The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1900-12-28
The D6mOCfdt-Stdr.
GARDEN OF EDEN.
HAS IT NOW BECOME AMERICAN
PROPERTY.

PROPERTY.
Chicago Record.
Den Hall, g~cologist in the Universi.
ty Of Minnesota, calls attention to
the fact that the report Of DR.. D. f.
Becker, one OF the United States geo.
logists who went with the army to
the Philippine Islands, contains the
geological history OF the archipelago
which leads scientists to believe that
the islands comprise the Garden OF
Eden, the original home OF man, and
that the Talago Of today is a direct
defendant from the mag OF Borneo,
midway In development between the
ape and the human species.
DR.. Becker reports that during the
tertiary period Of geological history
these islands were in the midst of
swamps and shallow seats at the very
edge OF the Mediterranean Lake. which
extended westward to the Atlantic
Ocean. Later the bottom Of the sea
was lifted above land. The Alps, eau.
casus and Himalaya Mountains now
stand as the highest points to which
the ancient sea bott0m Ut limestone
and shales was lifted. The Philip.
pines lifted, too, so that during
the latter tertiary time the Philip
pine Islands were n part OF the con.
tinent of Asia and migration of land
animals and plants took place freely.
Then cape a subsistence, which cut
on the migration Of animals TO and
from the islands. and with this sub
sidence begins a period OF great vol.
canic activity and huge quantities o!
lava were thrown out and spread over
the land and ocean bottom.
There is no evidence OF land connec.
ton between the Philippines and Asia
from that time to the present. There
arc evidence OF constant oscillations,
upliftings and sub%mergences. hut no
movements Of sufficient magnitude TO
make dry land across the China Sea.
Bu&the item OF special interest is
the Npinion Of the late Prof. Marsh
that one Of the earliest haunts Of the
human species was the Philippine
archipelago, with Borneo and other
southward.lying islands. The great
elevation which lifted the bottom OF
the old Mediterranean Sea into noun.
tain ranges like the Alps and Hima.
layas and the following submergcncies
OF the area Of the China Sea beneath
ocean waters had a profound enec,
upon the migration OF the human
race. III II should be proved" says
DR.. Hall, that the original home OF
man was, as Marsh seems TO suggest,
In the Philippine Islands, then in
bringing under the flag the original
Garden OF Eden We shall secure "A
treasure beyond financial or political
valuation.
"Only Il few years Z in the island
OF BOrnc0 the the fossil remains were
found hf queer creatures believed TO
be midway in degree OF development
between the ape and man. The eli.
matte conditions iavOring the de.
velopment Of animal forces appear
to exist there in highest perfection.
The animals that were associated
with man in the original Garden OF
Eden. as they were driven in every
direction by the movements Of the
sea. and rivers OF Basaot, show some
marked divcrgences. as those OF India.
China and the Philippine Islands are
compared. IL is easy to sec how un.
der such intense conditions the neigh.
Dors Ut the original man OF BorneO.
Isolated on his " island to the
north, could have developed into the
TagalO Ut today"