The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-26
GARDEN OFF EDEN,
Ezra It. Elliott, of Del Norte, BE-
Heves He Has Found 1t In Colo

There is a lawyer out in Del Norts, Col,
who believes he has found the site of the Gar
den Of Eden. He has spent a good part of
his life in studying antiquities and has COM
pared the remains of prehistoric man found in
many quarters Of the globe. He has at last
located original man in the state Of Colorado
and the near neighborhood of his home. There
in the course Of his explorations he recently
came across cave that he thought a prom
tsing place for excavation.
NOT was he mistaken. Below the SURFACE
ne found remains of men far antedating the
mound builders and the cliff jewellers. In
fact, Defofe he was nearly through with his
excavation he was satisfied that he had made
one OF the most important discoveries of
modern times, and now that he has had
time to study the remains that he has found
ne Is perfectly convinced that the section
ne has been exploring was the original Gar
den OF Eden.
Mr.. Elliott says that he was led MANY
years ago to suspect that the San Luis valley
had primeval history Of thrilling Importance
and has spent most of his leisure since in
making Investigations. This valley is 150
miles long and thirty forty miles wide and
is one Of the 1oveliest and most fertile tracts
IN Colorado. According to Mr.. Elliott love
mountains, upon whose borders original man
lived and died
The caves IN which the race lived" said
Mr. Elliott. were located above the water
line and may now be seen by any person
VINO has the curiosity to make the inyestiga-
uon. Inc caves are about 300 feet or more
above the bottom Of the valley. They are
entered through very narrow openings which
In many cases, have been closed entirely by
the sliding cliffs or by the debris rolling down
the side of the mountain
L have entered forty or fifty of the ancient
caves. In some of them kind of rude ma
sonry is to be seen. This masonry consists
of rocks laid one upon the other without the
use or mortar or mud.
The men Of those DAYS knew nothing of
mortar. They did not use bows and arrows
Tor tney mad not advanced that far in the
evolution OF the human race. In many Of
the caves | have found charcoal showing
that the inhabitants had learned how to build
fires. The marks of smoke are also visible
on the walls OF the caves. In one place I
found Workshop. where the artifcers fash
Toned out Of chalcedony the rude stone nipple
ments Of the times. The implements were
made out OF different material from that
used by the cliff jewellers and the indians.
which were recent in order Of existence as
compared with the natives of tropical Col
orado.
II am convinced that mankind originated
Colorado
But while many relics Of man are found In
these caves, Mr. Elliott has been able to find
no Dones he believes that the men of those
early days practised cremation, and the re-
mains of one furnace, which, he thinks was
used for the destruction Of human bodies
can be seen III one of these caves. He him
self unearthed it.
"Once," said Mr.. Elliott, "as was look
Ing for new evidences of early occupation of
the borders Of the lake, 1 found hole In a
cliff showing evidences of fire. I cleared
away the mouth Of the opening and crawled
into room which was five by eight feet in
area and great enough in height to permit
man to stand upright. In one corner was
little fireplace, the smoke having found its
way up through crevice in the rock This
cave showed evidence Of having been unfnhab-
tied for centuries and the dust which had
accumulated was several feet Deep"
Mr.. Elliott does not receive the commonly
accepted Interpretation Of the Bible. as he
the Bible account of the son of Adam and
Eve going into strange country and finding
a wife is evidence that the story Of the crea-
ton OF the human race is in the nature of
an alegory.