The Rev. George L. Cole of Los Angeles tells amazing stories of a weird, ancient culture that flourished in the cliffs of New Mexico. A race of people 7 feet tall (this grew to 8 feet in later stories) with curious teeth who worshiped the sun and considered the turkey to be a sacred animal. They also played flutes made of pelican bones, Cole said. (Pelicans in New Mexico, eh? I wonder how that happened).

Here's another sample of Cole's scholarship: (Sept. 5, 1900): "One bit of pottery is supposed to have been a tear bottle, in which penitents collected their bewailings and buried them."

I'm horrified when I read old stories about these grave robbers with their crackpot theories about ancient people. What's worse is a later account that says:
"Dr. Cole thinks the government should protect the cliff dwellings. Five
years ago there were a number of finely preserved prehistoric dwellings
in the charcoal district. Every one has been destroyed by explorers."

A Sept. 5, 1900, story in The Times says Cole's human remains and artifacts were sent to Northwestern University. A Feb. 22, 1908, story says his collection of relics was to be put on display at Venice Pier.

Unfortunately, The Times evidently didn't carry an obituary on Cole, so it's unclear what became of him. His son, Fay C. Cole, was affiliated with the Field Museum in Chicago.