The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1871-10-07

stone once had flesh and blood and vascu-
lar system-all had their place in that first
conception of genius. Then there was the
complete scheme of the fortune 10 be made
from selling out half and quarter aud eighth
interests. Ia only one single respect diG the
idea differ from the final realization. That
was in respect to size. Tie sons Of Auak, to
be like themselves. must surely be sixteen
feet IN height; ald of that stature it was
determined that the fossil man should be
made, to the uttermost cubit The difficulty
OF finding stone sufficiently large, however,
caused the giant to abate in his final actual
length to ten feet, eleven inches.
From that night. uneasy rested the head
that gave birth to that marvellous conception.
The secret was kept locked tightly there,
however, for eighteen months Nothing was
added to or substracted from the original de-
sign. and the only thing developed was the
money and the pluck necessary to carry the
thing through. AT length, in the early sum-
mer of 1867, the decision was taken Mr.
Hull brought back his family to Biughamp-
ton, and started again Immediately for the
West to begin work. At that time not one
other soul had beer made participator 10 the
mysterious project. Even wife ard children
were 10 total ignorance of the object of the
return to Binghampton. and the immediate
journey OF the husband and father to the
West. On his arrival in Wisconsin, Mr. H.,
beginning to hunt for land, felt the want Of
partner; yet to whom could he coufide
pr(Ject which rested 50 entirely on profound
secrecy! Bat the creator of pre-adamite mao
was also good reader Of his fellow men,
He became acquainted with Mr.. F., from
Morrison, Ill. +. was then engaged in the
patent-right business. He was successful
man. lie appeared to be a man who could
keen q &, ba ,Nic 6
partner. Gradually. but fully, the scheme
was developed to the attentive f. The sue
cesslul patent light vender replied at once
that he was ready to "go in.' lie would
put IN capital, but could not spare the time.
But the time and personal aid was just what
was needed most Of all and so, after expos
ing the secret, the offer must be rejected and
40 good come Of it! Yet one good did come
Of it. f. told of an acquaintance living in
Chicago, one b, who had more time, aud
would also go in" Though B. was never
made partner. yet it was in his barn in
Chicago that John Henry Cardiff's noble
image was afterward sculptured Moreover,
the confidence shared by the moneyed but
busy F. was never betrayed.
Failing of getting partner, the p!ucky
giant-maker set out again alone. He heard
of vast gypsum deposits near Fort Dodge,
| Iowa. After visiting aud surveying the
gypsum he determined that the material was
exactly that of petlifisd giants, and so he
| bought an acre of the quarry land, being
three miles below Fort Dodge, on the east
side of the river, paying 500 for it. Then
drills, crowbars. blasting implements, and
powder bought, and the first step to-
ward revoluiionizing geology commenced
one bright morning in August. Four me
were hired to help quarry out the stone
] Ill, j
of fifteen feet before any pieces of stone suffi
cicntly large were found Even then the
layers seemed too thin for prime giant so
work suspended for few days. and
further prospecting for better quarry was
done. The giant>bulder heard by report
| that at a spot a mile to the east the Dubuque
and Sioux City Railroad Company was
gagged in constructing a cHlvert, and was
quarrying large pieces of gypsum for the
arch. Going there, he found some beautiful
large sections that seemed especially made
for emb0dying the fossil remains of giant.
Quarrymen were hired to get out as large a
piece possible. By successful '.feather-
ing" huge fragment of gypsum. = feet
| long, 3! feet wide, and 2 feet thick, was
separated from the rock. That fragment is
to day the Cardiff Giant. The stone thus
procured was forty-fve miles from the near
est railroad station. a contract was there
fore made with a teamster to carry 1T this
forty-fve miles for $I25, He hitched on all
| the horses he could get and tugged at it three
days. getting it along only two miles. and
then abandoned the job. The generous giant
killer paid the discouraged teamster $40 and
let him go. Then new contract was made
with another man to complete the job at
$3.50 1t was agreed that the stone should
be at Boonesboro' il three days and its
owner was told that he need give himself no
uneasinesS about it, 81 he betook his wea-
ried brain and body to the Boonsboro' tavern,
and rested one week. awaiting the arrival of
the rough gem. Morning and evening he
looked out of the window to see the big stone
come into the village, but in vain. At last
he returned to the spot and found the gyp-
sum lying just where he had left it. ln6e-
fatigab!e genius again thrown back on its
resources must apply its shoulder to the
wheel. Hull himself hired horses, hitched
them on, and slowly but steadily the stone
moved toward Boonsboro' The journey
lasted three weeks. But the railroad finally
reached, John Henry started on the first of
his numerous railroad journeys. marked in
black paint. &c. Hull Chicago. H."
Before the stone reached Chicago Mr..
! Hull going On before it, had consulted with
Mr.. F's friend B., engaged him in the
| place. and rented of him his barn. This
/ barn is situated on Clark street, on the north
side of the city beyond Lincoln Park. The
! stone block was taken in the barn at night.
! b. also knew of men that were handy with
a stone-chisel. Two of them-both Ger
1 mans-were engaged to apply their art to
! John Henry's physiognomy. The head
! workman had done considerable ornamental
stone-wor1 in Chicago, and perhaps possess
ed some slight suspicious of the sculptors art.
! He of course must be initiated into the Sc
cret, and that of course raised the price of
his wages. lie was paid $40 per day. and
was a lazy workman at that. The remark able
! genius who had conceived the work. after all,
was obliged to supply the better part of the
/ handicraft for the work CT sculpture. First,
several clay images were made. Every eff
fort was put forth to avoid any likeness to
| ctai1,o irha mcmillan nnsiLinn In which the