The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1916-12-29

sition is by no means primitive! The date of this
book is $500 b. G.
Geography taught, were astronomy and
history In the collection is the oldest history yet
found, tablet giving the list of BabyOnian kings
going back to the flood. The claim is that it is
record of $4,000 years but this may be disputed,
since the names of the monarchs, which seem to
be those of men who reigned successfully, may be
of men who ruled simultaneously, in kingdoms
that were adjacent. conservative estimate is
that this history 1000 years.
There is book on botany teaching the people
how to raise the date palm, an important crop of
the times. Agricultural books abound, for the
temple had a collegiate department. just have
Cornell and other American universities, where
scientific farming taught. The Babylonians,
is well known, remarkable engineers and
past masters in the field of irrigation. 1t is not
surprising that Doctor Langdon has found many
records of this in the museums Babylonan col
lection. We learn, again. of canals being dug
and of tablet that chronicles the opening of
great waterway, like the Panama canal-the cele-
bration over it, the presence of the king, and the
pride felt in the great skill of its engineers
Further documents are reported verifying previ
Gus assertions that the Babyonian re-
ceived an education equal to mans took her place
with him In certain lines, and was compensated
with the same wage as he.
"Books" had no cases and when found are often
crumbled broken, cracked badly Clipped
or omitted entirely. Others, fortunately, found
intact.
Letters, on the other hand. were sent in en-
velopes also of clay. When the tablet letter had
been duly inscribed and signed, it was rolled in
a fine clay powder and slipped into hollow clay
pocket More clay dust then shaken in so
that layers Of powder packed about the
tents of the pocket and the letter could not get
rubbed or scratched. The clay opening then
sealed and stamped with the senders ring
Afterward the address added and slave
dispatched with II. Later know that Baby
lonian and Sumerian governments supported regu-
lar postal systems. 1t is quite possible that that
regime was in existence in 23OO =. c.
Many letters are found with seals unbroken
and these are marvellousy preserved In their soft
powdered pads We can only surmse the reason
for their sealed state. Perhaps man kept sealed
copies of the most important letters he had to
write Duplicate copies of records and transac-
lions have been unearthed, sometimes miles apart;
and the same practice could have held, nationally,
of letters.
Some Of these letters may never have been
delivered thanks to an inefficient postal service
in some particular locality; or, and this Is more
plausible the breaking out Of frequent revolutions
could have concevably crippled the Babylonian
post offices and left many letters forever unde-
livered.
Indubitably the oldest undelivered letter in the
world Is In the Babylonan collection of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania museum Its date would
be 220O b. c., and Doctor Langdon opened and
read II only last week.
It is from master to his slave or to some I'M
derling or employee. Obviously, II is only one Of
several letters since II refers to previous corre-
spondence and to a previous transaction over
which the writer Is pertutbed. It's archaic SUI
merriam is dictatorial, overbearing and peevsh,
and rants of some unsatisfactory -four deal that
the underlng has undertaken. One wonders
whatever became of that iouri
Other tablets being catalogued have pic
lures on them. One, q hunting scene, reminds
one of the prehistoric drawings found In
France. There Is another Of battle scene, very
much broken but rare and interesting.
The coming Of Doctor Langdon to the Universe
~ of Pennsylvania museum Is timely and for
tunate. The Iabylonian division has had Gu