Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1871-08-10
II F. r NJ $:
ALEXANDRIA GAZETTE
MD VIRGINIA ADV ERTlS Ek,
For tf.e COunary,)
The Cardiff Giant.
rom Silliman's Journal for July.

alleged acclucHtil ulSco'ClS uPoii .iio $4,000 "
:. Wr Newell, near the City of Syracuse, III
rho State Of New York, of a human figure, OF
n;r,nt;c nronortions, which was exposed dur
in@ an excavation undertaken by the owner
wi(h the avowcd purpose Of digging well we
tnr the supply of water TO his cattle. 1he
obvious toily of excavatng for 1 well IN the
he'd of 4 stream Of water was commented on
IF thc time and was not easily explained away.
Thr nopuIar appctitc for marvels was, however,
,IroitIy ouickened by the story first OF i fossil
m,n'' of nre. historic age for who did not be-
l;nv. that there were giants in those times!
Thn ,hsnrdity Of such theory soon compelled
rho mildrr statement that while the rccumbent
r;,ut WAS of acknowledged human origin, 1t
WAS unuuestionlbly of IN unknown but very
hnh antiquity, and hence must possess great
archaeological interest. With this hypothesis
the 50 called "Cardiff Giant commenced his
four of exhibition, after thousands OF curious
spectators had visited him in his resting place
;rs he lay exposed in the excavation upon the
Newell farm and fora time muittudes throng-
el the places in various clties whcrc this
slpposcd relic ofan earlier age was 10 be seen.
W.. have lately had the matter brought home
to our own door through visit OF TINS Ienera'
hle ncrSouacc to New Haven, and although We
had supposed the fraud had long sncc ceased
TO be capable ofcxciting more than feeling OF
contempt. mingled with curiosity to see by
what means the delusiOn was produced, We
have been surprised at the facility with which
reoplc, otherwise sensible, give credit to the
',rca,r,t absurtlites, even after the "humbug
Ind been fully exposed We think, therefore,
it !, worth while to record very briefly the real
history Of the sham, that it may find its place
in the already large catalogue Of popular de-
lrlsious We suppress names, but give the
main facts rs We have asccrtalned them from
an intelligent witness who Was cognlzant OF the
origin and progress OF the statue:
The block of gypsum, from which the Car
diff Giant, was carved was quarred near
Fort Dodge in Iowa, where there Is an mex
haustible supply ofmaSSive gypsum OF Alesolc
age. 1t was transported to Chicago Illinois,
where it was placed in the workshop OF Mr..
Burckhardt, well known marble worker OF that
city, who contracted with the originatros Of
the scheme for not very considerable sum OF
money to produce Il gigantic recumbent figure
Of 4 man. His position resting with the lett
arm under the body and the right arm thrown
across the body over the relviS, and with the
legs slightly hcxed at the knees was
measurably necessity Of the form OF the
block of stone at the artists command. This
figure was first modelled in clay by or under the
direction of Mr. Burckhardt and was then
transferred to the same stone. Our informant
states that he saw the figure more than once
during its preparation The appearance of age
was given partly by treating the surface with
acids to remove the tool marks and the raw
look of recently fooled surface, and this effect
was subsequently heightened by the CRIME and
soil of Il seven month interment Thus pre-
pared, the newly made antique was transported
by rail to point near the Newell farm, and
thence by teams to the farm itself, where, by
the aid of body of work-people brought from
distance, it was placed in its resting place near
the bed Of small stream. Those engaged in
away filrtiyely, and thus no one at or near Sy-
racuse but those engaged in the speculation
knew Of its existence BY a singular accident,
an eyewitness to its making in the Chicago
workshops happened to be III Syracuse at the
time its discovery was announced and, visiting
the Newell farm with the crowd OF curious
spectators was surprised to see there his old
acquaintance half buried in the earth. We
have taken pains to verify this statement, and
are promised at an early day detailed state
ment from the workshop of Mr.. Burck hardt
OF its entire history, which We may take an
other occasion to publish.
A DESPERATE CAsE.-When the green-eyel
monster plants his enycnomed tangs in the vltals
of a West Tennessee youth, it Is always best
for the whole neighborhood to look out tor
squalls Some days ago there was densely-
attended wedding not very far from jackson
in that end of the State. Among the very few
who were not present on the occasion was a
young man who was known to be desperately
in love with the bride. and whose heart and
hand she had Projected with scorn." In the
midst of the marriage ceremony the house was
suddenly shaken to its very foundations by
something resembinga a mixture of earthquakes
and discharges of artillery. The rejected lover,
in order to be rcyenged, had piled up number
of shells under the smoke house and touched
them off with train Of powder The scene
which followed the explosion is said to have
beggared description The smoke-housc, with
its several thousand pounds of bacon, was hurl-
ed high into the air and scattered to the four
winds of heaven. The bride tainted in the
arms of her adorcd ope, the rest OF the calico
screamed, the men swOre, and for some little
time the widest CONSERVATION prevailed.
Meanwhile the young man, with his sou! steep
cd in the sweets otrevcnge, took to his heelS
and never has been seen since, Young ladies' OF
West Tennessee who are about to marry should
have their rejected lovers bound over to keep
out from under the Smokc-house with their
shells.
SuARP.-Mrs Stanton, in letter to the
Revolution, from Iowa, relates how she sent one
poor man howling out of her sight. She says;
In my travels occasionally meet men who
think that the chief glory Of all women is to
bear children. One Ut these concerted LORDS
told me few DAYS succ that his wife had
fourteen children. and asked me if did not
think that was the ighest right woman could
desire? Looking at his little head, contracted
somewhat on the character and capacity OF the
father l must CONFESS sir, that never saw 4
dozen men worth repeating fourteen tlmes.
The young man, reviewing his own defects,
looked as # he thought his own wife might have
blundered in not preterriug entranchsSement lf to
the multiplying of so many SHADOWS OF h!mse, ELL
1t is better, says John Stuart Mill, to give inc
world one lion than twelve Jackasses'