The actual total human remains that were found in the caverns numbered six: four adults, one child, and one infant. These skeletons were not emphasized in the furor and excitement concerning the cave itself. In fact, at a meeting of the Paleontological Society at the State University at Berkeley which was reported in April 20, 1910, Calaveras Weekly explains that at the time of discovery "the scientific value or the remains did not so much impress us as did the beauty and magnificence of the excavation, and the desire to know its extent." The cave, named the New Calaveras Cave (Calaveras is a Spanish word meaning skull) was an immediate hit with the public in spite of the difficult two hour excursion on the quarter mile trip. After Mr. Mercer built a house (part of which is still being used as the current office) near the entrance, he decided to put in stairs to make it easier to view his new discovery.

The following excerpt from the California Illustrated Magazine, June 1893, shows it was no simple venture to even come to the New Calaveras Cave:

"The journey to the New Calaveras Cave may be accomplished by taking the Stockton and Copperopolis Railroad to Milton, thence by stage through Angels Camp, and Vallecito, reaching Murphys in the early evening. After traversing a winding, picturesque road of gradual ascent for a distance of one and a quarter miles from the town of Murphys, we reach a small amphitheater surrounded by low brush and situated at the summit of the hill."

Also: "Hints to the visitor: The journey over rock floors, if floor it may be called, is perilous; sure-footedness is a saving grace. Visitors should wear clothes which they never expect to wear to a wedding afterward. A candle is to be carried in one hand and it is prudent to have a supply or matches in one's pocket. The guide carries a supply of candles, a wise precaution, which one appreciates when his "glim" which he has been obliged to hold in every possible position while climbing about - upside down and down side up - accidentally drops from his grasp and is seen no more." Tours are copied, as much as possible, from the tours given by Mr. Mercer and his guides. 'the names of the formations are the names given by Mr. Mercer and Mr. E. E. Floyd, who, at the time of the discovery, was the teacher at the historic one-room school in Murphys. These two worked together on a booklet; The New Calaveras Cave, written in 1885-1886 and published in 1887 by Bacon Company.