The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23
THE PLUG HATS OF.
DEATH VALLEY.
Found by Alkali Jim Hawkins In
the Panamints and Dolly
Pronounced Fossils.

VOLCANO, Cal, Sept. 12.-This town, and
nearly all this end OF the Mojave Desert, has
been thrown into q state OF great excitement
by the discovery Of several fossil plug hats
in the foothills Of the Panamint Mountains
over on the eastern edge OF the desert.
The discovery was made by Alkai Jim
Hawkins, q respected citizen and old pros
pector OF this region, who came into town
yesterday after a months prospecting along
the further reaches of Death Valley,
bringing with him the priceless geological
treasures.
Alkali Jim went right to the What Cheer
saloon upon his arrival In town and there
assembled several OF the towns leading
citizens about him to listen to his story OF
ehe finding Of the fossil plug hats and to
view the specimens themselves.
Il want all Of the decent people OF this
town 10 witness the unpaoking Of my spool
mems" said Jim, and I would like TO q
Judge Pete Smith come down here to take
any dispositions that may be necessary.'
Judge Smith drew m Of the game OF stud
that he was conducting over In the First
Chance, as did all Of tho other citinens
who were entertaining themselves there.
The presence Of the Judge on the street
at the unusual hour Of 3 O'Clock drew q largo
crowd, and when Alkah Jim wa ready to
unslins the pack on his burro every male
citizen In town, and several Indians had
gathered In the What Cheers rear ROOM.
Alkali Jim brought In a bulgtng gunny
sack and laid it on the table.
Il appoint the Judge to open hat bag
and take out my fossils, 90 tina there will
be no suspicion Of funny business said
Jim.
The Judge cut open the neck Of the sack
and reached in. Everybody held his breath
a. the Judge drew from the bottom Of the
sack q bulky parcel, wrapped In n OF
Alkali Jim's undershirts.
Then he brought forth q second. and q
third bundle. eacL wrapped in some extra
piece Of Jim's wardrobe. The Judge care
fully unwrapped the first Of the bundles.
There vas revealed TO the breathless
crowd a grayish irregular chunk Of stone
about as big as a horse pail. At FIRST sight It
didn't appear TO be anything more thar
an ordinary piece Of gray quarts, but on
closer examination the outlines OF . regula-
ton silk plug could be traced.
The hat was bell shaped, evidently OF a
very old pattern, and the brim was wid
and curving. The interior OF the hat was
filed solid with stone and there were irregu-
lar stone formations along n side OF the
crown outside that somewhat destroyed
the original shape that the fossil should
have had.
The second piece Of rock proved TO be
more incomplete than the first. Only
part, OF the brim and q little OF the crown
were visible. The third specimen was also
a fragment, but very valuable IN that IL
showed the markings OF the original beaver
skin along the crown.
Even the vent button In the centre OF the
crown was faithfully reproduced IN the
stone. The second and third stone plugs
seemed to AVE been fragments Of some
prehistoric hats that had been severely
crushed.
After the assembled citizens had inspected
the fossils for several minutes without q
word being spoken Judge Smith spoke up.
"Mr. Hawkins" said he, before passing
upon these plugs As genuine fossils and
thereby registering q great discovery In
the world Of science and a prodigy OF nature
the citizens OF Volcano would like to NOW
how you came to find these stone plug hats
if you did find them"
Gents, began Alkali Jim, Il have always
had a reputation for sobrlety n truthful
ness in these parts, and ! rely on that to
bear out my statements and pretensions
as being the original d~isooverer Of the only
fossil plug hats in existence. 1t was this
way:
Il was prospecting over in the Panamints
along the edge of Death Valley, and one
night l made camp near the Watkins water
hole. That night my burro did something
unusual; he broke loose and strayed.
Next morning l took up his trail and
followed him up a steep slope into a country
filed with gullies and narrow cahons. l
found the jack about noon. He was In a
shallow cave lying down and sleeping.
After l had got through kicking him
some I started to 90 out OF the cave, when
/ noticed that there vas q rough shelf cut
into the rock along one side. l examined
this shelf, and there l found these three
stone plugs, sitting all in a row..
Il looked around the cave and saw no
other signs Of humans. But on the front
of IN cave, cut into the rock, there was a
picture OF a plug hat, about a foot high and
cut into the rock about half an inch. It
had some funny marks over IL which i took
10 be lettering, but which looked more like
the trail of a busted fly across the window
pane.
There were some other caves around
about and I vent into these, but there was
nothing except some smashed pieces OF
crockery like you find In the old puebloe
down in Arizona country. Here's some OF
the pieces" concluded Alkali Jim, drawing
from his pocket some chips OF red pottery
with faint lines OF brown running across
them at various angles.
The crowd examined the pieces OF pottery