Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1905-08-12
A MONUMENT TO ADAM.
Started ms u Joke, Twains senee
Barely Missed Realization

gtarted JOKE
Rarely Missed Realization
Some one has revealed to the tribune
that l once suggested to the rev.
Thomas X Beecher Of Elmira, n. \"
that we get UP monument 10 Aaam
ond that Mr.. Beecher favored the prof.
ect There is more to II than that. |
Tho matter started as q joke, but IL
came somewhat near to materiaiiHing'
1t is long ago-thlrty years. Mr.. OAR
wins Descent of Man" had been IN
print FIVE or six years. ana the storn
of indignation raised by IT was sun
raging in pulpits and periodicals. In
tracing the genesis of the human race
hack 70 its sources Mr.. Darwin had
left Adam out altogether. We had
n,onkevs and missing links" ana
nlentv of other kinds Of ancestors, put
no Adam. Testing with Mr.. Beecher
and other friends in Elmira, l saiu
there seemed to be likelihood that
the world would discard Adam ana
accent the monkey and that in tns
course of time Adams very name
vould he forgotten IN the earth; thsre-
fore this calamity ought to be averteo'
A monument would accomplish tnis'
and Elmira ought not to waste tnis
honorable opportunity to do Adam
favor and herself credit
Then the unexpected happened. Two
hontars came forward and took hold
Of the matter-not for run, not lor
sentiment. but because they saw In the
monument certain commercial advah-
taOes for the town. The project hau
seemed gently humorous before. IL
was more than that now, win tnis
stern business gravity injected into II.
The bankers discussed the monument
with me. We met several times. Iney
proposed an indestructible memorial,
70 cost $4,000. The insane oddly OF
q monument set up in a village 10 pre-
serve a name that would outiast 'ns
hills and the rocks without any sueo
holm would advertise Ehnirs to ths
ends Of the earth-and draw custom
> IT would be the only monument on th'
nlanet 10 Adam and In the matter o.
interest and impressiyeness coun
never have a rival until somebod!
Should set I'D a monument to the MIX!
Way.
S People would come from every cor
S nsr of the globe and stop of to look a
o 1t: no tour Of the world would be com
I plete that left out Adams monument
I Elmira would be a Mecca. liner
would be pilgrim ships, at pilgrim
u rates; pilgrim specials ON the con.
q nent's railways, libraries would
! written about the monument, ever
i tourist would kodak 1t, models OF
a wonld be for sale everywhere on III
e earth. and It's form would become q
e familiar as the figure Of Napoleon.
" One Of the bankers subscribed 5000
10 and think the other one subscribe
e. half as much, but l do not rsmemoe
10 with certainty now whether that We
Or the figure or not. We got design
e. made. Some Of them came frol
% Paris. II,
rs In the beglnning-as & detail OF Il
e. project when it was as yet joke
IL had framed a humble and beseecnir
lie and perfervid petition to congre
W begging the government to build Il
r. monument as testimony OF the gre
go republics gratitude to the father
e. the human race and as token OF
&C. LOYALTY to him In this dark day OF D
humiliation when his older childr'
were doubling him and deserving hll
It seemed to me that this petite
a ought to be presented now. 1t Won
i-' be widely and feelingly abused a
~ ridiculed and cursed and would
no yertise our scheme and make
IA ground floor stock 90 OF briskly. u
30. 30, sent it to General Joseph r. Hawi'
~, no who was then in the house, and
-no said he would present it. But he
VI not do 1t. l think he explained II
N when he came to read 1t he was afrf
~. Of it. 1t was too serious, too gusl
lno too sentimental-the house might ia
1o4 It for earnest.
-. . We ought to have carried out
Gu monument scheme. We could hs
~ managed 1t without any great al
lne Guilty, and Elmira would now be
"a most celebrated town in the univer
'iI' Mark Twain in Harper's Weekly.