The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1871-08-08
Isit Il IIumbugl

horn measures?
Is it IL IIumbug
The SO called petrifed Indian Boy
which has honored Middlebury with its
presence for some time past, and which
was kindly placed upon exhibition on
Friday, the I'd inst. by its present owner,
has been an object of no little curiosity
and speculation to many who have seen
it.
In common with many others, we ac.
cepted the polite invitation of its owner,
on the above occasion, to come and see
his interesting infant and now we pro.
pose to relate few of the observations
we made upon it.
We will admit that our preiudices had
been against its genuineness, for several
reasons. The disastrous revelations that
destroyed the good name OF the renowned
predecessor OF the wonderful pctrifed
Indian Boy, the Cardiff Giant, would
naturally awake suspicion in regard to
the younger and smaller claimant Of pub
lie confidence; even if full proof could be
produced that it was not directly related
to the Cardiff Giant by being carved out
Of block of gypsum from the same bed
that afforded the material for that lengthy
and respectable humbug.
Again, it is claimed by competent sci
entific authority that genuine petrifiica-
tion Of the human body or indeed, OF any
large animal body, is impossible. Among
the many accounts of such cases, there
have been none sufficiently authenticated.
IL an animal body be buried in the earth
above the waterline it will rapidly decay.
1t buried below the waterline it will 90
through complicated course of chemical
changes, which merely retard its disinte-
grafton. In either case its decay is far
too rapid for the slow process of petrifca.
tion to keep up with it. Only the bones
will be left, which are almost wholly in.
destructible vixen buried out of contact
with the air. 1t is thought that of ami
mails only those with hard, scaly or
long outside covering, can preserve their
form under the process of petriiaction
Such are shell fish and some species OF
serpent and reptiles of other classes.
Thus much by way of preface. We
found the little wonder lying contentcdly
upon its back in its glass case, with one
leg comfortably crossed over the other
evidently taking its ease. One hand was
lying upon the abdomen, and the other
was placed upon its hoart as if in polite
acknowledgement of its visitors presence
But the position Of the head utterly de.
stroyed the pleasing illusion concerning
the manners Of the American aborigine
for it was lying upon its side, in about
as careless and contemptuous a position
as it is possible for horizontal infant
to assume.
Its body and face were well rounded
out as though it were tolcraby fat at tn,
time Of its decease, showing conclusive
ly that it was not relative of Lo, tn,
poor Indian. Possibly it died of sur
felt after its tribe had come in from
successful hunt. Its limbs, on the con
trary, were quite thin.
The head was well proportioned, the
forehead being far better developed il
heighth and breadth than is often seen il
savage children Of its presumed age o.
six years. No signs of hair were discov
cred about it, which is significant as thi
substance is thought to be wholly unsus
ceptible Of decay. Its nostrils were hol
lowed out somewhat but not to an,
depth. This fact, however, proves moth
ing. Its lips were parted and the tongu,
protruded through them, leaving a hol,
on either side extending considerabl,
into the mouth. No teeth could be seen
although they ought to have been visibl,
if they had existed. This fact confirm
the sapient conclusion that the youn,
savage died Of indigestion. But it is Gu
rious how these holes were left, as it i
well known that when the tongue pro
trudes in death, it fills the whole aper
turc of the lips, especially when, as il
this case, the mouth is small. But a
the tongue had not filled up the Who'll
aperture, why was such large hole lef
at its sides while the uostrils were almos
filled up?
The ears had suffered considerabl
I, damage, and presented an appearance
which would warrant an opinion that tn
lighting habits of this young, (aborigine's
friends were somewhat similar to those @
D the New York Bowery boy. But doubt
: on this point were set at rest by state
ment Of the owner that the ears had un
dergone accidental amputation since
was exhumed.
AS has been said, the limbs were sma
and tain. The forearms rested on tn
body for their whole length, both of ther
: being curved to correspond with the cur
: vature of the body. This to say the least
), is very uncommon malformation of tn
forearm. The hands were spread out per
fectly flat, and their shape was by n
means perfect. The fingers were nearl
! of an equal length, and the cleft betwee
the fourth and it'll, finger extended n
. farther back than those between the other
Altogether, the arms and hands were yer
!, Informed and the elbow joints not we
! ! defined. The appearance where the
touched the body was exactly as if tn
the workman's pick had followed out tn
groove. Furthermore in death, tn
hands, by the superior contraction of tn
aexing muscles, have all the fingers bent