Jensen, Utah, November 22, 1922



Dr. Geo. P. Merrill,

Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, D.C.



My dear Mr. Merrill  



Your letter of November 11th, in which you made inquiries relating to the removing of seletons of Diplodocus for the Smithsonian Institution at the Dinosaur National Monument, was received a few days ago.  The higher estimate which I made in the telegram to you was what I consider about an average.  The work might be done for a little less, while on the other hand it might cost more if the limbs of the lower skelton (No. 340) prove to be present, or if the tail of the upper skeleton No. 355 should go far down below the level of the present excavation, or if in the removing of these specimens more bones or skeletons should come to light.



I will try to make the matter clearer than was possible by a telegram and then you will see why the estimate was astonishingly low considering the size of the   , the  of the rock, and the amout of excavating which is necessary to bring these large skeletons to light and quarry them out of the rock.  The Carnegie Museum has already discovered and  partly uncovered these skeletons, in a project like this there is much work outside the quarry such as building and maintaing roads, trails, and bridges, making temporary dewellings for the workers etc, but this work has been done here and  at the present time everything is in good condition, though a new crew would require new quarters.