Charles Hazelius Sternberg and his San Juan Basin Cretaceous dinosaur collections: Correspondence and photographs (1920-1925)

Full text

429
Sullivan et al., eds., 2011, Fossil Record 3. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin 53.
CHARLES HAZELIUS STERNBERG AND HIS SAN JUAN BASIN
CRETACEOUS DINOSAUR COLLECTIONS:
CORRESPONDENCE AND PHOTOGRAPHS (1920-1925)
ROBERT M. SULLIVAN
1
AND SPENCER G. LUCAS
2
1
Section of Paleontology and Geology, The State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North Street, Harrisburg, PA 17120;
2
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104
Charles Hazelius Sternberg (June 15, 1850 to July 20, 1943; Fig.
1) is well known among vertebrate paleontologists for the scientifically
important dinosaur fossils, and other fossil vertebrates, that he collected
in North America. He, and his sons Charles M., George and Levi, col-
lected many famous dinosaur specimens, some of them truly magnifi-
cent, such as the duck-bill “trachodon mummies” housed at the American
Museum of Natural History in New York and at the Senckenberg Mu-
seum in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Many of his fine and unique
specimens were sold to museums across the United States, Canada and
Europe, and C.H. Sternberg was quite proud to have his vertebrate fos-
sils exhibited at so many prominent institutions. In fact, Sternberg made
a “living” of collecting and selling dinosaurs bones and other fossils, not
only to museums, but also to private commercial enterprises such as
Ward’s Natural Science Establishment. To some people this may sound
FIGURE 1. Charles Hazelius Sternberg (1850-1943). Photograph taken by H. Cleves on 17 February 1922. Photograph courtesy of the San Diego Natural
History Museum library archives.
like a truly romantic life to lead, collecting dinosaurs and other fossils for
a living. But, in reality, his life was one of constant hardship, trying to
stay out of debt, and engaging in hard physical labor in the field, working
well beyond what most people now consider retirement age. Indeed,
because Sternberg had no money, no pension, and in his time there was
no social security, he was forced to work into old age, well into his 70s.
The tragic irony is that many of the fine dinosaur skeletons that Sternberg
sold museums are now considered priceless, worth hundreds of thou-
sands, if not millions of dollars by today’s standards. He sold many of
them to museums for a mere pittance, often not even covering his ex-
penses to collect them.
Among the Late Cretaceous fossil vertebrates from the San Juan
Basin, New Mexico, that were collected by Sternberg over three field
seasons (1921-23) are many dinosaurs, crocodylians and numerous turtles.

430
FIGURE 2. Sternberg’s famous hoodoo. Both photographs were taken by Wesley Bradford of the American School of Research (now School of American
Research) in Santa Fe. Bradford had been at Pueblo Bonito and joined C.H. Sternberg for a day at Meyer’s Creek (now Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash) to photograph
Sternberg’s field area. The top photograph (Sternberg’s no.113.11) is from the San Diego Natural History Museum Library and was the photograph
published in Sternberg’s book Hunting Dinosaurs in the Bad Lands of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada (2
nd
edition). The bottom photograph
(Sternberg’s no. 113.12) is from the archives of the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala. This photograph, and others (some of which are published here for
the first time), were sent to Dr. Carl Wiman along with documentation of the fossil vertebrate collection sold to Uppsala University in 1921. It was
captioned by C.H. Sternberg, “Under this monument I got a turtle with 2 others within 10 ft. same level. Indian boy to the right my Navajo Dan Padilla
who was my chief assistant 5 months.” While the two photographs are similar, they are actually different. Dan Padilla (standing) has moved to the left,
from behind the hoodoo in the bottom photograph. The hoodoo was rediscovered by R. M. Sullivan in the summer of 2003 and published by Lucas and
Sullivan (2003). Top photograph courtesy of the San Diego Natural History Museum; bottom photograph © Museum of Evolution, University of Uppsala,
used with permission.

431
Most of these specimens were acquired by three principle institutions:
the American Museum of Natural History, New York (AMNH); the
Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago (FMNH); and the Mu-
seum of Evolution (formerly the Paleontological Museum), Uppsala
University, Sweden (PMU). Among the most notable of his dinosaur
specimens are: three skulls of Pentaceratops sternbergii, the holotype
(AMNH 6325), named in honor of C.H. Sternberg (Osborn, 1923); the
holotype skull of Pentaceratops fenestratus (PMU.R 200), named and
described by Wiman (1930) together with a postcranial skeleton and
lower jaws of Pentaceratops (PMU.R268), and an undescribed skull
(AMNH 1624); the holotypes of two species of Parasaurolophus, P.
tubicen (PMU.R1250), named and described by Wiman (1931) with
supplemental studies by Mateer (1981) and Sullivan and Williamson
(1999); and P. cyrtocristatus (FMNH P27393), named by Ostrom (1961,
1963). Sternberg also collected a partial crocodylian skull (PMU.R231),
named Goniopholis kirtlandicus by Wiman (1932), but later placed in a
new genus Denazinosuchus by Lucas and Sullivan (2003a), and a number
of fossil turtles, none of which were new taxa (Wiman, 1933).
The story of C.H. Sternberg’s collecting in the Upper Cretaceous
strata of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico, began in 1921, when he was
71, and living in California. Sternberg entered a contract with Dr. Carl
Wiman (University of Uppsala) in February 1921, who had previously
acquired some of Sternberg’s Kansas Chalk specimens. His contract with
Wiman was to collect fossil vertebrates in the Lance Formation of Wyo-
ming, the Hell Creek Formation of eastern Montana and the Blackfoot
Indian Reservation, east of Glacier National Park in Montana. However,
for unknown reasons, Sternberg never made it to these locales, possibly
because he did not obtain the necessary permits from the Secretary of the
Interior. Instead, he departed for New Mexico on May 4
th
, 1921.
Sternberg’s 1921 field expedition to northwestern New Mexico
was later recounted in two chapters that he added to the second edition
of his memoirs “Hunting Dinosaurs in the Bad Lands of the Red Deer
River, Alberta, Canada,” first published privately by Sternberg in 1917
(Sternberg, 1933). This second edition was reprinted later (Sternberg,
1985). Here, he writes of his trials and tribulations collecting in the
Upper Cretaceous rocks of the San Juan Basin, from his quick and
unexpected return to California (from Thoreau, NM) to tend to his wife
after the removal of an 8 pound tumor (then back to Thoreau one month
later, after her successful recovery), to the discovery of a Pentaceratops,
one of three nearly complete skulls of this chasmosaurine that he col-
lected. This brief account describes his contact with the Navajo people,
and his stop at Pueblo Bonito (at Chaco Canyon) where he hired the first
of two Navajo assistants, Dan Padilla. Sternberg met up with geologist
John B. Reeside, Jr. (U.S. Geological Survey), who pioneered the study
of the rocks of the San Juan Basin in the early 1900’s and who discovered
some of the first dinosaur remains there. Reeside literally showed Sternberg
the lay of the land and all the principal exposures that yielded vertebrate
fossils, and Sternberg credited Reeside for his success in the field. Through-
out these two short chapters Sternberg also recounts his daily routine,
his enthrallment with the exposures of the Fruitland and Kirtland forma-
tions and the vast, awesome landscape of which they are a part.
Sternberg notes the discovery of three Adocus specimens by Ned
Shouver, his other Navajo assistant, close to the base of the hoodoo along
the exposures at Meyer’s Creek (Fig. 2). He also describes torrential
rains and storms, bitter cold and freezing temperatures and dealing with
violent wind and blowing sandstorms that wreaked havoc on his camp.
In his account of collecting the Pentaceratops skeleton (PMU.R286) at
Meyer’s Creek, Sternberg writes of lifting the block containing the pelvis
with a tripod rig that collapsed, almost crushing his Navajo assistants,
and working with wet plaster, causing his fingers to crack and bleed due
FIGURE 3. Sternberg’s turtles from Meyer’s Creek (now Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash) photographed in his San Diego work shop/prep lab, presumably by Sternberg,
circa 1922-23. They appear to be Neurankylus baueri, and are from left to right: nos. 6, 9, and 19, and all three may have been sold to Ward’s Natural
Science Establishment (see letter to Davies October 16
th
, 1924). In a letter to W.D. Matthew, Sternberg mentions two turtles by number, no. 6 and no. 19,
saying of the latter… “The best in the collection.” Matthew telegraphed him: “Regret we cannot buy your specimens. Will write response.” D. Larson has
identified Sternberg’s no. 9 turtle as ROM 864 (Neurankylus baueri), purchased by the Royal Ontario Museum in 1933. The whereabouts of the other two
turtles are unknown and they do not conform with specimens in the collections of the Museum of Evolution, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, and are not
in the collections of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. Photographs courtesy of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.

432
FIGURE 4. Meyer’s Creek (now Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash). Top photograph, Sternberg no. 113.13, taken from on top of the badlands. Bottom photograph,
Sternberg’s no. 113.8, was labeled “hadrosaur skeleton quarry,” but this quarry is the same quarry pictured in Figure 5 (figured in Sternberg, 1933, 1985),
where Sternberg collected a Pentaceratops skeleton, PMU.R268). The bottom photograph is noteworthy because, with magnification, a man is visible to
the left at a distance and there are two containers, one of them a milk can, in the foreground on the right. Photographs were taken by Mr. Wesley Bradfield.
Both photographs courtesy of the San Diego Natural History Museum library archives.

433
FIGURE 5. C.H. Sternberg collecting a Pentaceratops skeleton (PMU.R268) at Meyer’s Creek (now Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash). The quarry’s exact location is
presently unknown, but Sternberg (1933) described it as being along the escarpment base “about six feet above the level plain, in the side of a huge clay and
sandstone butte that towered a hundred feet above.” The photographs are unnumbered but probably were Sternberg’s nos. 113.7 and 113.6, respectively,
and were taken by Mr. Wesley Bradfield on the same day as the others in this series. Both photographs courtesy of the San Diego Natural History Museum
library archives.

434
FIGURE 6. Field sketch of a Pentaceratops skull (AMNH 1624) by Levi Sternberg. This drawing was enclosed in a letter, dated 17 July 1923 from C.H.
Sternberg and sent to Dr. W.D. Matthew at the American Museum of Natural History, N.Y. Drawing courtesy of the Vertebrate Paleontology Archives,
American Museum of Natural History, New York.
to the intense cold. He recounts the time when he got lost, walking across
Meyer’s Creek to rendezvous with Dan and Ned on the opposite (north-
ern) mesa. When they failed to show, Sternberg continued his trek to
Royal Davis’s store (= Ojo Alamo store, nearly 14 miles [22 km] to the
north, but Sternberg stated 30 miles [48 km]) and ended up walking for
miles into the night before coming upon a Navajo residence, where he
was given breakfast and then taken to Davis’s Store, only one mile [1.6
km] away.
Many of the photographs (Figs. 2, 4-5, 8[left], 9-11, 12[top])
reproduced here were taken by Mr. Wesley Bradfield, who was a pho-
tographer for the American School of Research in Santa Fe. Mr. Bradfield
came up from Pueblo Bonito (Chaco Canyon) for a day to photograph
Sternberg in the field and to document his scenic collecting area along the
south branch of Meyer’s Creek (now known as Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash:
Sullivan, 2006). Some of these photographs, and lantern slides, are in the
archives of the San Diego Natural History Museum library, and unfortu-
nately the current condition of some of these images is poor. Fortunately,
a number of photographs were sent to Dr. Wiman (see letter to Wiman
dated 3 December 1921 in the Appendix), when the Museum of Evolu-
tion (Paleontological Museum), University of Uppsala, purchased many
of Sternberg’s fossils from this locality. These photographs are still in
superb condition, and many of them are published here for the first time.
The photographs in both institutions are numbered in the same way, the
lowest being “113.3” and the highest “113.19.” There is some overlap –
a duplicate photograph (Sternberg’s photograph no. 113.5) – but most of
the photographs reproduced here are from the Museum of Evolution,
University of Uppsala. These excellently-preserved photographs helped
us to re-locate Sternberg’s collecting sites along the exposures of Ah-shi-
sle-pah Wash in 2006.
The letters and telegrams from and to C.H. Sternberg cover the
years 1921 through 1924, and pertain to the vertebrate fossils Sternberg
collected from the San Juan Basin, New Mexico (see the Appendix). The
letters were compiled from the archives of the American Museum of
Natural History, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Field Museum
of Natural History, Museum of Evolution, University of Uppsala, and
the San Diego Museum of Natural History.
While some of the letters, packing lists and photographs have
been published before (Hunt et al., 1992; Lucas and Sullivan, 2003b;
Sullivan, 2006), this contribution brings together all the known corre-
spondence and photographs pertaining to Sternberg’s fossil vertebrate
collections from the San Juan Basin for the first time. This correspon-
dence is significant as it not only supplements the story presented by
Sternberg in his book (Sternberg, 1933), but it further chronicles his time
spent in the field, filling in the details of his expeditions, his financial
finagling with the selling of his collections to museums, as well as giving
us an insight into the physical, mental and financial challenges that he had
to endure during this time of his life.
Sternberg wrote a few letters by hand, and many of them, in
places, are illegible. Even Carl Wiman had difficulty deciphering Sternberg’s
handwriting. Thus, in a letter to Sternberg dated 14 December 1921,
Wiman wrote “Your lists were very difficult to read and I send you here
with a type-written copy. I should be very obliged if you would have the

435
FIGURE 7. Pentaceratops skull (AMNH 1624) in Sternberg’s San Diego workshop/prep lab in a building located in Balboa Park, probably taken by C.H.
Sternberg, circa 1923. The specimen was eventually purchased from C.H. Sternberg by the American Museum of Natural History, presumably after he tried
to sell it to the Field Museum in Chicago. This specimen is believed to have come from Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash (Meyer’s Creek) and is now in a panel mount
and has never been fully described. Photographs courtesy of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago.

436
FIGURE 8. “Sternberg’s stump” in situ. The photograph to the left, Sternberg’s no. 113.5, of a well-preserved fossil tree stump at Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash
(Meyer’s Creek), was taken by Wesley Bradfield in 1921 and published in Sternberg’s Hunting Dinosaurs in the Bad Lands of the Red Deer River, Alberta,
Canada (2
nd
edition). The photograph to the right, was taken in 2003. Note that little erosion had occurred over 80 years. Left photograph © Museum
of Evolution, University of Uppsala, used with permission; right photograph by R.M. Sullivan.

437
FIGURE 9. Two views showing the exposures of the Kirtland Formation, along the south side of Meyer’s Creek (now Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash). In the upper
photograph, Sternberg’s no. 111.3, there is a man standing on the top of the badlands to the left. Bottom photograph, Sternberg’s no. 113.9, is a along same
escarpment. The photographs were taken by Wesley Bradfield. Photographs © Museum of Evolution, University of Uppsala, used with permission.

438
FIGURE 10. Exposures of the Kirtland Formation, along the south side of Meyer’s Creek (now Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash). The upper photograph, Sternberg’s
no. 113.14, overlaps with the bottom, Sternberg’s no. 113.15, forming a panorama. The photographs were taken by Wesley Bradfield. Photographs ©
Museum of Evolution, University of Uppsala, used with permission.

439
FIGURE 11. Exposures of the Kirtland Formation, along the south side of Meyer’s Creek (now Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash). The upper photograph, Sternberg’s
no. 113.16, was “labeled above camp not far from 113.13.” Unfortunately we do not know where Sternberg camped. The bottom photograph, Sternberg’s
no. 113.19, was captioned “Tree stumps on level valley of Meyer’s Cr. near my camp on the sand dunes on top of the Mesa South side.” Photographs were
taken by Wesley Bradfield. Photographs © Museum of Evolution, University of Uppsala, used with permission.

440
FIGURE 12. Top photograph is labeled “Sand dunes of Meyer’s Creek, south branch” (Sternberg’s no. 113.18). This is looking west along the drainage of
Ah-shi-sle-pah Wash, with exposures of the Fruitland Formation in the distance. Bottom photograph, Pentaceratops sternbergii (AMNH 6325, holotype
skull) named and described by Osborn (1923). This is a photo of the unrestored skull as figured by Osborn (1923). The locality of the skull was given as “9
miles NE of Tsaya, New Mexico,” which places it in the Fossil Forest Natural Research Area of present day. Old abandoned quarries in the Fossil Forest area
have been attributed to Charles H. Sternberg and it is the area where the holotype of Pentaceratops sternbergii probably came from (Hunt, 1991; Hunt and
Lucas, 2003). The Fruitland-Kirtland boundary runs through the Fossil Forest Natural Research Area (Brown, 1983), and it is more likely that the skull
came from the lower Kirtland Formation (Hunter Wash Member), not from the Fruitland Formation, to which it has been attributed (Hunt and Lucas,
2003). Top photograph © Museum of Evolution, University of Uppsala, used with permission; bottom photograph courtesy of the American Museum of
Natural History library.

441
FIGURE 13. The restored skull of Pentaceratops sternbergii. Top photograph, AMNH 6325 (holotype); bottom photograph, AMNH 1624 (see Figs. 6-
7). Photographs courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History library.

442
FIGURE 14. Top photograph, holotype of Pentaceratops fenestratus (PMU.R 200), now considered to be P. sternbergii, on display at the Museum of
Evolution, University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden (note the incomplete skull and narial crest of the holotype of Parasaurolophus tubicen behind and
Sternberg’s San Juan Basin turtles farther back); bottom photograph, close-up of the narial crest of the holotype skull of Parasaurolophus tubicen
(PMU.R1250). Photos by R.M. Sullivan.

443
FIGURE 15. Sternberg’s hoodoo. This is the same hoodoo depicted in Figure 2, rediscovered in the summer of 2003. Top photograph, taken in 2003 (left,
Warwick Fowler sitting; right, Denver W. Fowler standing). Bottom photograph, composite photograph taken in 2009 (Steven E. Jasinski squatting, left;
Steven Jasinski standing, right). Photographs by R.M. Sullivan.

444
REFERENCES
Brown, J.L., 1983, Geologic and isopach maps of the Bisti, De-na-zin, and
Ah-she-sle-pah [sic] Wilderness Study areas, New Mexico: U.S. Geologi-
cal Survey, Map MF-1508-A (2 sheets).
Hunt, A.P., 1991, Integrated vertebrate, invertebrate and plant taphonomy
of the Fossil Forest area (Fruitland and Kirtland formations: Late Creta-
ceous), San Juan County, New Mexico, U.S.A.: Palaeogeography, Palaeo-
climatology, Palaeoecology, v. 88, p. 85-107.
Hunt, A.P. and Lucas, S.G., 2003, Origin and stratigraphy of historic dino-
saur quarries in the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation of the Fossil
Forest Research Natural Area, northwestern New Mexico: New Mexico
Geological Society, Guidebook 54, p. 383-388.
Hunt, A.P., Lucas, S.G. and Mateer, N.J., 1992, Charles H. Sternberg and the
collection of Late Cretaceous vertebrate fossils from the San Juan Basin,
New Mexico: New Mexico Geological Society, Guidebook 43, p. 241-
250.
Lucas, S.G. and Sullivan, R.M., 2003a, A new crocodylian from the Upper
Cretaceous of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico: Neues Jahrbuch für
Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte, v. 2003, p. 109-119.
Lucas, S.G. and Sullivan, R.M., 2003b, Cretaceous hoodoo, San Juan Basin:
New Mexico Geology, v. 25, p. 111.
Mateer, N.J., 1981, The reptilian megafauna from the Kirtland Shale (Late
Cretaceous) of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico; in Lucas, S.G., Rigby,
J.K., Jr. and Kues, B.S., eds., Advances in San Juan Basin paleontology:
Albuquerque, University of New Mexico Press, p. 49-75.
Osborn, H.F., 1923, A new genus and species of Ceratopsia from New Mexico,
Pentaceratops sternbergii: American Museum Novitates, v. 93, p. 1-3.
Ostrom, J.H., 1961, A new species of hadrosaurian dinosaur from the Creta-
ceous of New Mexico: Journal of Paleontology, v. 35, p. 575-577.
Ostrom, J.H., 1963, Parasaurolophus cyrtocristatus, a crested hadrosaurian
dinosaur from New Mexico: Fieldiana: Geology, v. 14, p. 143-168.
Sternberg, C.H., 1917, Hunting dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer
River, Alberta, Canada: Lawrence, published by Charles H. Sternberg
and World Company Press, xiii + 232 p., 52 figs. (First Edition)
Sternberg, C.H., 1933, Hunting dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer
River, Alberta, Canada: San Diego, Published by Charles H. Sternberg,
xv + 261 p., 60 figs. (Second Edition)
Sternberg, C.H., 1985, Hunting dinosaurs in the bad lands of the Red Deer
River, Alberta, Canada: Edmonton, NeWest Press, xxxvi + 235 p., 58
figs. (Third Edition)
Sullivan, R.M., 2006, Ah-shi-sle-pah Wilderness Study Area (San Juan Ba-
sin, New Mexico): a paleontological (and historical) treasure and re-
source: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin
34, p. 169-174.
Sullivan, R.M. and Williamson, T.E., 1999, A new skull of Parasaurolophus
(Dinosauria: Hadrosauridae) and a revision of the genus: New Mexico
Museum of Natural History and Science, Bulletin 15, 52 p.
Sullivan, R.M. and Williamson, T.E., 1997, Additions and corrections to
Sternberg’s San Juan Basin collection, Paleontological Museum, Univer-
sity of Uppsala, Sweden: New Mexico Geological Society, Guidebook
48, p. 255-257.
Wiman, C., 1930, Über Ceratopsia aus der Oberen Kreide in New Mexico:
Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis, Series 4, v. 7, p. 1-
19.
Wiman, C., 1931, Parasaurolophus tubicen n. sp. aus der Kreide in New
Mexico: Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis, series 4,
v. 7, p. 1-11.
Wiman, C., 1932, Goniopholis kirtlandicus n. sp. aus der Oberen Kreide in
New Mexico: Bulletin of the Geological Institute, University of Uppsala,
v. 23, p. 181-189.
Wiman, C., 1933, Über Schildkröten aus der Oberen Kreide in New Mexico:
Nova Acta Regiae Societatis Scientiarum Upsaliensis, series 4, v. 9, 35 p.
kindness to look it through and fill in the blanks, when possible, and
correct the mistakes if there should be any.” Some of the published letters
were previously transcribed from C.H. Sternberg’s handwritten letters. A
few of Sternberg’s letters were typed and annotated by him (by hand).
We have attempted to retain Sternberg’s original wording, but his hand-
writing makes accurate transcription in some places virtually next to
impossible. We have retained some of his non-technical errata, corrected
some of his spellings (where necessary), and have taken the liberty to
italicize taxonomic names. We have also introduced some punctuation
(where necessary) to make his letters more readable and have re-format-
ted them, in places, for consistency and readability, but, otherwise the
letters are transcribed as he wrote them. Coupled with the wonderful
photographs of Mr. Bradfield, these letters, lists of specimens, and tele-
grams, stand as important historical and paleontological documents in
the history of vertebrate paleontology.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH),
Department of Vertebrate Paleontology library, archives of the Cleve-
land Museum of Natural History (CMNH), the library of the Field
Museum of Natural History (FMNH), Chicago, the Museum of Evolu-
tion (Paleontological Museum), University of Uppsala, Uppsala, Swe-
den (PMU) and the San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM)
library, San Diego for access to their letters and photographs. Mark
Norell and Carl Mehring (AMNH), Evie Newell and Michael Ryan
(CMNH), William Simpson (FMNH), the late Solweig Stuenes (PMU)
and Tom Demere, and Kesler Randall (SDNHM) were of special assis-
tance in gathering the photographs and letters of Charles H. Sternberg
that made this contribution possible. We are very grateful to and thank
Jan Ove R. Ebbestad (PMU) for allowing us to publish Sternberg’s
photographs that were sent to Dr. Carl Wiman in 1921.We thank Derek
Larson (University of Toronto) for identifying Sternberg’s “no. 9” turtle
in Fig. 3 as ROM 864, purchased from Ward’s Natural Science Establish-
ment by the Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto) in 1933. Finally, we
thank Denver W. Fowler (Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman) and Justin
A. Spielmann (NMMNH) for reviewing this paper.

445
APPENDIX - STERNBERG’S SAN JUAN BASIN CORRESPONDENCE (1920-1925)
Documents complied from the archives of the Museum of Evolu-
tion (Paleontological Museum), University of Uppsala (Uppsala, Swe-
den), the American Museum of Natural History (New York), the Cleve-
land Museum of Natural History (Cleveland) and the San Diego Mu-
seum of Natural History (San Diego). See text for discussion.
Document 1.
[typed]
Balboa Park
San Diego, Calif. Nov. 21 -[19]20
Dear Dr. Wiman
I thank you most heartily for your paper on the material you
secured through Wards Natural History Establishment; and especially
do I thank you for the honor you give me of naming the new Clidastes
after me. I was very much pleased with your description.
For, though I always believed Dr. Osborn had mistaken the abnor-
mally developed curve of tail in his tylosaur he describes. I thought that
they were in all the mosasaurs as straight as a string. You have used my
own specimens to prove I was mistaken, and that a slight curve seems
natural, and that they had ichthyosaur like fins.
I find I never get too old to prove I am very liable to be mistaken
in judgement [sic] about fossils. Don’t you want to employ to go into
the Dinosaur field next season. I would work in Wyoming and Montana,
paying all expenses four months for the sum of $2500. I paying all the
expenses, furnish transportation and assistant. The only additional ex-
pense to you would be freight.
Or in case you cannot do this, will you promise to take 2000
dollars worth of Dinosaur material, in case I find satisfactory material, I
would expect in that case $1000 for a good Triceratops skull, and 1500 to
$2000 for a mountable skeleton of either a duck bill or a horned dinosaur
or a Carniverous [sic] skeleton that can be mounted. I sold a carnivore
and a duckbilled skeleton to the American Museum for $4000 and a
skeleton to the Senckenberg Museum Frankfort [sic] on the Main for
$2500 before the war.
Faithfully
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 2.
[typed]
Balboa Park
San Diego, Calif. Feb. 8, 1921
Dear Dr. Wiman:-
I was very glad to hear from you though I did not get the telegram.
I will cable you at once. Send money to me here any time. It will certainly
be a great accommodation if the entire sum is sent as it will cost so much
to secure transportation and men. However your bare word that you will
send me the money within four months will be acceptable I will furnish
the money myself.
It may be the first of June before I can get into the northern field.
Though I would like to go in May to Hell Cr[eek] Montana where so
many fine dinosaurs have been found. I would also like to look over the
Lance Beds in Niobrara Co., Wyo., and the Black Foot Indian Reserve of
Montana. In order to do this it will be necessary for you to send me a
letter in which you say I am in the employ of your University so that I
may get a permit from the Sec. of the Interior to go in there as we have a
law to that effect No one unemployed by a Museum or University are
allowed to go into an Indian Reserve.
I cable you to save time and hope you will answer the wire in the
same way.
I am sure you will be delighted with the 4 months results. I have
mounted here the material I collected last year as part of the year before
for the sum of $5000. A duck billed dinosaur, a skull of Ceratops, two
mosasaurs, three Portheus [and] a skeleton of Equus scotti.
Faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 3.
Upsala Universitets
Paleontologiska Institution
Upsala DEN 21 June 1921
Dear Mr. Sternberg,
I hope you will excuse that I have kept you waiting and that I have
been shifting, making you much trouble, but it has not been easy to
procure money at the present time. To day I have however been able to
cable the following telegram:
Rp 6 ord
Sternberg
Balboa Park
Sandiego[sic]-California
Offer accepted. To where are the 2500 dollars to be sent in Au-
gust.
Wiman
I hope that your offer stands fast still and in this case I want to
say you my thanks for your patience and to ask for your kind conve-
nience.
Yours very sincerely,
[signed] C. Wiman
Document 4.
Upsala Universitets
Paleontologiska Institution
Upsala DEN 21 June 1921
With this writing is officially testified that Mr. Ch. Sternberg,
when making his paleontological diggings at Black Foot Indian Reserve
of Montana is in the employment of the Royal University of Upsala,
Sweden
Document 5.
[handwritten]
Farmington, N. M. U.S.A.
July 11 1921
Care Royal Davis
My Dear Dr. Wiman:

446
I was indeed glad to receive your cable of the 21
st
. I answered it
“Among Dinosaurs, money to Glendale National Bank,” meaning Cali-
fornia, my home.
I have gotten to the field at great expense and when I reached my
head quarter at Thoreau, N. M. I learned that my wife was sick and must
be operated, I took the first train for Glendale Calif. and we took her next
day to the hospital where an 8 lb tumor was removed, I remained with
her a month and she is nearly well now.
I will not charge you for the time taken in coming here. But from
July 1
st
though I had spent some days here since June 16
th
exploring the
bad-lands.
I have already found a nearly perfect turtle and 6 or 8 more or less
perfect, so have also learned the horizons and now know the dinosaur
beds of the Ojo Alamo. They seem equivalent to the Belly River of
Alberta Canada. I have found already many bones of duck-billed and
other dinosaurs. This too is comparatively new 3 skulls have been found
2 of Kritosaurus. I believe that this is the best field for dinosaurs I can
reach for this season of the year. 3 of my sons with large parties in the
Red Deer beds have been at work there for 6 weeks already as the
exposures are limited and few and might get nothing there. I have here for
transportation a Ford truck automobile that cost me $1055, a heavy team
of horses + wagon + light wagon. The dinosaur beds are enormous in area
and with my car I can travel 12 to 15 miles an hour and reach all the beds
with team can go into them and haul out my material. I expect to make a
great collection of turtles and dinosaurs here. I have found two speci-
mens of straight ischia, no footed ones yet. Shall I collect shells and
plants here. I found a fine locality at Pueblo Bonito where I got some fine
Inoceramus shells. They may be new. Shall I ship a fine series to you? I
am 55 miles south of Kimbeto, a government station for Navajo Indians.
My address will be as above. I paid for this answer to cable as I could not
reach a postal telegraph office.
Faithfully,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 6.
[handwritten]
Kimbeto N. Mex,
Post Office Farmington
N. Mex.
July 21 1921
Dear Dr. Wiman:-
I was delighted to receive your letter with enclosure. As I wrote
you, my best judgement [sic] induced me to come here. The formations
Fruitland, Kirtland and Ojo Alamo are evidently from my explorations
the past month are equal to the Belly River of Alberta. I have found
enough dinosaur material to testify to that fact. I am at work now on the
squamosal of a Ceratops = Lambe’s Chasmosaurus. I have found two
straight ischia of a [?] trachodont is present. I have sections of dorsal
vertebrae of a trachodont’s back-bone, illia [sic], sacrum etc. the largest
metatarsal that I have seen phalanges etc. My best discoveries are two
fine turtles one Adocus baueri Gilmore has nearly perfect plastron +
carapace about 2 feet long, better than the type. A fine Baena about 15
inches long. Although this is a very difficult country to explore (we have
to haul water + food for teams + can not get into the bad-lands with car)
I believe, judging from my discoveries in July that 4 months of persistent
effort I put into it will yield a good deal of valuable material. I am also
glad to tell you I have discovered a complete cooking pot of the ancient
people that built the great city of Pueblo Bonito 15 miles south. The
[National] Geographic Magazine are opening one Pueblo now, that
contained a 1000 rooms + was 5 stories high and erected before Cortez
conquered Mexico. I will indeed be glad to receive the funds. As my
expenses have been as great I have used up my means + send in a load of
fossils to Farmington soon.
Faithfully,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 7.
[typed]
Kimbeto
P.O. Farmington, N. M.
Care Royal Davis
July 30th 1921
My dear Dr. Wiman:-
I am glad to write you an encouraging letter, in addition to the two
nearly complete turtles described in my last [letter]. I have been so
fortunate as to have found a Triceratops skull in what our geologists call
the Kirtland Shales, see U.S. Geol. Bulletin No 716-G and C.W. Gilmore,
Professional paper 119, Washington 1919. Mr. Gilmore agreeing with
Mr. Barnum Brown places the formation in the mid-Cretaceous or Belly
River of Alberta and Judith River of Montana. But who ever heard of a
Triceratops in either? So one of two things only is possible. Either they
are mistaken and Triceratops begins in the early Cretaceous or else these
are Lance beds, the most recent of the dinosaur beds. At all events I call
it a great discovery to find this genus for the first time west of the Rocky
Mts. It is going to help definitely to settle the horizon of these beds, and
proves to me as I hope it will to you, that I had made no mistake coming
here. Further, it is the longest skull I have seen, about 8 feet long. It is
entire, except for the dentaries and predentaries. Unfortunately, it is
badly crushed. The crest not over 18 wide and the distance between the
orbital horn cores about 6 inches. The left horn core about three feet long,
where the right is about 18 inches. I never met with this peculiarity
before. Although I have collected 7 Triceratops skulls. None of which
have I sold in the field, for less than a thousand dollars. Owing to the
Triceratops locality it likely represents a new species.
Now my dear Doctor I want to put some questions to you. I
always collect everything in the line of fossils. With the skull I have
found what I take to represent the following genera of plants in much
better condition than hither-to found: Date, Palm, Sequoia, Locatia
Pupulus, pine, seeds, etc. I got a lot of leaves also at the turtle locality. I
have only found the three fine show specimens, but a large collection of
many species in fragmentary form, good for scientific study and to help
elucidate the age of these beds. Evidently the paleontologists are at fault
and Kritosaurus or Gryposaurus continued to live beyond the mid-
Cretaceous. I spoke also of the Inoceramus shells and have several pounds
of Carboniferous Producti [sic] etc collected enroute. What I want to
know then is this. Are you willing to trust to my judgement [sic] and all
[sic] me to send every thing that has scientific value: shells, leaves, a few
fine specimens of opalized and other wood and fragmentary turtles and
good loose dinosaur bones? Or you prefer that I leave all this and ship
only the fine show specimens?
The freight rates to New York will be car load lots minimum 30,
000 lbs per cwt $3.70. Less than car lots $6.11 per 100 pounds. Further
I must ship to C.B. Richards of New York, who will pay the railroad
freight ship to you and collect the total freight from you. If you have
some other party in New York to ship to please notify me and, if you are
satisfied to allow me to ship through C.B. Richards Brokers of NY also
notify me so I will have no trouble about shipping from here. The rules
of the road allow them to collect in advance. That will be impossible on
my part to advance the freight.

447
The prospect now is that I will get near enough a car load to pay
to ship that way. C.W. Gilmore was very anxious for our Government to
employ me this season here. They were too poor. So the rich returns in
this virgin field will go to you and I hope you have authorities to work up
all the new material.
Faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
P.S. I am depending on the money being sent to Glendale National
Bank, Calif. the first of August, to meet my expenses here, they are
heavy.
[signed] C.H.S
Document 8.
[typed]
Ojo Alamo, N. Mex.
Post Office Farmington, N. Mex.
August 14 1921
My dear Dr. Wiman:-
Your Wire received, Although I have collected leaves, shells and
opalized wood, it was done without expense to you in loss of time.
Further, as I did not charge you with a months salary while I was getting
here and finding the ground, I will simply keep these that I have already
collected and pay no further attention to them. I have not as yet received
notice from my bankers (The Glendale National Bank, Glendale, Calif.),
that the $2500 has been recd as I directed the $2500 be sent there. I
suppose it went by mail and has not arrived. Please see to it that the
money is sent as promised for I have made obligations in expectation that
it would reach me on time.
I have already told you of the finds last month. The 8ft Tricer-
atops and two fine turtles. I have over to this locality and have found 2
thirds of the carapace and plastron of another turtle a good many turtles
on the wash. Some, though broken up and scattered can be restored with
patience. My greatest finds however, have been of Tyrannosaurus rex. I
have been unable to account for the enormouse [sic] single bones I have
found, I find they belong to this huge carnivore.
I am now at work on the scattered bones of one, I have found a
complete illium [sic] which is large indeed; also the centra of the sacrum
with some of the spines, etc. A good many more bones are in the quarry,
I cannot tell you how much of the skeleton I will find. I have in another
individual I have found the back of the skull and what seems to be the
lower jaw. I am finding a good many isolated large bones of different
species and for the bar of the crest of a Ceratops. You will see therefore
if my first supposition is correct, that our paleontologists have entirely
misunderstood the age of these rocks. Excepting turtles I have already
found more material that all that has been collected heretofore as a region
remote from the type localities. I feel sure all the dinosaur material will be
new. I am having a hard time of it as we have had a great deal of rain that
interferes with my work some. Tho realy [sic] I have lost no time and
work early and late, take several soakings. My worst trouble is being
obliged to send often to town for supplies. I have to hire two teams and
drivers on that account I have to feed these teams hay and oats. Hay
costs me about $40 a ton and oats $5.00 per hundred. Sometimes too I
have to haul water to the teams. But feel much encouraged and think you
will be thoroughly pleased with the material. It is not as well preserved
as in some localities this is a virgin field, unexplored, and very extensive.
Hoping to hear from you.
I am faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 9.
[typed]
Post Office Farmington, New Mexico Not Mexico
September 4th, 1921
My dear Dr. Wiman:-
I am happy to report I am now camped on the most extensive
badlands in this part of the country within a mile of the Navajo Reserve
on the Ojo Alamo. I have received permission from the Assistant
Sec[retary] of the Interior to collect for your University. The thing that
worries me is that I have received no notice from the Glendale National
Bank that the $2500 has been received. It is very serious as I depended
on that money to continue my work until the end of my contract and I do
not want to lose any time going to town as I will have no [money] in
order to cable you asking where the money is. It is a serious thing to be
out of money here among strangers. I have reached the extensive expo-
sures of the Fruitland Formation and have found some magnificent turtles.
One the largest and most perfect known that is three feet long and two
feet wide the shell beautifully sculptured. I have found in the four forma-
tions Puerco (basal Eocene), the Ojo Alamo Sandstones, the Kirtland
Shales and the Fruitland, where I am now, 50 turtles among them 10 that
for [sic] perfection. I do not think that they were ever equaled. I have
discovered another locality where I will move tomorrow where I have
found many more I believe I have collected in these upper Cretaceous
beds the finest collection known. Please if you do not have them, secure
from the Dept of the Interior at Washington Charles W. Gilmore’s Papers
98-Q published December 1913 and Professional Paper 119 1919, and
Bulletin 713-G 1921. The skeleton of the great Tyrannosaurus rex con-
sisted of the centra of the sacrum the illium [sic] and a mass of rock
weighing over 200 pounds so covered with the matrix that I could not
identify the bones. I wish to know if you would like me to collect the
turtles of the Puerco as well. I found a part of a skeleton of a dinosaur but
do not know how much is present. I have also found part of the frill of a
large Triceratops [probably AMNH 1625] in the Fruitland. You wrote
me that I was to send the freight to a Swedish SS co but did not give me
the address. Please get this subject of freight straightened out or the RR
Co will not except them unless charges are guaranteed by reliable parties
in New York. Further, as I will work here so late I cannot remain a
moment after the time I am employed as winter will be coming on and I
must cross the mountains into California with my Ford truck before the
snow blocks the roads. From the present indications I will have the finest
collection of beautifully sculptured turtle shells of the Upper Cretaceous
known. Ten of the finest so far discovered will make a magnificent dis-
play and I think that they are more perfect than those described by
Gilmore. Hoping my anxiety in regard to money may be soon relieved.
I am your faithful worker.
[typed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 10.
[typed]
Farmington, N. Mexico
September 20th, 1921
Dr. C. Wiman:-
My dear Doctor:-
I have been disappointed in not hearing from you or receiving the
$2500 at the Glendale National Bank at Glendale California my home.
The promise was made by cable that the money was to be sent in
August. On the strength of that cable I have borrowed $800 to keep at

448
work here constantly, as it would cost you a hundred dollars in my loss
of time if I went to Farmington. I have always sent in a hired man with
the material to a house I have rented. It takes four days to make the trip
so I have been unable with out heavy loss to you, have been unable to get
in touch with you by cable I have sent in to Thoreau to a friend to try and
learn where the money is. Further I do not have any authority from a SS
co in New York to ship through to them with agreement on the part to
pay the freight to New York. As I wrote you I must return so I can reach
home the first of Nov[ember] when our contract expires. I hope indeed
that you will straighten these things out that you will get the $2500 to me
ands arrange with some one in N.Y. The last letter you wrote me was
addressed Mexico and luckily it was sent here. Mexico is a foreign coun-
try to the south of the U.S. It is a wonder I got it.
My constant unremitting efforts have secured a splendid collec-
tion. I have over 60 turtles all from the Upper Cretaceous. I do not think
there is such a collection, among them are at least 15 almost or quite
perfect. One Plastomenus, the only perfect one known is three by two
feet, beautifully sculptured. I have also specimens of Adocus and
Neurankylus and Adocus as perfect and as nearly as large I have collected
in the Cretaceous for fifty years and have never seen a collection of
turtles as equal this. There are many species too of Baena and perfect
shells. Think of 15 of these beautiful sculptured shell on exhibition in
your museum there are many more that can be restored with patience. It
will make the finest collection in the world and be as I hope one of the
crowning expeditions of my life.
I have, after three months search, found where skeletons were
buried. I am now at work on four scattered duckbills. How much of the
skeletons have been washed out is impossible to tell. I found the man-
dible with teeth so you can at least identify the species. If you have not
already arranged for the money and the freight cable me on the receipt of
this, this uncertainty is awful when I am working to the limit of my
ability to secure you a fine collection. It already excels all other ever
taken out of this region.
I hope too that you should desire my services next year you will
try and arrange at once I can in these four months go over a very limited
area of the exposed formations and every new camp I have made have
yielded rich returns.
I could make a fine coll[ection] of leaves and shells.
Faithfully yours,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 11.
[handwritten]
November 13
th
1921
Dear Mr. Sternberg,
Many thanks for your kind letter of November 21
st
and for your
favourable offer of undertaking, for the sum of $2500, a four months
expedition into the Dinosaur field to make collections for my institution.
I hope so be able to accept your proposal. When and under which
address do you want me to send the money, provided I shall be able to
obtain it?
It is possible that you have received a telegram from me already
before you get this letter, but even in such case I ask you to have the
kindness to answer my letter.
Yours truly,
C.W.
Document 12.
[typed]
Farmington, N. Mexico
Nov. 14
th
1921
My dear Sir:-
At last after untiring efforts extending through 4 months and a half
I have succeeded in hauling and packing my great collection, the best by
far ever taken out of San Juan Co. N.M. The Triceratops skull though
badly crushed will make a fine mount. The specimen worth all the rest
NO 113 a duckbilled trachodon likely Kritosaurus of Brown are new. I
found it on the 3d of sept. [sic] and worked with all the powers to get it
out before cold weather. I had several bad storms and it froze every night
hard. I hired a four horse team to haul it in. I have packed the entire
collection and am waiting to hear from Richards & Co. Shipping Agents,
29 Broadway N.Y. as I can not load on the car here until I learn that they
will pay the freight. I have to guarantee that you will, wich [sic] I have
done and hope there will be no more delay. Taking up this specimen and
traveling by my Fords [sic] truck will take me to the end of December.
You will realize as I found it during my contract time I cannot keep it
myself. farther that when I started taking it up I had to finish. This of
course greatly injured me financially. For that reason I cabled you and
you freeded [sic] yourself by saying “no more money.” Unless I receive
$622 ½ in addition to the $2500 I will have worked 5 months for the bare
expenses of my expedition. But under the circumstances I am forced to
sell the skeleton to you. I have sold skeletons no better for $2000. You
will realize however I could not in honor retain what I consider worth all
the rest. There are about 60 turtles of 5 or 6 families of them 25 are
splendid for Museum specimens. I will write later.
Faithfully
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 13.
[typed]
San Fernando Rd and Rossyln St
Los Angeles Calif Dec 3 1921
My dear Dr. Wiman:-
I shipped the 14000 pounds of fossil vertebrates through C B
Richards and Co Broadway New York I hope you will receive them in
due season.
Although I never labored so hard to make this expedition a success
and on account of the lateness of the season had rather a tough time of it.
I am (now the hardships are past) rejoicing in opening up a 72 years a
new field for the skeletons of Cretaceous dinosaurs. All the other fields in
N. America have been exhausted. I fear an influx of collectors next year. If
you want my services you should arrange for them at once.
Further as the skeleton of the duckbill, if properly prepared will
be the glory of your museum, as the one I have at Senckenberg is the chief
glory of it and occupies the chief place of honor. I feel sure it would be
greatly to your advantage if you employ me to open it up and assist in
preparing. This I am ready to undertake for a salary of 200 dollars a
month salary and expenses from Los Angeles to Upsala University. I
believe no one but the collector can prepare the material so well as he.
Further I have collected and mounted American Dinosaurs for the last 12
years.
I am sending you photographs of the wonderful scenery on the
South Branch of Meyers Cr[eek] near and at the locality from which I
got the duckbill.
As you wired you had no more money I suppose you are liberated
from any obligation to pay me for a fifth month. I realy [sic] was six
months as I started last May and only lost a month during my wife’s

449
illness, but with your perfect confidence in me I was resolved to do all in
my power to get you a grand collection.
Farther: as I found the skeleton about middle of October it be-
longed to you, I could not have left it half collected, neither could I retain
it as my own I have no doubt, if I had found it during my own time. I
could have sold it for $2000 in the field as it is the first ever found west
of the Rocky Mts.
I did what I considered my duty and if it lies in your power I hope
you will pay me for the fifth month, if not it is well I have given my life
to science and the aim of my life in this case will be accomplished when
you describe this wonderful material I am sending you.
Faithfully
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 14.
[translated from Swedish]
Upsala Universitets
Paleontologiska Institution
Upsala DEN 14
th
Dec. 1921
Mr Charles H. Sternberg
Glendale, Calif.
Dear Sir,
Some days ago I received your interesting letter of November 14
th
with the list of fossils found by you and the lists of the contents of the
boxes.
It is indeed a very imposing collection of interesting objects and I
am anxious to tell you how greatly I appreciate your capability and the
fair and self-sacrificing way in which you seen to my interests. I thank
you most sincerely for your noble way of dealing in the matter.
You will understand how much I regret to say that I must repeat
the content of my cable. I have not got any money just now.
I had received from a patron of science a fixed sum for the purpose
and since then these has come a crisis upon the money market so that, in
the immediate future, it is nearly impossible to get any more money.
My government grant is only about $400. This year I have re-
ceived 9000 from patrons. Last year I got 12000 and so on and a person
has pledged himself to give further contributions but I have been obliged
to allow him respite for payment.
I am really very sorry not to be able to send you $622 ½, but my
intentions are good. I consider your demand not only well-grounded but
even modest and I sincerely hope that it will be possible for me to repay
you before such a very long time will have passed.
Your lists were very difficult to read and I send you here with a
type-written copy. I should be very obliged if you would have the
kindness to look it through and fill in the blanks, when possible, and
correct the mistakes if there should be any.
Please accept once more my sincerest thanks,
Yours very truly,
C. Wiman
Document 15.
Upsala Jan. 2nd 1922
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
Los Angeles
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your letter of December 3
rd
, from which I am glad
to find that you are not so angry with me as you perhaps might think that
you have reason to be. Thank you also very much for the beautiful
photographs from your hunting ground.
Your kind offer to come over and prepare the Duckbill as well as
your very tempting proposal to work for my museum next summer I am
unfortunately obliged to relinquish although it grieves me to the heart.
My museum is for several years to come engaged in a great enter-
prise in China for the collecting of fossil mammals and have here in
Upsala a staff of 5 persons for the preparing of the material, all of which
I have to pay. I have also recently had an expedition out in Bolivia.
Accordingly I must be glad if I can muddle through this hard year without
having to dismiss anyone.
Thus you can understand that I have every reason to be very
grateful for the amiable and modest way in which you have treated me.
In August I had the opportunity to see the Duckbill in Frankfort,
and I studied it and admired it for several days. It was treated at some
length at the meeting of the paläontologische [sic] gesellschaft [sic] (Paleo-
ntological Association) and several papers about it were read. I myself
made some contributions to the discussion regarding its manner of living.
It is wonderfully well prepared.
Yours very truly
C.W.
Document 16.
[typed]
San Fernando Rd and Rossyln St
Los Angeles Calif Jan 5th 1922
My dear Dr Wiman:-
Your very welcome letter was received yesterday, it gave me great
pleasure indeed. I was sure the answer to my last would be something
like the one I received because of your perfect trust in me in the first
place, when you sent me $2500 in advance. As I said I could not do
otherwise although one of my friends, was so sure I would retain the
trachodont skeleton that he attempted to sell it to an eastern museum
without my knowledge or consent. I knew at the time I sent the specimen
that if it lay in your power you would reimburse me. If not I had done
what I considered my duty I could have done nothing less. I am certainly
glad that you think too I did a “noble” thing. This appreciation on your
part is very pleasant and I feel as I did at the first, if it is possible I will
receive the money.
I hope indeed that you will not be disappointed when you open
the collection. It is going to take the greatest care and patience on the part
of your preparators to mount this trachodon. It must be made a panel
specimen. It is impossible to make an open mount. Farther, each section
should be cleaned and mended separate. All the bones, as exposed must
be filled with shellac thinned so as to penetrate.
I received notice a week ago that Richards and Co., Broadway,

450
New York, had received the boxes. So you doubtless will have them
before now, but for the rainy season in N. Mex. I could have shipped by
the Santa Fe [railway] to New York and saved a cent a pound. But the
Chaco River, that had to be crossed, was unfordable [sic] for nearly the
whole season.
I was sorry that the list was so poorly written, but my type
writer was out of repair. In regard to some of the turtles, that had lost
their numbers, I hope from the list you will be able to identify them. The
trouble was that my Indian boys hauled them to the camp before I got
them numbered and I could not tell them apart.
As I have already written you I would gladly accept a position
next year five months at the same rate as last year but it would be well for
you to make arrangements at once. Two museums here are trying to raise
the means to permanently employ me. In that case of course there will be
no more prospect of your receiving American Fossil Vertebrates as all
other collectors are regularly employed by their Museums.
If you can raise the $622.50 I will be able to wait for returns on
condition that I receive before the first of May $1000, the first of Aug.
$1000 and the balance before January 1923. I am sure I can do much
better next season as I now know the country and the richest horizons
and the unexplored regions.
Cable if there is any prospect whatever of your securing the
funds. With the kindest regards
I am faithfully yours
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 17.
[typed]
List of Fossil Vertebrates
Collected for Dr. Wiman by Charles H. Sternberg. From the Up-
per Cretaceous strata of San Juan Co. N. Mexico 1921. The numbers not
mentioned represent fossil wood and not vertebrates.
No. 4. Scattered turtle bones. Kirtland Shales near Kimbeto Trad-
ing post.
No. 7. Scattered turtle bones. Head Blanco Canyon N. Kimbeto.
Likely Puerco Formation.
No. 8. Ungual and caudal vertebra Carniverous [sic] Dinosaur.
Kirtland Shales Kimbeto Wash.
No. 9. Orbital horn and foot of ischium. Alamo wash near Old
Trading Post
No. 11. Turtle fragments. Head S. branch Myers [sic] Cr. 3 miles
west Kimbeto Trading Post. Kirtland
No. 14. Fine Baena nearly perfect. Same locality.
No. 15. Adocus “kirtlandicus” Gilmore. Head middle branch
Meyers Cr. Kirtland shales 6 miles West Kimbeto Trading Post. The
best specimen known.
No. 16. Several large vertebrae (dorsal) of a Trachodont. 3 miles
west Kimbeto Station Store. On south branch of Myers [sic] Cr. Kirtland.
No. 17. Turtle. Same loc.
No. 18. “ “ “ . Picked up on the wash.
No. 19. Fragments turtle. Same loc.
No. 20. Large central phalanx Duckbilled Dinosaur.
No. 21. Baena fragments. West Kimbeto St[ore]. 2 ½ miles. Kirtland
No. 22. Plastron Adocus. 3 miles South Kimbeto St[ore].
No. 23. “ “ “ “ “ “ “
No. 24. Turtle. Same loc. Kirtland Shales.
No. 25. “ “ “
No. 26. “ On wash 2 ½ miles west of Kimbeto St[ore].
No. 27. Dinosaur bone. Same loc.
No. 28. Fragment turtle. “ “
No. 30. Dorsal and sacral centra. 2 miles S. Kimbeto.
No. 31. Unknown organism parallel cells. Same loc.
No. 33. Turtle. Same loc.
No. 34. Dentary Duckbill. Same Loc. Kirtland
No. 35. 2 vert. and ilium, ischium, of Trachodon. Same loc.
No. 36. Dentary, 3 dorsals and turtle bones. Same loc.
No. 37. Scapula Dinosaur. Same loc.
No. 38. 3 pkgs ilium ischium 2 vert. Same loc.
No. 40. Illia [sic] and 3 vert. 1 mile South Kimbeto Station
No. 41. Triceratops skull 7 ½ feet long. Kirtland Shales. 1 mile
Indian Station breakes [sic] of Kimbeto Wash. There were many sections
of bone from under side that fell out when I turned the skull over. They
should be soaked in shellac (thin) and put in place. This is the first
Triceratops found in this formation.
No. 42. Skull Crocodile, without mandibles. Barrel Springs 2 ½
miles South Trading Post, Kirtland Shales
No. 43. Baena nodosa 2/3 of carapace and plastron. Same loc.
No. 44. Fragments turtle. “ “
No. 45. Dinosaur vert. Same loc. all Kirtland Shales.
No. 47. Huge caudal. Same loc. Kirtland.
No. 48. Limb bone dinosaur, same loc. Kirtland.
No. 49. Turtle, same loc. all from Barrel Springs from between the
conglomerates Heuex Ojo Alamo sandstone. That lie below Puerco for-
mation.
No. 50. Large carniverous [sic] back of skull [5 packages] Ojo
Alamo.
No. 51. “ “ illium [sic] and sacrum, last badly broken
by Boys, who hauled it in. Ojo Alamo.

451
No. 52. Turtle, same loc. near 42 Kirtland.
No. 53. “ “ “
No. 54. Metatarsal dinosaur.
No. 55. Complete Carapace and Plastron nearly, Baena, Kirtland
Shales. Below 2
nd
conglomerate 1 mile above 42.
No. 56. Bar of Ceratops skull, near 55.
No. 57. Section Dinosaur bone for polishing, near 42. Kirtland
Shales.
No. 58. Horn core, branch of Alamo [Wash] 3 miles S. Old Trad-
ing Post.
No. 59. Broken turtle skull on Escavada wash west of Kimbeto St.
6 or 7 miles
No. 60. Complete Turtle Plastron and Carapace 3’ x 2’. The finest
ever found I believe, South Side Alamo wash, 3 mile above Hunters Store.
Fruitland
No. 61. A fine turtle, nearly complete carapace and plastron. Same
Loc.
No. 62. A huge horn core, Triceratops, near 60.
No. 63. Edge frill (crest), Triceratops, near 60. Fruitland Shales.
South side Alamo wash, 3 miles above Hunters store
No. 64. Distal end dentary of carnivorous, same loc.
No. 65. Vertebrae of dinosaur, “ “
No. 66. Toe bone of horned dinosaur “ “
No. 67. Vertebrae of dinosaur “ “
No. 68. Part of large plastron like Aspederites [sic]. Loc ¼ mile
below 60
No. 69. Aspideretes fragments on wash. Same loc.
No. 70. Turtle fragments “ “
No. 71. Turtle fragments “ “
No. 72. Turtle fragments “ “
No. 73. Turtle fragments Aspideretes “ “
No. 74. Turtle fragments “ “
No. 75. Turtle fragments “ “
No. 76. Turtle fragments “ “
No. 77. Turtle fragments “ “
No. 78. Loose bones on the wash. Same loc. 68 loc. a level stretch
of shale 200 x 100 ft. Turtle scattered over it.
No. 79. Loose turtle bones. Same loc.
No. 80. Loose turtle bones. “ “
No. 81. Turtle “ “
No. 82. Carapace and Plastron? “ “
No. 83. Turtle “ “
No. 84. Metatarsal Duckbill near 60 “ “
No. 85. Turtle “ “
All near 60 covered an area of about 2 acres among grey Sandstone
concretions that top the pillars of softer sandstone.
No. 86. Turtle frag. Lower strata with carbonate of iron separtia.
Just below the 68 loc. This loc. on the Alamo wash are in T 24 Range 18
W [this Range is incorrect] Sections 43 [no such section] 33 and 34.
No. 87. Aspiderites frag. near 60
No. 88. End of mandible “ “
No. 89. Bone of head Coal Cr. on Road to ? ?
No. 90. Turtle. Good near 60
No. 91. Tibia “ “
Moved camp to South Branch of Myers [sic] Cr. about 4 miles
above cattle ranch. All in Kirtland Shales.
No. 92. Pelvic arch of dinosaur, across Myers [sic] Cr. from
camp.
No. 93. Turtle. Near 92. Aspiderites Carapace.
No. 94. Horned dinosaur, part of crest.
No. 95. Metacarpal. near 92.
No. 96. Edge of crest “ “
No. 97. Part of crest. Horned dinosaur. Near camp, south side
Creek.
No. 98. Jaw of duckbill. Same loc.
No. 99. tibia “ “ “ “
No. 100. Metatarsal and caudal duckbill
No. 101. Vertebrae “ 2
No. 102. Femur “
No. 103. Femur duckbill and other bones.
All above from 97 in quarry 150 x 200 ft. near camp on top of the
bad-lands
No. 104. Turtle on was ½ mile above camp on level with creek
bottom.
No. 105. Turtle.

452
No. 106. “ Baena, nearly perfect. 10ft from 105.
No. 107. Adocus. This was a fine turtle, injured in taking it up
under a high pilar [Sternberg’s hoodoo]. I could not get behind it with-
out tumbling over the pilar.
No. 108. Turtle.
No. 109. 2 vert. and metatarsal of Dinosaur, near 108.
No. 110. Ischium, Dinosaur.
No. 111. Phalanx
No. 112. Teeth Myledaphus, scales Lepidosteus and scales croco-
diles on wash.
No. 112. Adocus, fine skull not far from 105. [duplicate number]
No. 113. Trachodont skeleton [PMU R268, Pentaceratops]. Found
on the 3[r]d of September.
from sec. 3 and 4.
“ 2. “ “ Ribs 3 pieces sec. 5, ribs from Sec. 2 Frag. 2 and
3.
“ 3. “ “ Sec. 4 and 7.
“ 4. “ “ Hind limb and fragments.
“ 5. “ “ Head and body, sections 1 and 2.
“ 6. “ “ Section 3. Pelvis, No. 91 and No. 16
“ 7. “ “ Left femur, Turtle 112, a turtle with No. also 105
and 107
“ 8. Skull Triceratops, 82, 77, 18, 30, 20, 40, 70, 37, 50, 35.
“ 9. Turtle near 42, 56, 57, 52. Carnivor. Vert. Big turtle from
Alamo, No. 60? bones of 113, 110, 59. No. 10, 55, 44, crocodile jaw 54,
59, 112.
“ 10. 105, 15, 107, 105, 55.
“ 11. 102, 63, 61, 93, 112, unnumbered turtle, Pelvic arch,
carnivore. Barrel Springs 110, 50, vert 45, 44.
“ 12. 14, 90, 16, 42, 50, 24.
“ 13. 109. Pt. Sec. 7 of 113. Rt. Tibia 113. Fragments 110,
15, 105, 55, 7, 84.
Turtle phalanx 42, radius 5, 11, 85.
“ 14. Bones carnivore. Barrel Springs86, 51, 28 without No.
107, 51, 2 unmarked ?
23, 22, 21, 25, 96, 48, 111, 102, 100, 83.
“ 15. 48, 103, 99, Tibia near 99, unnumbered 104 ? and turtle
Fish all ? near camp in Fruitland Shales. Turtle 88, 17, 18, 19, 27 ? Huge.
“ 16. 36 unmarked 31, 34, 33 unknown organism with parallel
cells.
[hand written]
“ 17. 2 [?]
1 [?]
1 [?]
No. 48, 51, 62, 64, 109 [? ?] 113 [? ?]:
a. tibia fibula [?] Sec. 17
b. Fragments from sec. No. 6
c. Right Tibia & fibula
Document 19.
[typed]
San Fernando Rd and Rossyln St
Los Angeles Calif Jan 31 1922
My dear Dr Wiman:-
I was glad to get your unsigned letter of Jan 2
nd
, but very sorry
that I am to not only give up all hope of collecting farther for you this
year but for years to come. Of course for your sake I am glad to know
you have such a great field opened for you in China and wish you a rich
harvest there.
[Sternberg’s sketch of field blocks (7 sections and with two
legs)]
No. 113. This is virtually a complete skeleton of a trachodon
[PMU.R268, later determined to be Pentaceratops], likely Kritosaurus.
I had enormous difulties [sic] in taking it up. I[t] laid bare (in the face of
the bluff) a flour [sic] 11’ x 18”. I then owing to the great mass of rock
above had to dig caves for the tail and hind limbs. The rock a sandy clay
or clay with little sand was full of the impressions of ? ? of trees and
some ? ? ? coal making hollow places every where. The pounding of
the tools often broke the bones. The right hindfoot was entirely de-
stroyed on this I do not know if all the head is preserved in sec. 1, I found
a p[air] of mandibles first with teeth but as the bones are very brittle I
explored no further. Then cut half the ? of plaster off exposing the
bottom of the slabs (the plaster stripes [sic] of bottom put on last) soak
all bones as fast as exposed with white schellax [sic] diluted 4 times with
alcohol allow a day before touching. Keep all fragments in their separated
packages well filled with shellax, mend with Gum Arabic dissolved to
consistency of thin cream and plaster of Paris. Never pound with heavy
tools, remove rock slowly with light hammer and chisel. You may use
water if the rock and bone is dried thoroughly. I broke the sections apart
and you sure to get contacts in many places. So as to restore broken
bones. The specimen must be made into a slab mount and I think mounted
as I found. I will gladly come over to help mount this skeleton and unless
you have preparators who have worked in Cretaceous Dinosaurs it would
be to your advantage to have my services. I have mounted several.
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 18.
[typed, except where noted]
Contents of Boxes.
Box 1. No. 113 Rt. Tibia and fibula, Rt. Femur, Hind foot next left
femur. Fragments

453
I earnestly hope however, that you will be able to raise the $622.50
for my last months work, both because it was the most expensive month
I had having to hire 6 horses in order to get the heavy duckbill to town but
because on the strength of the hope that I will receive it, I have borrowed
money to take me back into the field.
My purpose is to go into the Mts of the Imperial Valley near
Mexico mine and collect Pliocene shells and corals until the weather
(about the first of March) allows me to go to the San Juan Field. Then,
unless I am regularly employed to offer my material to the Museums of
the world, as this is a slow process. I will need every cent I can raise for
expenses in the field.
In case I find something fine shall I offer it to you? I make this
request thinking that though your funds are occupied elsewhere, you
might raise some if the right specimen is found.
I am also sorry you could not have employed me to open the
collection at least. It will take long and patient labor for a preparator,
unacquainted with Cretaceous vertebrates, to prepare this collection. I
would suggest that the Triceratops skull and the best turtles be worked
out before the Trachodont is attempted. I wish it might have been equal
to the Senckenberg specimen. There is only two others in the world that
will approach Osborn’s “mummy” I sold him, and the Corythosaurus of
Brown. Dr. Matthew writes it is improbable that I have found a Tricer-
atops. I hope you will write him as soon as you see it
your opinion.
With the hopes of your continued labor among the fossil animals,
and thanking you for the Newspaper articles, I have sent a copy to my
daughter-in-law who is a Swede for translation. [handwritten] I am
Faithfully yours
[signed] Charles H Sternberg
Document 20.
[handwritten: translated from a typed letter in Swedish]
Upsala February 1
st
, 1922
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg,
Dear Sir,
Your boxes have arrived in fairly good condition, but I have not as
yet had time to unpack them. I do not know anything about the condition
in the boxes. A few of the boards are broken, but I hope that it is nothing
dangerous. In the biggest of the boxes a large empty space shines through,
so it seems as if the packing had not been compact enough for the heavy
specimen.
I have also received your kind letter and the corrected list.
Thanking you for all your kindness, I regard sincerely that as I
have already informed you in a previous letter, it is impossible for me
this year to avail myself of your otherwise very tempting offer.
Yours very truly,
C.W.
Document 21.
[handwritten]
El Centro, Calif.
March 3
rd
1922
My Dear Dr. Wiman:-
I am glad the specimens have been received. The large specimen of
the pelvis was broken into when it was hauled in. As it is not shattered I
don’t think you will have any trouble with it.
You will notice the parts that go with it are in separate boxes. This
will be the most difficult specimen to prepare in the whole lot. But as my
son & I prepare a specimen for Victoria Memorial Museum in a much
worse condition. I hope with your time & patience you will…
I am collecting shells and corals in the Coyote Mts. In the desert
of Imperial Co. N. M. [northern Mexico] I have made a large collection.
I go from here as soon as it is a little warmer to San Juan Co., N.
Mex.
In case I find something fine shall I offer it to you?
I am hoping you can raise the money for my last months work as
I will soon need to secure money. It costs a great deal to carry on the
work.
Faithfully,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 22.
[handwritten]
Upsala March 24
th
1922
Dear Sir,
Thank you for your letter of March 3[r]d.
I have had so much pressing work on my hands the last months
that I have not as yet had the time to unpack your boxes, although I am
very eager to see the fine collection and am impatiently looking forward
to begin the interesting work on the specimens.
I regret to say, that it is impossible for me now to raise the money
for your last months work. The conditions on the money market here are
still so bad, that I cannot obtain any help from any of my patrons. I
hope, however, that better times will come, so that I shall be able to pay
you.
Under these circumstances, I can of course not think of buying
anything of what you will collect this summer, but I thank you all the
same for your kind proposal to offer me the fine things you may find.
Yours very truly,
C.W.
Document 23.
[typed]
THOREAU NEW MEXICO
March 29 1922
My dear Dr. Wiman:-
I reached here after a hard trip over 800 miles by way of the
Coyote Mts. where I secured a thousand pounds of Miocene corals, star

454
fishes, and shells in that little explored country.
I am about to go into the field 55 miles north of here continue the
exploration of San Juan Co. N. Mex. And I find my many expenses,
especially the last month I spent in collecting & shipping the Duckbilled
dinosaur, have been sent so great I must have funds or I will be unable to
complete my work.
As you told me in a letter that my demand was reasonable, I hope
that you will now help me in the interests of the science, we both love so
well, and repay me for the last months works, that includes my journey
of 800 miles in bad weather to Los Angeles.
The Natural History Museum at Balboa Park San Diego has given
me a large building for a workshop, and I propose to make a large collec-
tion as I can this season, then sell the material to the Museums of the
world. I know how difficult it is for preparators unfamiliar with our
Cretaceous dinosaurs for the reason I was so anxious to go to Sweden last
winter to help prepare what I sent.
If you cannot send me all of the $625 at once I would be exceed-
ingly greatful [sic] if you could send me $200 a month or at any time.
Faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 24.
[typed]
Tsaya N. Mexico
July 28
th
1922
My dear Dr. Wiman:-
Only the most urgent need induces me to dun you for the $625
you thought you could raise for me on last years work.
On the strength of that promise, I raised $600 from my Glendale
bank. As it was not received, I was not only not able to pay the note, and
I could not raise the needed money to carry on my work here, where I
have been very hard at work since March suffering for lack of funds to
pay current expenses. I have ordered my ton truck that cost me $1055 a
little over a year ago sold it for 400 dollars to help pay my expenses here,
I will likely have to sell my little home in Los Angeles to pay the $600.00
note.
Please forgive this letter but you see I am in very urgent need of
money.
Faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 25.
[typed]
Tsaya, New Mexico
June 1, 1923
My dear Doctor Osborn,
I hope you will forgive the tone of this letter. I am going to tell you
something of my past, since I left Ottawa (proving myself, as Brown
said, “crazy”). One expedition from which you secured the Deinodon
and Paleoscincus, one expedition for Dr. A. Smith Woodward. He was
not satisfied, the real fine skeletons of trachodons went to the bottom,
and he got material his preparators could make nothing of.
Then two expeditions in the Kansas chalk, one for Dr. Wyman
[sic], one for myself (rather I sold through Ward[s] a couple of mosa-
saurs, etc.). Levi left Canada with me and had been faithful and true I got
in my head that if I had George too I could start a great sales museum
(forgetting that the war had ruined my sales in Europe). I paid him $150
month, consequently I could not pay Levi decent wages, so I told George
I would have to reduce his salary $300 a year, so I could add that amount
to Levi’s salary, George then resigned. In the meantime, unknown to me,
Levi applied for and secured a position under Dr. Parks. He would not
reconsider his acceptance of the position, as he had agreed to go. That left
me helpless and alone. I cannot describe the obstacles I had to overcome,
alone. For instance, I had to turn over alone a 500 pound slab containing
a fish. I had no assistant during the years since, and have gotten out my
usual lot of new and good material. Here the last two years, indian boys
who robbed me of time and tools. However, I got the two ceratops skulls
(three I mean) and a skeleton of a trachodon, for Wiman, I agreed to work
four months for him for $2500. In the middle of last month I found a
skeleton articulated. I took me nearly the entire month of November, all
of it to reach Los Angeles with my truck in bitter cold weather. I wired
him if he would pay for the fifth month and he answered he had no
money. As I had found it, during his time, my conscience would not allow
me to retain it. So I sent it on and he wrote me he would repay me the
$623 as soon as possible. He has never sent it. So I consider that money
lost. What a help it would be to me now. I went to California to prepare
and mount three Portheus, two mosasaurs, a Corythosaurus and a skel-
eton of Equus scotti, etc. for W.O. Bourne. He made a contract with me
to pay me $1000 down, and a thousand a month until it was paid. He told
me of many bones in the country, and my understanding was that I was
to have a permanent position in the Natural History Museum in San
Diego. On the strength of that (I expect that I was too sanguine) I came
to Cal. Sold out in Lawrence, and moved everything to San Diego. Then
my troubles began. I found that my contract with B[ourne] was useless,
he was a bankrupt. Further, he claimed the $855, he had paid me (a lady
had given the balance of the thousand). The museum felt sorry for me,
but they could not buy with a lien on it, I did not have a dollar, and in
desperation paid B[ourne] $400 and note for $455. This note I have
been paying interest on to a bank who assumed it.
I moved to Los Angeles after the museum had not paid me the
$4000. Bought a car and came here for Dr. Wiman. My wife had to go to
the hospital to have an 8½ pound tumor removed (and thank God she
recovered). That took $1000 of my expenses and but for $2500 from Dr.
Wiman I could have not gotten home. Last year Miss Scripp loaned me
a $1000 (i.e., in the two years of 21 and 22, I agreed to prepare 10 turtles
for the museum to repay her. This I did, it took over three months last
winter and over two months in this desert to collect them, I did not have
the chance to work on my trachodon material, or sell many things.
Page 2
As you know the cost of expeditions in new countries you will
realize the $2500 received last year from your barely paid expenses, I
sold my place in Los Angeles and bought one in San Diego, I got enough
to make a payment and a few hundred dollars to return here, I suffered so
much last year with no assistant, in desperation I asked Levi to come to
me. God bless him he got a leave of absence and came but unfortunately
could not sell his house and has no means to help me with expenses.
I have two trachodonts at Thoreau and have found one and per-
haps two more skeletons, I had worked a month on one before Levi came,
but have not taken it up, the sacrum and complete pelvic arch are present
and most of the limbs and scapulae, vertebrae from all parts of the
skeleton. I have not yet found the skull the bones are somewhat scat-
tered. There is a great deal more work before I can give a detailed descrip-
tion, I have the other skeleton Mr. Kaisen and Dr. Mook reported on.
One very large. So I am pretty sure of four very good trachodons. Levi
thought we better leave them until we found a specimen you were likely

455
to buy. We have found 5 good turtles, 3 very fine, two are virtually
perfect. One an Adocus, about 18 inches long, better than Gilmore’s type
of A. bossi, the second, I do not think is described is one of the finest
turtles I have ever seen. It is 23 in, long and 18 inches wide and is 7 inches
high. There is a weathered spot on the center of one side 7 by 10 inches.
Neither the center or the margin is injured and the other side is perfect. I
am quite sure this is either new or better than any found the marks of the
tortoise shell are well defined as perfect as if it died yesterday. The other
side has only half the shell in the rock I think there are enough fragments
to restore two thirds of it. It is a wonder and new. The middle line longi-
tudinally is present and the complete right side. So the other side can be
restored. The surface of the carapace is perfectly smooth, the dermal
plate scars and I think the sutures of ribs, etc. distinct. It is 30 inches long
and 23 inches wide, very flat on not over three inches high. Then there are
good specimens of Boremys and Baena, much smaller.
Now Doctor you will ask what is all this to me? My only answer
is to beg you to help me with expense money. I need from one to two
thousand dollars to finish my work here and pay freight on my
trachodonts home, where I believe I can sell them on the Pacific Coast if
I can prepare them. Dr. Clark of Albany told me he would try and raise
the purchase money if I had a good dinosaur skeleton. The shape these
are in, I could only sell where they have preparators. I will finish these
beds this season. They are new. From one locality I have over 400 bones
with 30 bones of the head and bones from all parts of the skeleton. As the
horned dinosaurs are new, so will these trachodonts be.
What I propose is that you loan me from one to $2000. In return
I will sell you the above study collection for $1000 boxed at Thoreau,
and ten of the largest and fines[t] turtles we find this year.
In case we find a good horned or carnivorous dinosaur this season
you will have the first offer, instead of the trachodon or turtles.
I know this is not business, I am leaning on your friendship for me
I believe you would not willingly see me ruined, and unable even to
Page 3
ship my trachodonts home, but so it looks to me, unless I have at least a
thousand dollars at once. Anyway that sum will relieve me of a terrible
strain and I will have more power to work, work for a grand specimen
you will be proud of.
If you must have returns first I will ship the Francis Loc fossils of
last year Dr. Matthews [sic] has sent the list and the five turtles I have
described at once for $1000. Of course I would have written to Dr.
Matthews [sic] if I had a horned dinosaur. I am writing to you, in hope
you will not let me suffer by seeing my expedition ruined for lack of
funds. In Lawrence I went to my bank then in financial straits, I have no
credit in the Calif banks they do not know me.
If I can finish these beds, I am sure I will have enough material to
keep me busy for years, I feel sure if the dinosaurs are prepared the
people of Calif will want to keep them, I am sure Dr. W.J. Bryan of Los
Angeles wants a dinosaur. If you knew where to sell a coll[ection] of
their Labrae [Rancho La Brea] material, I think I could make a trade.
I wanted to continue to add to human knowledge when I came here
and I want to finish these beds so their horizon can be established. They
are not Belly River.
Every dollar I ever earned I put right back in the field, and I am far
poorer than when in Lawrence. There I could go to my bank when in the
present position. Please excuse this long winded letter, George told Dr.
Matthews [sic] he wanted me to leave the field here, and live on him, I
knew this was impossible and put him to test and said if he wanted
real[l]y to help me, to send me what he could spare to help me pay the
expenses of my expedition here. I just received a letter in which he said it
was impossible. It seems his idea was that I would live near them so if we
were sick they could visit us.
I am sure my dear professor if you can make me an advance to
carry me through the summer and get my fossils home you will never
regret it
[handwritten] + we will get something fine.
Faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 26.
[typed]
Tsaya, New Mexico
June 17
th
1923
Dr. W.D. Matthew
My dear Doctor:-
I am sorry now, I wrote such a long blue letter to Dr. Osborn, but
that is my nature, I get extremely blue, unless I find something of real
scientific value, then I stand on Mt. Pisca and view the countless people
for many ages who will admire the wonderful animals of the past. So now
I am on that mountain for I have discovered the finest skull of a horned
dinosaur ever taken from these beds. New too!
I am enclosing a sketch made by Levi that gives the proportions I
will give some measurements from rostrum to end of crest 7 ft and 5
inches. From edge of right margin of the crest to end 4 ft., 4 in. From
outside of rostrum around curve of right margin of crest 8 ft. Length of
horn cores 17 inches. Diameter at base about 8 inches. Outside rostrum
to center of skull 2 ft. 11 in. Base of jugal to base of nasal horn 25 in.
Height nasal horn 4 in, height of maxilla to base nasal horn 16 in. Maxilla
to nasal bones 6 inches in front of outside of rostrum 9½ in. Between
orbital horns 6 in. At point 20 inches. Greatest width of right crest about
2 ft.
You will see by the sketch that it is entirely new. The great
epoccipitals at the distal end are about five inches high and wide. Re-
sembles a little Anchiceratops. There are openings in the crest narrow
and long and I believe there are small scars across them. The left side and
part of the central bar of the crest entirely missing. The skull in front well
preserved, except the dentaries with teeth and rostrum.
The only distortion is the nose is slightly pressed to one side of
the central line. The right side of the skull and crest in fine sandstone and
well preserved. It is the finest skull of a ceratopsian I have seen with the
exception of my Triceratops at the museum.
I think this splendid new skull is worth $2000. It took four months
last year to find the one you secured. I hope you will order this at once
so as enable me to complete the exploration of these beds the most trying
ones in North America.
I am so thankful that Levi is with me. We have seperated [sic] the

456
crest from the skull without injury, and have covered the skull, have
lumber here, and will box and haul it [to] the other side of Chaco River so
we can get a truck to take it in the moment you order it. I cannot help but
congratulate you on securing this beautiful specimen. I know it will be as
much admired as anything I have ever sent you except the “mummy” and
the Triceratops.
Faithfully yours,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 27.
American Museum of Natural History
77
th
Street and Central Park West
New York
June 18, 1923
Dear Curator Matthew:
Will you kindly make favorable response to Mr. J.B. Tyrell’s
letter? Why not put it such shape that it could appear in the American
Museum journal? It is certainly one of the historic discoveries, which led
to wonderful results.
Will you also kindly give your best attention to Mr. Sternberg’s
letter of June first, preparing a letter to him and saying that I was obliged
to refer his letter to you, as I practically discontinued my Museum work
for the summer on June first. I do wish we could make an advance to the
old gentleman but it seems to me that now that all his sons are self-
supporting, he could turn to them. I wish you would write to him in a
kindly spirit and explain that unfortunately we have not a single dollar;
that owing to the expense of bringing Brown back from Asia the $2000
Osborn and Jesup reserve will have to be devoted to that.
Sincerely yours,
Henry Fairfield Osborn
President
Dr. W.D. Matthew
Document 28.
[handwritten]
Tsaya, N. Mex.
June 27, 1923
Dear Dr. Matthew:
I am delighted to tell you that we have found most of the crest of
a ceratopsian same size and kind as the new skull I discovered in my last
[letter]. In the new specimen the entire distal margin of the crest and the
central bar are entire, also part of both squamosals and margin of crest.
The wonder of this specimen is that it gives you with the other No. 11
are absolutely perfect crest more wonderful still. There are two enor-
mous openings one on either side of the median bar. There at the distal
and the central bar is deeply shaped with 3 exoccipitals on each side the
crest is 4ft or more wide at skull and narrows some to the distal end. The
openings are long oval reaching nearly the entire length. One horn and
possibly a little bone between them is also present. With this crest that
Levi has found you will be able to make a correct restoration of the
missing bones from the skull I described in my last [letter]. As it natu-
rally goes with that skull I will make no additional charge beyond the
$2000. We have succeeded in getting the skull that [illegible] some
[illegible] across the terrible Chaco River [illegible] to a store 8 miles
from Tsaya that can be easily reached by truck from Thoreau. It is boxed
and wired. The crest goes in a separate box tomorrow. It is a terrible
country to work but we are getting results.
Faithfully,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 29.
Dinosaur skull, Tsaya
July 3, 1923
My dear Mr. Sternberg:
I am delighted to hear that you have secured that fine dinosaur
skull. It looks somewhat like Brown’s Anchiceratops but considerably
larger. I should be glad to know a little more about the preservation. Is it
clean-surfaced bone all over, so far as you have exposed? The fine skull
you sold us last year was a desperate proposition when it came to
cleaning and kept Kaisen busy on it for five months, and it wasn’t quite
finished when he left for Mongolia. You can see what a grave matter that
is, -nearly half a year’s time of a highly paid expert to clean a skull. A
finely preserved skull could have been cleaned completely in a month.
You will see that the character of matrix and easy cleaning of the bone is
an important point in my report to President Osborn.
Sincerely yours,
W.D. Matthew
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
Tsaya
New Mexico
Document 30.
[handwritten]
Tsaya, N. Mex.
July 18, 1923
My dear Dr. Matthew:-
I was very glad to receive your letter of July 8
th
. It takes a great
while for a letter to get here. I am sorry I did not tell you more about the
skull. It is the finest I ever found I believe we can [illegible] with the
crest that Levi found. The matrix is fine sandstone and clay, which come
easily from the bone. No iron or other material. All the parts were ex-
posed (a great deal) is [sic] clean surface. I am sorry you had so much
expense with the other skull. You will have no such trouble with this.
I have no doubt but that you will be highly pleased with the 2
specimens.
We have worked four months in the most desolate and inhospi-
table badlands in America and have found nothing more that you are
likely to need. I so earnestly wish you could take the trachodonts I got
last season. I will take $1000 for them. They, of course, will be new.
If it is impossible, can’t you take the turtles. We have 7 very fine
ones, 13 in all. If you take the 5 finest ones at $500, I will send them with
the skulls. The largest are 34” long. You see I will not come out even this
summer, unless I can sell at least $2500 worth of material.
I am very much afraid I have exhausted the country. I have been
over a great deal of country with Levi’s assistance and I think we will
soon finish it.
Hoping to hear from you at an early date. I am,

457
very faithfully yours,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 31.
[handwritten]
Tsaya, N. Mex.
July 28
th
1923
Director Fields [sic] Museum
Chicago, Illinois
Dear Sir:-
I have for sale 3 more or less perfect skeletons of duck billed
dinosaurs, over 30 feet long all new to science 2 with straight ischia and
one with footed ischium and crested head.
Also 15 turtles from the Cretaceous some are new + [illegible]
8 are fine 34” x 20 31”x 22” 23”x 28” I will sell the 15 turtles for $1000.
If you care for further particulars write me to [sic] above address
Faithfully
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 32.
[handwritten]
Tsaya, N. Mex.
July 28, 1923
Dear Dr. Matthew:
I wrote you a few days ago that the horned dinosaur skull was
very fine, the matrix easily removed from the bone.
I have finished hunting now, having gone over the entire region in
the San Juan Basin during the 3 seasons I have been here.
We have only found some splendid turtles. I am sure you will
never regret getting them and offer you 15 for $1000.
I am at work on a crested duck-bill. It is new- about 3 ft. long. The
crest with a predentary rostrum forms a bow outline. I have found the
crest and most of the beak so far. Also the complete sacrum both ischia
(with heavy feet) + illium [sic] Parts of limbs and column and ribs. So we
have trachodonts with straight ischia and one with footed ischia. I am
sure the others are new. I still have at Thoreau the duck-bills Dr. Mook
and Kaisen reported on. I will accept $1500 for all this dinosaur material
and will ship you everything except the turtles for $3500. The duck-bills
will make good study material and you will have everything from these
beds except what went to Dr. Wiman.
I earnestly hope to hear from you soon.
Faithfully,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 33.
In re
Mr. Sternberg’s new ceratopsian skull
American Museum of Natural History
77
th
Street and Central Park West
NEW YORK, August 3, 1923
Department of
Vertebrate Palaeontology
Dear Professor Osborn:
From Sternberg’s description and sketch I believe this skull would
be a great addition to our exhibition series. There is no question that it is
different from Triceratops and while allied to your new Pentaceratops, it
is a distinct species or genus. The skull is in good matrix and uncrushed,
although not all complete; it can easily be cleaned and the missing parts
restored. As we are in the way of having an extraordinarily fine exhibit of
Ceratopsia, it would be desirable to secure this, if possible. I consider the
price a fair one and do not advise attempting to beat it down.
The Trachodonts are no doubt new but, as I recall, they are skel-
eton material and no good skulls among them. We cannot find exhibit
space for more skeleton and skulls are our desiderata in this group.
The turtles might be worth while but hardly $500’s worth. If Mr.
Sternberg would let us have the seven best specimens for $350, I would
recommend it, as these things cost but little in preparation and there are
great possibilities in research on turtles by someone who has real insight
into their evolution and classification, and a great series of complete
specimens such as we have accumulated. Noble, I think, would be com-
petent for a real fundamental revision of the recent and fossil turtles.
What blocks it at present is Stejneger’s position.
Sincerely,
[signed] W.D. Matthew
Professor Henry Fairfield Osborn
American Museum
Document 34.
American Museum of Natural History
New York
August 14, 1923
Dear Doctor Matthew:
I am sending your report on the new Sternberg skull to Mr. Childs
Frick to take up with the Ad Interim Committee. The sketch reminds me
of Brown’s Anchiceratops, although I cannot tell until I see the top view.
I do no think we want the Trachodonts. Please write to Mr.
Sternberg saying that I asked you to take the matter up with the Ad
Interim Committee of the Trustees and that I recommended the purchase
of the skull if it can be arranged.
Sincerely yours,
[stamped] Henry Fairfield Osborn
Dr. W.D. Matthew
Document 35.
In re
Purchase of Ceratopsian skull from New Mexico

458
American Museum of Natural History
77
th
Street and Central Park West
NEW YORK, August 15, 1923
Department of
Vertebrate Palaeontology
My dear Mr. Frick:
Professor Osborn has submitted to you, I believe, my recommen-
dations in regard to Mr. Sternberg’s New Mexican material offered to us.
I enclose also the sketch figure of the skull.
Sternberg states that the matrix is good and cleans easily off all
parts of the skull. This is an important advantage in preparation, as I
pointed out in my letter to him.
I concur in Professor Osborn’s opinion that it is very likely
Anchiceratops. If it proves to be so, it will be very important in correla-
tion, as the types of that genus are from the Edmonton of Canada. It will
also complete our representation of the genus, of which our skulls are
very incomplete.
I venture to point out that it would be of far more use to science
here than if purchased by some other museum. There is a grave risk
always, if it goes elsewhere. Of its being “buried” – either not prepared
or not described, or either being inexpertly with misleading results. This
is what happened to the first ceratopsian skull found by Sternberg in this
field. It is in the Upsala museum and I doubt whether we shall ever be in
a position to say exactly what it really is or to disprove Sternberg’s field
identification of it as Triceratops.
The exact correlation of this formation has an important bearing
on the problems of Cretaceous-Paleocene mammal faunas. It underlies
the Puerco and would help decide whether the latter is necessarily later
than the Lance or could be equivalent, or possibly older. Good ceratopsian
skulls provide the only really exact proof; fragmentary vertebrates, in-
vertebrates and plants, even other dinosaurs, are unreliable or inexact in
their evidence on this point.
Sincerely,
[signed] W.D. Matthew
Mr. Childs Frick
American Museum
Document 36.
August 15
th
1923
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
Tsaya, New Mexico
Dear Sir:
Replying to your letter of July 28
th
, as the Curator of Geology and
Associate Curator of Paleontology are at present absent in South America
on expeditions, I am unable to state definitely whether the Museum
desires to acquire the specimens to which you refer. However, I have
forwarded a copy of your letter to the Associate Curator of Paleontology
for his recommendation in the matter, and will advise you later.
Yours very truly,
[unsigned]
Director.
Document 37.
Purchase of Ceratopsian skull
August 16, 1923
My dear Mr. Sternberg:
Professor Osborn did not have time before leaving for China to
decide finally on the question of purchasing your fine Ceratopsian skull.
So he has referred it to Mr. Frick, the chairman of the ad interim commit-
tee of the trustees, who will take up the matter immediately on his (Mr.
Frick’s) return in a few days from now, I hope. Professor Osborn did not
approve the purchase of the Trachodont material but I think he looked
favorably on the Ceratopsian and I hope the committee will see its way
to the purchase. As to the chelonians I cannot say, but hardly think they
would be willing to spend $500 on them am almost sure they would
decline any higher figure. Possibly they might approve of our making an
offer for a selection of three or four of the best specimens.
You will understand that I am very much interested in this whole
fauna from the research point of view and I have not failed to point out
in my recommendations the important evidence that it offers on the
Cretaceous-Paleocene succession. But we have to consider the exhibition
end and the heavy drafts made on the Museum resources by the great
collections coming in from Mongolia, China and India.
You will be glad to know that Professor Osborn has just sent in a
paper to the American Museum Novitates describing the Ceratopsian
purchased last year as a new genus and species, Pentaceratops sternbergii,
with a little tribute to your work.
Sincerely yours,
[stamped] W.D. Matthew
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
Tsaya,
New Mexico
Document 38.
[telegram]
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM
Newcomb Carlton, President
George W.E. Atkins, First Vice-President
RECEIVED AT
1923 AUG 18 PM 11 14
VA 379 49 NL
Thoreau NMEX 18
X 0267
DR W D MATTHEWS
AMERICAN MUSEUM NATURAL HISTORY 77 ST
NEWYORK NY

459
CERATOPSIAN SKULL FINE BONES FREE FROM ROCK CREST
OF ANOTHER SAME SIZE WIRE ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TWO
AT TWO THOUSAND SEND DRAFT FOR AT LEAST THOUSAND
DOWLARS [sic] NEW CRESTED DUCK BILL TOP OF SKULL
THREE FEET FIVE INCHES LONG MOST OF SKELETON SEVEN
HUNDREN HERE AT HEAVY EXPENSE ANSWER
CHARLES H. STERNBERG.
Document 39.
[handwritten]
Thoreau, N. Mex
Aug 23 1923
My dear Dr. Matthew:
I have been reading your letter dated Oct 4
th
, 1922 in which you
say “But what I am hoping for is the Trustees will see their way to
purchase of the whole lot. xxx of [illegible]. Think it likely that we may
be able to arrange for your aid with the preparations during the winter
[illegible] Levi has been with me all summer and we have taken up a
new crested dinosaur.
Top of skull present including crest and most of duck bill, and
other bones (no maxillae) 3’ 5” long, with heavy footed ischium. Both
scapulae, both humeri, 1 ulna. Much of one fore limb and foot. Both illia,
both pubis, both ischium, sacrum most of 2 femers [sic], part of tibiae,
part hind foot, 2 unguals in place, 2 metatarsals over 30 caudals [illeg-
ible] Several chevrons, sacral ribs, 4 dorsal vert, many in sections not
seen. There are [illegible] + [illegible] in sections I have not seen. This
is the first duck bill I have seen with a footed ischium here.
The other two skeletons of last years Coll. have straight ischium.
All I reported last year are here my entire collection boxed and ready for
shipment, about 15000 or 18000 lbs a car load. Then I have 15 turtles. 8
very fine indeed several new sps on 34” long one 31” x 22”. The 8 well
worth worth $1000
Page 2
8 of the finest Cretaceous turtles I have seen. I am through here and I do
not think any things of importance can be found here and most earnestly
hope you will get this entire collection and will ship you everything for
$4500. Hoping you can employ me this winter to work on this great
collections of duck bills. You will have everything from the San Juan
district and I can identify the new horizon I don’t think Levi will remain
with me beyond the year of absence from Toronto and [illegible] the
horned dinosaur and will be in the same financial state as ever. As it will
cost every cent to send the balance to Calif. -where I have no surety of
selling. The other way I will have most of the results of this year [illeg-
ible] and years work for a nest egg for Old Age. If there is any hope wire
me here before I ship to San Diego.
If Dr. Osborn feels under any obligations to my life long work
although he has paid me well I hope he will raise the money for this entire
collection.
Faithfully,
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 40.
[handwritten]
Thoreau, N. Mex.
Aug 31, 1923
My dear Dr. Matthew:-
At last after waiting [illegible] Aug 18
th
to Tsaya and wired you
and was here, comes your letter of the 16
th
. It seems the PM [postmas-
ter] with no authority from me sent it to San Diego and my wife returned
it today. You can imagine how hard it has been to remain here waiting for
news from you, on the Museum all I have received answer to [illegible]
are the [illegible] and are to Dr. Osborn was from Mrs. [illegible] that
the offer was in the hands of the “Committee.” So it is with the greatest
pleasure I have received at last this letter from you. I [illegible] hope I
will not have to wait long for the acceptance of the ceratopsian skull for
fines in [illegible] way than the other. When you write Dr. Osborn
please thank him in my name for the honor he has done me. I wish with
all my heart that he would reconsider his [illegible] of the Duck bill as
I have 3 new sps? 1 footed ischium and crested head, 2 very large as large
as Edmontosaurus- straight ischia, I have offered you everything for
$4500 but will take $3500 if I am given a job of working on the collection.
Page 2
Another thing has occurred to me.
Could you give me (in case you take the ceratopsian) a workshop
so I may develop them (The duck bills) [illegible] pay my freight and
other expenses. In case you decide after examining and to buy them. And
in consideration of expenses entered with, you have the privilege of
describing the same. I believe with you that should own them as [illeg-
ible] specimens and would sacrifice much if I were employed to prepare
them. In any case please wire me if this last proposition is possible as I
have been here 12 days, 10 of them in idleness waiting for news from
N.Y. I hope for my sake you will [illegible] this matter as rapidly as
possible + enclose a list of the [illegible] Turtle and will send you for
$400. They will make magnificent show specimens and I believe all but
one are new. Please wire me encouragement if possible. Levi went home
a week ago.
Faithfully
Charles H. Sternberg
Page 3
No. 4 Adocus bossi, Gilmore
18 in long nearly perfect plastron and carapace
No. 6. New sps? Prefect [sic] except space 7” x 10 “ f… on …
carapace below median line 23” x 19 one of the finest Cretaceous turtles
I ever saw
No. 10. Very fine turtle with lumpy sculptured shell. 34” long 22”
width. Slight compressed otherwise perfect, very thick shell.
No. 16 Very fine turtle like No. 9 which is 31” long and 20” wide.
This is a little smaller but nearly perfect, very full.
No. 19. The finest and most perfect on found 23” x 28”. Very flat
smooth surface. Marks of ……….shell well preserved.
The best in the collection.
Document 41.
[telegram]
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM
Newcomb Carlton, President
George W.E. Atkins, First Vice-President
Send the following message, subject to the terms
on the back, hereof, which are hereby agreed to

460
September 8, 1923
To: Mr. C.H. Sternberg
Street and No. ( or Telephone Number )
Place Throreau, New Mexico
Regret we cannot purchase your specimens. Will write reasons.
W.D. Matthew
Document 42.
[typed]
4046 Arizona St., San Diego, Calif
September 14
th
1923
Dr W.D. Matthew
American Museum New York
My dear Sir:
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” No one could have suffered
more than myself from long deferred hopes unfulfilled. At Thoreau I
received you wire regret we cannot buy your specimens “a letter will
explain.” I waited five days at Thoreau for that letter. Then, concluding I
would accomplish nothing waiting there, I came home and it has been the
same hoping every day for the promised letter and none comes.
I cannot understand this. You told Levi that if we got something
good you hoped to get it, and in your last letter you said that Dr. Osborn
wanted the Horned Dinosaur. I put in the seventy third year of my life in
this bitter field, and secured the finest horned dinosaur I ever discovered,
On the strength of it I was carried by Mr. Staple it will take $500 to pay
my bills there. He kindly loaned me the money to come home on. In
Lawrence I could get money from the bank to carry me until I made a sale.
But not here. My specimens are in Mr. Staples warehouse.
Levi came home and to keep us from the wolf went to work as a
laborer in a lumber yard. The Park Board has given me a large building in
which to prepare my material. I cannot get it there. My hopes have been
that you would have paid me a thousand dollars at once, and on receipt
of the 2 horned dinosaurs the balance. Then I could have shipped the rest
of the material here and I would have enough material to work on. I feel
sure I would have a greater chance to sell if they were out of the boxes, so
they could be seen. My dear doctor your museum who have helped me
through the weary years I cannot believe will now, when I have finished
the self imposed work in the San Juan Basin leave me helpless and in
debt. With a thousand dollars I can pay my debts and get my material
here. I could wait your convenience for the balance.
Please, do not leave me in this uncertain state my sufferings are far
greater than when with high hope I risked every thing to finish the Basin.
I certainly am entitled to a letter from you that will explain every
thing.
Faithfully yours
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 43.
September 27, 1923
My dear Mr. Sternberg:
I judge from your letter just received that my last letter has failed
to reach you. I enclose a copy and can only say that I do not see any
present prospect of the trustees reconsidering their action. I do not think
you will find in any letters from us anything approaching a promise or a
guarantee or advice to undertake this field work, and you would know
without my saying so that Professor Osborn and I would hope to have
the Museum purchase any desirable specimens secured, if it were prac-
ticable. I do not think, however, that your letter really means that you
hold us responsible for you having undertaken the exploration or think
that we have in any way gone back on our promises.
I do not think anyway that you need feel downhearted over your
results, for you have a splendid collection and sooner or later, should be
able to find a market for it, the only difficultly being in financing the
holding of it until you can get a fair price.
Sincerely yours,
[stamped] W.D. Matthew
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
Document 44.
4046 Arizona St.
San Diego, Calif
Sept 28, 1923
My dear Dr. Matthew,
Your letter at last has reached me. It is a bitter, bitter disappoint-
ment, I had hoped as you have always purchased my finer material, you
would not fail me now. What else could I have done but to keep at work.
There was no other field that promised so well. I did not believe the
American Museum would let me suffer after I had endured so much and
secured the finest Ceratopsian I have ever discovered. I could not take
the telegram as indicating there was no hope.
I am in debt at Thoreau $500, all my tools are there. I cannot pay
my bills or ship the material here so I can work on it. The Park Dept. has
given me a large room to work in. I cannot get the material here.
What time does Dr. Osborn return? If you could pay me $1000 I
would send you the skull. The balance can be sent later even next year.
This would enable me to get the duckbills and turtles here to work on, so
I would not eat my heart out entirely.
Of course I will write to the Museums suggested. I see from your
standpoint you can do nothing. I was foolish to think that when I had
given my whole to the advancement of science and your museum had
benefited by my labor more than any other in the world you would find
some way to prevent this suffering in my 73
rd
year. If I had found nothing
of course I would expect nothing. I have waited all these weeks hoping
against hope. Riggs is not friendly towards me. Geo[rge] writes he has
tried without success to get him to recommend the purchase.
Perhaps if you would make a personal appeal to some one inter-
ested in the Museum you might raise half the purchase price I am sure if
you see the specimen you would not part with it.
Hoping indeed that I can sell the material I am faithfully
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 45.
Sale of New Mexican Material
Sept. 29, 1923

461
My dear Mr. Sternberg:
I have just had a talk with the president of the new Museum of
Natural History at Cleveland and from what he tells me I gather that they
are seriously intending to go into Vertebrate Paleontology before long.
Now I think if they do, they might very well make a good start by
purchasing one or more of your New Mexican dinosaurs as a nucleus. It
would be worth while I think, to write to the Director, Paul M. Rea, and
make him an offer. The address is 2717 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.
Sincerely yours,
W.D. Matthew
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego
California
Document 46.
4046 Arizona St.
San Diego, Calif
Oct. 4
th
, 1923
My dear Dr. Matthew:
Both your letters have now been received. As you say you never
told me positively that that you would purchase the skull but that you
hoped the trustees would find the means. My great love for the American
Museum and my great desire to have this grand skull with the other fine
material I have there aided by my imagination, has made me sure you
would not fail to raise the $2000. My necessities too are very great. Of
course I cannot hold you responsible for not making the purchase, or for
my exploration. Of course I knew of your interest in my discoveries
there, and have no doubt but that you could raise the money for desirable
specimens. Hence the bitterness of my disappointment. I had not tried
to sell any where else so sure I was that you would be able to purchase.
If I had not left Lawrence I would not have got into such financial
troubles, because the bank used to help me.
I hope with you that the collection can be sold, for unless it is, I
will be completely ruined and be forced against my will to receive my
bread from sons who need all they can earn for their own families.
Faithfully yours,
Charles H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona St.
San Diego, Calif
Document 47.
Oct 5
th
-[19]23
Director Paul M. Rea:-
My dear Sir: I have just learned from Dr. W.D. Matthews Curator
Vertebrate Palaeontology American Museum, that he had a talk with
your President, who said his museum contemplated going into Verte-
brate Palaeontology soon. Dr. Matthews is very much interested in my
great collection of dinosaurs and turtles, from the hitherto unexplored
San Juan Basin of NW New Mexico. Not only because of its great show
value but chiefly its scientific value. Every thing I have is new both in sps
and genera, except a few turtles.
I sold the American Museum a new ceratopsian from this locality
for $2 000. A second one not yet described.
I now am happy to offer you a great horned dinosaur skull. It is 7
ft 5 in long entire, except the left crest and mandibles. With it is a second
specimen same size, that contains the part of crest gone from the first so
a correct restoration can be made.
Price oxxxxxxxxoo F.O.B. Thoreau N Mex $2 000. 00
Second. A lot of three mountable skeletons of Duckbilled dino-
saurs. One a new crested dinosaur, The top of the head present with
crest to beak 3 ft 5 inches, The other two crestless, The largest known
duckbilled dinosaurs will reach a length of nearly 40 ft.
Price $2 000.00 F
.O.B. Thoreau N Mex
Third: 16 cretaceous turtles from 18 inches to 31 in length. Several
new families I believe, and 8 of them the finest show specimens I have
collected. Price $500
Price F.O.B. Thoreau N Mexico
Dr. Matthews was very anxious to secure the huge ceratopsian
skull. He writes Sept 20 “I am especially sorry about our failure to get
the fine ceratopsian skull, which would have been an important addition
to our series, I hope that you will find a purchaser in this country, If there
is any thing I can do to aid will be glad to do so, I regard your prices fair”
I started the great collection of dinosaurs in the Victorian Memo-
rial Museum Ottawa Canada. Where I was head collector and prepara-
tory for four years Here my son Charles and I mounted the first duckbilled
dinosaur ever mounted in Canada.
Can you get anything more attractive in vertebrate Palaeontology
than this splendid collection. The skull and turtles could be rapidly
prepared for exhibition and description. Of course it will take more time
to prepare the duckbills one of which can be made into an open mount, I
will gladly accept a position as preparator of this material, I think I can
enduce [sic] my son Levi who has a leave of absence from the Toronto
University for a year beginning last April to assist me, for at least until
April 1
st
next. I refer you to Whos Who for my record and to the Ameri-
can Museum who have thousands of dollars worth of my material. It
would be well if you contemplate the purchase of this collection to ask
for an option, and correspond by night messages as there are other
institutions trying to raise the money for their purchase & time is pre-
cious.
I take pleasure in sending you my last book Hunting Dinosaurs
Faithfully
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 48.
FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Chicago, U.S.A.
Paleontological Expedition to Argentina, 1922-25.
Temporary Address DATE
October 8, 1923
% Banco Anglo-Sudamericana

462
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mr. D C Davies, Director,
Field Museum of Natural History
Chicago, Illinois.
Sir:
Replying to yours of August 15 relative to the skeletons
of Cretaceous dinosaurs offered for s[a]le by Mr. Charles H.
Sternberg, would say:
Reply has been delayed until Mr. G.F. Sternberg of this
expedition could be consulted and further information gained.
From the data at hand it appears that the skeleton of the
crested dinosaur would be desirable. It is an animal not
represented in the Museum collections. The specimen was
taken out of the ground by one of the younger sons and was
doubtless well handled.
Detailed information concerning the completeness of the
specimen, and the condition of its preservation, should be
requested, together with photographs of the same.
If answers to these questions appear satisfactory to the
Curator, would recommend purchase without waiting for
further reply from this expedition.
A fair value of a skeleton, sufficiently complete to be mounted,
would be from $2000 to $2500. according to completeness and
condition of preservation.
The turtles offered would not be of especial value to the
Museum.
Respectfully,
[signed] Elmer S. Riggs
Associate Curator Of Paleontology
Document 49.
New Mexican Specimens
October 9, 1923
Dear Mr. Frick:
I submit this letter from Sternberg for your consideration, but I do
not see what we can do about it. If the Museum has any friends with
money to spare, I should think that the needs of preparation of our
Indian and Mongolian material must take preference over the necessities
of Mr. Sternberg, for which we are not responsible.
Sincerely yours,
W.D. Matthew
Mr. Childs Frick
American Museum
Document 50.
4046 Arizona St. San Diego, Calif
Oct 12 1923
Dr. W.D. Matthew:-
I was very glad to receive your last letter and wrote at once to the
Museums. In fact I have alread [sic]
Carnegie writes that they have 120,000 lbs of fossils from Utah
and they have decided to use their money to prepare the material. Geo[rge]
writes he has tried to induce Riggs to buy my material without success (I
offered the Director of Fields [Field Museum of Natural History]
months ago, and he answered he had forwarded my letter to the curator
in S A).
I have not heard from Dr. Rea. I offered Wards Establishment to
give them a lien on the skull if they would advance me $1000 and would
allow them 10 percent on the $1000 and 10 percent on the specimen if
they sold and 5 percent if I sold.
I with Levi’s assistance, to prepare it here, for the sum of $3000 I
have not heard their decision. If it is possible for you to urge Cleveland
persuading to purchase I would be glad indeed. Ward[s] will likely go
abroad for a customer.
I am sending you a paper. I am anxious to sell. If you can recom-
mend it I would be glad. I have often thought with the vast amount of
material, and as I own the copyright of my books that are out of print, I
might augment my income by writing, [sic] for the Sunday editions. I
believe you could help me get started.
Hoping almost against hope that Cleveland will take my dinosaur
skull which would sell for $2000 f.o.b. Thoreau, unmounted or $3000
from here mounted, except as to base.
Faithfully yours,
Charles H. Sternberg
[handwritten] x If you can not please forward to address in plain [illeg-
ible]
CHS
Document 51.
Thoreau, N. Mex
Oct 23, 1923
My dear Dr. Matthew:-
I send you a wire tonight and enclose list of the Triceratops skel-
eton as taken in the field (notes I mean). The other skull I have described
to you is here as well as all the trachodon material nearly of 49 that Dr.
Mook and Mr. Kaisen helped me collect. The four horse teams could
only bring it to Crown Point then a truck brought it the rest of the way.
I received the thousand dollars. It is only a drop in the bucket
toward my expenses this year in the field. I am earnestly hoping that you
will take the entire collection except those I have left in the field. These
of course will belong to you on the condition that you bare the expenses
next season and pay me a yearly salary.
I have now learned of a strong white man, A man who lives near
the field and is reliable and will help me next year at a reasonable wage.
My plan would be to buy a good team and new wagon and harness for
the field. Haul the results across the great Chaco wash and from there
have them hauled in by truck. I would be willing to bare all the expenses
but packing and boxes at the same rate I have offered Dr. Osborn $622.50
a month. If you want to send an expert to assist me I would surely be glad

463
to turn over the specimens he judges worth saving to him to collect.
After this winter I would, when the expedition has ended, expect
to be hired for a year at regular salary paid for such services. Of course I
am willing and will gladly turn over the entire collection now in the field
and work on a yearly salary.
By my first plan however, I am sure I can save the museum a good
deal of money. Dr. Osborn told me if it is absolutely impossible to use all
my material he thought the Museum could sell it at the same rate I
offered you I earnestly hope the balance of the 1
st
thousand for the NEW
Triceratops will soon arrive as I will be unable to accomplish any thing
this winter without it.
I am hanging on the American Museum where I have so many
good things, feeling sure that you will not leave me to financial ruin when
by 8 months of exhaustive labor I have evidently discovered a new
chapter on the N[orth] A[merican] Dinosaurs.
My address will be San Fernando Rd and Rossyln St Los Angeles
Calif.
Faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
I have packed a box containing sacrum found near Triceratops that was
over looked by Mr. Kaisen.
TRICERATOPS SKULL
Length of rostrum to end of crest 7’, 8”
Height grinding surface of teeth
to end of nasal horn 19”
Right orbital horn 2’, 6”
End rostrum to base horn core 2’
Center crest, width right half 15”
No. 36 TRICERATOPS SKELETON
Length column with ribs, proximal
end of scapula and femur,
left side 13 ft.
This part of skeleton seems articulated.
Right side, ilium, other bones of arch 12ft.
limb and ribs, articulated
vertebrae, disassociated bones,
left ilium, a number of bones I
cannot distinguish on account of
sand and iron matrix that encloses
them.
I recognize a femur, several caudal vertebrae and in the section
near head, separate from those described is a string of vertebrae about 4
ft. long with a foot in it. 25ft. from skull same level, a sacrum.
Sec. 1. Skull 7’8” long
Sec. 2. 5 ft. long
3’ 8” [?] part string of caudals or cervicals [?]
Sec. 3. 2 metacarpals and rib.
Pkgs. 1 Crest of
Ceratops
Sec 4. Ilium.
3 pkgs. ribs? etc.
Sec. 5,6,7,8,9
Pkg. 13 with sec. of vertebrae
Document 52.
[typed]
4046 Arizona St
San Diego, Calif. Oct 24 1923
Dear Dr. Matthew
I have not heard from anyone favorably. Wards say they cannot
accept my offer of ten percent on the $1000. I offered to give them So I
am offering them 20 percent on [illegible] I however would much prefer
to have you possess it just as Levi and I prepared it I therefore offer the
two skulls, one with the crest and the other one that misses crest and the
middle bar F O B $1500 on condition that you send me at least $750 so
I can pay my debts at Thoreau, and the balance within three months, I
earnestly hope you will try to raise this money that barely pays my
expenses for last season.
If it is impossible please tell Ward[s] that you think the collection
is worth enough so they will risk little in advancing the $1000 or any help
of this kind you feel like giving, I will have Levi mount it here if Ward[s]
advances me the money.
Faithfully yours
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
P.S. My idea is that Ward[s] will have more opportunities to
know who has money than I. If you can do such a splendid thing for me
as to advise Dr Rea to secure the entire coll[ection] I will indeed be glad
and will send him the entire collection for $4000 including the turtles. If
Levi goes back to Toronto, and I suppose he will, I will give up the
dinosaur field in San Juan Co.
Document 53.
[typed]
4046 Arizona St.
San Diego Calif Nov 5
th
[19]23
Dr. W.D. Matthews [sic]
My dear Doctor:-
At last, after all these weary months of waiting Wards have agreed
to advance me $1000 so I can get the skull prepared while I am to pay
them 20 percent for use of money and for sales. I regret that I have been
obliged to go to a dealer, but there was no other chance, after your letter
of the 20
th
of Sept
Of course I will get nothing for my own eight months of labor,
unless I can sell some other stuff as I will have to pay Levi for preparing
[sic] the material.
It is a great relief, however to know there is still a man in America
like Mr. Ward who comes to my aid, when I need it most.
I am sending a fossil that is beyond me, I take it for a fish but am
absolutely at loss as to what family it belongs. A man found it here in the
Pleistocene as I understood.
As I wrote you a long time ago asking you to recommend a paper
with photographs to the public press, I am anxious to know whether you
have done any thing about it. I would also ask you to be kind enough to
me to tell me if you do not have the time to answer my correspondence,
I do not want to prove a nuisance, after the many years of helpfulness on
your part.
Faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
PS. I wish to say that the illustration of the restoration of

464
Palaeoscincus is the most perfect restoration, as in life I have ever seen
of a dinosaur. I firmly believe that was the natural pose of these great
creatures. The elevated position of Marshes [sic] restoration of plated
dinosaurs have always seemed absurd to me.
I also believe the nearer this pose, is given to the other families the
nearer will they come to life. I am very much surprised at the way the
plates are arranged, I thought the big horn-like plates belonged on the top
of the back instead of the sides and that the armor was joined completely
and the ossicles of bone was below in the skin of the belly. Is it not funny
that a man like me, who has lived among these creatures so long should
have misinterpreted their looks I am ready to accept Osborn and Wyman
[sic], and acknowledge even the mosasaur had a crooked tail.
C.H.S.
Document 54.
November 8, 1923
My dear Mr. Sternberg:
I am glad to know you have managed to get partly straightened
out, although not on very satisfactory terms. It is an unfortunate coinci-
dence that we should be at present so tied up in this Asiatic work;
otherwise I feel sure we would not have missed the chance to secure your
material. In a letter received today from Barnum Brown he expresses his
pleasure at our having the
Pentaceratops, and regret that we were unable
to get the ? Anchiceratops, saying that this fauna will be of much impor-
tance in correlating the Cretaceous.
I forwarded the article you sent in my care to the address given as
per instructions enclosed, and did not until afterwards get your letter
suggesting that I write a letter of recommendation. I should have been
glad to do so, only I had not kept a copy of the address. In any case, you
hardly need any introduction to recommendation from me, as you are
quite well known as the author of “Life of a Fossil Hunter”.
Professor Osborn returned today from Mongolia in fine health
and enthusiasm and tells of splendid success in that region. I showed him
the model of Triceratops which Lang has just made, based on the mounted
skeleton just placed on exhibition. He was immediately impressed with
the broad, flat, and squat proportions of the creature, very different from
the models or restorations hitherto made, and undoubtedly correct, for
this mount is the result of the most careful studies on a very fine skel-
eton. It shows a very notable resemblance to the Ankylosaurs in propor-
tions. Also there isn’t any doubt about the position of the great spikes on
Palaeoscincus, as your specimen was most carefully prepared by
Falkenbach and every stage of the work on it watched critically by our
staff. It was as much a surprise to us as to you; but one can’t get around
the facts like that.
Your letters are always interesting and usually important in rela-
tion to our work. I hope you will excuse the irregularity in answering
them, as I often have to refer to the President or Director or others for
instructions or decisions on certain points before I can reply, and that
involves more or less delay.
Sincerely yours,
W.D. Matthew
Mr. C.H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona St.
San Diego
California
Document 55.
[typed]
4046 Arizona St San Diego Calif
Nov 15
th
1923
Dr. W.D. Matthew
My dear Doctor:-
I was very glad to have your letter of the 8
th
. I am glad Dr. Osborn
has returned with such a splendid collection. I wrote to him so he re-
ceived my letter. I earnestly hope he will feel enough interest in me
personally to give it close attention. I cannot believe, but he with his
great influence can raise the money for the new horned dinosaur, for
though it approaches Anchiceratops, it is at least a new sps.
I have written enough to show you how helpless I am for lack of
money. The $1000 from Ward[s] will barely bring the specimen here.
You know Levi’s capacity to make a good mount of it. So it can be
described on receipt. If you prefer to prepare it yourself and will notify
me in time I will ship it before opening.
Of course now that Ward’s have an interest in it, they will likely
sell at enough to pay them for their outlay. There will be nothing left to
pay Levi or realize anything for myself. Because, my plans were not
carried out,, as I had hope and you had you had taken the skull at once
when we got it to Thoreau. I still have hopes that Dr. Osborn will find a
way to secure it, even if I have to wait until next year for my money.
I am very sorry that you did not recommend the article I sent
because that is the last I will ever see of the paper or photographs I had
an idea there was a possibility of earning something from my long life in
the fossil fields through the public press. I believed these scientific ar-
ticles were controlled by some one in N.Y. Everyone that comes from an
interview with you shows that you have either corrected the proof or the
writer is a very unusual newspaper man. I am not likely to undertake the
labor again.
I once sent you a ms. On my expedition to San Juan Co. but you
have never remarked on it or returned the ms. Further I think I ought to
receive the Novitates that contains the description of my new
Pentaceratops and others also. A man I met here three years ago saw the
article in the Boston Transcript and cut it out and sent it to me (I mean
the one that described for the press the Pentaceratops). One thing I want
to thank you for and that is your invariable custom has been to give me
credit for my discoveries even when being interviewed.
I can say one thing about your letters when they do come they are
like cold water in a dry and thirsty land alway[s] cheer me up usually. It
is hard however to feel that although my expedition to San Juan Co. will
eventually benefit science. There seems little prospect of even receiving
enough to pay its bare expenses.
I wish it could be arranged in N.Y. so I could talk and lecture for the
school children, I have always interested, them here, as well as the older
ones.
For three months I have not even been able to work on my speci-
mens. I hope they will soon arrive
Faithfully
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg

465
Document 56.
[typed]
San Diego Calif 4046 Arizona St Nov 30
th
1923
Mr. P M. Rea:-
Director The Cleveland Museum of Natural History
My dear Sir:-
Thanks for your kind letter of the 20
th
instant. I hope indeed you
will be so fortunate as to secure my dinosaurs and turtles from New
Mexico. Especially as you propose to open a new Department of Pale-
ontology.
There is nothing in the line of Fossils that attracts more attention
from the visiting public. There will be nothing, that will attract the
paleontologist in this country more as this collection properly prepared
as I firmly believe both the horned and duckbilled dinosaurs are new to
science and of the 16 turtles 8 are as fine as any ever collected and many
are new Some 28 and 31 inches long.
I have notice of the shipment, from Thoreau N. Mex of my great
new ceratopsian or horned dinosaur It is 7 ft 5 inches long
My son and I go to work, on its preperation [sic] as soon, as it
reaches me.
Wards Natural Science Establistment Rochester NY Has with
myself the power to sell my collection. I firmly believe if you are pretty
certain of starting the new Dept of Paleontology, that you should get an
option on at least the prepared skull, I have never found any trouble in
selling such a magnificant [sic] specimen.
The Duckbills on account of their great weight I am leaving at
Thoreau until after I have prepared the skull, and turtles as the freight
charges are so great I am in hopes that the Museum ordering them will
have them shipped directly to it
Faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 57.
December 6, 1923.
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California.
My dear Mr. Sternberg:
I was indeed sorry to learn of your inability to dispose of your
last summer’s collection. I am not now in position to do anything in
promoting a sale to the Cleveland Museum, but I shall keep the matter in
mind and should the opportunity present itself you may be assured of
my support.
If you care to dispose of the turtles separately, wish you would
send me prices on Nos. 6, 9, 10 and 19 on your list. While I cannot
promise the purchase of any of these there might be an opportunity after
the first off the year and if the data was at hand could immediately take
advantage of any such opening.
Hoping that your health is better by now, I am as ever,
Very truly yours,
[unsigned]
Curator,
Division of Ver. Paleontology.
Document 58.
[typed]
Sternberg Ceratopsian Skull
December 13, 1923
Dear Professor Osborn:
I haven’t bothered you with this matter, mainly because I don’t
see what we can do about it at present. I recommended to the committee
that the ceratopsian skull be purchased, provided it would not interfere
with providing funds for the Asiatic work, to which we are deeply
committed. But, as matters stand, it would appear that we need every
available penny to carry on. Unless a patron is found who would sup-
port our American dinosaur work but not Mongolian explorations, I see
no practical possibility of securing specimens or of preparing them after
they are secured. With the possible exception of Mr. Douglass, or other
mining men interested in southwestern geology, I can think of no one
likely to take that viewpoint.
I do not see that Mr. Sternberg has any claim on us, sentimental or
moral, to help him out of the hole which he got into against our advice,
nor why he should resent aid from his own children, while begging for it
from us.
Sincerely,
[stamped] W.D. Matthew
Professor Henry Fairfield Osborn
American Museum
Document 59.
[typed]
4046 Arizona St San Diego Calif
Jan 22 1924
Dr. O.C. Ferington [sic]
Fields [sic] Museum Chicago
My Dear Doctor:-
I enclose some photographs of the new horned dinosaur I col-
lected last season in San Juan Co New Mexico. It shows the condition it
has reached in my preparation. Of course this is still, in the rough a great
deals [sic] is to be done before it is turned over and ironed. When finished
it will be entirely free from the matrix and mounted.
I also send you three photos of my best turtles. No 19 is the finest
cretaceous [sic] turtle I have seen.
Hoping that your museum will be interested in my three skeletons
of new duckbills and this Ceratopsian which is 7 ft 10 in long.
I am faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
[Brian Patterson annotated this letter writing: This material not acquired
by F. [ield] M.[useum] Present whereabouts? Ceratopsian probably
purchased by Canada Mus (see letter B 3). Turtles evidently went to
Wards. B.P.]

466
Document 60.
[typed with hand annotations]
4046 Arizona St. San Diego Calif Feb 11
th
1924
Director Fields Museum Chicago Illinois
My dear Sir:-
My son George has written me from Sarmiento Chubert S A to the
effect that Mr. Riggs has recommended that your museum purchase my
entire collection of Duckbilled dinosaurs Most of the collection is still in
Thoreau NM and a few here pounds here.
I hope my dear sir, you will write me your decision at once, If
desireable I will send you the complete list of material but I think this has
already been done
The so called Triceratops skull that Mr. refurses [sic] to reccomend
[sic] its purchase as he thinks the price too great at $2000 is a new genus
of the Ceratopsians and not Triceratops. It is the only one in exhistence
[sic] I offered it to the American Museum F O B Thoreau N Mex for
$2000 and Dr Matthews [sic] said in a letter to me that the price was not
too much, He would gladly purchase it but their funds were exhausted in
connection with their Mongolian work.
I have now removed the rock from the skull and it is ready for
mounting In connection with the nearly complete crest of another indi-
vidual I offer it for $2500 F O B San Diego Calif
I have some of the finest turtles so far discovered in the Creta-
ceous one No. 19
24 by 28 inches Price $125.00
Then I have a nearly complete skeleton of the wonderfully sculp-
tured shell of a heavy carapace and plastron 22 by 23 inches Only two or
three in exhistance [sic]
Price $140
These two turtles have been nearly prepared I send photos of the
first named Neurankylus baueri Gilmore It is finer than the type
I have a number of other turtles unprepared as yet.
Faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 61.
[handwritten]
Upsala April 4
th
, 1924
Dear Mr. Sternberg,
At last I have continued to procure $265, which I have sent you
through a bank here. In July this year I shall be able to send you $135
dollars.
Some of the specimens are not labeled, as you know, and it is
impossible to find out at which localities these have been collected by a
comparison between your lists and the contents of different boxes. Evi-
dently your assistants have not packed the boxes in agreement with the
lists, as I suppose you had told them to do. This, of course lessens the
value of these specimens to some extent. I wonder if you will not there-
fore consider yourself fully paid with $400.
Will you kindly send me as soon as possible your receipt of the
$165 and at the same time give me your address in July.
Yours sincerely,
C.W.
Document 62.
June third
1924
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California.
Dear Sir:
Referring to your letter of February 11
th
, answer to which has
been delayed owing to the absence of the Curator of Geology, I should be
glad to receive more detailed information regarding the completeness of
the specimens of the duck-billed dinosaurs which you have for sale; the
condition of their preservation, photographs and prices.
Yours very truly,
[presumably signed D.C.
Davies]
Director.
Document 63.
[typed]
Office of
CHARLES H. STERNBERG, A.M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
June 10
th
[1924]
Director D.C. Davies:-
My dear Sir:-
In answer of your letter of June third I enclose the list of three
dinosaur skeletons that I offer you, packed and boxed and F O B at
Thoreau N M for the sum of $1500. I have here the crest of 24 of which
I will soon send a photograph.
The specimens, with that exception are in the condition they were
collected and consequently no photographs can be taken. It would double
the cost to bring them here and prepare them so photographs can be
made. Where it is possible they are in sections, protected by their rocky
envelope and the plaster and burlap wrappers and are securely packed
and boxed for transportation.
I could not offer them at the price I do expect on account of my
advancing age. I feel like giving up the dinosaur field, I sold two horned
dinosaur skulls to the American Museum for $3500. Dr. Matthews [sic]
wanted the duckbills but owing to the great number the[y] have from
Canada the Trustees were opposed to buying more besides their funds
were engaged in Asia. Dr. Matthews [sic] is especially anxious that these
duckbills remain in America as they represent a new faunal horizon. He
is willing to be quoted as considering my prices very liberal.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
I am faithfully yours
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg

467
Document 64.
[typed with sketch]
List of Boxes Dinosaurs Sold Fields [sic] Museum
No 7-23 Sacrum of No. 24
8-41 Vertebrae and 13 ribs
9-23 Sec 1 and two metatarsals
11-23 Pkg 1.17 15 35
13-23 Pkgs 5 33 6 7 39 30
10-23 Pkgs 24 6 2 29 6 7 31
14-23 24 3 22 2 sks fragments vert 3 pieces Pubis
12 boxes unnumbered SPECIMEN no 1 of 1922 Collection
from McKinley Co
Box 18 No. 49 Sections 6 and 7
19-22 Sec 1 Sec 9 Sec 2
Box 20-22 Sec 7. 8. 5 pkgs fragments between sections 5 and 6
21-22 Sec 3 and pkgs
22-22 Sec 6
Box 24 Triplex Block
Crested Dinosaur No. 24 1923
2 Scapula, 3 humerus, 4 2 pkgs, 5 ilium, 6 footed ischium, 7 footed
ischium, 8 Illium [sic], 9 dorsal Vertebrae, 10 11 Vert., 12 scarum, 13
dorsal vert., 14 metartarsal, 15 femur, 16 fibula, 17 femur, 18 metatarsa
vert ungual, 19 cheveron [sic], 21 ungual, 22 Pubis, 23 same, 24 rib, 25
rib part under no 36 rib, 27 bone of the head, 28 two pkgs bones of front
foot, 29 tibia, 30 scapula, 31 Ulna 2 vert Sec 1 four vert and ribs, 32 two
cheverons [sic] 1 caudal, 83 tibia 34 caudal vert, 35 part hind foot 2
unguals, 3 cheverons [sic] 39 2 caudals, 37 caudal vert in front 38, 38 3
caudals in fron 39 and 40, 39 10 continuous c vert, 41 vert and ribs. Boxes
7,8,9, 11,13,10,14; one of these was sent here and returned in the two
boxes shipped from here
Dinosaur 49 1922 Taken up by Kaisen
Box 18 Sec-6.7.8
Box 19 Sec 1 Sec 9 Sec 2
Box 20 7 and 8
5 Pkgs between 6 and 9
Fragments between 5 and 6
Box 21 Sec 3 and packages
Box 22 Sec 6
Box 23 Triplex Block
Document 65.
[typed]
Sternberg’s Expedition 1922
[Kirtland Shale, Specimen No. 1]
McKinley [San Juan] Co., New Mexico; 1 mile W. of a trading
store which is 85 miles N.E. of Thoreau and 110 miles N.W. of Albuquer-
que NEW MEXICO.
No 1 Loc 1 mile west of store
In quarry 60 ft long, and 10 feet wide. Taken up according to
number, Each package is not necessarily complete as bones ran into each
others [sic] and could not be taken up entire. They were preserved in
sandy clay and came free from the matrix. The packages should be mended
first, and associated according to number. Then when the individual bone
is not complete will be complete the rest will be in one of the others near
by according to number.
No. 1. Tibia, 2 Femur, 3 femur, 4 humerus, 5 Humerus, 6 undtd, 7
Coracoid, 8 Metatarsal, 9 Dorsal [vertebra], 10 Patella, 11 Patella, 12
Humerus, 13-14 Large ribs, 15 Ribs, 16 middle metatarsal, 17 Femur, 18
ulna, 19 undtd, 20 Ischium, 21 Tibia and fibula, 22 Ilium, 23-24 Small
Metacarpals, 25 small rib, 26 bone of the head, 27 metacarpal, 28 Cervi-
cal Vert., 29 Cervical and metacarpal, 30 Metacarpal, 31 Cervical, 32
Cervical vert., 33 Pubis, 34 Vertebrae, 35 Middle phalanx, 36 Metacar-
pal, 37 Pubis and carpal, 38 Vertebrae, 39 Vertebra and ribs, 40 2 verte-
brae and ribs, 41 2 vert. and ribs, 42
Aspideretes, 43 front phalanx and
spine, 44 Vertebrae, 45 MAXILLA and teeth, 46 Ischium, 47 Small rib,
48 3 vert and ribs, 49 RIGHT DENTARY WITH TEETH, 51 3 vert and
ribs, 52 Vertebrae, 53 Vert, etc. West end Quarry, 54, 55, 56, 57 caudals,
58 pubis, 59 bone of the head, 60 2 cervicals, 61 Scapula, 62 Mandible
and teeth, 63 2 vertebrae, 64 Small fibula, 65 Ribs near 61, 66 3 caudals,
patella, Middle ungual,
Sequoia leaves, 67 Bones from west quarry
belongs with 61 12 vertebrae and bones of feet same region, 68 fragments
washed out near 66, 69 Dorsal Vert, 70, 71,72,73 Dorsal Vertebrae,
Cheveron, 74 Two Maxillae East Quarry, 75 Pubis, 76 10 caudal 1 metac-
arpal [77?] 78 small ulnae, 79 Coracoid and ribs, 80 large vertebra. 81 2
caudals and ribs, 82 large vertebrae, 83 2 Vert and ribs, 84 small tibia, 85
fragments near 62, 86 Humerus and frag. Turtle [87?], 88 Small Tibia, 89
Illium, 90 Ribs east quarry, 91-92 Ribs, 93-94 Metacarpal and Metatar-
sal, 95 radius, 96
Aspideretes 97 other half same, 98 Large vert with
spine, 99 small femur, 100 Rib head, 101 Mandible, 102 West side ulna,
103 Metatarsal, 104 to 107 Ribs, 108 Vert., 109 Caudals, 110 East
quarry Metatarsal, 111 Rib, [112 ?] 113 Rib. etc. near 93, 114-115 Bones
of the skull, 116 Chevron, 117 large vert with spine, 118 Ribs, [119 ?]
120 Ribs, 121 Metatarsal, 122 Vert., 123 Rib [124-126?] 127 Rib, 128
Femur, 129 Spine, [130 ?] 131 fragments near 115 West Quarry, 132 to
134 Scattered bones, 135 Quadrate near 131, 136 Rib, 137 Frag near
[138] [138?], 139 Vert, 140 Fragment and ribs, 141 MANDIBLE WITH
TEETH, 142 2 vert. and ribs, 143 Vert, 144 Vert and rib, 145 West
Quarry Spine, 146-147 Vert. Same, 148 East Quarry Fibula, 149-150,
Ribs, chevron, 151 ilium, 152 3 vert. near 151, 153 Part of ischium and
vertebra, 154 Rib, 155 Supposed Ischium, 156 Sine and vert, 157 From
near 151, [158?] 159 to 161 Vertebrae and Metatarsal, 162 Rib, 163
Metatarsal, 164 Rib and carpal, 165 Vert and patella, 166 2 vert, 167
Vertebrae, 168 Metatarsal, 19 2 vert, 170 3 vert, 171 Tibia three pkgs.
172 3 vert, 2 pkgs, 173 Vertebra [174-175?] 176 Vert. and ribs, 177
Metacarpals, 178 Rib, 179 Jaw with teeth, 180 Phalanges metacarpals
and rib frag, 181 to 183 Ribs, 184 Bone of head, 185 Vert. 186 Fragment
near 187, 187 Scapula, 188 2 Maxillae, 189 Dentary, 190 bone of head,
191 Tarsal and metacarpal, 192 Quadrate, 193 Rib and tarsal, 194 Vert.
195 Ulna. 196 fragments, 197 metacarpal, 198199 vertebrae, 200-201

468
Bones of head, 202 Teeth and ungual, 203 Vert., 204 Jugal and ribs east
quarry 205
Aspideretes, 206 Spine, 207-208 Ribs, 209 Phalange, 210-
211 Bones of head, 212 Broken bones on wash when first found, 213
Ungual, vert., plants, first bones taken up. 214 Small femur. 212 Com-
plete mandible, 213 two maxillae and part of skull (note 212 and 213 are
duplicate numbers) 215 Jaw, 216 Scapula, 217 D. Vert. 218-219- Spines.
220 broken bone west quarry, 221-222 Metatarsals, 223 vert. 224 Is-
chium, 225 metatarsal, [226 ?] 227 Tibia, 228 Rib, 229 2 vert. 230
Quadrate, 231 Vert. 232 Phalange, 233 Several Vert. etc.
Locality 10 West of No. 1 ½ mile, and 2 in Kirtland Shales Creta-
ceous, Tibia fibula and vert. Horned dinosaurs
Loc. 11 Sacrum, Femur, 1 Ilium. 500 yards from No. 1 This
Sacrum 1 expect to go with material at No. 1 to complete skeleton
Loc. 12 Near Loc 1 same level. Radius, tarsal 4 pkgs.
Loc. 14 N. side of Escavada Wash. 15 miles N. W. Store, Pubis,
Femur 4’ 6” long, 2 ischia, 2 ankylosed vert. Ischium etc.
Loc. 19 Fossil leaves North side Escavada Wash. Near Loc. 14
Loc. 21 13 vert. etc. horned dinosaur, South side Escavada Wash
near 14.
Fruitland Shale Cretaceous
8 miles S. E. of Tsaya San Juan Co., New Mexico, Coal Cr.
Sternberg’s Expedition 1922 Duckbilled dinosaur articulated No 49
The skeleton lay on its side and was curved in such a way that the
front and hind legs were together the processes on the upper sides of the
vertebrae were large nearly all washed away So this side should be left to
last and it [sic] a panel mount is made should be buried in plaster. It was
taken up in sections Marked on the pieces The largest section has as I
believe the skull and should be opened first. The bottom, shows the last
straps of plaster were put on and this is the side to open.
In separating the sections fragments were made and marked to go
with them and should be mended There were a number of bones outside
the skeleton Like the Ischium 4 ½ feet long bones of the feet and limbs.
All that go with this are in boxes marked-22 boxes.
Fruitland Shales, near last specimen A crested dinosaur No 24
Sternberg’s Expedition for 1923
This is a scattered Crested duckbilled dinosaur [FMNH P27393,
holotype of Parasaurolophus cyrtocristatus] the top of the skull includ-
ing crest I have prepared and shipped from San Diego The other bones
to be present although many are hidden in matrix of sections consist of
Both Scapulae, 1 ulna Part of Fore Arm Both Iliae pubis ischia Sacrum 7
vertebrae 2 femora G 1 tibia 1 fibula Part two Tibia Part of one hind foot
with 2 unguals in place 2 metatarsals 30 caudal vertebrae some articu-
lated, 13 dorsals in sight (several ribs and vertebrae in sections[)] 2
scapulae 2 humerii
Document 66.
[typed]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A. M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
June 17
th
1924
Director D.C. Davies
Field Museum Chicago
My dear Sir:-
I enclose a small photograph of the top of the skull I offered you
the length is nearly four feet and hight [sic] from bottom to paroccipital
procress is 17 ½ inches. The photograph only gives the outline and not
the detail of the elements that are distinctly seen in the specimen.
Hoping to hear from you at an early date.
I am faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 67.
[typed]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A.M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
July 29 1924
Dr. C. Wiman:-
It is with great pleasure I acknowledge receipt of $135.00 this
settles my account against you fully, I am sorry I had to press for the
payment of this account.
I still have on hand, as much in weight as I sent you from
Farmington, stored at Thoreau N. Mex. So the freight will be much
cheaper. I will send you the entire collection for $1500. As I have a
mortgage on this collection having been obliged to raise a thousand dol-
lars it will be necessary to receive the money in advance.
There are three skeletons of duckbills all new to science. One I
have the top of the head including the crest and duck bill I have prepared
it here and, send a poor picture. The parts preserved are about 3 ft 10
inches.
By comparison with the known crested duckbills you will see this
is genericly [sic] different from any known. I have most of the skeleton
with this at Thoreau. I have another locality a second form the skull
seems present. I am not sure of the skull but think I saw part of one as I
turned the slab over. This skeleton is continuous. The ichium is 4 ft 6 in
long. The limbs are very well preserved. It is taken up in sections.
The third skeleton has the dissociated skull present and about 450
bones of the skeleton. The maxillae and dentaries perfectly preserved
with all the teeth in place. The bones have nearly all come free from the
matrix. They are all perfectly preserved ans not injured by pressure. So
I believe an open mount of this huge duckbill can be made. It’s the size of
Lambe’s Edmontosaurus.
These three skeletons, two crested and one uncrested duckbilled
dinosaurs will doubtless be crowning collections of my life among the
dinosaurs and the price I offer them to you are much less than cost and

469
with the other material make a wonderful example of the Dinosauria
Fauna of N. Mex.
If you have any hope of securing the money please wire me and I
will leave it in Throeau [sic] and thus save much freight.
Hoping that you may receive this material which I think of mora
[sic] scientific value that [sic] my other lot.
I am faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
Document 68.
[typed]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A. M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
August 11
th
1924
Director D.C. Davies
Field Museum of Natural History
My dear Sir:-
Since your letter of June 3
rd
was received, which I answered I have
heard nothing further from you in regard to the three skeletons of
duckbilled Dinosaur I offered to you for $1500.
I have made a contract with the Wards of Rochester to prepare the
same for them unless I sell them in the mean time without preparing
them. I have only a short time at my command to accomplish this as the
freight on the material from Thoreau N Mex will be as much as from there
to Chicago. I have resolved to give you a few days opportunity to order
the collection F O B Thoreau. Of course if I have the material shipped
here, which under contract I am obliged to do, the cost of freight will be
added to my offer. And if I have begun work on it the cost to you will be
materially increased. I would have shipped here long ago but for the hope
you would want them at the Fields unprepared.
In case you cannot decide until latter I would be willing to accept
an option on them by your paying me $1000.oo in advance for a couple
of months
Faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
{purchased approved by
President Field-
Aug 19 – 1924
DCD.
Document 69.
DAY LETTER
THE WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH COMPANY
Incorporated
25,000 OFFICES IN AMERICA
CABLE SERVICE TO ALL THE WORLD
Theo N. Vail, President Belvidere Brooks, General Manager
SEND the following DAY LETTER subject to
The terms on back hereof which are hereby agreed to
August 19, 1924
Charles H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
Field Museum will purchase three skeletons of Duckbill Dinosaur
offered by you August eleventh for fifteen hundred dollars. Letter fol-
lowing.
D.C. Davies, Director
Document 70.
August 20
th
, 1924
Charles H. Sternberg,
4046 Arizona Street,
San Diego, California.
Dear Sir:-
As stated in the telegram sent you yesterday, the Museum will
purchase the three skeletons of Duck-bill Dinosaurs offered in your
letter of the 11
th
inst. for Fifteen Hundred Dollars ($1500). It is under-
stood that these specimens are carefully packed, boxed and will be F. O.
B. at Thoreau, New Mexico. Please send the shipment by freight collect,
via the A. T. and S. F. R. R. to Chicago. The crest of specimen No. 24
which is in San Diego is of course expected to be included in the purchase
and shipment.
Truly yours,
[presumably signed D.C.
Davies]
Director.
Document 71.
[typed]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A.M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
August 27 1924
Mr. D.C. Davies Director Field Museum
Chicago.
My dear Sir:-
In answer to your wire and letter I have order the three skeletons
of dinosaurs shipped to you as soon as possible. In the mean time I will
prepare a copy of my notes so that the most important material can be
opened and properly un-covered.
I was nearly two seasons collecting this material. And as it is all
new to science and represents according to Dr. Mathews [sic] a new
faunal horizon it will be of great scientific value as the disassociated
skeleton with the mandibles and maxilla present and most of the
dissasociated [sic] skull, is of enormous proportions I believe it will take
a fine open mount. The articulated skeleton I still believe the skull at-
tached, will make a fine slab skeleton.
Thanking you very much for the order and expressing great plea-
sure at the fact that material goes to such a splendid museum.

470
I remain Faithfully yours
[signed]
Charles H. Sternberg
P.S. I hope you will remit at an early date
[script] Will ship skull No 23 from here soon.
CHS
Document 72.
[typed]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A.M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
August 28 1924
Director D.C. Davies
Field Museum
My dear Sir:-
Please find inclosed [sic] B L for the material I have here that goes
with the three skeletons of Dinosaurs purchased.
The smaller box contains the skull of the new duckbill with crested
head. A very peculiar one. The large box contains the two femora etc of
24 and some bones from the no. 1 collection of 1922.
I will send a complete list soon.
Faithfully yours
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 73.
[handwritten]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A.M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
Sept 15 1924
Dear Mr C.W. Gilmore
I have sold my San Juan Dinosaurs. Horned to American Museum
and Duckbills to Fields [sic] & will have the fine turtle 6. 9. 10 19 + one
other in the hands of Ward’s to sell. Nothing finer known from San Juan
Co N.M. As I will have to [illegible] heavily if I [illegible] to Ward’s I
have resolved to offer them to you for $400.00
Faithfully yours
Charles H. Sternberg
Please answer at once.
Document 74.
[typed]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A. M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
October 16
th
, 1924
Director D.C. Davies
Field Museum Natural History
Chicago, Illinois
My Dear Sir:-
Many thanks for the receipt of $1500 in payment for the Dino-
saur skeletons. I have sold to Ward’s Natural Science Establishment the
best turtles ever found in the same horizon in New Mexico. This accord-
ing to Dr. W. D. Matthews represents a new dinosaur zone for America.
Every thing [sic] nearly found there is new to science. I mention these
facts as I am sure you would be delighted to add these prepared turtles to
the duckbills. I will at once try and arrange about the Yale block.
Faithfully yours,
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 75.
[typed]
4046 Arizona St San Diego Calif Nov 27
Mr. C.W. Gilmore:-
My dear Sir:-
Your last letter was received a long time ago, I once wrote to Mr.
Rea at Cleveland and have just received his answer. He says “I have no
funds at present available for the purchase of your material I am, how-
ever, very much interested in it and if I succeed as I hope to in organizing
our Department of Paleontology this winter, my interest would be greatly
increased and shall probably be in position to consider the purchase.”
This certainly looks favorable. Dr. Matthew also advised me to
write there as well as yourself. He said in a letter to me “I regret very
much that my telegram informed you the Trustee’s Committee was
unable to see its way to the purchase of your material. I am especially
sorry about our failure to get the fine Ceratopsian skull which would
have been an important addition to our series I hope that you will be able
to sell in this country if possible, and if there is anything I can do to, aid,
will be to do so, I regard your prices as fair and you can quote me to that
effect.” He also wrote me later and that he had seen the president of the
Cleveland Museum and he told him the ment [sic] to establish a Dept of
Paleontology and advised me to offer the material there.
THE GREAT DISSAPPOINTMENT of my last years expedi-
tion was the failure of Dr to secure my great skull As I have run out of
money and was in debt there at Thoreau some $500. But for the assis-
tance of Mr B I Staples I could not have finished my work there or
crought [sic] in to the station the result of my discoveries For months I
have been helpless, and Levi has been obliged to go to work as a common
laborer to help keep off the wolf. As I could not sell or raise any money
I applied to Ward’s who I have sold some of my material and asked for a
thousand dollars to get the skull and turtles he[re.]
This he did and they will soon be here. They have authority now
to sell my material. I expect Levi to help me mount the new Ceratopsian
skull that resembles Anchiceratops As it has great openings in the crest
and enormous exoccipitals at the distal ends. I propose with Levi’s help
to mount it ready for the museum. We will restore the left crest and
central bar by making a copy of those parts in the second specimen and
mount that separately. This is absolutely new I am sure It is not

471
Anchiceratops though it resembles it. The three and part of the fourth
Duckbills I leave at Thoreau Hoping to get a [sic] order for them from
there as the freight from here would be as much nearly as from Thoreau
East.
In my collection are well represented turtles Horned dinosaur and
duckbill fauna. The Dinosaurs are all evidentin [sic] new and represent
the horned dinosaurs both the solid crest and those with openings. The
duckbills also represent the crested and non crested forms, Evidently the
horizon cannot be far above the Belly river.
I hope indeed that this collection will go to Cleveland and that you
will have the opportunity of describing it. Please do all in your power to
assist me in the sale. If there a certainty of their creating the Dept of
Paleontology they ought to make some arrangements with me so they do
not miss the purchase.
[there is a handwritten sentence here that is illegible]
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg
Document 76.
June 17, 1925
My dear Mr. Sternberg:-
I am recommending that the collections of 5 turtles be purchased
for $50.00. It will take few days for the papers to pass through official
channels, but as soon as a decision is reached will let you know the
outcome at once.
I will be glad to send you any paper I write descriptive of the
turtle specimen received from Ward’s. Expect to take up their study
shortly.
With kindest regards,
I am as ever
Very sincerely yours,
[unsigned, presumably from
C.W. Gilmore]
Curator, Vert. Paleon.
Mr. Charles H. Sternberg
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California.
Document 77.
[typed]
Office of
Charles H. Sternberg, A. M.
4046 Arizona Street
San Diego, California
June 28 1925
My dear Mr Davies:-
When I ship the Cretaceous vertebrates from San Juan Co I find I
neglected to send you the foot of No. 1 1923 I am sending it by freight
Prepaid today I mistook the covered package for a turtle hence the
mistake
Faithfully yours
[signed] Charles H. Sternberg