The Edmonton Beds 



47 



to either side of the skeleton, above and when we 

 had a number of them firmly attached we threw 

 loose dirt under them and tamped it firmly thua 

 forcing the plaster strips in place until they 

 hardened or set and held the loose rock and bones. 

 Then we built supports under the hardened 

 strips, and continued the process until the whole 

 section was held firmly together. It was separ- 

 ated at the dividing line by leaving one section 

 untouched and firmly bedded in its native rock. 

 We then cut a narrow channel to the bones, above 

 and below, and by removing the supports broke 

 off the sections through the bones. The other sec- 

 tion was prepared in the same way, the ends 

 were covered, and our skeleton was ready for 

 transportation. 



When we threw out the earth from above and 

 around the specimen we built a platform so we 

 could back a wagon up to it. Dan McGee who 

 had handled heavy logs in the eastern woods built 

 a runway of two inch planks to the wagon. 

 Then the boys, under Charlie's management 

 started to load a heavy section, Dan with bar 

 sunk deeply in the earth to act as a snubbing 

 post, a strong rope around the section and one 

 end in a half hitch around the bar. They edged 

 the mass towards the slide. What was their sur- 

 prise, when the section started in obedience to 

 the law of gravity, to see the crow bar torn from 

 Dan's hands and thrown to one side, and the sec- 

 tion unrestrained gaining momentum at an amaz- 



