THE OOLOGIST 



Photo by P. G. Howes. 

 Site of the Yellowthroat's Home. 



Archeaological Collectors take Notice 



We print following 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 museurns' 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 coa- 

 cerned in the disposition of the bog- 

 us coppers. And a sign painter of De- 

 troit is believed to know much aljout 

 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 



