T H E C I N C I N N A T I ARCH

A Creator of Early Geologists

by DR. WILLIAM H. SHIDELER

of the Geology Department of Miami Universityas told to The Dry Dredgers of Cincinnati

THE DRY DREDGERS

In 1937 the University of Cincinnati announced a series ofevening lectures on "Cincinnati 400,000,000 years ago." Thelectures were given by Dr. Bucher and Prof. Von Schlichten andDr. Carlson. On the week ends, after each lecture, Dr. KennethCaster conducted the class on "field trips" to places of geologicinterest around Cincinnati which is one of the most interestingplaces in the world geologically. Those planning the course hadexpected about 30 to sign up, but 150 came.

For the next three or four years the course was continuedwith lectures on geology, paleontology, and local Indian materialwith about the same enthusiastic people in the audience. Fieldtrips were taken in the spring and fall under Dr. Caster's guidance.Then an association of amateur geologists was formed for furtherstudy. This was called "The Dry Dredgers" from the quotationfrom James Hall that "geology dry dredges the sea bottoms ofantiquity." This association has continued for ten years. Wemeet once a month in the Geology Building at U. C. Dr. Casterhas instructed us in paleontology and guided us in our explorationsand given most liberally of his time, enthusiasm, and knowledge.Some members have made splendid collections of fossils.

Many famous geologists have been on our programs. Dr.Shideler of the Geology Department of Miami University hasaccompanied us on many trips and annually gives us a talk. Thefollowing is from his great store of information of historical facts.

EDITH FOX

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INFORMAL TALK OF DR. SHIDELER

The area covered by the outcrops of rock across the Cincin-nati Arch has probably produced a greater number of top rankinggeologists, as well as amateurs, than any similar area in America.I have a list, undoubtedly incomplete, of 98 people who haveeither been born and raised on the Arch, or have lived parts of theirlives upon it and have contributed more or less to the science ofGeology. This list includes such geological giants as Shaler,Ulrich, Schuchert and Bassler, Twenhofel, Bucher, and Foerste, aswell as scores of lesser lights.

Apparently a combination of two factors was responsible forthe unique record of this region. One factor was the type of peopleto be found living here. The great majority of those showing aninterest in Geology have been either of Scotch or English ancestry,or have been German, the two types that have contributed somuch to the cultural evolution of this part of America. But prob-ably the greatest single factor is the geology of this area. One ofthe older geological formations of the earth has been bulged upinto the broad uplift known to geologists everywhere as the Cin-cinnati Arch and has been exposed by subsequent erosion. De-spite the great age of these formations exposed in the CincinnatiArch, upwards of 400 million years, there is an amazingly perfectpreservation of the life types which lived in the oceans in whichwere built up the limestones and shales that make up our bedrock. Fossils of beautifully complete preservation are not onlyfound actually by the millions, but there is a great variety of forms.

To a person with a static type of mind all these beautifullypreserved fossils have no meaning whatever, any more than havethe pebbles in a gravel bed along a stream. But a person with anactive, inquiring, dynamic type of mind cannot but be intriguedby them. Such a person sees such remains, not just as mere pebbleshelping to build up a rock, but as the remains of once living crea-tures. What kind of animals lived in these shells, or built up thehorn corals? Under what kind of conditions did they live? Didthey have their problems of existence, too? Did they too havetheir periods of prosperity, of depression, of recession, of war?Why did they become extinct? What mistakes of omission orcommission did they make? Can we profit by their mistakes?And so on and on.

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What started out as a bit of casual curiosity has in certaincases gone on into an absorbing interest, a hobby, which in somecases has led into a professional life in the subject.

Some professional geologists got their interest aroused as smallboys, by finding a single interesting specimen. Many amateursdid not become interested until middle age.

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Dry Dredgers at Work in Railroad Cut Near Cincinnati

My experience has been quite similar to those of many others,the finding of an interesting fossil. As a small boy of nine, Idredged up a handful of gravel off the bottom of the old swimminghole on Dick's Creek, east of Middletown, Ohio. When I lookedat my catch I saw, right on top, a most intriguing object whichseemed to be looking right at me. Popping it into my mouth tokeep it safe, I took it home to my grandmother, who pronouncedit a trilobite. "But, what's a trilobite?" She didn't know, exceptthat it was the fossil of an animal that lived in those parts whenthey were all covered by the sea. The idea that the Dick's Creekarea had once been covered by the ocean was certainly a stunnerto me. Moreover, she told me where, farther up the creek, I mightfind more. I went as directed, and have been picking up fossilsever since. My experience was exactly that of geological giantssuch as Schuchert and Ulrich, as well as many other lesser lights.

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Robert Fulton and Willis Kemper were middle-aged lawyersbefore they noticed the fossil marine life along their path fromWalnut Hills to their downtown law offices. They, like manyothers, became ardent collectors and students of fossils.

Collectors are of two general types. Many possessed of a col-lecting hobby have all of the collecting instincts of a packrat.They merely accumulate and store up material, without evermaking any particular use of that material. I am glad to reportthat to my knowledge very few fossil collectors are of that type.The other type of fossil collector is the one who becomes so in-trigued by the questions as to what, how, why, and when, asmentioned earlier, that an honest effort is made to find the an-swers. That is the really scientific type, the type that has contrib-uted so much to our knowledge of local geology.

Any collecting hobby appeals to a certain possessive or ac-quisitive instinct that seems inherent in most people. And topossess something rare or unique, something nobody else has,seems to have an especially powerful appeal. And the knowledgethat one may discover something entirely new to science and socontribute to the advancement of geological information, appealsto the joy of discovery that most people have innately in them.

Another appeal is that of having something you discovernamed after you, and so having your name embalmed in scientificnomenclature and perpetuated for as long as civilization mayendure, thus gaining a sort of scientific immortality.

Still another appeal is getting out into the open where one cansee and appreciate all the beauties of nature, the flowers in thespring, the cool ravines during the summer, the autumnal color-ation of the leaves and fields, and the birds and the opalescentchanging of the clouds any season of the year.

Fossils have an intellectual appeal to many people with aninquisitive type of mind, as indicated earlier in this talk.

Last but not least is getting out into the fresh air, getting somereal exercise, building up the effects of ultraviolet and generallycharging up the old battery for the strain put upon it by a hardwinter.

I think that as a hobby it has it all over the collecting ofstamps, coins, and other stuff that should be left to the invalid,the aged or the physically handicapped who can't get into therough-going frequented by the fossil collector.

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For all these reasons I think that you have the answer as towhy the study of fossils makes a good hobby, and why so manyof these hobbies have expanded into a profession, that of Geol-ogist.

The history of Cincinnati fossil collectors may be divided intoa number of periods. In the early period we find John Locke,David Christy, and N. S. Shaler. A number of fossil collectorswere at work as early as the early 1830's. Christy's geologicalletters were published in 1848. Miami University bought Christy'scollection about 1858, paying $5,000 for it, an almost unheard ofsum for such a purpose, in those days.

The golden age of the fossil collectors was between 1870 and1900. Ulrich at twenty was curator of geology in the CincinnatiSociety of Natural History. This was in 1877. Schuchert wasactive at the same time. Later both were Penrose Medal recipi-ents, the highest recognition a geologist may win in America. Mostof the 98 names on my list of fossil collectors and students wereactive at this time. And at this time were accumulated most ofthe great famous collections, now the prized possessions of theirowners.

The C. B. Dyer collection of 8}4 tons went to Harvard. Theoriginal Faber collection was purchased by the University ofChicago for $5,000. This included the cream of the S. A. Millercollection, the residue of that being acquired by the University ofCincinnati. The second Faber collection is here at U. C. TheHarris, Ulrich, Bassler, Foerste and Austin collections went to theNational Museum. The Vaupel, Ashermann and Fred Brauncollections went to Yale. The James and Haines collections joinedthe Faber collection at Chicago.

The Dark Ages may be dated from 1900 to 1910. A fastertempo of living seemed to be part of the story. The most inspir-ing of the old-timers had either turned professional and movedout or had died off. The younger generation seemed to have littletime for mature mental reflection. The transition wasn't an abruptone, but had been creeping up through the late nineties. Foerste,Austin, Bassler and Twenhofel were exceptions.

About 1910 Charles Faber began to have more leisure on hishands and went back to his first love, fossils. He was largely in-strumental for the awakening of interest in Vaupel, Ashermann,

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Twitchell, Schlemmer, and others. Fulton and Kemper developeda new interest. The Renaissance was on.

As a part of this rebirth of interest in fossils, the Dry Dredgerscame into being. There is no need of my telling you how the DryDredgers came to be, how and why it operates, what makes ittick, since you know all about it. You are a part of it and it is apart of you.

Probably most professionals will look down their noses at suchan organization as the Dry Dredgers. But each member is a po-tential contributor to our knowledge. Many of the so-calledamateurs of the past have made really worth-while contributions-Many obituaries and eulogies on the pages of the old Journal ofthe Cincinnati Society of Natural History attest to that fact.

Excepting the present membership of the Dry Dredgers, itmay be asked just what kind of people were these Golden Ageamateurs? What did they do for a living? Probably the old child-hood ditty will do as well as any. "Rich man, poor man, beggarman, thief, doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief." All kinds! That isreally almost exactly the way it has been. As to what thesepeople were, lawyers headed the list, which at first thought israther surprising, since they are not usually thought of as beingparticularly scientific. Doctors were a close second, which is tobe expected of people trained in the sciences. School teachers werethird but away below the doctors and lawyers and this again issurprising, since teachers are supposed to be mentally alert andup on their toes. But possibly they were too busy trying to getalong on the pittance that teachers got during most of the pastcentury to have any time for hobbies. Then came merchants. Abanker built up a very noted collection of fossils, now in theNational Museum. A soap manufacturer was "Mr. Rich Man."The list of some 75 who have made definite contributions to ourknowledge of the life of ancient times includes merchants, aplumber, a photographer, real estate operators, a foreman in anecktie factory, an artist and so on and on.

But in the whole list there isn't a single minister, which is verysurprising to me. But possibly they keep their eyes turned upwardinstead of downward and you can't find fossils that way. I don'tknow just what the ditty meant by "chief," whether policechief, fire chief, or what. And as regards "thief," to the best of

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my knowledge no fossil collector was ever convicted of the crime.But I have heard of one mineral collector who went bad.

Of course you understand that in the case of any kind of acollecting hobby — it isn't supposed to be good form to ask acollector where and how he got any particular item. This goeswhether he collects stamps, coins, antiques, fossils, or what.

Creek at Morrow, Ohio

The old-timers in Cincinnati told the following story: Twoold German fossil hunters were buddies but great rivals. Onefound a specimen which was particularly coveted by the other,who tried repeatedly but unsuccessfully to trade or talk him outof it. One Sunday evening the covetous one visited his buddy tolook over his collection and especially to see the specimen hewanted so badly. The host, following the local German custom,produced a tall bottle of wine. As the wine went down, the spiritof good fellowship went up and the host finally mellowed to theplace where he decided that after all his guest was a pretty goodfellow and since he desired the specimen so very much, he said hisguest might just as well have it. Whereupon the guest laughedand said, "Ach! Hab'ihn jetzt!" "Oh! Got 'im already." And hehad, safely stowed away in his pocket!

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Ulrich was what you would call "a field man." It was quitean interesting experience to go on a field trip with him and getthe old boy started reminiscing around the campfire at night upon Georgian Bay or in upper Michigan.

Faber knew the early geologists but like the typical old-timerhe was very secretive and very suspicious. He wasn't telling any-body anything. It took me two years to get him softened up andeducated so that he was willing to come out with his information.So we started going around to a number of the old secret localitieswhere S. A. Miller got his types. We went to Versailles, Indiana,and along the old Post road between Versailles and Osgood to aparticular flat which was nicely exposed in the old days. A coupleof dozen of Miller's types had come from that place. Now it isovergrown by old locust trees nearly a foot in diameter and not asquare inch exposed.

Then we went to Richmond, a site of some more of Miller'stype specimens. The Starr Piano factory was built on that spot.One locality in Kentucky where he found those famous sponges,Brachiospongia, now present in only a few of the geologicalmuseums, the exact location of which he still kept secret, Fabertold me sadly that he went down to the old state capitol, wentacross the bridge, across the Kentucky River, angled off to theleft and found a magnificent new capitol building right on the oldcorn field where he used to find those fossils.

There's a place back of Covington where they found somespecial things. He took me over there to initiate me into theplace. They had a concrete wall two feet thick and thirty feethigh built along the hillside to prevent a landslide onto the rail-road track. And that was another place that had gone bad.

Now the old-time collecting was quite a chore. We didn'thave automobiles in those days. It all had to be done either onfoot or with horse and buggy. Some of these people, take Ulrichfor example, made no bones of being very, very poor, back in thosedays. He had told me how he got started in the fossil business togive me some inkling of just how much it meant in his life. He, too,had gotten started finding fossils in his early days. He wasdestined to be a doctor. Ultimately his father sent him up towhat's Baldwin-Wallace now to take a pre-medic course. Thesecond year he was up there, the old man issued an ultimatum."Quit fooling around with those blankety-blank fossils or come

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back home and get to work. I'm not going to stake you to anymore education." He stopped his college work and came backhome as a lithograph artist and kept on with his study of fossils.

During the golden age of fossil collecting there were few whowere classed as even comfortably fixed financially. Some weredownright poor. And it did take cash for car and train fare. Eventhough a horse and buggy could be hired all day for a dollar, thatdollar was a scarce item, not easily gotten. One example willillustrate the common procedure.

When E. 0. Ulrich, who probably knew more about the olderlife of the earth than anybody who has ever lived, used to visitOxford, he is said to have frequently had only a nickel beyond hiscar fare and his ticket from and to the old Baymiller St. stationof the C. H. & D. R. R. But that five cents, judiciously investedin a beer at the Junction House, Cormiers, Mother Pfeiffer's, orany one of the other three oases then in Oxford, entitled him topartake of the free lunch which was bountifully and generouslyprovided. If I told you just what that meant you wouldn't be-lieve me, so I will refer to page 267 of "The Serene Cincinnatians,"as authority.

Just think of it! These days we would call all of that Smorgas-bord and expect to pay $2.00, and the liquid refreshment would beextra. Verily, "them was the days," when a paleontologist couldadequately fuel up for an afternoon's labors for the price of anickel!

Also back in those days, especially about Cincinnati here, youhad many knobs. Those knobs were leveled off down to partic-ular layers. Certain of these layers where the leveling off processstopped weathered quite a number of years before they were builtover. Some of these levels where you now have school grounds andbuilt up residences, had species of fossils of types of which few havebeen found since. Those really were the golden ages here at Cin-cinnati. You have to go farther out now before you find anythingof that kind. And I don't mean to intimate that you don't stillhave opportunities. New road cuts are blossoming out all overthe place. Roads are being recut and widened. With a little bitof weather probably you have just as much in the way of oppor-tunity now as you've ever had. Of course, back in the old dayssome trips were simply camping trips. You carried the stuff on

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your back and took out across country and investigated as youwent.

I have slept more than once on the soft side of the rock of aquarry and slept in many a fence corner and wasn't exactly avagabond either.

Once on a camping trip through Adams Co. in pre-Ford dayswe traveled until dark before camping for the night in a fencecorner. We had bought some food at a little country store, andeating this in the dusk we were rather intrigued by the piquantflavor of the cheese. In the light of the next morning we found thecheese to be full of skippers. You don't seem to know what skip-pers are! Well, you haven't missed much. Skippers are littlemaggots that can jump. After all, I suppose that the big differ-ence between our cheese and ordinary brands was in the size ofthe bugs.

On a trip to Versailles, Ind., we traveled in a 1911 Reo. Therewas no U. S. Highway 50 in those days. The first night we "campedin," meaning that we went to a rather primitive local hotel.Now Faber was quite a chunk of a man, and how much he weighedhe never would say. During the night the admittedly ricketybed collapsed, and the next morning the landlady made a deter-mined effort to collect the price of the bed, but Faber had differentideas as to responsibility for the accident.

I have mentioned the Christy collection, acquired by MiamiUniversity. Some years ago when the University of Chicagodepartment of geology was cleaning house we were given some oftheir unwanted material. Included were fossils distinctly marked"Christy Collection." The Christy collection had disappearedfrom Miami when that institution was closed between 1873 and1885. Chicago had bought the collection from James Hall whooperated out of Albany, N. Y. Just who had swiped the collectionand sold it to Hall hasn't been determined. Other material fromthe Christy collection has come back in similar ways. Perhapssomebody might work up a thesis on "The Homing Instinct ofFossils."

I certainly enjoyed talking to you. Thank you very much.