The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-08-03

of Europe are asking that a por-
ton Of the fund and energy beins
devoted to the exploration of the Baby
lonian basin be diverted TO the land of
the ancient Aztecs and particularly TO
the Mayas of Yucatan, Guatemala and
Honduras. These are acknowledged to
be the purest, is not the only. survivors
of the primitive races, and the records
found In the ruined temples of their
ancestors indicate that the Mayas en-
joyed a comparatively high civilization
at least 10000 years ago.
1t has been well established that the
days referred to in Genesis mean peri
DDS. while the records of geology may
be traced back through countless CEN
turtles The important question to de-
eide is the point at which, in his strug-
gle for existence. man passed the crisis
and became a teacher of development
and q missionary of civilization.
DIT. lie PIOngeOn. one of the best
authorities and foremost writers on
prehistoric anthrOpology. has made a
careful study of the relics and hero
glyphics of Mexico and Central Amer
lea; he has visited the ruins of Uxmal
where he found abundant evidences Of
Free Masonry; has assisted in the ex-
cavations of Xibalda, where signs and
symbols similar to those of ChaIdea.
and India have been discovered; has
explored the temples and dungeons of
Militia where art and architecture like
that of the ancient Egyptians are to
be seen. He believes that up to a GER
tain period of the worlds history. mans
highest development was attained in
the American tropics; that Oriental
nations with a past stretching back TO
antiquity drew their first knowledge
from this continent
Nor is lie Plongeon alone in this be-
lief Many biologists hold America to
be the Oldest of the continents. And
one by one, as the ruins of the south
land are explored and keys to the nu-
merous inscriptions found. scientific
investigators are coming around to his
way of thinking
The existence of this continent was
known to the people who dwelt upon the
Mediterranean thousands of years ago.
Plato says that the Egyptian priests
told Scion when he visited them 500
years Il. G. that means of communities
ton which had once connected them
with another world to the west had
ceased to exist some 1900 years before
that time. Formerly historians were
inclined to discredit these figures. but
modern calculations have demonstrated
that such lapse of time was neither
Impossible nor improbable.
The lost Atlantis, of which Plato
wrote and which seems TO be identical
with the land of MI. of whose destruc-
ton an elaborate account appears in
the Maya records, was doubtless an
immense island or continent. similar to
Australia. TO which the Phoenfcians
those, earliest of navigatOrs and colo
MIXERS, made their way and across to
Yucatan. 1t is to this race of enter
prising merchants and seamen that Di-
dorus Siculus attributes the discovery
of the western continent. This is cor
roborated by photographs and by por-
traits OF Phoenicians. easily recogniz-
able as such. discovered among the
Maya archives at Chichen.
In one of his interesting books Or.
lie PlongeoE describes the home of the
ancient Aztecs as "a beautiful region,
covered with dense forests. literally
strewn with the ruins of numerous an
tique cities majestic temples. stately
palaces. the work of learned architects,
and among these ruins statues of
priests and kings, mutilated and de-
faced by the action Of the elements
the hand of time and that of man. lie
PROSTATE in the dust Little by little
the records, bidder I'm times of war and
invasion. are being recovered and slow
~ the work OF translation proceeds.
The earlier records. some of them. are
nearly Identical with those of the Is
raelites and Egyptians of sacred his
tory, AMI through their manuscripts.
the author says, run explanations Of
much that is confusing in the scrip
lures.
II is of these people, of their origin,
their kinship to the shepherds Of
Canaan or the navigators of Tyre and
Sidon. that the tragedy of "Corian-
ton" treats.
=
lineal descendant of Joseph. who was
sold into Egypt by his brethren-an
impulsive. though WELL meaning
youth. who went with his father and
brother on a mission to AntiOnum
wherein dwelt the commercial and ir-
religious tribe of Zoramites. another
branch of the original family which
had grown up and multiplied under
influences and circumstances not con-
ducive 20 sOlemnity.
While the father and brother were
preaching CoriantOn took a trip to
the neighboring land of Siron. where
ne fell an easy victim to the charms
and influence OF Isabel. the courtesan
He got drunk, danced and had a big
time generally. till his brother. guided
by jests heard upon the streets. sought
him out. and tried to arouse him from
his drunken stupor. The Zoramite
=
warning. threw him in prison and sub
sequentiy caused his death; after
which COriantOn went back to his
people. grieved and humbied, followed
by the repentant Isabel. who warned
him Of an attack by the Fora mites
which he was thus enabled TO meet
and repulse.
The plot is novel and the situations
dramatic There is all the gaudv
glory of the Aztecs depicted while the
language is that dignified form of ex-
preston used by the ancients The
whole play is fascinating TO the eve
and 10 the ear. The costumes are rich
and picturesque; the music is superb,
and the Kaleidoscope dances of the
Vestal virgins are enchanting.
There is no reason in the world why
"CoriantonT should not be a pro-
nounceG success If the public will go
10 see il the public is bound to like
II. and will want to go again.
Among the pleasures that will inter-
est theatre-goe during the Elks'
week is that delightful conceit of the
operate stage, The Prince and the
Peasant" The score is of that tunefuI
variety commonly designated as
catchy" while the libretto Is smart
and never lacking in interest. Like
most comic operas the costuming is of
an extrsvagant description ana there
is that prodigality OF color and possi-
bility OF contrast which add so much
to the spectacular effect OF light opera
Harold Oriob is resuop<fhle FOR The