The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-26

harvest; first, however, getting out the
big family Bible and pettioning tho
Lord to bless the crop
And, by the way. in speaking Of
snakes. there are numerous specimens
in this country A native who worked
in the machine room of the Rhodesia
Herald, a daily paper published in
Salisbury. the capital town told the
following story:
hoop snake found its way into the
press room. devoured the contents of
a. half emptied can of condensed milk
which had been carelessly thrown on
the floor by some one who had been
lunching. Then the snake going out
of the building began to roll down the
main thoroughfare OF the town which
was on an incline. When the reptile
came to the bottom of this incline il
struck against a culvert and burst as
sunder. Not long afterWard the
swarthy native who told the story
CHANGED to pass. and noticed the re-
mains of the snake and by its side a
pat of butter.
Africa the Oldest Continent.
Still another argument the settlers
never fail to bring up in support OF
their contention is that scientists claim
that Africa is the oldest contine nt on
the face of the globe, and consequent
" they say it is q safe conjecture that
here life first existed
stretch the entire length of the coun-
try with the Great Zimbabwe" ruins
in a central position. The later. It is
considered by archaeologists. was the
center of an ancient civilizati ion The
remnants of a tribe Is now i'm existence
called the Amalosa. and it has been
! suggested on account of their superior
intelligence and their knowledge of
gold working that they are descend
ants of the people who once held sway
in the district.
A tradition has been handed down
/ by these aborigines which savors
somewhat Of the story Of the tower of
/ Babel. The God of the natives was
supposed to have commanded his peo-
pie to eat the flesh of young cattle
only So the calves We're killed and
when the old cattle died off the herd
The natives prayed to their God to
send more cattle but years went by
and no cattle came. Finally the mem
| bers of the tribe one and all becaIne
crazed as result of a. lack Of milk
and flesh, the craze taking the form OF
trying to build a tower to the moon
The Moon Scared High.
Up on hill the workmen went and
! began to build, but owing to faulty
lconstruction the tower toppIed over.
| The craze, however, became all the
more intense and up on a second hill
the natives went and again com
menced operations. Higher and high
er the tower grew, but the moon which
the workmen desired to capture 70
beat into a silver platter to present to
their king. seemed to soar higher and
! higher in a most tantaliziug manner.
| Eventually the tower crashed to the
ground. killing all the members Of the
tribe with the exception of a few yToTn-
/ en- who with youngsters bobbinE M
and down on their backs were ont in
the woods gathering manobo-hobo
fruit for the refreshment of the work
men.
And still the weig1ty question has
not been solved The debate as to the
site of the Garden of Eden cont inues.
Every person who INDUCES IN the lis
cussion Of the mighty problem thinks
that his or her solution is necesssr ffv
correct and consequently the arxli-
ment will undoubtedly be never end
ing. FRANK l. SNOW.