The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-17
rHE pErRIFfHD NAV FiKE.
Latest specimen of This Article Comes From
Montana HoaN's Variety.

Now aud then there comes y report from some
where declaring that n pctrincd human body has
been found to III, vast woudcrmcni aud interest
u: the crcdulous. Scientific men pay no attcn.
ton 90 such stores, knowing them L. bc Canards
the famous Cardiff giant fake having established
abiding skcpticisrn among scientific men
e. fossil human beings But dime museum man
ayers, practical iokets and other bcioolcts uf the
public discover stone men IN unexpected places
ANA always arouse some interest IN their finds.
The latest Of these merry fakes comes from the
region ul Fort Benton, Mont Two weeks ago
1t was reported that II pctrihed human body had
been found tina, place aud that was supposed
10 I've the remains Of Gen. Thomas + McagAer.
who Was drowned III the Missouri River there
while Acting Governor Of tic territory. The
innocent Ihirago papers swallowed the hoax
and printed II a. important news ~ indeed II
would have been had there been any truth IN II.
lnycslig auvn ut the story was made and II proved
that the "prtfinci man merely the brain
fossil of museum owner VINO wanted such an
article 10 add 10 hl, collection Ui freaks and who
will probably appear IN Chicago before long With
q stone dummy IN his care What the nature
Of tho dummy will be depends upon the taste Of
the dime museum man
The ~ called pr,rincd men that have been ca
hibtcd To the public IN the past have been various
ndCsign some 81 them have been merely masses
Of rock in the natural state, which. by the aid
ct a powerful Imagination furnished by the show
nam might BE- thought 10 resemble IN general
outline human body. Others. extensively al
ScftIscd have becn merely small pieces Of rock
bearing something the appearance Of an arm or
n leg aud porhap, honestly supposed IN shc htst
instance by the ignorant farmland plough
hoy VIM found them 10 be parts Of the human
BODY turned into stone Still other wOndc Is Of
this sort aud the most successful ones have
been made 20 order II COSTS something; to new
= human likeness cut VI rock, but II has been
done aud ,.y likely will continue 10 be done
50 long rs - pghltc love, tu I've fooled.
som" yCal' Ge" Snowman exhibited in st
LOUIS prinurd infant. II was n rough looking
infant and II" feature were obscuf" and unu!uG-
q. nidl nut At NGr Enthusiastically human IA Shdp",
aud great WAS the rush to Soc II, with the result
MAT H. Snowman mad" large sums Of money aud
d srIlbad Ia, treasure a. the scientific wonder ui
the age " here h" mad ms mistake was in
quar,llns with the creator If the fossil about Tho
price, The ston" cutter brought suit against
HIM, and described the ordering. making and d,
down and the II 10 h. paid at p given uur I ne
Snowman declined 20 pay up SHif the stunr-cuttrr
because ihc." had b"cn some criIlrlsn Of an lrr"p
ul.FiS IN the infants features which. the SHOW
man a''.r"d. drtractcd from is market value.
museum man skipped the town, leaving the child
al his fancy b. hind him.
somewhat similar hoax was worked IN Chi
~
Clar"d him To- b. mn eminent pHldCOntuuglSt. He
ttayclt on III" strength ~ his prtrih'd man alone,
having En other rutip- except ms l'Ctuf" On ia"
subject 81 the discovery and probable history Of
! ,'hpS, M h. called IN" exhibit M went w,ll
until unr day l.iihus fyl from the stand on which
he lnv during III" l'CuTc and gave OUT su> piCious
/ Is hollow sound when he hi' tho i"ur The emf
nrni plrontOugiSt incHut'uuslv lifted him M and
revealed a wooden n1IrdnrSS Ia the scanlhlIIrd
| audience, f,r the outer layer ~ him had broken
| oil In spots, showing ordinary wuuh underneath
| Ii'hos wss simply y dummy II wood overland With
| some cacarrnus deposit Tn" "Jr"f"Ssor" got
| AWAY alive but l.IthpS was utterly destroyed
n n true prtrifrd man ever w'rr discovered his
disCovcrrr would not need 20 exhibit him at dime
! museums for he would bring almost any price
| that might b. asked. II j. extremely imprub
/ abb, however, that any such discovery will hc
, made. though II Is not r'rArdcd rs impossible
/ PHYSICIANS saw that ther" T. No moro reason "a
| lar ~ physical reasons are concerned, why ma
! could not b. p'trlGrd we'll ~ animals and
| fossil remains Ut vaTlOuS animals hrr moi
| uncommon. hui authenticated human re-
| mains have not been discovered up Ia dat,
! and If ever they NJ" they will not b. idrutiilnbll
! rs Gen NrAghrr or any one else known To- this
period OF the worlds existence for the reason tina
| II will hav" taken hundreds 81 centuries Ia com
| plrtr the pctriaCton by natures processes. Ahuu
: sixty years aI-o an Italian, named S"gStO sCirn
, tst, dlSCoyr red IN CmbalminT process which hat
I III" effect ~ nctrfHctiOn, and cross srclOn -
bolv treated nv him IL still used Ms tHhlr-tup II
. Naples. lls profess which died with him. has
I ben rcdiScnvcr'd recently It ~ said,