The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1903-04-02
TRULY A WONDER.
Petri6ed Man In the Mountain.
Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte Observer.
Mr.. n. E. G. Bryant Cred Buck> OF
The Observer, returned yesterday from
an official visit to Hendersonvllle.
/" IT'S good country" he said, "and its
people are we'll informed, sturdy citi-
zens, but just now they are not discuss
ing a thing on the Lord 3 earth but the
petrified man."
"Proud of him, are they?"
"Proud's not the word" declared
Mr.. Bryant. "Why, Squire Sitton, on
whose land the man was found, has
gotten title deed for the man and has
him stored away, but You hear every
other man you meet in Henderson
county talking about our man-our
petrlfied man. That same petriffed
man has caused more excitement in
Henderson county than the civil war !;
any man in the county who hasn't
seen the curiosity is ashamed to look
his fellow man in the face.
"Here's picture OF him." said Mr..
Bryant, producing photograph which
showed the head and shoulders of the
petrified man, and the hands clasped
high on his breast. The most aston
ishing thing about the man to me is
his resemblance to prominent Char
lotte lawyer. Both have exactly the
same expression. (Mr. Bryant gave the
name of the lawser In question, but for
obvious reasons the name cannot be
prlnted.) "The petrifed man." con-
tinued Mr.. Red Buck, "weighs $50
pounds and is five feet ten inches high.
When he lived-if he lived-he must
have weighed about 14O pounds and
wore a number IA shoe. Since I was
born 1 have never seen such feet as
those of the petrified man.
Chow did they find him? Well, on
March 3rd Squire A. W. Sitton and
his renter, George McKinna, were
watching some laborers make bitches
on Sitton's land on Boilson's creek, in
Henderson county. An old negro
named Albert Perry was digging away
at the bottom of a two-foot ditch. Sud-
denly his shovel scraped against hard
object which proved to be the foot of
the petri fed man. Perry came out OF
that ditch like shot cat, but Squire
Sitton, McKinna and others unearthed
the petrified man and carried him to
Sitton's home.
"The news of the wonderful find
spread over the country like wildfre,
and in forty-eight hours Squire Sit
toms home was the most popular place
In Henderson county. From forty
miles around people rode to see the
petrifed man, and at all hours of the
day and night the curiosity was inspect
ed by visitors who simply crowded the
house. The thing got on the nerves
of Squire sitton's wife, and finally the
squire, declaring that his wife would
go crazy If the stampede kept up. buri.
ed uis heavy man in his cellar. Pretty
soon he will dig up the petrified man
and exhibit him at so much per see.
zone of the most remarkable Incl
dents of the discovery" continued Mr.,
Bryant, twas the fact that no end Of
widows in Henderson county immedi-
ately developed a fondness for the pet.
rified man. Every widow in that sec.
ton of country whose husband had
disappeared, burst into tears and said
That's my Tom,' or, That's my Bill
or, That's my dear John know him
by them dear feet.' It got so bad after
awhile that Squire Sitton had to get a
guard to keep watch day and night to
keep the widows from coming and bod.
aciously clipping with the petrified
man.
'tAnd then the petrified man began
to figure as q lost relative, and evidence
was found to indicate that he was kin
to large proportion of the population
Of Henderson county. Over a hundred
people we're able to give minute details
as to the identity of the curiosity and
could explain just how it happened to
be found on Boilsonis creek. Through
all the furore Squire ,Sitton kept a
jealous watch on his property and re.
fused to allow any other man to lay
hands on him. They say up there in
Henderson that the squire is as fond
OF that man as if he was his own son.
"How did the man become petrified
Search me. Of course-I ray of course
Squire Sitton's man is all right, but
remember that petrified man wa,
found near Columbia, s. c., five or siz
years ago and was exhibited in nearly
every town in the State. Alter th,
owners had made quite good deal O
money out OF him they sold his petri
fed nibs to some Germans afor Z BIZ,
EN- on =.