468 MISCELLANEOUS RECOLLECTIONS -I 



Best of all, after the war the surviving soldiers re 

 turned, went on with their accustomed vocations, and all 

 was quiet as before. 



But in the autumn l of 1869 this peaceful region was in 

 commotion from one end to the other. Strange reports 

 echoed from farm to farm. It was noised abroad that a 

 great stone statue or petrified giant had been dug up 

 near the little hamlet of Cardiff, almost at the southern 

 extremity of the valley; and soon, despite the fact that 

 the crops were not yet gathered in, and the elections not 

 yet over, men and women and children were hurrying 

 from Syracuse and from the farm-houses along the val 

 ley to the scene of the great discovery. 



I had been absent in a distant State for some weeks, 

 and, on my return to Syracuse, meeting one of the most 

 substantial citizens, a highly respected deacon in the 

 Presbyterian Church, formerly a county judge, I asked 

 him, in a jocose way, about the new object of interest, 

 fully expecting that he would join me in a laugh over the 

 whole matter; but, to my surprise, he became at once 

 very solemn. He said, &quot;I assure you that this is no 

 laughing matter; it is a very serious thing, indeed; 

 there is no question that an amazing discovery has been 

 made, and I advise you to go down and see what you 

 think of it.&quot; 



Next morning, my brother and myself were speeding, 

 after a fast trotter in a light buggy, through the valley 

 to the scene of the discovery; and as we went we saw 

 more and more, on every side, evidences of enormous 

 popular interest. The roads were crowded with buggies, 

 carriages, and even omnibuses from the city, and with 

 lumber-wagons from the farms all laden with passen 

 gers. In about two hours we arrived at the Newell farm, 

 and found a gathering which at first sight seemed like a 

 county fair. In the midst was a tent, and a crowd was 

 pressing for admission. Entering, we saw a large pit or 

 grave, and, at the bottom of it, perhaps five feet below 



1 October 16. 



