Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-06-08
ELEPHANTS ONCE
R0AHED TEXAS
Gigantic Beast and May Have
Lived 1000, 900 Years Ago,
Says Biologist.
SKELETON IS DISCOVERED
Fact That Tusles Are More Than IL
Feet Long. indicates the Great
Size OF the Paehydsm-
Probably Killed by Tiger.

San Leon, Texas.-Positive proof
that elephants Of gigantic size, with
bodies probably covered with long
hair, once roamed the coastal plains
Of Texas has been obtained by the
unearthing here Of the skeletons Of
one Of these prehistoric animals. The
period Of its life dates back anywhere
from 100000 to 100000 years. ac-
cording to b. G. Chandler, assistant
professor Of biology In Rice Institute
Of Houston, who assisted In removing
the remains from the hard bed Of
sand and gravel.
It will take some time to recon-
struct the bones and form the skele-
ton as 1t originally existed, and until
this Is done measurements cannot be
accurately taken. The fact, however,
that the tusks are each more than II
feet long indicates the great size Of
the pachyderm.
selentist's Speculation.
The skeleton was discovered BY n
T. Roy Of Houston. who called Mr..
Chandler to his assistance In unearth-
ing it In speaking Of the discovery
Mr.. Chandler said:
Before Noah collected his animals
In the ark and before Adam and Eve
ate the disastrous apple in the Garden
Of Eden this beast. perhaps attacked
by murderous saber toothed tiger,
q huge beast which also roamed
through North America at that time,
laid his great carcass down on the
sands OF the beach and died. The
seabirds Of that ancient time, no
doubt, dined sumptuOusly for many
weeks on his great body, and what
was left by them was picked by the
microscopic animals Of the bay.
"The waves of the ancient bay rip
pied over the bones Of the fallen mon
arch, carrying sand and gravel, until
finally the entire skeleton was buried
deep under q mass Of debris.
Centuries passed and the land
slowly raised to it's present level,
some ten feet above the water level.
Year by year the waves Tapped con-
tinuously against the bank, eating it
away, until finally tooth was
brought to view, probably some $780,
600 years after it had been dropped
from the jaws of the great beast.
A Hunting Ground.
There are many who, while admit
ting the evidence of their eyes that
an elephant did live and die on the
shores of Texas, will question state
ments of scientists as to the great ex-
panse Of time since the animal ex-
listed.
mo very accurate estimate can be
made, it is true, but that it exceeds
100000 years and may approach L.
100000 years there is no doubt in the
mind Of any person who has made a
study of the past life on the earth.
Such estimates are based on the time
required to deposit sedimentary rock,
to erode valleys and to wear away
rocks. No one could judge the age
of this particular specimen alone, but
it's age Is estimated on the known
occurrence of the animal in company
with other animals in rocks or depos-
it's where the age can be roughly es-
which are Of more recent date.
'sHad there been game hunters in
the pleistocene period North Ameri-
ca, rather than Africa, must have been
their favorite hunting grounds. Scien-
lists state that during that period
over the same plains which these ele-
plants .roamed numerous other long
extinct animals, whose descendants
now live in such distant places as In
dia or Central Africa, were living in
abundance.
"As the storms and waves grad
ually eat away the gravelly bank of
the bay at San Leon the remains OF
camels, extinct horses and perhaps
other prehistoric animals will be
brought to view, thus furnishing ma
terial for another page in the account
Of that long distant period when CEN
turtles and not years were used as the
unit In the measurement OF time"