Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1869-11-05
The Giant Discovery.


THE Syracuse, N. Y, lStandard gives
the following description of the remarka-
BILE discovery recently made on the farm
of a Mr.. Newell, about thirteen miles
from that city. The parties who first dis
covered the remains-Mr Newell and a
hired man-were engaged in digging a
well at the time, and found the monster at
depth of about two and half feet from
the, surface Of the ground:
The figure as found is the form of a
man, lying on his back, head and shoul-
ders naturally fiat; at hip trif1e over on
right side; the right hand spread on the
lower part of the abdomen, with fingers
apart; the left arm half behind, and it's
hand against the back, opposite the other;
the left leg and foot thrown over the right,
the feet and toes projecting at natural
angle. The figure was of apparent lime
stone, a mixture of the gray ard blue,
common in most parts Of the country, and
seemed perfect~in every particular. The
muscles are well developed; the ribs
might be counted; the nostrils are perfor-
ated so as to admit large sized finger up
near two inches; the lines of toe and
hnger nails are plainly marked; the left
ear is partially gone, but right one is per-
tect and In proportion to the other parts !;
the nose finely shaped The forehead high /;
and the Adams apple" at the throat just
projecting out, as is most common with
men. The appearance of the "counte-
nance marks the Giant of Caucasian
race, and not the Indian. If a work of art
the artist has failed in any effort at hair
on the head
We obtained measurements of this won
derful petrified specimen OF past race
for rnccihlxy Ntn o\ ard tboxr
follows: So
From top of head to instep sole-or nat
ural standing height-ten feet two and one
half inches.
From point of chin to top of head,
twenty-one inches.
Nose, from brow to tip, six inches
across base of nostrils, three and quarter
inches.
Mouth, four inches.
From extreme of shoulders, three feet.
Hand-across palm seven inches
through wrist five inches; second finger,
from knuckle joint, eight inches
Leg-from hip joint to knee joint,
three feet through thigh, one foot !;
through calf, nine and half inches.
Foot, nineteen and a half inches long.
We have said that the whole was per-
feet. And so it appeared, except few
flakes dropped off while the work of ex-
humatlon was going on; and perhaps 9th
ers yesterday. If any well proportional
man will make measurements of himself
as above, he will see a striking agreement
of ratio.
Though the figure has all the appear
ance OF stone, nevertheless the outer sur
face shaves off with a knife without ma
terially dulling the blade This was tried
but of course was not allowed to proceed
to dlsfgure Mr. Giant. A scale that fell
from the bottom Of one of the feet looks
much like gold quartz, but still is scottish
and crumbles readily, with sort of soft
sandstone result. 1t rests on half-sand,
nall clay bottom, the earth above being, as
we have already said, Of lighter character
Among the many who visited the won
der is the well-known geologist, Dr. J. F.
Boynton, who made thorough examina-
ton OF the discovery, digging under the
image in order to examine it's back, and,
alter mature deliberation, pronounces it
10 be statue OF Caucasian, the features
are timely cut and are in perfect harmony
lhe stone is the gypsum of Onondaga
county. 1t is the Doctors opinion that
the statue was carved by the Jesuits or
the early inhabitants of the country, and
was placed in the slough in which it was
found, for the purpose of concealing it.
1t must have been placed there by friend
iy hands, Tor an n4enemy would have mu-
tilated it. 1t was not buried but was COW
cred over with boughs and branches of
hemlock, alder, cottonwood, and maple
State Geologist Hall, of Albany, exam
ined the discovery on the 22d ult., and re-
marked that this is certainly the great
est curiosity ever exhumed on the Ameri-
can Continent, and be it a petrified human
body or sculpture it exceeds all works of
art or nature ever beheld" As the Pro-
fessor's time was limited he was obliged
to leave without giving an opinion as to
what 1t was, but he carried away por-
ton of the body and some of the earth
upon which it rests, and also took the sur
roundings of the country. 4's@ ss
Syracuse correspondent of the New
York Herald writes to that paper an ac-
count of an alleged confession made by a
man named Geo. Hooker, on his death
bed, who stated that he knew of the ex-
istence of the statue about year ago, lust
as it had been secretly completed by a
French Canadian named Jules Geraud,
who had been at work for some two years
in the auarries of Onondaga. Geraud,
when about to die, revealed the secret of
the, statue to Hooker and made him
promise not tomention the secret until he,
Geraud, had been dead week. Before
the week expired, the. cabin containing
the statue was burned and the carved
stone had disappeared
The Herald correspondent adds the fol-
lowing 9 6 . Il
One year ago, about the time of the
burning of Jules Geraud's cabin, a stranger
came to the hotel in Tully for guide to
the house of Newell, at Lafayette. A
wagon and guide were then furnished
him. After travelling to within sight of
Newell's house be paid and dismissed his
guide and proceeded on foot. This was
Che last seen Of our mysterious stranger.