The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-03-19
THINKS ADAM MAY HAVE BEEN BLACK


Was Adam black? That is question
which has interested and agitated near
ly all the scientists and anthropologists
of the world in some degree from long
before the days of Darwin and Huxley
down to the present time. 1t is ques-
ton which is being much and earnestly
discussed in the scientific world at pres
ent, a fresh start toward public interest
having been bestowed upon it by the at
titude of Prof. Arthur Thompson, says
the Chicago Chronicle.
This learned student and scientist, in
the first Of series Of scientific articles
written for knowledge and dealing with
''Anthropological Data" presents and
weighs much of the evidence usually
TO bear upon both sides of the question.
To the untechnical and comparatively
unframed thinker the chances, after di-
costing the mass of suggestive but I'M
provable facts brought forward seem
to lean just as strongly In favor of the
first man, using the term In the sense
of primeval man, having been red or
yellow as black or white. This conclu-
sion, according to the theory Of Alfred
Russell Wallace, which Prof. Thompson
quotes, is just as likely to be correct as
any other There is, in fact, according
to the Wallace theory, fair probability
that primitive man was a Mongol, or
yellow man. When the high state of
civilization which existed among the
Chinese at even the most remote period
of time is considered and when it Is re-
membered that the probable identity Of
the earliest cave jewellers of England
and France with the Eskimos, who are
also Mongols. has been practically estab-
lished, this theory loses much of the
seeming improbabillty which frequently
characterizes 1t at first sight. Prof.
Thompson, while willing to admit the
theory suggested, drops it at this point.
Certain Chicago scientists. however. are
inclined to go a little farther
There are numbered among the scien-
tific brotherhood in this city but two
anthropologists Of any more than local
standing. One of these, Prof. Starr, Of
the Chicago university, is at present alb
sent upon a tour Of investigation in Mex
leo, and his opinion Of the complexion
and facial coloring Of our first father
could not therefore be obtained. But DR..
George Dorsey, anthropological curator
of the Columbian museum, was interro-
gated as to the Adam question with tho
following result:
There can be no definite opinion given
on this matter, said DR.. Dorsey "Ev-
tered from purely speculative stand
point. But there are splendid grounds
for the inference that primitive man.
since no scientist recognizes the Biblical
Adam as a fact or even possibility, was
neither black nor white, but of a color
somewhere between red and yellow"
DR.. Dorsey. who regards the Mongol-
ian theory as at best far from proved.
bases his opinion that primitive man
nj In G1xU cho5
illogical rather than climatic reasons.
1T seems to me- he declared, that a
fertile field for investigation and one
which has never before been explored. /
fancy, lies In the way of making study
OF the embryo anthropoid ape | fancy
that primitive man-remembering always
that 1t is impossible, from q scientific
point of view to conceive of any time
when man, as we know him, came into
existence at, so slow is the course Of
natural evolution-was of color between
red and yellow, because those apes which
most nearly resemble man, a sort of
first cousins as we might say, are usual
ly of this color. 1t is upon these grounds
rather than upon any others that base
the opinion which 1 hold. No. 1 should
hardly think it possible, or even prob
able that the so-called Adam was black.
any more than l believe him to have been
white as we are. AS I said before, think
he was probably either red, yellow or
tinted with shade or tone somewhere
between these two colors."
Frank G.. Baker, curator of the Chi
cago Academy of Sciences, was more
ready to think Of the first man as of J.
dusky color.
Much depends, Of course he declar-
ed, upon the location Of the supposed
garden of Eden. If 1t was situated, as
is generally supposed, somewhere in
Asia, then Adam was probably black or
at least dark. Hardly perfect black, as
are the black races of today perhaps.
but certainly dark in color. The only
possible way of determining such ques-
ton would be by obtaining the skull OF
Adam or some Of his contemporaries.