Salt Lake Telegram | 1902-02-11 | Page 5 | The Jefferson Fossil

THE JEFFERSON FOSSIL FOSSIL Among Amo the oss relics d deposited posited In Inthe Inthe Inthe the Academy of ot Nat Natural nal Sciences Isone is isone isone one one that bears bear the name When Wen Thomas Jefferson was ws preparing for his his Journey journe to Washington to take the oath oah of f his first term tn as President of the United States State there were br brought gh to his home at Monticello the bones bone of a strange stan animal found at Va Jeffersn Jefferson Jefferson Jef Jef- ferson was w. w an enthusiast on old bones When Vrn he reached reache the capital he sent for Dr Casper Caer Wistar the naturalist an uncle of Gen Isaac J. J WI Wistar str of this city Dr WI Wistar str Journeyed from Philadelphia to see see- seethe the bones which were spread on the White House Houe floor foor Jefferson had h described th them m as the remains of a a. clawed anim animal ani ant mal m entirely unknown to science At a glance glanc Dr Wistar pronounced them the bones o of the common sloth Jefferson was greatly greaty chagrined chaine but the naturalist in a vein a-vein vein of ot humor gave them the the sounding suding title tte of the a a. a name by which thEW they have ever since been known In the pages paes of or natural history The framer of the Declaration of Independence Independence Inde Jade never lost lot his passion pasion for fossil fossi studies studie In 1808 when th the embar embargo em em- barge bargo bar on British BrUsh commerce comerce was wa r rapidly rapid rapid- ld- ld ly Iy plunging the infant republic into the B stage of ot another war wr Jefferson Jeferson had ha the to floor fior of his White House Hous study littered littered lit lit- J- J tred with wt old ol bones This Inspired Inspire the following lines Jnes from the pen of or William Wf- Wf Wil Wil- liam Cullen Culen Bryant Brnt nt who at that tb-at period perio was wa beginning to to write verses veres for the newspapers Go wretch resign the Presidents President's chair Disclose thy secret seret measures measure foul or fair Go Search curious eyes for tor horned horne frogs frog Or where whee th th Ohio rolls rols its Is turbid stream Dig for big bones thy glory and thy theme Philadelphia Record