The St. Louis Republic., 1901-09-01
Serpent Mound Marks the Exact Home Of
Adam Was Nodded by God Long Years
the First Writer of History Was Born.

of worship nor a place of sacrifice. nor for
interment. nor yet a spot where the tribes
OF the earth came together to discuss the
affairs of the primitive nations =.
He conceived II TO be a mighty object
lesson 10 give expression to some great
event that had occurred In the history OF
mankind. II intended for object lesson.
its meaning was too plain and palpable for
discussion or argument.
Plainly it was meant 10 illustrate the
first sad event in the Garden of Eden,
the deception of the woman by the serpent.
and mans subsequent expulsion from the
garden and all the attendant ills OF sin,
pain and death.
All of these he maintains, are adequately
expressed by this Serpent Mound.
:, IN ,b aMs ct ., Of swalIpwins the oval shaped
fruit there situated. Mir. West declares that
1t represents tine fruit with which Satan
beguted and tempted EVE: IL IS ,,i,,, very ~;
, lemon or some such fruit as grows upon IL
tree.
with which Satan. that old serpent. did
F, tempt Eve by telling her 1t was good 10
eat. How could this very idea and clrcuEl-
stance of deception be better represented on
| the part OF a serpent inquiries this achoar.
| than to show 1t in the act Of itself eating
, fruit when ii is we'll known that serpents
| w NV Picture. the Fall of Man.
| Mr. West maintains that the situation OF
! tns oval object. which scientists term an
altar at the wide-open jaws OF the SER
! rent would appear to deny their claim that
! il 10 an altar Reason indicates n contrary
! theory: that the open jaws were meant to
/ betray the purpose of The serpent to swal-
| low the fruit. Else why should the taws be
! oper" The oily meaning of The open Jaws,
| he asserts, is to show the Intention CT the
F., serpent TO swallow the fruit.
This portion of the mound represents the
| deception: the writings and twistings OF
the body indicate the pangs Of death and
| physical suffering.
| II would sc. 10 that this perplexing and
| II ysterious image was created TO express
an idea and Is. therefore. purely symbol
| only from the image itself and any sup
+; porting; history that may be found, II II be
q! conceded that the serpent mound Is symbol
ical of mans fall in the Gaiden of Eden.
and Mr.. West, after years of study, Is con-
! fdent that II expresses no other lesson.
then the question arises, how did this pre-
historic race obtain knowledge OF tnat
| event? =
Mr. West arrives at the conclusion that
this great work was created either by God
himself or by men inspired by him to make
an everlasting object lesson of mans DISC
| bedience. Satan's perfidy and the results of
| sin and death. In support OF this startling
claim he quotes Scripture and refers to
Job XVI l3: by HIS spirit he hath gar.
Iished the heavens: his hand hath formed
the crooked serpent"
Thinks God Nodded the Mound.
He also applies the discoveries OF Prof.
fessor Putnam to establish his theory.
Professor Putnam learned that the depth OF
l. soil on the image was equal to that COW
cring the surrounding country. and was OF
similar properties and composition This
important discovery justified the statement
that the work itself had been created prior
I to the formation of the soil. which nov
! covers the earth. l
\ This discovery. however,; by no mean.
1 nxes the time; OF tie scrpent'e creation. y
= neTelyS e4tAplish ;3hs fac3s IN "a It.