Field Notebook: Alabama

Schuchert, C

1894

Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History

Original Source

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First Jenglom trip to Alatama 1894. doc.74

7785 October 30-1894. Started for Enterprise Miss

doc 74 October 30 -1894. Started for Enterprise Miss. at 10.43 P.M. (Tuesday). 7785 October 31, 1894 Rode all day arriving at Birmingham Ala. at 10.20 P.M. Had to await until 2.20 A.M. for the next train, which was on the Queen and Crescent, to take me to Enterprise. November 1st. Arrived at Enterprise at about 7 A.M. Where I met Mr. Frank Bums. The trees all day had the same beautiful fair coloring as at Washington.

appearing however toward evening To be more intensely red or yellow. This however may have been only apparent since on all sides nu- mmerous conifer trees with their very green needles are interspersed with the others. One side for hours without seeing much habitation. The county whites are as just being settled. Upon everywhere and often the whites are of the most dilapidated sort. The houses are extremely simple and ill built. The people seem to care for little comfort but that I judge to be largely due to a lack of knowing how to live well, Atlanta Ga, what seemed

Atlanta Ga. what I could see fit from the cars impressed me favorably. The city is said to have 100,000 inhabitants and is situated upon hilly country. As usual the negroes are driven into the valleys and the whiter inhabit the higher ground. The capitol is a square rather simple building with a tower much like that of of the National capitol. The golden on the top faces southward showing the north her back. Of Birmingham I saw nothing in the darkness of the night except numerous coke furnaces. On arriving in the morning of Thursday Nov 1st found myself over--

Meridian Miss. Such a merciable upon as this I never saw. The houses all low, extremely ily built and no thrift on any side to be seen. The clothes or the people very simple, poor quality and fits not very clean. However every one seem to be polite. The negroes live in the product of huts, log houses set on four posts or stumps of trees. The quantity of selling negroes the color is simply astonishing and despicable one may find the words can the loosener of the negro women. If the talk of the whites can be believed there is no morality in any negress. Mississippi upon the whole [illegible] can not show that where

climate goes to show that where life is easily attained little progress is made. No doubt the climate has much to do with the lack of thrift but I think the prime cause is the absolute ignorance of the Mississippians. So much that even be made beautiful and useful for their progress is neglected. The people in the county are [illegible] scattered and depend upon corn and cotton. Nowhere does one see the northerngardens or fruit orchards. The ladies neglect to ornament their homes and do not even seem totelle to flowers. The just home comforts of the north are lacking here.

Meridian Miss. Such a conceivible upon an thru I never saw. The house all low, extremely ill built and no thrift on any side to be seen. The clothes on the people very simple, of poor quality and often not very clean. However every one seem to be polite. The negroes live in the product of huts, log houses set on four sticks or stumps of trees. The quantity of yellow negroes the color is simply astounding and despise one plays the word can the loosener of the negro women. If the talk of the shits can be believed there is no morality in any negro. Mississippi upon the whole is a very simple state. The climate over to show that where

climate goes to show that where life is easily attain'd little progress is made. No doubt the climate has much to do with the lack of thrift but I think the prime cause is the absolute ignorance of the Mississippians. So much that even be made beautiful and useful for them progress is neglected. The people in the county are most scattered and depend upon corn and cotton. Nowhere does one see the northern gardens or fruit orchards. The ladies seem to neglect to ornament their homes and do not even seem to take to flowers. The pure home comforts of the north are lacking here.

In the morning of Nov. I collected Creene fossil with Mr Barnes on the bank of a stream near Enterprise. Such a quantity of flat echinoderm I never saw before. The men said for even or eight feet a yard made up of this. In the afternoon started for Shutute Prairie, also one gathered some more Creene fossils from the Red bluff formation over- lying the Jackson formation. Nov 2nd Made an early start for Cocoa Post office about 18 miles. Part of the trip was in a light rain. Had a good opportunity to see Pine forests being worked for sawsin and turpentine. The trees on four sides are cut through the land for

sides are cut through the bark for three feet from the ground. At the bottom of each face there is chipped a crotch or cup holding a pint or glass of sap which is gathered once cool over. The sap is very thick and put into barrels and taken to the turpentine distillery where the turpen- tine is extracted in a still. In the afternoon examined are the skeleton and more found by Mr Burns. I am very much disappointed with them. The skulls are a mass of crushed bone and it is a question whether anything can be made out of them. The skeletons are found on the top of hills in wash outs in th- "prairie". Three of these have been uncovered.

in recent years been [illegible], but the great majority seem to lie on the farm and consist of only the pieces of vertebrata. These have clumped about for years, some for 20 or 30 years, and now have no value as specimens. November 3rd Spent the entire day over the fields east of Creva Post Office. Saw numerous bones but nowhere any indication of a buried skeleton. Then ever one finds Pecten, a certain unsymmetrical echinoderm, and a Tetractulini one is in the juglodon hole and it is very common to find in such place traces of bones. If it where not for the invertebrates collected the day would have been a failure.

"collected the day would have been a failure. Nov. 4. Sunday and a day off rest, Took a little walk in the morning and gathered flowers once six species one of the the cotton. yellow the predominating color. " Nov. 5-1894. lay all day on the place on the Gitterow plantation. All of the land sweet gathered and packed ready for boxing."

" Nov. 6. Finished digging on the skull. Commenced to take up five vertebrae lying so far east of the skull. " Nov. 7 Finished taking up the five verte- brae. Had the assistance of a negro for four hours. Mr. Frank Brown made two large boxes into which we turned the skull and vertebrae in the afternoon, began to dig on the second skeleton or Dr. Brown's plantation.

" Nov. 8. lay all day on the Jenpodon no. 2. The bones are extremely soft and much broken so that it is a question whether any can be taken up. Still I will try to expose them and allow the same to dry and harden them before I attempt to take them up. During the day found a good ( humerus ) shoulder-blade, the next bone, and one of the two large secondary bones of the paddle. Also a lower jaw ( one side) and other bones. One fine molar tooth was picked out but a few inches away from the lower jaw.

"Nov. 9. Hug all day on Juglodon no.2. Found the shue and other bone but are in bad shape. Had the assistance of a negro one day in leavy digging. Found four large incisor teeth. " Nov. 10. Spent the day in sticking cloth to all of the bones so far were upraid. The day was raw and cold. " Nov. 11 Sunday raw and cold.

" Nov. 11 Sunday raw and cold. " Nov. 12 Monday Took up several parts of Junglodan no. 2. " Nov. 13 Tuesday Spent the morning in looking up J.C. Mitchers to get permission to dig on his land. Paid him $15 for the privilege. In the afternoon took up the sepulcher, humerus and other bones of Junglodan no. 2.

" Nov. 14. Wednesday Took up two vestures of Jugfordon no. 2. Cmeled to take up shue and jaws in one piece. Shue canv- a good part of the afternoon. " Nov. 15- Thursday. Had a negro to do consider- able digging excavating Jugfordon no. 2 while I finished the canvasing on the top and sides and some of the bottom. " Nov. 16. Friday Finished excavating and

" Nov. 16. Friday Finished excavating and succeeded to get the bottom of the box under the specimens without mis[illegible]. In the afternoon packed it on the spot and left it there since four men were unable to put on a wagon. Rain at 4 o'clock P.M. for several hours. " Nov. 17 Saturday. County is quite muddy and damp and cold. Began work on specimen no 3. This specimen has a length of about so feet, but nearly all in so much weathered as to be of no value. The front end is best preserved. Some of

"Nov. 18. Sunday. Spent the afternoon with Dr. Brown looking up Geystodon. Found two new skeletons on Danforth Mitchell land which give promise of good results. Otherwise bones are abundant but are so weathered as to have little value. So far I have seen at least twelve skeletons in less than two miles of fallen strata in an east and west direction.

" Nov. 19-24 dug all orell on Gungfodm no. III. The bones are hard and in good condition but are closely cemented to each other as to necessitate the destruction of some to take the skeleton up. Still one that I destroyed were broken ribs. A number of finger bones were found at once one hu- mmerus, two scapulae one jaw, parts of the skull and several vertebrae. This skeleton was exposed for some time on the sea bottom since a few vertebrae cops are found separated and two of the ribs had oysters and serpulac growing on them. Friday afternoon took up

the box having shull no. 2. Found that this box weigh 130 pounds, It rained during Friday night or I spent Saturday gathering the smaller boxes in town and moss. Nov. 25, Sunday. Collected in the afternoon

" Nov. 25, Sunday. Collected in the afternoon at a locality about midway between Cocoa and Melvin or about one mile west of the former place. The horizon is about 15 to 20 feet higher than the echinoderm bed of the Jackson formation. This fauna is common to a zone about three feet thick through the oyster is found higher and lower through about twenty feet strata. These strata are readily separated from the Jan- Jorden bed in being much stained by iron and in places abound in rock which crumbles under the action of the weather. The most common shell is the oyster.

"though probably the most characteristic "tic skull in the Spondylus, The "led may be termed the Spondylus "led. " Nov. 26-94 "Spent the morning in placing "the two masses of G. III in green. In the afternoon began on G.IV which I hoped would turn out well but a few hours work showed it consist but of badly worn vertebrae. The only specimen taken of this skeleton is one molar tooth. " Nov. 27-94. Began to dig at G.V a great mass of sunburnt vertebrae and ribs.

" Nov. 27 - 94. Began to dig at 8. V a great man of jumbled vertebrae and ribs. By noon it was apparent that nothing of much value would be obtained. All there was one tooth incisor tooth and four small bones which may be (ear?) bones, In the afternoon dug at a peculiar "but bone" as reported to me by a young man which proved [illegible] [illegible] The local primitive portions of a skull. There is another the one connected with this skull on the inner side. Will take it up. Spent two hours collecting shells.

Nov. 28-94. Gathered three boxes from the field and completed by 8 P.M. all the packing. Fifteen boxes is the result of the month's labor weighing very near 1600 pounds. Two large vertebrae, the largest seen were picked up at a negro's house. These are in box no. 13 along with two of J. III.; the large one from near the head and the other a small one the last vertebrae in J. III or so far from the tip of the head. The other vert. was found loose on Dr Brown pasture.

Brown pasture. Nov. 29 - 94. Got up at three in the morning and loaded the wagon with boxes for Shubuta from a distance from Cocoa Ala of twenty miles. The negroes were anxious to get away early or to arrive in time for the circus at Shubuta. Five wagons hauled the 15-boxes at 30¢ per cart. Total charge for the month at Cocoa $ 67.42 Started for Shubuta with Frank Brown at 9 A.M. arriv- ing there at 2.00 P.M.

Found the five wagons on the public square diverted the wagon having gone to the circus. At about 5 P.M. began to unload in a rail road car since the company had no facilities to handle boxes weighing 1400 pounds. Got through in about one hour. Thanks that this hard work is over for me! At Here

Mar. 30 - 1894. After a talk with Frank Burne concluded not to any more work for Geogldon bones. At 11.40 A.M. started for Enterprise for my trunk.

The following is a sketch of the Jeyfodon beds. Thickness of the beds not actual measurement. Then come the Red Bluff bed. Burne says there is a little on Jackson in here. Iron stained mark with a zone of hardened mud which upon another lighter marlous oyster and coats of the interior of Peleyford. This I have called the Pondglen bed. 7 ft. Soft yellowish-white mark with lime crystalline in great abundance. Jeyfodon It was found here. 5 ft. Echinoderm bed. Terebratulae and that peculiar oyster like clus 2' Soft white mark with Pecten, Oyster etc. 7' Burne says there is a great thickness of Jackson below this. Then comes below the Claiborne.

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Perhaps you can guess this one! L822

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(11.) Vertebrae f.s. III.

List of box contents. 1. Skull and other parts all missed together of g.I. 2. Five vertebrae found so far away from g.I. 3. Fragments and loose bones found around g.I. 4. Skull of g.II. 1300 pounds. 5. Parts of g.IV. 6. Jaw (parts) and other parts of g.III 7. Ribs and humerus of g.II. Also one rib of g.III and other pieces, 8. Teeth of g.II and III. 9. Scapula of g.II and jaw (part) and scapula of g.III. Also one large rib of g.II. 10. Skull man of g.III

Engdorn no. III. Begin to excavate Nov. 17 and finished Nov. 24. I have four scapula, one humerus, several femur bones, one jaw, parts of the skull and several vertebrae. Also one good rib and parts of two others. Packed in boxes marked nos. 10, 11, 6, and parts of 8, 9. See rough sketch of this skeleton as it lay on the ground.

Latter found the humerus scapula, skull and two jaws. Also a few vertebrae. All of these were successfully taken up. The skull and jaws had to be un- dermined gradually and piece by piece of the bottom of the box inserted underneath and then mass jamed between it and the cay. This box weights 1300 pounds. Packed in boxes nos. 4, 5, 7, and part of 8 and 9. Began to dig on & II Nov. 7 and finished Nov. 16.

Byan Nov. 7. Beuglodon no. 2. From the plantation of [illegible]. (spec. on tchee) Brown on one side of the plantation road. The surface for 30 feet was scattered with very much broken ribs. On digging down a multitude of large ribs were uncovered. One end of these seem to be invariably broken and as thick as my upper arm. The other end becomes flat, attenuates, and is very much bent thus: The bone lie in a soft clay and are very much broken so that I doubt that many of these ribs can be taken up.

Skeleton no. I. From the plantation of Mr. Githers. The head and many vertebrae (small) were found together. About 50 feet east of the head five large vertebrae where found. dug out both lots on Monday and Tuesday Nov. 5 and 6. Boxed in boxes marked 1,2,3. Paeked in boxes on Wednesday Nov. 7. Boxes made by Mr. Frank Brown.

Frank Brown. Nov. 5. Three oxen. 2 tin buckets. 1 lb. of flour. Nov. 6. 1 b. of flour. 2 slate papers. Skeleton no. I.

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Ticket to Meridian Miss. 24.15 Sleeper to Meridian u 4.00 Note book .10

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Property of Charles Schuchert U. S. National Museum Washington D.C. Oct. 30-1894, 4' 4" x 2' x 18"

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