Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-01-04

Examiner, expounding their theories on
the paleolithic period wherein man is
pronounced u contemporary OF many Of
the now extinct animals belonging to the
glacial and other epochs of which we
hitherto have had no definite record.
Viscount de Caix and Albert Lacroix
are the compilers OF the work. They
have been assisted by such reputable
scholars as Paul Broca, said to be
Frances greatest anthropologist; Pro-
fessor Thomas Wilson of the National
museum at Washington: Sir John Lub-
book. an English naturalist of renown,
and Professor Girard de Rialle, coun-
tryman Of the projectors.
The excavation in the valley of the
Somme," says Sir John Lubbock, (which
has yielded these relics OF primeval man
is 200 feet deep. This would indicate an
antiquity for the paleoithic epoch of
100000 years"
The relics the learned man refers to
are calcined bones, charrings of man
made fires, weapons and tools. Such
relics indeed have been found in various
parts of France, down in the stratums
belonging to prehistoric ages, to the quar-
ternary period, of which the ilustrous
Broca aflirms: 1.-THE coexstence of pa
leolithic man with the earliest forma-
tion of the quarternary period. with the
beginning Of the glacial age and with
many extinct animals, is now proved
and leads us to the conclusion that his
stay upon earth has not been of less than
100000 years Duration"
All geologists agree that this stratum,
which represents the beginning of what
they call the Quarternary period (the
present period of geological growth, is
100000 years old. 1t Is only necessary
then, to find evidences of man and his
works In this stratum to prove that the
human race is that old at least. This is
what the French scientists have DONE
Like most big things, it was very sim
pie matter--a case of first catch your
mau-and they caught him.
France has always been Klondike of
dead history--history in stones and other
minerals golden with mystery. Her un-
derground has ever been scanned with
stitches of human handiwork. with
threads raveled from many previous civ
ilizations. with patchwork thrown to-
gether heterogeneously out of many Il
century's work basket. Time has woven
through the soil of France the indiffer-
ent messages Of those whose increment,
centuried in decay, serves her today as II
foundation. Layer under layer, the ex-
plorers go down to find where man has
lett the traces OF his existence-down TO
the very bedrock of the quarternary
period. where they must conclude he
began, 100000 years ago. Where the
tops of his houses were then the bottoms
of French graves are now; where the tips
of his trees swayed in the winds then
the roots of our trees today grasp the
earth's face.
Man, say these French scientists, be-
gan 100000 years ago to pile ruins upon
the earth and to build one layer OF his
works upon another, and still another
upon the one, like the plowing and the
sowing and the reaping and then the
plowing again OF grainteld over and
over again, each layer OF dead stalks to
a season.
Yet, with all her fertility of relics,
France has produced nothing as old as
the Maya glyphs of Central America. Is
the "old world" then newer? Men were
upon the western hemisphere 100000
years ago. on the eastern hemisphere co.
900 years later, according to known indi-
cations. Relatively, therefore. everybody
will say that known indications" do not
indicate anything OF the. kind. II will be
concluded. In the light of both discoveries
If people believe them both that nei-
ther has gone as far into the past as it
may go; wherefore there Is no limit and
no comparison. Mr.. Goodman's glyphs tell
the older story and doubtless are us trust
worthy as the French gentlemen's relics,
which gives him the best of 1t. so far as
N them huvn IIis .uilI Snfrar
the disadvantage OF being less under.
standable than the ether mems, TO the
lay mind, but it is ON record that experts
have confirmed the deductions he has
drawn, and In that he Is on equal terms
with his contemporaries over the water.
The French are calculating the years Of
the past by examining the beds of an
Client rivers in the stratums OF the quar-