Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1860-11-29
q 0oob STORY.
TIMES BEFORE THE FLOOD
The Anti Dlluyian "reminiscences Of
lSSachar Whinde.

NJ eccentric friend IssachaY Whindlc,
was believer in the metempSy hoSiS, or
transmigration of souls. lie was alto
yether persuaded that his immortal spirit
had inhabited many differ, mt bodies; some
human and some comprised in an interior
order OF the animal creation. This was
his hobby, and he rode it so constantly
that | began to feel "bolcd' with his
discourses and generally eontrived to
make my escape as soon rs he began TO
haranguc on the subject. But he WAS 50
earnest in his efforts to make everybody
hcIieve as he did, and seemed to hc 50
distressed by the obstinate incle,ulity ol
his auditors, that oitentimcS, merely ion
the sake Of friendship and good feeling,
| affected to listen to his conversation
with interest and pleasure.
One tenet of his creed was, that some
few persons have distinct rcmemberanre
OF . former state Of existence, though Il
great majority Of mankind are perfectly
in the dark with respect to that - atter.-
He himself, Gas he often declared, had a
perfect recollection OF his first state OF
conscious existence; which, according To
his account, was long before the creation
of Alan. He had lived at time when
there were no human beings on the Garth,
in fact when the earth was little better
than universal quagmirc, unfit to be
walked on by any creature which choose,
to keep its lower eXtremilies in dry con,
| dition.
In answer to my question, what form
he had animated at that earl Y period, he
promptly replied that he was II tterodac.
| yIe, an extinct creature whose fossil re
mains are found in the sand stone strata
1t appears to have been compound q
the bat, bird and lizard; and il living
individual Of the species conld now b,
produced it would be worth mint o
moncy for the purpose of exhibition
TO give you better ilea of Mr.. Whin.
dies peculiar monomania, | will prc>en
his subsequent experience very much il
his own words:
81 remember" said he, "that while
remained in that form | had some diff
Guilty in obtaining n sufficient supply o
provisions; Tor, as the earth had not lie
gun to produce vegetation. | was oblis
cd to live wholly on animal food, an,
the greater number of the creatures the
existing were larger and stronger tha
myself. My diet consisted chiefly of cel
tain flying insects, and occasionally b
walnS into the shallow water procure
mess of fish,"
(which you ate raw. Of course" sal
!, with an appearance Of innocent curio'
ily.
"No, sir" answered he, somewb,
testify, "tle temperature os the earth 4
} that time was so high that all the wat,
on its surface was heated to nearly 20
degrees"
"As asccrtaincd by the thermometer,
suggested !.
"P haw! merely estimated the dcgr
OF heat by its effects, which are still
my memory. The fish were partly cool
ed. therefore, while they were still aliv
and some Of them found quile alatabl
However, fishing was dangerous occ
, patton, and | was exposed constantly y
the risk of being swallowed alive by son
, icthiosancns or crocodile. 1t was to Q,
able us to escape from such perilS, til
nature provided my species with thN
prodigiously large eyes which excite 4
admiration of gcologists and others wi
inspect our organic remains. Neverh
. less, as | advanced in age, my cye-siS
began to fail"
Is That was mis- fortune, indeed" sa
/, symfathsingly; especially you we
not provided with periodical spectacleS
a =! Il needed them certainly" answers
e Whindlc, "but as nothing of the XII
could he had, could not possibly ia
care of myself, and, ono day, it was +
T. i'll luck to be devoured by gigantic fs
= lizard"
81 hope he found you tolerablo diges
ble," said l with immense gravity.
"Without boasting. think / may S
he did," answered Whindle. "At lea
| have no recollection Of anything to t
contrary. Some time after, | cannot s
ID how long, Iawoke as it were from a pl
found sleep, and discovered ] had assum
o the form of tortoise"
"Of the land or water varieties?"
"Remember that / have often told y
that the whole surface Of the earth W