Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-10-27
A NEW WONDER.

~ NV e Il
Discovery OF a Petrifed Giant near
Syracuse, New York.
The Syracuse Standard relates the fol-
lowing:
On Saturday last Mr.. Newell thought to
dig well some six or seven rods east of his
house, and trife southeast of his barn.
The spot is probably thirty feet below tn
house, and the surface soil is loose, half
sand, half dark muck, the natural washing
from the hills above. 1t is not more than
twenty rods from the creek, the channel OF
which is thought to have been at or very
near this spot many years ago. Mr.. Newell
and hired man, in digging, had gone down
but two and a-half feet when something
hard was struck, which was believed to be
stone. They thought but little of it at
first, expecting to have to break it loose and
pry it oat But throwing out few more
shoyels of earth from its side, the feet of a
man appeared. A few minutes more of la
Dor exposed the legs up to the calf; and
now, their interest being excited, they be-
gan to dig carefully all around it, until the
whole form of mana petrifed giant
was brought to view. The neighbors be-
gan to hear of what was found, and of
course went at once to see.
Mr.. Silas Forbes, who resides a mile and
half distant, came to the city Saturday
evening and appraised Us of the new-found
wonder, and Sunday we went TO see it.
And here is what we saw:
The form of a man, lying on his back.
head and shoulders naturally fiat; ut hip
trifie over on right side; the right Land
spread on the lower part of the abdomen,
with fingers apart: the left arm half be-
hind, and its hand against the back oppo-
site the other; the left leg and foot thrown
over the right, the feet and toes projecting
at a natural angle. The figure was of APP
parent lime stone, a mixture Of the gray
and blue, common in most parts of the
county, and seemed perfect in every par
ticular. The muscles are we'll developed;
the ribs might be counted, the nostrlls are
perforated SO as TO admit large sized
finger up near two inches; the lines of toe
and finger nails are plainly marked; the
| left ear is partially gone, but the right one
is perfect aud 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 COM
mon with men, The, appearance Of the
! s'countenanceT marks the Giant Of eau
easian race, and not the Indian = If work
of art the artist has failed in any effort at
hair on the head.
We obtained measurements of this won
derful petrifed specimens of q past race
Tor, possibly, sculpsure)-and they are as
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, twsn-
| ty-one inches 49,
Nose, from brow to tip, six inches-across
base of nostrils three and n quarter inches
Mouth four inches. ssr,,-r~rrr-l
From extreme of shoulders, three feet.
Hand-Across palm, seven inches; thro'
wrist five inches; second finger, from knuck-
/ le Joint, eight inches. ~ ssesa- f.1.-i-f
Leg-From hip joint to knee joint, three
feet; through thigh, one foot; through cali,
nine and half inches.
Foot, nineteen and half inches long
We have said that the. whole was perfect.
And so it appeared, except q few flakes
dropped off while the work of elimination
was going on; and perhaps others yester-
day. II any well propagtioned man viii
make measurement of himself as above, he
will see striking agreement of ratio.
Though the figure has all. the appearance
of stone, nevertheless the outer surface
shaves off with knife without materially
dulling the blade. This was tried, but of
course was not allowed to proceed to dis
figure 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 sand
stone result. 1t rests on half sand, half
clay bottom, the earth above being as we
have already said, of lighter character.
Mr.. Newell has stumbled upon an s,ele-
plant" in this giant. His neiehbors say it
is fortune to him. II is averred that he
was offered So 0O0,, $40, 600. ana even $40,
600 for-it; that a clergyman offered his farm
in exchange for the monster, but these
ers were all declined. IA
Prof Boynton, from hasty examin
ton, is of opinion that it lisa work of art
sculpture from stone. II this theory be
correct, it would be scarcely less interest
ing than if pertrifaction. In the one case
arises the speculation as to gigantic race
of beings that may have inhabited portions
of this ''new world" hundreds of years be-
fore Columbus discovered it.; the other as
to how long ago the artist did the work.
and where came he, or his ancestors, from?
Men nigh on to a hundred years, and who
have resided in the county seventy Of
them. have never heard allusion to such q
I thing; the Ind.an traditions speak not OF
it. The records of the irst white men In
this region-the Catholic Jesuits-is Of
something over two hundred years. The
record preserves matter OF less interest
than this would be: but not this. Thsr
again we say it would have scarcely less
interest as work of the chisel than as a
pertrifnction. - - a.i.!E
Our city is talking about the giant The
story has passed from one to another till
very many, probably ten thousand, of oul
citizens have already heard it. The inter
\ est is great in it, insomuch that it has beer
almost impossible for us'to thus disjointed
; ly writs- about the great wonder, because o
the constant interruption by visitors who
are anxious = hear rom one who has &c
tually seen.