#SPORTALDISLEXICARTAPHOBIA- Part Two

   THE CARDIFF GIANT  remained buried in Bill Newell’s field for about a year. Then, on Hull’s instructions, Newell hired a couple of well diggers to look for water on his property. He had a specific spot in mind. On October 16, 1869 the well diggers struck something odd in the hole. Pretending to be flabbergasted by their mysterious find, Newell was well prepared to continue the charade. He set up a large tent and derrick over the hole and hoisted the giant to daylight. Word spread fast of the petrified giant “indian” found buried in Cardiff. Bill Newell charged 25 cents per head to view the unearthed curiosity. According to many accounts people came by the wagonload across three counties to get a peek at the new “wonder of the world.” George Hull was pleased. 

     It didn’t take long for the “experts” to weigh in. Established archeologists and paleontologists were not convinced or amused by the hoax. Academia decried the find as total “humbuggery.” But the theologians, preachers and townsfolk were not so sure it wasn’t the real deal. Remember The Book of Mormon? The populace was more than willing to suspend their disbelief and go along for the ride. Truth mattered little when there were so many people in town and in church that applauded the find. Drinks had to be served. Within two days Bill Newell doubled the price of admission to 50 cents and the crowds kept coming. George Hull sold his “interest” in the giant to a syndicate of local businessmen, who moved the giant to Syracuse for better viewing. P.T. Barnum caught wind of the phenomenon and obvious money making potential, offering the syndicate $50,000 for the sculpture. When the businessmen refused Barnum’s generous offer the great showman hired a man to replicate the giant in plaster and displayed his version in New York City as the REAL Cardiff Giant, calling the upstate giant a FAKE. Does the pattern sound familiar? 

Back to Mark Twain:

            

"This transcends everything! Everything that ever did occur — why, you poor blundering old 

fossil, you have had all your trouble for nothing — you have been haunting a plaster cast of 

yourself — the real Cardiff Giant is in Albany !

"Well — I never felt so absurd before. The Petrified Man has sold everything else and now the 

mean fraud has ended by selling his own ghost! My son, if there is any charity left in your heart 

for a poor friendless phantom like me, don't let this get out. Think how you would feel if you had 

made such an ass of yourself." 

    Although the statement has many times been attributed to P.T. Barnum, it was the head of the Cardiff syndicate, David Hannum, who actually was quoted as saying “There’s a sucker born every minute.” Hannum sued Barnum for calling his giant a “fake” and after George Hull fessed up and went public with the hoax the case was thrown out of court. The judge declared that Barnum could not be sued for calling Hull’s hoax a fake or stopped from displaying a copy (fake) of said (original) fake giant. All the lies canceled each other out. What a piece!

Back in Cooperstown:

  In the summer of 1962 my grandfather knew he was dying. He wanted to retrace the path of his early family vacations with his eldest grandson—me. We packed up his 1950 Chevy and headed north. We stopped at the Catskill Game Farm, Ausable Chasm and a few places I can’t remember, ending up at Fort Ticonderoga. Then we turned around and weaved our way home via Cooperstown. At one point gramp was so sick he let me get behind the wheel and drive, while he crashed out in the back seat. I was ten years old and scared to death! 

    By the time we reached the Farmer’s Museum the old guy (five years younger than I am now) felt better and we took in the sights. I remember it like it was yesterday; entering that cool dark shed behind the tractor display, the quickening of my pulse in anticipation. “I got something to show you…” gramp said with a wink, pulling me by the sleeve, “You want to be an artist…..what do you think of that?”