Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1869-11-11
The Truth About the Cardiff Stone Gianl

MR EplToR-You may have probably seen
something in the papers about u stone giant being
found near Syracuse, N. Y. ii you have read
the papers carefully, don't see how you could
have helped seeing something about it.
| You will publish the true account OF this re-
Gently cxhumed monster herewith send you, If
you don't want to be behind the Times-and the
Herald, and the Tribune, and many other daillcs.
Scores of papeis have given the true story of
this pctrifed discovery, and the discovery that
these true stories differ in nearly every particu
| lar, has petrifed me with amazement.
| Many scientific men-chcmists, geologists, and
| suchists--have visited the colossal figure, and
they unanimously believe that 1t is Fossil
Man." or Sculptured Giant" Or " Wonderful
Statue" or "Mystery," or something else.
And | think SO too-espccialy since / have
visited it, or him.
1t has not been decided whether this giant is
an "it'' or him." and that Is what shall call
him.
This stone man is over ten feet high-or, in
juvenile parlance, it is Shanghai"
He is stone dead-or dead stone, just as you
prefer.
painful r,imor In SyTacuse-whither he has been
removed-that a sculptor chiselcd this strange
image out of gypsum. / cannot credit IL
don't believe there Is person living so lost 10 all
the moral attributes of mankind-so abandoned
and degraded-as to "chisel'' poor stone man
out of gypsum. To commit such an outrage the
sculptor would have had to possess cheek as
hard as the giants: and gypsum would moi
have sutliced either, but he would have "chis'
eled'' him out OF greenbacks too.
This fossil man was born OF poor but honcs
parents-whch was not his fault. lie would
!, have been born of rich and very dishonest pa
: rents, if it could have had his way.
; Despite his parents guardian watch over IL, ht
grew up dissipated, and before II was seven nnt
half feet high, he brought their gray hairs II
, sorrow to the grave. 1t also brought his parents
along with their gray hairs. As they we're 80 ant
90 years of age, they could not have lived muci
, longer anyhow.
, Like ali other poor boys, he commenced at th
bottom round of the ladder-aud never reached
any higher. Instead Of going up It descended
|, sunk very low indeed-some four or five feet un
der ground, think, when discovered.
| A prevailing opinion among scientific men Is
, that this giant was at one time nominated for tn
= Presidency by the democratic party, which s.
J, proved upon his mind-knowlng that he did no
! stand Ghost of a chance of being elected-tha
= he buried itself several feet below the surface Q
. the earth, preferring this premature burial to bt
ing buried still deeper on The day of election.
:. was deeply impressed by Its extraordinary or
. whether IL had ever swung around the circle mal
{ Ing speeches-like another old fossil who wa
u lately buried in oblivion in Tennessee.
y Or whether II had ever become conscient
:, stricken, and had returned ten dollars worth {
! y stamps TO the Treasury Department
4 Or whether it, il still alive, would be the chan
\ pion of Woman's Rights; and if not why no
a. and SO on.
y Whether his ''last words were on record. Al
I If his last words were not I'm gone under"
- And so forth.
"a found some misguided persons making st
~ further explorations on the spot where tho gin
eiI was uuearthed. They supposed this stone imal
VI to be nothing more than tybacco sign, and th'
:, were now hunting for the store.
~ ~ When reached the ground, negotiations we
\, pending for its purchase-in fact, IL was h.
"a sold The visitors had the advantage Of the gia
~ ~ in this particular-they were completely 'sold
~ ~ AS n work of Art the giant Is u success. A;
~ specimen of Naturc-wcll, Nature can do bette
y. " When 1t passed from the hands of the artist
n must have been expressive and beautilul-perha
'N bore a striking resemblance to Mr.. Greeley, j
4, Gordon Bennett, and those other beautiful {
~ | philosophers We read about
~ Just before the Cardiff giant died, he remark
~ that he did not want TO live any longer-tcn i
~ ha some inches being long enough.
W ~ And this is all know about the stone giant.
VI Yours, Il. DApD