The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-01-06

sition is by primitiveI The date of this
book is $500 B. c.
Geography taught, as 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 a
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. A conservative estimate is
that this history covers 1900 years.
There is a 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 collegiate department, just as have
Cornell and other American universities, where
scientific farming was taught. The Babylonians.
as 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 Babylonfan col
lection. We learn, again. of canals being dug,
and of tablet that chronicles the opening of
great waterway. like the Panama canal-the ceIe-
bration 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 Babylonian re-
ceived education equal to mans, took her place
with him in certain lines, and was compensated
with the wage he.
Books had no cases and when found are often
crumbled, broken, cracked or badly Clipped
that parts of the translation must be guessed at
omitted entirely Others, fortunately, are found
intact.
Letters, on the other hand were sent in
Velopes also of clay. When the tablet letter had
been duly inscribed and signed, 1t was rolled in
fine clay powder and slipped into hollow clay
pocket More clay dust was then shaken in, so
that layers Of powder were packed about the
tents of the pocket and the letter could not get
rubbed or scratched The clay opening was then
sealed and stamped with the sender's ring.
Afterward, the address added and slave
dispatched with it Later, we know that Baby
1onian and Sumerian governments supported regu-
lar * I'M fo la hat. that
regime in existence in 300 B. c.
Many letters found with seals unbroken.
and these marvellously preserved in their soft
powdered pads. We only surmise 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-
tons have been unearthed sometimes miles apart;
and the practice could have held, nationally.
of letters.
Some of these letters may never have been
delivered, thanks to inefficient postal service
in some particular locality; or and this is more
plausible, the breaking out of frequent revolutions
could have conceivabIy crippled the BabyIonian
post offices and left many letters forever unde-
livered.
Individually the oldest undelivered letter in the
world is in the Babylonian collection of the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania museum. Its date would
be 200 B. c.. and Doctor Langdon opened and
read it only last week
1t is from a master to his slave to
derling employee. Obviously, it is only one Of
spondence and to a previous transaction over
which the writer is perturbed. Its archaic Su-
merriam is dictatoriaI overbearing and peevish.
and rants of unsatisfactory -four deal that
the underiing has undertaken. One wonders
whatever became of that f1ouri
Other tablets being catalogued have pic
lures them One, a hunting scene, reminds
of the prehistoric drawings found in
France. There is another of a battle scene, very
much broken but and interesting.
The coming OF Doctor Langdon to the Universe
ty OF Pennsylvania museum is timely and for
tunate. The Babylonian division has had Gu