The Elbert County tribune., 1906-04-26
MUSEUMS RARELY DECEIVED
Imitation Fossils Are Quickly De-
tected by Experts Of the In
stitutions.

According to DR.. w. d. Matthew, as
sistant Curator of the American Mu-
scum of Natural History, there is little
forgery of fossils and such things. For
one reason the prices paid for articles
in this city are not high enough to
tempt forgers or even to repay the
work necessary to produce success
full imitation.
Yet some limitations are put on the
market There was, for Instance, the
fraud of which Prof. Cope was .or a
time the victim.
Prof. Cope made a specially of fos-
sils and in one of his treaties an
nounced the discovery of the Coeno-
tasileus tremontigerus, new variety
OF mastodcn. In note in subsequent
edition he acknowledged he was mis-
taken and that no such animal ever
existed.
He was led into error by purchasing
what was represented to be tooth Of
hitherto unknown herd. Prof. Cope
set out 10 discover the animal to
which 1t had belonged, and classified
il among the mastodons. 1t was not
until after his publication of the fact
that he discovered the fraud that had
been practised on him.
Three teeth of a familiar variety had
been glued together in a way that
could not be detected except by micro
scopic examination. Prof. Cope worked
out his animal, and it was something
81, dan
mastodon before he took to the mi
croscope.
In the same way a noted English
naturalist was several years ago made
victim of a similar deception. A
curious and unprecedented tooth was
sold to him by man who declared
that he had found it in a plrt OF
France especially rich in fossils.
The scientist had made extinct ver-
tebrates his special study lie was
working hard over This tooth, ind was
prepared to produce almost any kind
of exotic and extinct animal when his
suspicious were awakened as to its
authenticity.
II was then discovered that it con-
sisted of three teeth taken from the
remains of prehistoric fish and glued
together. The teeth of the fish were
common enough and singly could have
been recognized Immediately. 1t was
only the appearance of the three to-
gethcr and attributed to a mammal
that myst!fied the learned doctor
The Indian relics that are now dug
up in the southwest are not believed
to be forged to any considerable ex-
tent Every piece that is bought for
a museum of any pretensions must be
accredited, and If its pedigree
the name of no reputable
scientist there is little chance that it
will be accepted. In case it has such
the testimony of this
expert will be sought aFE iir
There have undoubtedly been cases
in which articles dug up at the home
Of former cliff dwellers were Deposit
ed there in advance, but such frauds
have been detected and the money
brought by these objects is not suffi-.
cient to make imposture on any exten-
sive scale worth while.
Indian dress, arrows, household
goods and similar relics are manufac-
tured by the Indians for sale just as
they always have been, and they are
not sold as antiques by any but the
small dealers. The same holds true
Of the Alaskan relics that are Begin
ming to have an interest for American
collectors.
They are made now in larger guam
titles than ever. and are always what
the shopkeepers represent them to be.
They are too crude and too easily i'm
tated for the temptation to be resist
ed, but there is no trouble in finding
the genuine relics in sufficient sup
plies for the museums. Even they are
not sold at very high prices.
vt is the cheapness of most OF the
7'bcles that helps to prevent imita-
ilon," DR.. Matthew told the Sun re-
porter, land the money paid for them
Ia not enough to make the industry
profitable on any large scale.
II anybody should send to the pau-
ss''m here the teeth that deceived Prof.
Cope we should not pay more than ten
dollars for them. So you see it is not
worth while to make very elaborate
framd for that