Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-04-20

still lay in orderly rows just as they
did when the ancient city teemed
with life and activity. Bones and
everything else perishable, apparent
ly long since crumbeled into dust
and there is naught left but the
weather-proof stone, mute remind
,ers of the race long since merged
with the shadowy past.
Cave Yet to be Explored.
Crystal cave yet to be explored,
and which is situated three miles
north of the "Diggings," is entered
from the summit of lofty hill. Its
first discoverer was the buffalo. Ira
dition holds that in years gone by
when the buffalo roamed the west
ern plains by the myriads. that the
weight of a passing herd crushed in
the thin roof of the cave and that
many of the animals fell through
into the cave below. Bison bones are
still to be found there, adding
FEASIBILITY to the story.
Jack Slade, the famous outlaw and
raider, who posed as a government
station agent during the days of the
Deadwood stage coach line, yet
who was privately the chief of
band of desperate bandits, used the
cave as a hiding place for himself
and followers. A lofty tree was
cut down and after the branches
were trimmed, was hauled into the
hole and used as ladder by which
entrance could be effected. Plumber
was cached in this retreat. The walls
of the cave are covered with quartz
crystals. 1t is planned to explore
the cave during the coming year and
some interesting discoveries may re-
ward the searching parties, perhaps
to determine that Wyoming has a
rival for Mammoth cave in Ken
lucky. Near the cave is a queer
mosaic figure in stones that has
never been explained but doubtless
had some significance for the anci-
ents. This consists of path OF
stones about IS feet in length and
five in width, the border being OF
ten inches, while between were
smaller shapes. Another row at
the top gave the appearance of
crude cross, indicating that the
stone age people had some concep-
ton of religion.
Fossil Beds of Interest.
OF even greater interest than the
stone formations of the diggings
are the fossil beds to the north and
which are also to be the scene of ex-
tensive explorations by archaeolo-
gists this year. The Deadwood stage
barns, long since abandoned, are To-
Gated near the fossil stratas. All
sorts of grotesque figures are to be
found here, weathered out of the
tertiary formations. The fossil
beds lie in a treeless, criss-crossed
canyon-cut basin about Is miles in
width and which would only be en-
tered by venturesome spirits willing
to risk their lives for the sake of
science. The fossil beds indicate
that in the ages gone by the country
was the bed of some vast ocean and
which later was hoisted by some
gigantic uplift of nature until it be-
came one mile above sea level. Pre-
historic fossils are to be found in
bewildering abundance and can be
carted away in wagon loads if de-
sired.
1t is only a question of what one
wants and how to get it away. From
the chalk rock of the tertiary for
nation may be secured the rhinoc-
erous, three-toed horse, the huge
brontosausus and other creatures,
many species of which have been
extinct for ages. There are in
Vulnerable forms of reptiles, both of
land and ocean, and many forms of
fish and quadrupeds. Great sea
turtles that doubtless weighed ton
are numerous, and thorough search
of the great chalk beds may reveal
the animal that corresponds to the
traditional sea serpent. The ex-
plorations of this vast area have
barely started. When commenced
upon an extensive scale and when
the searching parties are properly
equipped to tear apart the great
masses of rock which have kept in
preservation the animals and ocean
occupants which existed aeons ago,
the archaeological world may be
startled by the richness of the dis
rnyeriec