Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-10-06
Is 1t Another Cardiff Giant?

CURIOUS DISCOVERY IN CoLoRADo-A MAN OF
STONE SYSTEMATICALLY FEET HIGH-P. T
BARNuM ON HAND-s200O OFFERED FOR THE
"PETRIFIED MAN."
From the New York Tribune.)
CoLoRApo SPRINGS, Sept "a Colorado is
land Of wonders. Recently discovery was made
which has startled all the people. 1t was nothing
less than the finding of q petrifed--some say pre-
historic mani and the news was sent from end to
end of the State that the petrifed remains of one
Of the mound builders had been found. The dis
coverer of this curiosity, w. A. Conant, was for
twenty-five years q merchant in the city of New
York, and then lived for sixteen years on Long
Island. He represented the county of Suffolk in
the State Legislature for one term. lie came to
Color ado in 1871, aud for the last four years has
been living in Colorado Springs. He went to
Pueblo on the 18th ON business, and on the fol-
lowing day, Sunday, drove out some twenty miles
to place where he had often found petrifed fish,
sea-turtles, serpents and fruit. He has fondness
for collecting curious stones and petrifcations.
While he and his son were resting under the shade
Of tree, taking their lunch, MIR. Conant saw
something protrudng from the ground which
looked like mans toe, and after he called his
sons attention to it they both began to dig around
it, and soon made the discovery. Their united
strength not being sufficient to remove it, they
Itturneu 10 IueDiO anu ODtalneu the teams ana
necessary assistance and brought the object to
Pueblo, where it was on exhibition for two days
Afterwards ii was brought here where il has been
on free exhibition for three days. Tomorrow il
will be sent to Denver. The excitement here has
been intense. Over 1000 people have visited it,
coming In from all parts Of the country. When
found, it was lying in reclining postion-the
left knee being slightly drawn up, with the left
arm resting on il, while the right hand was laid
across the left breast Its length is feet ~
inches; its arms feet long and the hand is II in
ches from the wrist bone TO the end of the longest
finger. One foot has been broken below the toes
The other foot is quite perfect, and is 10 inches
long. The toes are somewhat fiattened out. The
features Of the face resemble those of an Indian.
The forehead recedes from the eyebrows, and
the back Of the head is quite large.
The believers in Darwin are quite happy be.
cause Of the fancied resemblance of the right foot
TO that Of monkey, and the extension of the low
er end of the backbone beyond the body for some
four inches, which makes it look like tail
Whether II is monkey or q man is the question
that is agitating the minds of some people. Is this
"the link, that "missing link" that Darwin "long
has sought and mourned because he found it not. >
But the doctors agree in saying that the tail was
formed by the shrinking of the flesh at the end OF
the back bone before the process of petrifacaton
had begun. Various opinions have been enter
tanned in regard TO this curiosity. Some hnk il a
peuIhed humbug; that plan was connected to
pury piece OF statuary; then exhume it and call il
petrined man. 1t happened that when this OBJ
Ject was found that z. T. Barnun was in Denver
and some people, remembering now often he has
humbugged the public, and also that the Ameri-
can people were deceived some years ago by the
Cardiff Giant" are apt to think that this is an.
other attempt to perpetrate fraud upon the IN.
suspecting public. This theory is not held by
many, IS people have too much cofdence in the
character Of Mr.. CoDant TO believe he would he IL
10 practice such deception. Then again thu
statue, If 1t be such, gives evidence of havinl
been buried in the earth for long time. The.,
are many who think II made by the Indian
centuries ago. This belief is strengthened be
cause the discovery was made in spot wher
many other peirIhcaiions have b, en- discover red
The majority of medical men have declared II /
be genuine. This is the opinion of the prominen
physicians of Pueblo. Here the doctors are deyid
ed. The one pat declares IT to be sta;
ne and the other human petriiaetioI
In getting it out of the ground Mr. Co
nant used a large stick as a lever and brok
the man across the biea-t. He says the stone
the color of slate for 3 l-2 inches aud then
grows darker and that in spots it is OF cream,
white color. People do not think IT is pre- Adam
lite or prehistoric, because the features are clear
defined as those oil an Indian Of gigantic form.
Whatever IL may be, a statue or a petrfcation
II 10 most certainly great curiosity. A box ha
been made for 1t 1.-THE weight altogether being 75(
lbs and II will soon be exhibition in the East
Mr.. Conant informed me that be had had an offe
from Mr.. Barnum (who lectured here last Satur
day nigbt) Of $4,000 for the object just as it is
and Of e25, 600, if on examination by Prof. Marsl
Of Yale College, or any other prominent geologist
it should prove to be human petrifaction. Tn
10 willing TO submit II to that test and will take
10 Denver tomorrow, in order to exhibit II and ar
range terms with Mr.. Barnum for the future.