Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-01-20
Portion FOssilized
Fish Owned by
St. Adams Collector

st. Adams, VT, January 19.-(AP)
-Fossilized fish have taken on new
interest for the people of st. Adams
since "Howelrs dawn fish" set back
the scientists clock some millions
of years. 1t was in this city that
Professor B. F. Howell of Princeton
University discovered the fossilized
fish scale or plate" which he and
other scientists recently described as
indicating that animal life had prog
ressed to the stage of having back
bones as far back as the Cambrian
period from so to 100 million years
ago.
No one read this announcement
more eagerly than Leslie B. Truax
of st. Adams. Mr.. Truax modestly
of geology or paleontology but he
has spent the greater part of his 20
years delving into the soil of the
hills and valleys of northern Ver-
mont in search of relics of former
times. Among an immense variety
| of specimens in his large collection
are portion of the body of fos-
| SLICED fish and the fossilized lower
| Jaw of fish.
| These fish remains he found in a
shale deposit in St. Adams which
| scientists have told him belongs to
the Cambrian period. He is not GER
| tain whether Professor Howelrs dis
\ covery, made in association with
Professor Charles Schuchert Of Yale
| University last summer, was in this
same deposit but he thinks it must
have been.
1T had not been generally
known" said Mr.. Truax, that a de-
post Of Cambrian existed here. DR..
George III. Perkins, professor Of nat
. ural history and custodian of the
museum at the University of Yer
mont, was much surprised when
first showed it to him, as were other
eminent biologists to whom I have
shown 1t. DIR. Perkins has assured
me that there are no other known
deposits Of this character nearer to
st. Adams than those found to the
noNhward across the Canadian
| border.
| II did not meet Professor Howell
while he was there. That is not
strange because I make only occa-
sional visits to the Cambrian shale,
most of my work taking me to places
! where there are evidences of Indian
or other early human habitation.
would like very much to know what
Professor Howell and his learned
/ colleagues make of these specimens
of mine and also the exact location
of the Cambrian where he found his
| fish SCALE.
| THE activities of the biologists
are outside my field. l am delighted
that this lovely country around here
has made so important contribu-
ton to science and 1 sincerely hope
that more will result. I suppose
some day I shall learn what these
/ finds of mine amount to, if anything.
That is one of the joys of such
work"
Scales show plainly on both sides
of the fossilized fish in Mr.. Truaxs
collection. What appears to be q
backbone can be seen at the point
where the body was broken Off On
the fossilized fish jaw the teeth stand
out boldly but are widely separated,
presenting a much different appear
ance from any modern fish. A per-
feet trilobite is another specimen
| which Mr.. TruaX took from the
Cambrian deposit.
! Whenever Mr.. TruaX discovers an
unfamiliar object he calls it to the
| attention of scientists. He has con-
tributed specimens to many muse
umS in various parts of the country.
! His own extensive collection, while
containing many fossils and miner
ais, is devoted principally to thou
/ sands of relics of Indian civilization
and some which he believes predated
the Indian. Many of his expeditions
are made alone but frequently he is
accompanied by scientists.