Asalreadystated，therewasbutonethinginthefigure，asI
hadseenit，whichpuzzledme，andthatwasthegroovingoftheunderside，apparentlybycurrentsofwater，which，asthestatueappearedtobeofourOnondagagraylimestone，wouldrequireverymanyyears。Butonedayoneofthecool—headedskepticsofthevalley，anoldschoolmateofmine，cametome，andwithanairofgreatsolemnitytookfromhispocketanobjectwhichhecarefullyunrolledfromitswrappings，andsaid，"Thereisapieceofthegiant。Carefulguardhasbeenkeptfromthefirstinordertopreventpeopletouchingit;butIhavemanagedtogetapieceofit，andhereitis。"Itookitinmyhand，andthematterwasmadeclearinaninstant。ThestonewasnotourhardOnondagagraylimestone，butsoft，easilymarkedwiththefinger—nail，and，ontestingitwithanacid，Ifoundit，nothardcarbonateoflime，butasoft，friablesulphateoflime——aformofgypsum，whichmusthavebeenbroughtfromsomeotherpartofthecountry。
Ahealthfulskepticismnowbegantoassertitsrights。ProfessorMarshofYaleappeareduponthescene。Fortunately，hewasnotonlyoneofthemosteminentoflivingpaleontologists，but，unlikemostwhohadgivenanopinion，hereallyknewsomethingofsculpture，forhehadbeenfamiliarwiththebestgalleriesoftheOldWorld。Heexaminedthestatueandsaid，"Itisofveryrecentorigin，andamostdecidedhumbug……Veryshortexposureofthestatuewouldsufficetoobliteratealltraceoftool—marks，andalsotoroughenthepolishedsurfaces，butthesearestillquiteperfect，andhencethegiantmusthavebeenveryrecentlyburied……Iamsurprisedthatanyscientificobserversshouldnothaveatoncedetectedtheunmistakableevidenceagainstitsantiquity。"[27]
[27]SeeProfessorMarsh’sletterinthe"SyracuseDailyJournal，"November30，1869。
Varioussuspiciouscircumstancespresentlybecameknown。ItwasfoundthatFarmerNewellhadjustremittedtoamannamedHull，atsomeplaceintheWest，severalthousanddollars，theresultofadmissionfeestotheboothcontainingthefigure，andthatnothinghadcomeinreturn。ThinkingmenintheneighborhoodreasonedthatasNewellhadneverbeeninconditiontooweanyhumanbeingsuchanamountofmoney，andhadreceivednothinginreturnforit，hiscorrespondenthad，notunlikely，somethingtodowiththestatue。
Thesesuspicionsweresoonconfirmed。Theneighboringfarmers，who，intheirquietway，kepttheireyesopen，notedatall，lankindividualwhofrequentlyvisitedtheplaceandseemedtoexercisecompletecontroloverFarmerNewell。SoonitwaslearnedthatthisstrangerwasthemanHull，——Newell’sbrother—in—law，——thesametowhomthelatterhadmadethelargeremittanceofadmissionmoney。Oneday，twoorthreefarmersfromadistance，visitingtheplaceforthefirsttimeandseeingHull，said，"Why，thatisthemanwhobroughtthebigboxdownthevalley。"Onbeingaskedwhattheymeant，theysaidthat，beingoneeveninginatavernonthevalleyturnpikesomemilessouthofCardiff，theyhadnoticedunderthetavernshedawagonbearinganenormousbox;andwhentheymetHullinthebar—roomandaskedaboutit，hesaidthatitwassometobacco—cuttingmachinerywhichhewasbringingtoSyracuse。Otherfarmers，whohadseentheboxandtalkedwithHullatdifferentplacesontheroadbetweenBinghamtonandCardiff，madesimilarstatements。Itwasthenascertainedthatnosuchboxhadpassedthetoll—gatesbetweenCardiffandSyracuse，andproofsoftheswindlebegantomature。
Butskepticismwasnotwellreceived。Vestedinterestshadaccrued，aconsiderablenumberofpeople，mostofthemverygoodpeople，hadtakenstockinthenewenterprise，andanythingwhichdiscrediteditwasunwelcometothem。
Itwasnotatallthattheseexcellentpeoplewishedtocountenanceanimposture，butithadbecomesoentwinedwiththeirbeliefsandtheirintereststhatatlasttheycametoabhoranydoubtsregardingit。Apamphlet，"TheAmericanGoliath，"wasnowissuedinbehalfofthewonder。Onitstitle—pageitclaimedtogivethe"HistoryoftheDiscovery，andtheOpinionsofScientificMenthereon。"Thetoneofthebookwasmoderate，butitstendencywasevident。Onlylettersandnewspaperarticlesexcitingcuriosityorfavoringthegenuinenessofthestatuewereadmitted;adversetestimony，likethatofProfessorMarsh，wascarefullyexcluded。
Beforelongthematterenteredintoacomicalphase。Barnum，KingofShowmen，attemptedtopurchasethe"giant，"butinvain。Hethenhadacopymadesonearlyresemblingtheoriginalthatnoone，save，possibly，anexpert，coulddistinguishbetweenthem。
Thisnewstatuewasalsoexhibitedas"theCardiffGiant，"andthenceforwardthecreditofthediscoverywaned。
Thecatastrophenowapproachedrapidly，andsoonaffidavitsfrommenofhighcharacterinIowaandIllinoisestablishedthefactthatthefigurewasmadeatFortDodge，inIowa，ofagreatblockofgypsumtherefound;thatthisblockwastransportedbylandtothenearestrailwaystation，Boone，whichwasaboutforty—fivemilesdistant;thatonthewaythewagonconveyingitbrokedown，andthatasnoothercouldbefoundstrongenoughtobearthewholeweight，aportionoftheblockwascutoff;that，thusdiminished，itwastakentoChicago，whereaGermanstone—carvergaveitfinalshape;that，asithadbeenshortened，hewasobligedtodrawupthelowerlimbs，thusgivingitastrikinglycontractedandagonizedappearance;thattheundersideofthefigurewasgroovedandchanneledinorderthatitshouldappeartobewastedbyage;thatitwasthendottedorpittedoverwithminuteporesbymeansofaleadenmalletfacedwithsteelneedles;thatitwasstainedwithsomepreparationwhichgaveitanappearanceofgreatage;thatitwasthenshippedtoaplacenearBinghamton，NewYork，andfinallybroughttoCardiffandthereburied。ItwasfurtherstatedthatHull，inordertosecurehisbrother—in—law，FarmerNewell，ashisconfederateinburyingthestatue，hadswornhimtosecrecy;and，inorderthatthefamilymighttestifythattheyhadneverheardorseenanythingofthestatueuntilithadbeenunearthed，hehadsentthemawayonalittleexcursioncoveringthetimewhenitwasbroughtandburied。AllthesefactswereestablishedbyaffidavitsfrommenofhighcharacterinIowaandIllinois，bythesworntestimonyofvariousOnondagafarmersandmenofbusiness，and，finally，bytheadmissionsandevenboastsofHullhimself。
Againstthistideoftruththegoodpeoplewhohadpinnedtheirfaithtothestatue——thosewhohadvestedinterestsinit，andthosewhohadrashlygivensolemnopinionsinfavorofit——struggledforatimedesperately。Awriterinthe"SyracuseJournal"expressedasortofregretfulwonderandshamethat"thepublicareaskedtooverthrowthesworntestimonyofsustainedwitnessescorroboratedbythehighestscientificauthority"——theonlyswornwitnessbeingFarmerNewell，whosetestimonywasnotatallconclusive，andthehighestscientificauthoritybeinganeminentlocaldentistwho，earlyinhislife，hadgivenpopularchemicallectures，andwhohadnowinvestedmoneyintheenterprise。
Thesamewriterreferredalsowithaweto"themenofsense，property，andcharacterwhoownthegiantandreceivewhateverrevenuearisesfromitsexhibition";andtheargumentculminatedintheoraculardeclarationthat"theoperationsofwaterastestifiedandinterpretedbysciencecannotcreatefalsehood。"[28]
[28]Seeletterof"X"inthe"SyracuseJournal，"republishedintheFortDodgePamphlet，pp。15and16。
Butallthispatheticeloquencewasinvain。Hull，theinventorofthestatue，havingrealizedmoremoneyfromitthanheexpected，andbeingsharpenoughtoseethatitsdaywasdone，wasevidentlyburstingwiththedesiretoavertscornfromhimselfbybringingthelaughuponothers，andespeciallyuponcertainclergymen，whom，asweshallseehereafter，hegreatlydisliked。Henowacknowledgedthatthewholethingwasaswindle，andgavedetailsofthewayinwhichhecametoembarkinit。HeavowedthattheideawassuggestedtohimbyadiscussionwithaMethodistrevivalistinIowa;that，beinghimselfaskepticinreligiousmatters，hehadflungathisantagonist"thoseremarkablestoriesintheBibleaboutgiants";that，observinghowreadilytherevivalistandthosewithhimtookupthecudgelsforthegiants，itthenandthereoccurredtohimthat，sincesomanypeoplefoundpleasureinbelievingsuchthings，hewouldhaveastatuecarvedoutofstonewhichhehadfoundinIowaandpassitoffonthemasapetrifiedgiant。Inalaterconversationhesaidthatonethingwhichdecidedhimwasthatthestonehadinitdark—coloredbluishstreakswhichresembledinappearancetheveinsofthehumanbody。Theevolutionofthewholeaffairthusbecameclear，simple，andnatural。
Uptothistime，Hull’sremarkablecunninghadneveravailedhimmuch。Hehadmadevariouspettyinventions，buthadrealizedverylittlefromthem;hehadthenmadesomecombinationsasregardedtheinternal—revenuelawsreferringtothemanufactureandsaleoftobacco，andthesehadonlybroughthimintotroublewiththecourts;butnow，whentheboundlessresourcesofhumancredulityweresuddenlyrevealedtohimbytherevivalist，hedeterminedtoexploitthem。Thisevolutionofhisideasstrikinglyresemblesthatthroughwhichthemindofaworthless，shiftless，trickycreatureinwesternNewYork——JosephSmith——musthavepassedfortyyearsbefore，whenhedugup"thegoldenplates"ofthe"BookofMormon，"andfoundplentyofexcellentpeoplewhorejoicedinbelievingthattheRev。Mr。Spalding’sbiblicalnovelwasanewrevelationfromtheAlmighty。
Thewholematterwasthusfullylaidopen，anditmighthavebeenreasonablyexpectedthatthenceforwardnohumanbeingwouldinsistthatthestonefigurewasanythingbutaswindlinghoax。
Notso。IntheDivinitySchoolofYaleCollege，aboutthemiddleofthecentury，wasasolemn，quiet，semi—jocose，semi—melancholicresidentgraduate——AlexanderMcWhorter。Iknewhimwell。Hehadembarkedinvariousmatterswhichhadnotturnedoutsatisfactorily。Hotwater，ecclesiasticalandsocial，seemedhisfavoriteelement。[29]Hewasgenerallybelievedtosecuremostofhissleepduringtheday，andtodomostofhisworkduringthenight;afavoriteobjectofhisstudybeingHebrew。
Variousstrangethingshadappearedfromhispen，and，mostcuriousofall，alittlebookentitled，"YahvehChrist，"inwhichhehadendeavoredtodemonstratethatthedoctrineoftheTrinitywastobefoundentangledintheconsonantsoutofwhichformerscholarsmadetheword"Jehovah，"andmorerecentscholars"Yahveh";thatthisword，infact，provedthedoctrineoftheTrinity。[30]
[29]Themainevidenceofthisistobefoundin"TruthStrangerThanFiction:ANarrativeofRecentTransactionsinvolvingInquiriesinRegardtothePrinciplesofHonor，Truth，andJustice，whichObtainsinaDistinguishedAmericanUniversity，"
byCatherineE。Beecher，NewYork，1850。
[30]See"YahvehChrist，ortheMemorialName，"byA。McWhorter，Boston，1857。
Henowbroughthisintellecttobearupon"theCardiffGiant，"
andsoonproducedanamazingtheory，developingitatlengthinacarefularticle。[31]
[31]SeeMcWhorter，"TammuzandtheMound—builders，"inthe"Galaxy，"July，1872。
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