The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1915-03-04
THE "DAY" A PERIOD
OF INDEF|N|TELENC
IN 1.-THE BEGINNING The EARTH WAS
WITHOUT FORM AND VOID.
Progress And Evolution The Divine Law
Of Creation in all its Rdmifications
is Legally Written That all may Read.
A Thousand Years But a "Ddy."
By L..

To say that beyond that leriod
where recorded history verges with
mythology all record of time is lost,
is to ignore the vaster records of ma
ture. written with unerring fingers,
in the rocks, and preserved to US in
their fossil forms.
Tho often disturbed by eonvul-
sion or denudations in one continent
or entirely waiting the story may
be uninterruptedly resumed in an
other, back to that time where the
instruments Of record are wanting,
when neither flora nor faunas eX-
listed. Then comes to our rescue
the admirably conceived, yet not
altogether faultless conception of
Laplace, by which the seemingly
most difficult phases of evolution
and the irrecOncilable creeds Of re-
liglon may both be explained in the
light of reason.
One long step toward elucidation,
is reason, and the elimination of
the 7, 24-hour day nonsense.
To hold to the antiquated con-
ception of seven twenty-four hour
day creation, is to narrow the field
of vision to the vanishing point and
to substitute blind Faith for reason.
Faith, said Sir Oliver Lodge, in
some instances needs no further
proof than our own experience.
But how much more valid when in
conjunction with science than when
in opposition to it, when one must
supercede the other
During the vast and almost illim-
liable period of time in which the
earth was without FORM" (nebu-
lous) and void of life. as re-
rorded in Genesis, is also corrobor-
led by the testimony of the rocks.
low much more steadfast any faith
becomes than if the rock told a diff
ferent story. Our faith is justified
by reason, and not antagonistic to
it.
Of the past interval of time be-
tween the precipitation of the Ar
chaenan rocks and deposition of
the heavier metals, Fe-Cu, etc, and
the first appearance of life, we
know nothing, except that it was
of vast extent.
With little to mark it's vicissi-
tudes, the Archaenan passes on. un-
til near the close. violent disturb
ances mark the passage into the
Palaeozoic epoch, where for the
first time we may proceed with GER
tanty.
The Palaeozoic epoch was of
great length, equal, perhaps to all
subsequent epochs, and is separat-
ed into six minor divisions, the
Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian. De-
vonian, Carbonifereous and Per-
mian, each markedly differentiated
from the other by its Geographical
changes, stratagraphical depositons,
and the steady growth of develop
ment of the plants and animals OF
one species and the decay of an
other.
The great length of the Palaeozo-
ic epoch may he gathered from the
deposition of strata which ranges
from 10000 to 100000 feet in
thickness.
The animal life consisted of the
most primitive types. Molluscas
Choral, Echiderms and Crustacean
trllobites are among those found.
The Palaeozoic forests stood in
striking contrast with those of to-
day; instead of forests made beauti-
full with flowers and foliage, and
vocal with the song of birds; those
were marked by an absence OF
these: Seaweeds, Giant Club
Moss, Ferns. Flowerless Chrypto-
CRANE favored by tropical climate
grew to great sizes.
The Cambrian age was one O1
gradual subsistence, and toward the
close of the period, greater part
of " hat is now North America was
shallow inland sea indicated by
the deposition of and the character
of the rocks. The plant life was
sparce and primitive.
In the Ordovician age, we trace
a continued sinking of continenta
sea-foor, with corresponding
deepening of the water, again
changing the rock formation. Lo.
cal disturbances in the east charged