Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1885-12-20
T OF BABYLON.
~ N. N Rlooninatoa Eve

1f#s 49, -
The history Of Babylon IS frAuSht with
sadness. Il illustrates only too painfully
thst the people Of Q town make or mar its
success rather than the natural resources
and advantages it may possess oI the
start.
Thus Babylon, 9Th 1000 yeats the start
Of Minneapolis, is to-day a hole IN the
ground. while Minneapolis socks her
| xxx -four into every corner Of the
globe, and the prizes of real estate would
make q common dynasty totter on its
throne.
Babylon is s good illustration OF the de-
cay of Q town that does not keep up with
the procession. Compare her today with
Kansas City. While Babylon was the
capital of Cnsldes 1870 years before the
birth Of Christ and Kansas City was organ
lied so long after that event that many of
the people there have forgotten all about
it, Kansas City has doubled her population
in ten years while Babylon is simply q
gothic hole in the ground.
Why did tradesnd emigration turn their
back upon Babylon and seek out Mime.
spolis, St. Paul, Kansas City and Qmshs2
Was it because they were blest with q
bluer sky or Q more genial sum- Not BY
Suy means. While Babylon lived upon
what she had been end neglected to sdvsr-
tiss, other towns with no history extend,
ing back into the moldy past Vhooped
with an exceeding great whoop and tore
up the ground and shed printers ink and
showed marked signs Of vitality. That Ia
the reason that Babylon is no more.
This life Of ours Is one Of intense sctiVi-
~ We cannot rest long in idleness With,
out inviting forgetfulness, death and OBJ
iVion. Babylon vas probably the most
magnificent city of the ancient world"
Isaiah, who lived about 800 years before
Herodotus, and whose remarks are unusu
ally free from local or political prejudice,
refers to Babylon % The glory. Of king
doms. the beauty of the Chsldics eKcellen,
oy," and yet while Cheyenne has the cleo
trio light and two daily papers, Babylon
hasn't got so much as o skating rink.
A city, fourteen miles square with Q brick
wall sroundit 355 feet high, she has quietly
forgotten to advertise, and in turn she is
also Is forgotten.
Babylon was remarkable for the two
beautiful PALACES, one on each side Of the
river, snd the great temple of Belus Con-
uected With one Of these palaces Wss the
hanging garden, regarded by the Greeks as
one Of tbs seven wonders Of the world, but
that was prior to the erection Of the Wash
ington monument aud civil service reform
This was 3 square 400 Greek feet on
each side. The Greek foot was not so long
as the modern foot introduced by Miss
Mills Of Ohio. This garden was supported
several tiers Of oden arches built one
over the other, like walls Of q classic thea
ire, and sustaining ct each stage or story q
solid platform FROM which the arches Of
tie next story sprung. This structure was
alss supported By the common council of
Babylon, who came forward with the city
fauds, and helped to Sustain the iwmenss
1t is presumed that Nshachadrezzar
erected this garden before his mind hecams
affected. The tower Of Bslus, supposed
By hstonSas with good memory to
have been SIX hEndssS feet high, az
tksss Is still q red cSslk mark Ia ths
sky where the top came, Wssa great thing
In It's way. lam glad ] YES not contigu-
Gus 70 il when il fell, and also that ] hsd
being born prior 10 that time.
When We turn from this picture Of the