Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-11-25
He LOCATES EDEN
IN FERTILE IOWA
Bremen County Lawyer Declares Adam
and Eve Once DweIt in the State.

Bremen County Lawyer Declares Adam
| and Eve Once DweIt in the State.
A Des Moines Qa.) telegram printed
in the New York Herald says:
That the Garden of Eden was locat-
ed in Iowa is asserted by Burton E..
Sweet. a leading attorney and repre-
sentative from Bremen county. He
has come to the conclusion that Adam
and Eve lived between the Mississippi
and the Missouri. When Mr.. Sweet
goes before the voters next time to ask
their support it may be on this issue.
Certainly he has startled his constitu-
ents, as well as all Iowans.
Here is Mr.. Sweets statement on the
subject, as given at meeting of Bre.
mer county old settlers:
1.-The other day read in Holy Writ
of the Garden of Eden. 1t is described
as being place where every tree and
herb grew that was pleasant to the
sight of man and good for food. 1t is
also recorded that a river flowed
through it. which was divided into
four heads, or sources. It is described
as an ideal spot for the abode of man.
THAT such a place did exist on the
earth at one time the Bible is abund.
ant proof. Where it existed is lost in
the night of antiquity. Even tradi-
tion cannot assist us in finding it. AS
to where it was located scientists are
silent. Theologia ms long ago abandon
ed looking for it. They now say: we
know it did exist, but just when and
where it existed we do not know. and
neither are we concerned, for when it
existed and where it existed does not
matter
AMERICA FIRST DRY LAND.
"By strange coincidence a few days
ago l picked up book written by
Agassiz, and to my surprise 1 read the |
following:
'''First born among the continents,
though so much later in culture and
civilization than some of more recent
birth, America, so far as her physical
history is concerned, has been falsely
the ''new world" Hers
was the first dry landed lifted out of
the water; hers were the first shores
washed by the ocean that enveloped all
the earth beside, and while Europe was
represented only by islands rising here
and there above the sea, America is
already stretched one unbroken line of
land from Nova Scotia to the far West.
"After read this 1 began to do a lit
tie thinking on my own hook. I res-
soned that the Garden of Eden could
not have been located in Asia, in Africa
or On the banks of the wandering Nile.
Neither could it have been located in
E europe or any of the small islands of
the sea.
"Then l remembered that it was
written in Holy Writ that the waters |
were gathered in one place, that the
dry land appeared and the Garden of |
Eden was upon that dry land. I rea-
soned that if the Garden of Eden was
upon the first dry land it must have |
been located upon the North American |
continent.
"Having. located it upon this cont1-
nent, began to look for evidence to
determine if possible just where it was
on this continent. I again glanced in
the pages of Holy Writ and found
that river ran through the Garden
of Eden and thence it was parted and
became divided into four heads or
sources. l also read that one of these
rivers compassed land where there
was gold, that one of the river branch
ed to the east. I began to study the
map of the United States. 1 saw the
river. Isaw its three great
the Missouri. the Platte
and the Ohio.
LOCATED NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI.
1.-The conclusion was irresistible that
it was located in the Mississippi VAL
ley. The Missouri, which finds its
source in the Rocky Mountains, COM
passes great gold fields. knew then
it must be in the Mississippi Valley |
and l asked myself, Where in the Mis-
sissippi Valley?'
II knew it must be a place where
trees, herbs and vegetation grew in
1t must have healthy |
and invigorating climate. 1t must be
a place upon which nature had show.
cred the benefits and bounties of heav-
en-. 1t must be place lighted by the |
smile of God.
81 then turned my attention to Iowa
Iowa, bounded by two rivers. Sure |
ly if there ever was a spot specially |
prepared for the abode of man it is |
right here in our own. State and coun- |
ty. We have soil two to four feet |
deep which is not excelled in the world. |
We have less waste land than any
other State in the Union. We have
building rock strewn all over our
farms in just the right amount to meet
the demands of building purposes.
Part of our great State is underlaid |
with coal to supply us with fuel.
Each season our farms are covered
with waving golden grain and with
corn fields as far as the eye can reach. |
And we behold each season cattle |
grazing on our thousand hills.
us it any wonder then that, stand |
ing here in the presence of all these
resources, with all these evidences of
prosperity, of thrift, of happiness and