Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-22
Misesllausuas 8sadins.
ORIGIN OF CORN.
Man Who First Raised and Cultivated
IL Unknown.

IL Unknown.
A long ramble through archaeology,
history, ethnology and philology gives
no definite word of the origin Of corn
|-Kansas's greatest crop mortgage
litter and prosperity maker. Eviden-
ces Of the presence Of maize away
back in history-history that is mere
filmy cloud with just enough actual
substance to make 1t worth using
are found in considerable plenitude.
But of its origin-nothing. OF the
man who, for the future good and
benefaction Of all mankind, first dis
covered this great natural blessing
and who nursed it, cultivated 1t and
gave it to the world-nothing. There
are pretty legends-pretty romances
Of Maya and Indian origin. They are
worth knowing, but preliminary to
their telling 1t might be we'll to cite
a few of the places where traces Of
maize were found. Indian corn in the
language of the botanists, is known
as Zea mays. Zea, according to the
word student, gets its derivation from
the Greek 81 live" and "spelt," the
latter a Greek grain. Maize is suppos-
ed to have come from "mahiz" Hay
tian word used or made by Columbus.
Its origin doubtless Is American;
probably Mexican. American Indian
mounds have given up cobs and ker-
nels. Corn has been found in the cat
acombs of the cliff dwellers in south
western United States. Darwin found
it in South America, in a sea-beach
upheaval. Chilean and Peruvian In
dian tombs, too. have given up the
grain, Of which the Smithsonian In
stitution at Washington has samples.
These discoveries must have been
practically from prehistoric times.
corn was found in Canada; and in the
1900 era, as our American history tells
us, 1t was found by the English ex-
plorers in the Virginias and contigu-
Gus states-an Indian staple, in fact.
Probably the best proof-and one can
even see how vulnerable that is-that
corn is indigenous to America lies in
the fact that the old world knew
nothing Of 1t until Columbus returned
to the Spanish court and told Of it.
There are more citations Of its
discovery" in America Of this nature
in legitimate history, which all go to
show that corn dates far back into
the prehistoric ages, but Of its first
origin there is nothing at all.
Naturally the next backward step
is into legends. Where history stops,
in retracing ones steps, mythology
begins. So 1t is to a seeker after "the
first story Of corn" 1t would be fair
to expect that there would be many
legends Of so important a factor in
the worlds food products, but there,
too, is a disappointment. There are
but two. Of consequence-onef from
the mouth to ear" traditions Of the
Mayas, seemingly almost a tabled
race, almost unthinRable leagues of
time back-and the other in our own
and very modern Longfellow's "Hia-
watha" (from "Hiawatha's Fasting"O.
The Maya legend is told in Bancroft
and in some other histories. Votan
and Gacumatz, who were sort of
demigods of that Central American
country, figure. Four "barbarians,"
the fox, the jackal, the paroquet and
the crow, were sent out to seek food.
Upon their return after long search
they announced their discovery of
maize or corn to Votan and Gacu-
matz.
This legend Is noteworthy from a
historical standpoint namely: that
back in those dim ags, in the very
twilight Of things, corn was known.
So there is little wonder at the fact
that we know nothing Of its origin.
From that misty distance we jump
down to Longfellow, who tells Of the
giving Of corn in his pretty story Of
"Hiawatha's Fasting"
This storied Indian youth was evil
IDENTIFY a very fine lad, as the poet
leads us to believe. His thoughts for
greatness and success in the world of
things, and in the things of the world,
were not for personal success and
wealth: not for greater skill in hunt
ing, craft in fishing, triumphs in bat
tie, renown among warriors, but for
profit Of the people, for the advantage
of the nations" He was working for
the common veal.
To accomplish these things and
gain favor with the Great Spirit Hia-
watha prayed and tasted in the forest.
He prayed for something good for all
Of the peoples Of the different nations.
He built his hut, and then wandered
about looking at the things in the for
est. There he saw the birds, the
beasts. the wild fruits and the fishes
and kept asking, despairing and de-
spending; Master Of Life! Must our
lives depend on these things?"
On the fourth day, when the fast
began to tell upon him, and the lack
Of food caused him to become weak
oiiN SAAiooSSSu, q yOulll dPpi OdSHCu,
garbed in green and yellow, with
"plumes of green" tumbling over his
forehead and soft and golden" hair.
He looked at the wan and suffering
Indian lad and told him that his pray
ers were heard in heaven. The fact
that he prayed not for prowess in
hunting or fighting, or for personal
gain, had received the favorable no.
tice Of the gods, and that the Master
of Life would out of reward and gra-
ciousness send the people of the earth
some good thing.
Rise, o youth, and wrestle with
me-" he said to Hiawatha.
They wrestled until the shadows
fell; until Hiawatha was all but
crumpled up in weakness and until
the heron shrieked in pain and ia
mine.
Mondamin, such as was the lads |
name, smiled upon the PROSTATE Hia-
watha and told him to rest and that
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