THE OOLOGIST 



Photo by P. G. Howes. 

 Site of the Yellowthroafs Home. 



Archeaological Collectors take Notice 



We print followiug extracts from a 

 Detroit Paper. We received the copy 

 some weeks since and contemplated 

 further investigation but time and op- 

 portunity do not come to hand. 



Daniel E. Soper in a Fake Relic 

 Business. 



"Indian copper implements, wonder- 

 ful battle axes of leaf copper, spear- 

 heads so well tempered that they 

 ring like a tuning-fork and other 

 "rare" and "anciently corroded " ar- 

 chaeological treasures which have in 

 recent years been found in Michi- 

 gan's many so-called "mounds of pre- 

 historic ages" are now brought under 

 suspicion and many are pronounced 

 absolute fakes. An Indian relic fac- 

 tory is believed to have been in op- 

 eration right here in Detroit. 



Many collectors have been swindl- 

 ed, many museums in various parts 



of the country have been offered 

 splendid specimens and have only of 

 late discovered on what wholesale 

 lines the Michigan brand of fake re- 

 lics are being placed on sale. 



A former secretary of state, who 

 retired under charges at Lansing 

 some years ago. is acting at the very 

 least as catspaw, dupe and salesman 

 for the makers of these fakes. The 

 curator of a university museum — not 

 in Michigan, be it said — is also con- 

 cerned in the disposition of the bog- 

 us coppers. And a sign painter of De- 

 troit is believed to know much about 

 the bogus stuff. 



The scheme is so unique as to win 

 absolute admiration for the perpetra- 

 tors. If committed in a spirit of hu- 

 mor, it is the most colossal hoax of 

 a century. 



Unknown numbers of wealthy men 

 whose hobby is the collecting of 

 choice Indian relics are among the 



