The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-02-28
GEOLOGY AND THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN,

GEOLOGY AND THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN
Edd0rs Free Itader--Sutier Inc to put I
few thoughts into your paper on the above
topic; yet not as reply to any one
The attempt to determine the age OF the
human race by geological data Is as chimer
ical as can be imagined, because on this geol'
ogy is silent as the grave. Every attempt to
force her, by the most refined torture, to give
testimony to the high antiquity OF man, has
been met with stem silence or with an
emphatic negative. While the rocky strata
of our globe furnish abundant proof that 9th
or animals existed away back in the dim
part they furnish not the least evidence of
the existence of man or his works; hence
saws Sir Charles Lycll (Prin. Geo. vol !, PIP |
2S2 1881 man must be regarded by the geo
logist as Il creature of yesterday, not merely
in reference TO the past history OF the organic
world, but also in relation TO that particular
state of the animate creation of which he
forms a Fart. The comparative modern in
PRODUCTION OF the human race is proved by
Tie absence of the remains of man and his
works, no. only from all St,uto containing
certain proportion of fossils of extinct spe.
cles, but even from large part of the newest
Ia
reerabe to species still living Again he -.
says, (p $40, vol ~ 81 need not dwell on the
proofs Of the low antiquity of our species, for +,
it isnot controverted by any crpntcacd geoio- .,
95st' indeed the real difficulty consists in -
tracing back the signs of mans existence on ii
the earth that comparatively modern period of,
when species, now his contemporaries, began 81
TO predominatc." Again. Vol 8 D. 2O4lI
That it should have remained for us witness :,
such mighty revolutions is Il proof even i'll ,,I
mere was no other evidence, that the entrance -.
ol man into the planet is, comparailvelyI ~
speaking, OF extremely modern date, and ,
mat tho effects Of his agency only begin H.,
ming to be felt" Such is the uniform tcsti -,
mony Of Sir Charles Lycll and of gcolorists W.
hose experience and Investigations are of 80,
uc Even If Sir Charles had ever changed m,
llnd as to mans antiquity it would be
IDIc for him to overthrow his own
arguments, and those of other eeol p
ual value with himself, which he l
III his own pages as confirming no,
S. Indeed were he 10 change .
,oNi''i' "''"' ne has and
INES Geology proves that cn,,
man on our planet is very cvc
evidences OF his existence ,u
OF mammals are abso- han,
cton iroz
cause all va "" ""'c'' mans days
ct species '",0' NAT in
ting dono,;,. .., 49," man
en- are the i'oi'S "h'ch anyt
,ain,od9 S for thousands ~
himself or his mat their Uses
deriving aluviai about the fros,
,-,an formulating in places O.,
a1 60 it is claim. re found Chic
,,., have been ther' them, ulau
1a,,o.it, began; thai uired subu
,,,r suggestions Of forests svp yo1,,
,,,,. dcposits of soil between in Epcr
lich changes must have ree : t,,
,,..,1s nf wears and as articles ri.I
=, ,r human art have been ioun" ,r,,
~, t,.os, il is concluded that hia'
,,i.,cd with that forest maj hu'
,,in. have been found imocou0u
- ia, must have been forming 'oi ~" p
such are the evidences an" "''' INC
...., Lo,t for mans high antiquity ,aL
,,o end claimed such proofs "'' ,.o oor
ruthless, It's only the refg F''."' nr,o xuo
,,,,os and ccavulsions affecting 'o, o,e,
,I,,,;ol or therwIsc-havc Docn "'' NV nldso
,,1 we the facts concerning ,''''' -, - reso
~, ,;nc VIC could speak unoefSl'.", ,t,o. r,at
~, .,. we do not have these, ho'"''H ,rj. onn
: n,-,oJ concerning their age vi CTS ,',n
,..,, which have been recorded wv no, ~,
,o,k and from these we ca" w. ment Of prod
fe'T' =, ,bc older changes. For eN mcnt of ia
'''s ,rc. Yves, of England and aco''"hu months
H. r',,,d heavy deposit of peat cover. But "''
= aro, or ,t least four hundred acres 10
ZENITH of fifteen feet Now ncco'" "',,;nr FiMaSc
VI P'' ,a,;nrs Of certain people, allowing
,.,.,,c. 10 the century as the r"c VI 49,
mi. meat must have been oep"'" "Sy" .,,
O., ohout 600 years And !e' wv trade j. rll
=. ,,, made in few hours on pee io, In ,h.mc
~ 'p. Geo, vol ,, p. 20 liao 'n'S The supply
.. ". 49,, on,ond years earlier before ""en week, 40,
were noted, and had some "'' their rsGul
",1,' skill been found below G 0e, out. pa
60 u t. Jcnosit of peat would have o'yn The ''Pp.
,l, nontcd to and lec,ured upon - AM" ~ i,
" ;rrri.,ibIc proof of the high "n''I''9 . I ~
II mani IT.. certified by rcguAi
From such facts Of recent GA" .,, ,c with lN
.,.;,oo..cs we have no doubt but 'h"' VI. ten rer
l,,occ.sion Of buried forests were o'""s" rate, ru
Ion, in q similar way. Those forests mus market
,. boon crborne by some landh ]" from 10
',,,o conyul,ions crushing over them anu month
IN, them, and making at once Il son 'oi "o'H