The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1905-02-25
THE LOST PARADISE
THEORIES As 10 The LOCATION or
THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

AiihoNt every spot OF the globe has
had the claim made on as behalf that
II - the site OF vanished Eden Most
persons seem agreed on the fact that
paradise has disappeared from our
midst The question Is. Whore was IL
sltuatcGt 10 those who deny the Bib
Heal story OF mans genesis the uues-
tiou takes another form and they per.
pleN thcmseNca us 10 the spot IN which
man FIRST appeared on this earth.
Some cyade the dIHiculty by saving
that man appeared IN many dlnercut
spots that liz did not spring from
one original
II We accept the doctrine of The bar
win.aus we are f1rcod 20 confess that
the plucc where man first evolved must
have been anything but % garden of
Eden II must have been "a haunt III
mere auimaiNu and ils food would
certainty NOT have been fruit. Rough
~ speaking therefore there are two
schools those who believe that man
came from divine original. hut fell
away from his nrst estate. 10 which
with Infinite labor he may return. aud
those who believe that he evolved from
the beast and Is stu evolving 10 tho
greatness that he may ultimately az.
tain Setting aside these somewhat
discorlant theories, we may we'll ask,
Wherr was Eden;
The soundest scientists are agreed
that mankind came from n single orr
gin whether n distinct creation or an
evolution Is beside the mark and the
original man must have had a local
habltation. The geographical manuals
and maps or the middle ages leave
good deal 20 be desired IN the matter Of
accurate detail. but they have at least
the merit of boldness. and II we 20 TO
them for an answer 60 our question we
may get something Ike definite re
ply. According 10 nm old map OF the
thirteenth century. paradise IL n cir
cular island lying near India. II is
surrounded by wall I'm which Is
gateway opening 10 the west The
gate Is closed and the wall quite in
surmountahic our later aliases do
not locate this happy island.
other early maps would have us be-
lieve that Eden lay IN central China.
We can 90 with these ancient geog
raphcrs so far az Co place the probable
site or mans birthplace IA Asia, but
the consensus OF learned opinion does
not incline either 10 India or China
Eminent authority supports the idea
that Eden lay somewhere ou the great
plain watercd by the Tlgris
nd the Euphrtes the Perath and
sIlddckcl or Genesis other authorities
give their vote for Armenia. possibly
hy The tradition which says
that the Ark rested on Mount Ararnt,
but this tradition would only point 10
Armenia ns the probable first homo OF
postdiluyian uau
Professor nclt2sch aud Professor
Sayce favor Babylon HcidoE-er flynrs
Palestine. Media. Arabia and tile mp
Ier Nllc hayeall their supporters Qua
trcfagcs. treating the subject solely
FROM u scientific standpoint concludes
that linguistic aud other huaun types
point 10 central Asia. but does not de
eide ou amy precise locality
With the author of Genesis as Or,
Kalisrh has remarked, Eden IS geo.
described In manner
which leaves no doubt that distinct To-.
nlty was before the mind OF the au-
thor" Even 10 those who think that
this author was building on uncertain
traditions IL must yet b. of interest 20
know what this locality was. Babylon
was the most fertile land known 10 the
ancient world. its poorest fields repaid
hftyrold. its better hun.
dredfold Its luXurlance OF fruit and
grain was so grent as To be actually
There Is no question at
all that this district was the seat OF
Asia's earliest civilization and there
fore why not say of the world'si
The idea of man created perfect and
living in a garden OF fruitful loyeliness
has always had a fascination for poor
humanity. recognizing It's present I'm
y, -,ectiOns and the frequent Distress
dismalness OF its present surround
.Aga. Even those who knew nothing OF
the Bible story pictured such a spot for
Every early mythology
has It's fortunate isles. It's Atlantis. it's
its Arcadia and lts Golden
Age
Some persons even conJeciured that
paradise had not been on the earth az
all. but was an island floating In the
mir. something like the island visited
by CULVER. They did not wish 10
think that the sncred spot could be
by the waters OF the del
ugc. and by this device they raised II
above any such calamity ON this r.
land dwclt the sacred phcniN the
we'll Of life flowed there, the elixir %
immortality, leaves never fell from the
trees the mu shonc always on per.
pemM SUMMER. Men declined 20 be-
''re that Eden had Been destroyed
FEVER They preferred tp Imagine
That W .atcs were Closrd a. them f1r
% sons 10 deem that such snot
could vanish scented alcuiea uuF
Maby an early yny ger and explorer
had strange dreams Of dFcWer'nr
some earthly paradise when he Seq 'ut
for unknown shores dreams perhaps
not spoken. but secretly nourished ami