The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-24
THINK ADAM MAY HAVE BEEN BLACK
Scientists Disagree as to the Color of Our
First Father

|
Was Adam black? This is ques-
ton which has interested and agttated
| nearly all the scientists and anthropo-
| og1StS of the world, in some degree,
| from long before the days of Darwin
and Huxley down to the present time.
1t is a question which is being much
and earnestly discussed in the scientific
| world at present, a fresh start toward
public interest having been bestowed
upon it by the attitude of Professor
Arthur Thompson.
This learned student and scientist in
the first of a series of scientific articles
| written for knowledge and dealing with
| "Anthropological Data" presents and
weighs much of the evidence usually
| brought to bear upon both sides of the
| question. To the untecnnical and COM
| paratively unframed thinker the
chances, after digesting the mass of
suggestive but improbable 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 conclusion, according to
the theory of Alfred Russell Wallace
which Professor Thompson quotes, is
| just as likely to be correct as any
| other. There is, in fact, and 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
| remembered that the probable identity
| of the earliest cave jewellers of England
| and France with the Eskimos, who are
| also Mongols, has been practically es-
| tablshed. this theory loses much of
| seeming improba bility which frequent
| ly characterizes it at first sight. Pro-
| fessor Thompson, While willing ito ad
| init the theory suggested, drops it at
| this point. Certain Chicago scientists,
| however, are inclined TO go a little far
| Their.
| There are numbered among thescien-
! titic brotherhood in this city two an
| thropOlOgists of any more than local
standing. One of these, Professor
| Starr of the Chicago university, is at
present absent upon a tour of investi-
! cation in Mexico and his opinion of the
mpleXion and facial co!oring of our
first father could not, therefore, be OBJ
tanned. But DIR. George Dorsey, an
| thropological curator of the Columbian
museum was interrogated as to the
Adam question with the following re-
| suit:
There can be no definite opinion
given on this matter" said DR.. Dor
sey. 'Everything which can be said
must be uttered from a purely specua-
tive standpoint. But there are splendid
grounds for the inference that primitive
man, since no scientist recognizes the
| biblical Adam as a fact or even posi-
bility, was neither black nor white, but
of a color somewhere between red and
yellow"
DR.. Dorsey, who regards the Mon
golian theory as at best far from
proved, bases his opinion that primitive
man was of this dusky copper shade On
physiological rather than climatic rea-
sons.
1T seems to me-" he declared, that a
fertile field for investigation and one
which has never before been explored,
I fancy. lies in the way of making a
study of the embryo anthropoid ape. /
fancy that primitive man-remembe"-
ing always that it is impossible, from
scientific point of view, to conceive Of
any time when man, as we know him,
came into existence at all, so slow is
the course of natural eVolution-Was of
a color between red and yellow, be-
cause those apes which most nearly re-
semble man, are sort of first cousins,
as we might say, are usually of this
color. 1t is upon these grounds rather
than upon any others that I base the
opinion which l hold. No, I 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 l sad
before, ! think he was probably either
red, yellow or tinted with a shade or
tone somewhere between these two col
ors."
Frank G. Baker curator of the Chi
cago Academy of Sciences. was more
ready to think of the first man as Of d
dusky colGr.
Much depends, of course" he de.
clared, upon the location of the sup
posed garden of Eden, If it was sit
uated, as is generally supposed, some
where in Asia. then Adam was proba-
bly, black or at least dark. Hardly a
perfect black, as are the black races of
to-day, perhaps. but certainly dark in
color. The only possible way of deter
mining such a question would be by Oh
tanning the skull of Adam OF some Of
his contemporaries. Since such a course
is manifestly impossible, l fear we shall
have to rest content a little longer with
the question of Adams complexion still
unsettled.
But l hardly think that Adam could
possibly have been white,' he finished
by remarking. 80 it is quite probable
that he may have been black. The
facts obtainable in the case would seem
to point much more strongly toward
the black colorng than the white"
To pass from the scientific to the
theological view of the subject, the
opinion of G. A Carey, pastor of the
Quinn chapel of the African Methodist
Episcopal church, was next solicited.
Mr.. Carey smiled broadly when con-
fronted by the question of whether or
no the primitive man was black in
color.
Il really have not studied the ques-
ton much" he presently said, al
though | have read and listened to lots
of argument and discussion on the sub
ject. I have been told that Adam was
red. yellow, black. white and even blue.
Bishop Turner of Atlanta, Ga, was the
man who made this last statement
believe. Personally l should incline to
the opinion that Adam-for l accept