The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-04-18
The Career of the Petrified Man.

The history OF the "COlOraGo Detlneu
man" is given bv the New York Tribune
1t was made at Elkland, little mountain
town in northern Pennsy wanna, by George
Hull, the maker of the Cardiff giant. +.
r. Barnum became Interested IN the
scheme, and supplied part Of the capital.
The figure was taken to Colorado, buried
there, and finally dug up, in accordance
with carefully arranged plan. An
adroit deception was practiced IN regard
to the results of the scientific test which
twas claimed WAS made. Ground stone,
ground bones. clay, plaster, blood, eggs,
and other materials were used in forming
the image, which was then baked for
weeks in a kiln. Hull had intended to
deceive the public with this pretended
petrification, and hal spent much time
and several thousand dollars in expert
ments.
The story is told to the New York Tri-
Dune BY Justice E. J. Cox, of Hornells-
Vile, who supplied Hull with a part of
the money for the enterpri e. He owned
an interest in the humbug, but had been
so misused by Hull that he determined
to reveal the whole business. He gave
Hull's career as a swindler with great de-
tail. He is known as the man who made
the Cardiff giant in Chicago in 1869 out
Of Iowa gypsum.
II went TO Elkland January IS, 1871"
said Mr.. Cox. About the 1st of Febru
ary Hull said his work was done, and on
the evening of March II he came to me,
all enthusiasm, and said: Cox, want
YOU to see the old man; we've got him
out all right He gave me to understand
that the giant had been liking a whole
wear. Aud think Hull made his own
charcoal.
"When | entered the 'ice-house' the
giant was lying on a board structure sup
ported by two stout saw-horses. A der
rick-like structure stood over the kiln,
and had been used TO take the giant out.
Barrels of plaster of Paris, ground bone,
ground stone, and other materials were
in the corners. aad there were many plas-
ter moulds lying about and on shelves.
Hull was in ec>,acies. The giant was
yiimly outlined by the light of an old
coal stove. Sail he, Cox, would give
800 ii you could have been with Case
and ne the night We took him out. We
had a rope around his neck, and pulley
I'D there, and how We worked and tugged
on that rope l went through torture-my
whole existence hung by that rope. 1t
seemed as if l lived thousand years
while We were pulling him out, and when
be hung up there by the neck, tell you
he looked alive; be looked as if he was
going to talk, Don't tell me that the
people won't be fooled by this" So
Hull went on in the most extravagant
talk.
Hull called my attention to the four
inches Of tail which adorned the extrem-
fly OF the figures back bone, and struck
match so that | could see it plainly.
Said he, Cox, look at that tail take hold
of it" Then rising, for we were stoop-
ing, he exclaimed, that tail alone is worth
million
Il called his attention to the fact that
the man was not perfect. He struck
matches TO show me the differences in the
toes. He said it would not do to have the
man perfect; that there was nothing per-
feet about it, 1t had been made so as to
have it not like anything ever discovered
of the human or brute creation. The arms
he said were made disproportionately
long, so as to make it appear something
between a man and an ape. He explained
how be had used two hundred ard fifty
gross of steel needles, which had been
fastened in lead, dozen or So at time,
and with these he had gone over the entire
surface Of the figure before il was baked,
producing that 'goose-sNin' appearance
which has puzzled scientific meu.
"'Suppo,e, said |, some scientist pro
poses to 20 into him, Whist are you going
10 dor oh, said Hull, I've got thai
fixed, and he pointed t" two places
where, he said, the scientists could hsy,
a foot surface 10 work on, where they
would be lure 20 strike bone. If tb-l
want to 20 in anywhere else said he. we
shan't let en-
IL think Hull must have spent $40,
900 or 81 2 900 ia making hisexperiment
and moldin. aud baking his giant sai'
Mr.. Cox Case, ASA. had invcs,e'
heavily in the speculation. Hull hs'
succeeded in making stone giant, 10
the baked composition MAS just iik
stone. but il Wa white elephant on hi
hands. lie hat no InOney to plant /
with. This led hin, to apply to B.ruuD