Jensen, Utah, Oct. 22, 1909



My dear Stewart:

Yesterday I recd your letter of Oct. 5. Had just returned to Vernal. Am having trouble to get alcohol & Plaster but am in a fair way to get them soon though merchants have had to wait weeks for freight.

I think you are wise to keep this thing a going. I know it will be cold, especially after the holidays and it would be nice to go back and be in nice warm rooms in the cold weather, but I feel that it would not be safe or wise to leave this thing now. So far as I know there is no such specimen of a large Dinosaur in any of the museums. I believe now that we will get the skull. The neck is turned back upon itself and the portion going toward the head is behind the other part of the neck. I do not dare to go in from this side so will probably have to wait until we get in back of this part before we will know. Some bones are out of place but I believe I have not struck a bone that I am sure belongs to this animal that is not complete from end to end unless it came to the surface.

But this is not all. With this huge reptile and just above its neck I have found the pelvis, hind limb, and about 15 or 16 vertebrae of the tail of a little Dinosaur with vertebrae in succession and right after the others as in life - or death. It bids fair to be as good as the large one, in fact it ought to be better for it was so small that it would be covered much more quickly and there would be less danger of disturbance of the bones.

This, I judge, must be one of three things: (1) a young Brontosaurus which, I believe is unknown, (2) an undescribed dinosaur (3) or something that is known by only a few bones.

But I am much at disadvantage on account of not having the literature on dinosaurs, especially Marsh's monograph. I need this very much. If you havent sent one would you see if you cant find a copy that you can spare me? Also the bulletin of the American Mus. of Nat. Hist. which describes the skeleton of Brontosaurus Marsh in the museum. I will drop a line to Miss Gittings also.

I think I will soon have all the material I need to work with. Last Monday I sent two teams about 55 miles for lumber. I could not get a new board in Vernal. They cant get teams to haul it down. It will probably cost $70 to $80 to get 1800 feet of lumber here. The plaster will cost probably between $70 & $100. I tried to get a barrel of alcohol. Succeeded in ordering 25 gal. in Grand Junction. I get it for 85c/ per gal. & freight. That probably will not be enough but the Vernal Drug Co. has ordered a barrel and I can get what I want at $1.00 per gal.

I have got to have some kind of apparatus for lifting heavy blocks. I suppose a chain block, with a capacity of about 6000 or 8000 lbs would be the best. I think the one Arthur bought for the museum would not be heavy enough. I can send to Kansas City and get a "Burr Steel Safety Lift," with a capacity of 5000 lbs which might do. The specimen should be taken up in blocks as large as possible for it will not do to injure so fine a specimen any more than is absolutely necessary. You see the rock is highly tilted and blocks above or from the top should be lifted free from those below and swing out and landed on "go-devil" [sketch].

Would you kindly send a lot of these envelopes with books, smaller size also? Stamped ones preferred. You would better send books by mail if as convenient. It is more convenient at this end.

If we succeed in getting lumber we can build shed over dinosaur put a stove in and be comfortable in most any weather. It would not require such a large shed as the thing is so bent on itself that it probably would not need to be more than 20 or 25 ft long. This would keep rain away also.

Well this is enough for this time.



Yours as ever,

Earl Douglass