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American Museum of Natural History,
77th Street and Eighth Avenue
Jerdon Pll July 7th 1902
My dear Prof. Osborne:-
I wroteyou from miles but discovered the letter still in my pocket yesterday so I wil try a new one.
On the Powder River trip I found the Lignito series which are exposed on either side of the Yellowstone extending up to the Poweder to a distance of sixty miles from Miles City where the Laramie overlies these beds unconformally. In the exposure of the Laramie there is very little sandstone and all fossils formed were badly crushed and broken before deposity. The shales of Spin Creek, one of the Poweder tributaries in steep escapements into the few weathered hills in the valley.
The condition of the fossils as well as the distance to be hauled and the amount of exposure makes it advisable not to work this locality although in two days work I located a badly crushed Triceratops skull weathered out several horn cores and vertebrae.
Overlying the Laramie is about six hundred feet of Loup Fork exposed on the heard of Spring Creek no perpindicular cliffs and unfossiliferous. In the Rand and McNally maps this Loup Fork is called Òhigh PlateauxÓ A gragment of tutle carapce was the only fossil located in this formation. In the National Bank of Miles there is a Masterdon femur found in Powder River which comes from this formation as all the other series are Cretaceous and it was parly no hopes of finding fossils here that I made the trip alhough many of the native told me of big bones in the Cretaceous. Chulk Buttes (Loup Fork) which are eight miles from the Okulaka P.0. was by farthest south abou a hundred miles from Miles City. I made this flying trip into a light outfit and it rained during seven days out of the eight but we pulled through on schedule, timo and I made a satisfactory examination of the county.
Arriving at Miles City July second in the afternoon I found Dr. Lull awaiting me. I then purchased a new wagon and outfit for a party of four men including saddle horse and saddle and general equipment.
Dr. Lull told me of the student who wishes to join the party and I told him I thought this young man would be very acceptable that we have the one saddle horse in the team. He is to provide his own saddle bridle and equipement and is to come by stage to this Post office which is ninety miles from Miles and about twenty five from the head of Hell Creek out detination. This arangement met his approval I trust it is satisfactory with you.
He instructed him to come out on the stage a week from Monday when the cook can go in and bring him out.
I am sorry I cannot announce any bones in site but as long as there is plenty of country there is hope. This P. O. is in the Ligmite series and I dont expect to find Laramie till near Hell Creek. I will neccessitate fewighting over a hundred miles unless I can find a ferry accross the Missouri . The distance to the Great Northern is about eighty miles. I should like to hear how the Clavarourous coming onto and how things progress at the Museum.
Dr. Lull is a very companiable man and I anticipate a good summer work with him.
I have on hand seventy two dollars and will enclose vouchers for expedition. I purchased a good outfit and expect to realize nearly full value when we see in the face.
Very sincerely yours
Barnum Brown
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