A RECORD OF TIME 79 



tion, for it showed that the vertebrates lived in this 

 warm era between the ages of ice. The treasure 

 was sent to Washington for identification, but was 

 unfortunately lost. The broken story was resumed 

 by the discovery of part of an Elk's antler, showing 

 that not only the lower vertebrates but land mammals 

 lived in this region between the glacial periods. 



This scene of fertility and active animal life is 

 covered up with another immense bed of boulder 

 clay, reveahng the slow intensity of another accumu- 

 lated continent of ice. Again the fragments of rock 

 are worn round and smooth, and imbedded in the 

 clay — the slow deposit of ages. But this second 

 continent of ice obeyed the perpetual law of change, 

 and above the bed of boulder clay that records its 

 existence are the changing deposits and the water- 

 washed sand and gravel of the bottom of the lake that 

 covered the land where this city now stands. Again 

 come the evidences of marine life, shells and other 

 remains being modern and easily identified. Con- 

 templating that record of inconceivable time, the 

 transient growth of Oak, Pine, and Birch on the top 

 of the hill seems as presumptuous as man's usurping 

 institutions. But a few years — ^few as time is recorded 

 in that cavernous pit and excavated hill — ^and the 

 continent may sleep again in the long oblivion of a 

 glacial era. 



