400 AURIFEROUS GRAVEL MAN IN CALIFORNIA. 



I know not, but when Dr. Jones found cobwebs in it he threw it out 

 of his office, but decided to take it back again. From this on I sup- 

 pose the history of the skull is well known. 1 recollect that when the 

 public began to talk about it, the couinion belief was that Scri])ner, 

 Coddington, and Coons, of Angels, and Griffiths, of Murphys, knew 

 how the skull got into Madison's shaft, and used it simply to play a 

 practical joke on their friend Dr. Jones; and, as has been said, thej' 

 were capable of doing it. There is no doubt that Madison was sincere 

 in his belief that the iind was genuine." 



As all authentic details relating to the history of the skull are vuki- 

 able, the following extracts are made from a pajxn- ^vl■itten se\eral 

 years ago by Dr. A. S. Hudson, of Stockton. The manuscript was 

 obtained for me by Professor Edward Hughes, of Stockton, and l)eing 

 imperfectly finished and somewhat erratic in treatment, it is not con- 

 sidered advisabl(> to publish it in full, but such parts as relate to the 

 author's visit to the mining region are interesting and sui»-trostive and 

 may be given. 



In 188.3 Dr. Hudson corresponded with Dr. John Walker, of Sonora, 

 who, in a letter, stated that lie had taken a lively interest in the skull, 

 opposing its claims to authenticity, and luul endeavonHJ to convince 

 Whitney that he was doing a great injury to science by accepting the 

 evidence. He induced a friend to convey to Whitney the information 

 that *' the .specimen was found at Salt Spring Valley, near the surface, 

 and not in a mine on Bald ^Mountain; but Whitney tivated the infor- 

 mation discourteoush'." Continuing, the letter stated that "alwut 

 the time the discover}' was made several caves were found and skulls 

 of the same description tak(>n from them. They were evidently the 

 burial places of Digger Indians. No one about the diggings supposed 

 otherwise." 



Later Dr. Hudson visited Dr. Wsilker at Sonora, ))ut mad(> up his 

 mind that the Doctor had little actual knowledge of the matter, and 

 slight foundation for his assertion "that the whole affair was a fabri- 

 cation and a joke on Whitney." Going on to Angels, he interviewed 

 Scribner and Mattison. He was most favorably impressed with Mr. 

 Scribner, who in a dignified and convincing maimer assured him that 

 Dr. Walker was wrong, and that no deception whatever had l>een 

 practiced. Having gathered all the facts in the case that Scribner 

 cared to impart, the Doctor visited Mr. Mattison, "the veritable 

 miner and supposed discoverer of the head of our inquiry. Fortu- 

 nately he and his wife were found at home, and without liesitation 

 proceeded to relate the story, with the steps which l)rought the find 

 to light. The man's wife had a better memory than he, and she 

 seemed to be equally well informed about it. Thus I was furnished 

 with two witnesses in one home. It was said: late in the j^ear 1865 

 he (Matson) began to dig for gold. He sank his shaft in Bald Moun- 

 tain, and not Table Mountain. * * * Beaching the depth of 128 



