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, revealing 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* 
