[Note: Once again I have found myself with too many writing projects and too little time. Expect something substantial to appear here tomorrow, but for now enjoy an old tale about the “Nevada Giant.”]

The role petrified bones and footprints have played in the origin of myths and legends has been recognized since the 19th century, but it has only been recently that the connection between fossils and mythology has been appreciated as a subject worthy of careful scrutiny. (See The First Fossil Hunters, Fossil Legends of the First Americans, and American Monster). It should be kept in mind, however, that there are modern legends just as there are ancient ones.

In the summer of 1882 news spread far