The Cardiff Giant is one of the most famous and interesting swindlers in the 19th century. It is said that an ancient "petrochemical giant" was found on a farm in New York State and was attracted by the public at the end of 1869.

newspaper accounts and quickly published pamphlets claim that "wonderful scientific discovery" is an ancient man. When he is alive, he will stand more than ten feet high. A scientific debate was published in the newspaper about whether the buried object was an ancient statue or "fossilization".

In this language for a day, this giant is really a "fool", and the deep doubt about this statue is part of what makes it so attractive.

It seems that the brochure of the discovered authorized account even contains a detailed letter from "one of the most scientific people in America", denouncing it as a scam. Other letters in this book offer opposite opinions and some interesting theories about what this discovery may mean to human history.

With facts, opinions and irrational theories, people only want to pay 5 cents to see the Cardiff giant with their own eyes.

The crowd gathered to watch the strange artifacts, and they were very enthusiastic, Tom? Thompson, Jenny? Linde and legendary assistant phineas from dozens of other scenic spots tried to buy giants. When his offer was rejected, he got a plaster replica of the stone giant created by the artist.

In a scene that barnum can design, he begins to show off his famous fake scam.

Soon after, mania disappeared because of the true story: the strange statue was carved only a year ago. In upstate New York, New York, his relatives' farm was buried there by a prank, which the workers could "find" conveniently.

Discovery of Cardiff Giant

On October 16th, 1869, two craftsmen dug a well in William "Stump" newell's farm near Cardiff Village in new york, and met a huge stone man.

according to the story that spread quickly, they first thought of finding the graves of Indians. They were stunned when they found the whole object. The "petrified man" resting on the side is like sleeping, which is huge.

Words immediately spread the strange discovery. After Newell dug a lot of tents on the grass, he began to collect stone tablets. Word spread quickly, and within a few days, an outstanding scientist and fossil expert, Dr. John F. Boynton, arrived to inspect these artifacts.

On October 21st, 1869, a week after the discovery, the Philadelphia newspaper published two articles, which provided a completely different point of view.

The first article entitled "Petrifaction" is said to be a letter from a letter not far from Newell Farm:

Today, hundreds of people from neighboring countries visited and were examined by doctors. They firmly said that they must have been a living giant. Vein, eyeball, muscle, tendon of heel and rope of neck are all fully displayed. Many theories are advanced in where he lives and how he came.

Mr. Newill now proposes to let it rest until it is examined by scientists. It is definitely one of the links between past and present races and has great value.

The second article is an investigation report reprinted from Syracuse Standard on October 18th, 1869. It was titled "Giant Swear Statue" and mentioned Dr. Boden and his examination of the giant:

The doctor made the most comprehensive examination of this discovery, dug it up to examine its back, and after mature deliberation, it was declared as a statue of Caucasians. Fine cutting function, perfect harmony.

A 32-page booklet quickly released by Syracuse Bookstore contains the whole text of a letter. Boynton wrote to a professor at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. Boynton correctly assessed that this figure was carved with plaster.

He said that it is absurd to think that this is a "fossil man".

Dr. Boden is wrong on one hand: he believes that this statue was buried hundreds of years ago, and he suspects that those ancient people who buried it must hide it on the enemy. In fact, this statue only took about a year on the ground.

Controversy and public infatuation

The heated debate in the newspaper about the origin of the giant only makes it more attractive to the public. Geologists and professors lined up to express their doubts. However, a few ministers who have seen the giant claim that it is an ancient miracle, which is an actual Old Testament giant mentioned in the book of Genesis.

Anyone who wants their own ideas can pay for a 5-minute admission ticket. Business is good

After the giant was hoisted from the hole in Newill farm, it was towed to a truck and exhibited in the east coast city. When phineas began to show his fake version of the giant, an opponent actor who was managing the tour of the original giant tried to take him to court. The judge refused the hearing.

No matter where the fax of the giant or barnum happened, people gathered together. It is reported that the famous writer Ralph? Waldo? Emerson saw this giant in Boston and called it "amazing" and "undoubtedly ancient".

There used to be a noteworthy prank, such as the carnival heard by the fox sisters, which started the craze of mental illness. And barnum has always displayed illusions in the Food Museum in new york, such as the famous "Fiji Mermaid".

However, the enthusiasm of the Cardiff giant is as unheard of as before. For a time, the railway even arranged extra trains to accommodate the crowds pouring out to visit it. But at the beginning of 187, due to the obvious widespread acceptance of practical jokes, the interests suddenly disappeared.

Details of the liar

Although the public lost interest in looking at this strange statue, the newspaper tried to find out the truth. It is understood that a man named George? Hull's people planned the plan.

Hal, who doubts religion, obviously conceived this scam, which shows that people can believe anything. He went to Iowa in 1868 and bought a large piece of gypsum in the quarry. In order to avoid doubt, he told the quarry workers that the plaster blocks 12 feet long and 4 feet wide were for Abraham? The statue of Lincoln.

The plaster was transported to Chicago, where Stonecutters acted in Hull's eccentric direction and created a statue of the sleeping giant. Haier treated gypsum with acid and roughened its surface to make it look ancient.

After several months' work, the statue was transported to a large box marked "Agricultural Machinery" and went to Hull's relatives' farm, Short newell near Cardiff, new york. The statue was buried sometime in 1868 and dug up a year later.

most of the scientists who condemned this scam from the beginning were right. "Petrochemical giant" has no scientific significance.

Cardiff giants are not people who lived in the Old Testament, or even relics of some early civilizations with religious significance. But it's a very good shame.