of >that eventful time. Many have a more ’ 
or less definite knowledge. of the finding of 
the Calaveras skull, some from actual 
knowledge of the circumstances, some from 
hearsay, and it is a noteworthy fact that 
nearly all of them agree that the story of 
the finding of the skull is a ‘fake.’ 
Joke on a Scientist. 
“One of these men, now occupying a posi- 
tion of honor in the community, laughed 
heartily when the subject of the ancient 
skull was referred to. ‘I was in Angels at 
the time,’ said he in substance, ‘and can 
tell you all about it. The hoys of those 
days were given to an inordinate love for 
“joshing,” and, under the leadership of J. 
C. Scribiner, many practical jokes were 
perpetrated. Why, I had that skull, with 
the mate to it, in my store for weeks before 
the scheme of making sport out of it was 
thought of. They were brought to me'by 
j. i, Boone from a burial place at Salt 
Springs, twelve miles west of Angels. 
Seribiner got hold of one of these skulls 
friend Mattison, who had a mine on Bald 
mountain near by. It was finally planted 
in the bottom of the mine and duly discov- 
ered by Mattison’s workmen. Then the 
conspirators, not getting much satisfaction 
out of Mattison, carried it to Dr. Jones, at 
Murphy’s, who was the leading physician 
of the section, and a great collector of curi- 
osities. He took it in, hut later, finding 
cobwebs inside of it, threw it into the 
street; but, relenting, took it up again and 
resolved to give it a show; and this -was 
done when Prof. Whitney came along. It 
was shown to him and the story of the 
finding told him. He took a deep interest 
in it, as a matter of course^ and departed 
at- once to find Mattison, from whom he se- 
cured the affidavit- as to the circumstances 
of its discovery. All -were delighted to have 
the joke on Whitney, who, being an east- 
erner of very reserved demeanor, was un- 
popular with the miners. So the story be- 
gan, and that is all there is in the busi- 
ness.’ 
/‘Other versions were heard and a few in- 
dividuals were found who doubt the story 
of deception and say the old men of Angel’s 
are still given to ‘joshing. 1 These stories, 
however, do not seriously affect the evi- 
dence found in Table mountain and else- 
where, but they serve to indicate the dif- 
ficulties that surround a proper investiga- 
tion of the subject, and it is only- by a 
most painstaking gathering and sifting of 
the various strands of evidence that 1 a 
solid basis of fact can be /cached. I 
“As the question stands [ today the very 
imposing group of facts and observations j 
arrayed to support the theory of great 1 
antiquity of man in California is compelled 
to meet objections so strong that they may 
not be able -to withstand the onslaught of 
skepticism.” j 
