The San Francisco call., 1899-04-09

Professor Marsh's letter was published
in Buffalo newspaper. The account or
how the stone man was made had the
effect of stimulating the manufacture OF
giants, and to the astonishment OF every
one half dozen Cardiff giants were be-
ing exhibited around the country within
year: Recently the practical Joker who
made the giant told the story of his de-
ception for the first time.
Killed a Prehistoric Giant.
Years later marvellous accounts came
from Nevada Of the discovery of human
footprints in the sandstone strata at Car
son City. Each of the prints was from
eighteen to twenty inches long, about
eight inches wide, having the exact shape
of a moccasined human foot. There were
regular right and left tracks, with a dis
tance between them of from eighteen to
nineteen inches. They were at once pro-
claimed as the remaining evidences of a
race of giants which once inhabited the
Pacific Coast. and the undoubted authen-
ticitye of the impressions on the stone in
duced not few men of scientific pre-
tensions to take this view. Such a discov-
cry at once aroused the keen interest OF
Professor Marsh, but after an examna-
ton of the prints he came to the conclu-
all. He read a paper on the subject to
the National Academy OF Sciences with
which he presented a carefully drawn
picture Of the huge skeleton foot of an
extinct sloth found in the same general
region and in the same geological hori-
zon. A comparison OF this with the out
line Of the footprint showed conclusiveiy
that It was a sloth and not a man that
had strolled slowly along the shore OF this
prehistoric lake and left his footprints on
the sands OF time.
Professor Marsh was also fond Of tell
ing Of an encyclopedia article which was
commended to his attention. The writer
wishing to give modern man a graphic
idea OF the appearance Of his remote an
cestors, had made a restoration OF an ex-
tinct animal in flesh and blood, but unfor-
tunately he had placed the head on the
end OF the tail
Marsh, the Man.
Personally, Professor Marsh wore few
of the conventional airs of the scientist.
He was a rugged-shouldered, firmly built
man, a little under medium height, with
white hair and a full white beard. a high
forehead rising above a pair OF engaging
blue eyes You met him with a golf1ng
cap pulled down comfortably over his
head a long, black coat hanging loosely
from MS SnOulQeTS, anu n Dil Ol COlOI III
his neckcoth. He moved with a certain
nervous energy that bespoke his active
mind. and upon the first provocation he
told you story-and very good one,
too.
Professor Marsh never married.
'I have been too busy with my work"
he said.
In such honors as fall to men who
have won distinction in science Profess
sor Marsh had an unusual share. For
seventeen years he was president of the
National Academy of Sciences, perhaps
the foremost scientific society In America.
and president of the American Associa-
ton for the Advancement of Science. In
1877 he received the first of the Bigsby
medals from the Geological Society Of
London, and last year the Institute of
France. by presenting him with the Gu
vier prize conferred upon him the great
est honor that can fall to a scientist. The
Cuvier prize is awarded every three years
'for the most remarkable work either
on the animal kingdom or on geology"
Only two other Americans have received
this distinction-Agassiz and Leidy. the
paleontologist.
RAY STANNARD BAKER.