The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-04-19
Adams First nabItaiion Is
Located In Illinois.
RELICS READY TO PROVE IT.
odd Dan" ParmaIes Exhibits Pstrlfsd
Apple and Head Of iAs Serpent
Which Tempted Eve


The original Biblical Garden Of Eden
has been found.It is located In Illinois on
the banks of the beautiful kankakee
river. IL WAS discovered by Daniel Par
malice. who is noted pioneer. trapper
aud hunter.
Sad TO say, the Garden OF Eden Is 10
be sold at auction. 1t Is 10 be knocked
down by the aucdoneer's hammer next
Tuesday, because it's original discoverer
and owner is unable TO pay mortgage lie
placed upon Il when in need of funds.
The Garden OF Eden and old Dan
Parmalee, it's owner, are among the most
attractive curiosities or the great Kan
kakee swamp, region replete with I'M
terest for Chicago sportsmen. The gar
den is situated on the bank OF the river
at Indian Town about three miles from
the Indiana line.
When IL was originally discovered it
was merely an island In the midst OF the
great swamp. covered with dense
growth OF trees and shrubbery, and al-
most tropical I'm appearance In summer.
when the trees and shrubs were i'm fun
leaf and wild vines hung from the tree
tops I'm great festoons.
1t is still a pretty spot although tho
draining OF the swamp has surrounded
At with prosperous farms and much of
the timber has disappeared. The river
sweeps by IL with "A graceful curve, and
its trees shut out the view of the neigh
boring farmhouses.
RELICS OF Ewes FALL.
Dan Parmalee has relics which he as
serts prove the identity OF this spot as
the site of the original Garden of Eden.
Among these relies are the apple tree on
which grew the fruit with which the SER
pcnt tempted Eve; the apple itself. turn
ed to stone: the head OF the serpent like
wise petrifed, and other relics mentioned
I'm the holy book.
The contour OF the petrined apple
r. distinctly marred where two generous
bites were taken from II. The serpent's
head is diamond shaped like that of a
deadly adder. The apple tree bears
every mark OF great age. and still bears
fruit which Is tempting as IL hangs frqm
the dropping limbs.
'Old Dan" is firm in his belief that IL
is the original tree, and what is more, he
believes that Adam and Eve still live i'm
the garden. lie will point them out 10
you any time. Adam is "A giant black oak
on the river bank and Eve IS "a smaller
white oak growing near by, extending
her arms appealngly TO Adam.
There are other curioslties I'm the gar
den of a less sacred character One is a
two-headed calf. which was born i'm the
garden and which was offered as "A sac
rifice and afterward stuffed by its owner
IL was forty years ago that ''Old Dam
discovered the Garden OF -.den. He had
lived there for several years before he
discovered its sacred character. He came
TO the swamp when a young man and
settled down To follow the life Of hum
ter and trapper AZ that time the swamp
afforded great opportunities for hunter.
IL was alive with deer, bears and tho
smaller fur-bearing animals. Wild fowl
bred there by thousands, and little more
effort was necessary To sustain life than
In the garden of Biblical lore.
Parmalee soon became noted, not only
as hunter and trspper, but as fighter.
He was over six feet tall, and strong I'm
proportion. After few encounters, the
men of the country feared and avoided
any but friendly intercourse with him.
IL was on a trip to Momence about
forty years ago, when Psrmalee was i'm
the prime OF his health and strength,
that the incident which changed his
whole life happened
CRUEL TREATMENT, OF PARaIALEE.
Momence, which Is now thriving
town. located where the Chicago and
Eastern Illinois railroad crosses the Kan
rough and lswless. The young men OF the
town feared Parmalee and agreed 10 set
upon him and gave him a whipping at
the first OPPORTUNITY
Two OF the strongest of them attacked
him on the occasion mentioned, and after
n fearful fight Parmalee was overpower-
ed and terribly beaten. Not content with
beating him with their fists, his assail-
ants kicked him about the body and
head
He managed to reach his home in the
swamp eight miles away, where he was
I'll for days. IL was when he recovered or
appeared to recover from the effects OF
the beating that he discovered that ho
was living in the Garden OF Eden. Ii was
soon evident that. while his body had re-
covered, his brain was affected by the
shock
"Old Dan" has never swerved from the
conviction that he IL the owner of the
most valuable spot OF ground on earth.
When the conviction dawned upon him
heset about collecting evidences TO sus-
tain IT, The petrited apple. the apple
tree. tho petriied serpents head, were
discovered I'm succession and exhibited TO
the incredulous
Soon the enthusiasm of the archeolocist
took possession OF him and he collected
all kinds of relics. He dug In the grave
OF Indian chiefs and secured hundreds of
arrow heads, spear points, tomahawks
pipes. skulls, and other relics.
In his years of persistent collecting he
gathered a collection OF relics which has
probably never been eaualed by any in
dividual collector. All these were kept I'm
his small house on the river bank, and
exhibited with great pride.
parmalee had a wife and children de-
pendent upon him, when he made his
unfortunate trip To Momence, bat his
suhs grew up and struck out for them
selves, his wife died. and he was lott
Qln0 payac1 0100