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The American Goliah: A Wonderful Geological Discovery
by
It is said by those who ought to know something about our gypsum quarries, that there are no such slabs of stone found there out of which this object could be carved. Further, it is allowed by all who have examined this wonder, that the head appears to have been hollow. Now, if the head is hollow, it is either a moulding or else it must be what those interested claim for it: a veritable petrifaction. No sculptor would carve the head in that condition.
But I have used too much of your valuable time, so I will close.
TULLY, Oct. 23d, 1869. CONE WILLIAMS
OF WHAT SCHOOL OF ART IS THIS STATUE?
To the Editor of the Syracuse Journal:– In the discussions relating to the “Giant,” I find there are many who favor the Grecian and Roman school of sculpture. The Greeks and Romans excelled the early Egyptians in one thing only, that is representing the human hair. Their male statues have flowing and bushy locks and a beard. On the Egyptian statue, the hair looks more like a skull cap on the back of the head, than hair, with no indication of beard. They had been so afflicted with plagues through the Israelites, that they would have nothing that was like them, or that reminded them of them. The Cardiff giant has no beard and nothing on the forehead to indicate hair; behind the ears running up to the crown, there seems to be something, that when he is raised, may show the Egyptian school of sculpture. As art goes from one country to another, the style changes somewhat to suit the taste of the people. In America, at first, our sculptors and painters copied from the French and Italian schools, but put on a little more drapery, as our people were modest and would not bear a true copy. Time, the destroyer of all things, has turned the drapery into dust, and we now have the original in all its glory and shame. W.
P.S.–A hard-shell brother at my elbow says he will go his bottom dollar that the Cardiff chap is the original “Poor Uncle Ned, who had no hair on the top of his head;” he has lain down there and got Klu-Kluxed. (Klu-Kluxed is a Greek word, and means petrified or dried up.) The only objection to his theory is, Uncle Ned’s shin bone curved backward, this man’s curves forward.
CUT OF THE GIANT.
We herewith present a wood cut of the Giant. We have waited for an engraving from a photograph, in order to insure in every part of the pamphlet the utmost accuracy. The taking the photographs having been delayed, we present a sketch until their completion. The owners of the Giant furnish this publication alone with photographic copies–which will appear promptly on completion.
[[Wood cut here of giant and spectators]]
A MITE IN THE SCALE.
To the Editor of the Syracuse Journal:– Clark’s “History of Onondaga,” Vol. 1, page 43, near the bottom, says:–“The Quis-quis, or great hog, was another monster which gave the Onondagas great trouble, as did also the great bear, the horned water-serpent, the stone giants, and many other equally fabulous inventions, bordering so closely upon the truly marvelous, that the truth would suffer wrongfully if related in full; but nevertheless are found among the wild and unseemly traditions of the race.” H.
LETTER FROM PROF. WARD.
The following letter from Prof. Henry A. Ward appears in the Rochester Democrat, and will be found to be well worthy of perusal. Prof. Ward takes high rank among the scientific men of the country, and an opinion from him is certainly entitled to respectful consideration:–
EDITOR DEMOCRAT–I have just returned from a hasty visit to the colossal statue, or “Fossil Giant,” as many have called it, which is now causing so great an excitement in our sister city, Syracuse, and in all the country for many score of miles around.