Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1880 — A Mastodon at Loup River. [ARTICLE]

A Mastodon at Loup River.

During a recent trip up on the Loup? Mr. U. L. C. Beard discovered a curious formed bone protruding from a sand bank in the river, which very much resembled a suag, so frequently *6 be found in streams’ liable to Uuddeta freshets. Upon closer examination ki* curiosity became excited to that extent that he resolved upon -an immediate investigation, and, anningkiniself tklth thb necessary instruments, fell to the task of nnearthing whet,‘Upon'inftMigMiai),. Jfflgfd. jo. ba_jbc lo.rerJ.fc historian is at a loss to more than estimate. That it was once a living, moving monster, whose sue, when compared to that of an elephant, would make the latter appear but an insignificant pigmy, requires but a glance at the hideous pro* portions or the brute exhumed, mi*. Beard brought relic of the past to the Commercial House, Kearney, Mnday lsit, where it attracted many visitors. Dr. E. W. Northrop examlLed the curiosity and pronounced it the lower Jaw. bone of some huge animal, whose race is not extinct. The boue is nearly three feet long,.and a portion of It had been) -rotten off. It has a hideous molar firmly imbedded in it which is perfectly preserved, measuring seven and one-naif inches in length, by four inches wide. The Jaw, when perfect, evidently contained two of these monster teeth on the upper and lower Jaw, with the smaller ones,or tusks, which would complete a pair, which for strength and-ferocity, no animal upon earth clutM present a comparison. - ~