.
 That there may be bones which can be assembled and preserved for the instruction of posterity. is the belief of Dr. Hankin. Some day he intends to go to the place pointed out to him by Freyne and Gredell to try to un- earth the remainder of the skeleton. In the meantime he has the two teeth as mementoes of a departed day when living things so huge they would make a rhinoceros of the present day seem like a lap dog by comparison, roamed the country over.
 Dr. Hankin recently twrote the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. trying to identify the kind of beast or reptile which wore the tooth. Inciden- tally he asked what such teeth would be worth Upon this po-nt he receiv- ed no enlightenment but he was in- formed that the Institute would De willing to give S6,O0O for a complete skeleton. That would be easy money. if the doctor knew what kind of a skel- eton to hang onto the teeth. but with out that knowledge it would be hard1 to proceed. Therefore, unless he can dig out enough bones to complete the beast and identify its genera, the teeth will remain Interesting but unprofita- ble to their present owner.
 Each tooth weighs several pounds. They are a fraction under a foot in length and about eighteen ,inches in at the largest part. The upper surface is covered with corrus- cations proving that the animal was herbivorous, depending upon grass, I roots and foliage for its food. Were i they the teeth of a carnivorous or meat eating animal, they would be sharper and shaped so they could tear flesh more easily than these grinding sur faces would indicate was possible. As matters stand, Dr. Rankin looks upon the teeth somewhat in the light of a joke He insists that they are