{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_40051/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_40051","id":"gutenberg_40051","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/40051","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Environmental Issues","Category: History - American","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Eden","Trempealeau County (Wis.) -- Description and travel"],"text":"[Original Cover, with Map]\n\n\n\n\n\n               Found at Last: the Veritable Garden of Eden\n\n Or a place that answers the Bible description of the notable spot better\n                      than anything yet discovered\n\n\n\n                         By Rev. D. O. Van Slyke\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIndependent Printing House, Galesville, Wisconsin\n1886\n\n\n\n\n\nCopyrighted 1886, by C. S. Van Slyke Proprietor, Galesville, Wis.\n\nAll rights reserved.\n\n\n\n\n\n[Preparer\u2019s Note: Typographical errors from the original have been\nretained, as well as quirks of punctuation (such as the extensive use of\nasterisks)]\n\n\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\n\nOn the principle of \u201cfirst know you are right, then go ahead,\u201d I have been\nvery slow in making public the results of my discovery. But having become\nthoroughly satisfied that I have a reasonable thing of it, have ventured\nto publish it. It has appeared in brief articles in the Galesville\nINDEPENDENT, in order to invite general inspection, and criticism.\n\nWhen God made man to dwell on the face of the earth, He, evidently, must\nplace him somewhere. In giving the antldiluvians a description of the\ncreation, and first location of man, how mankind corrupted themselves, and\nhow God destroyed them with a flood, he simply stated the principal facts,\nand gave a description of the location\u2014and it not being on that continent,\nhe could not point it out to them\u2014and as the country in which Noah then\nresided, was all new to him, and his family, no one knew where it was; nor\nwas any one able then, or since, to find it on that continent; thus, the\nlocation, though admitted to be somewhere on earth, has been kept a\nprofound mystery to the present time, and consequently the innocent cause\nof no little speculation.  But by degrees it has  been opening to the\nminds of some, that the first habitation of man must have been somewhere\non the American Continent; and the finger of time has been plainly\npointing to what is known as the \u201cNorth West,\u201d as the place. But of this\nlast fact I was ignorant when I made the discovery of the garden, and\ncommenced developing the facts about it. The discovery, resulted from my\nfamiliarity with, or thorough knowledge of the Bible, and standing on the\nhanging garden and looking over the plat, and admirirg its most wonderful\nscenery, and counting the rivers, I became sensibly impressed by a\nsuggestion, This is the garden of Eden: at which suggestion I smiled, as\nthe plat, to me then, was altogether too large. Of course I had never\ngiven it thought, nor measured it up in my own mind to what should, or\nmight be its proper dimentions. However so strong were my impressions,\nthat I, as a matter of pleasantry, used, occasionally to say to my\nfriends, This is the garden of Eden.\n\nSince I commenced to publish my views, claiming a possible reality, while\nsome have mocked, others are becoming impressed with the idea of its being\nnot only possible, but highly probable. Where would a scientest place the\nfirst pair, to acclimate, and from which to make man, as he now is, an\ninhabitant of all the earth?  Not too far north, not too far south. Our\ngarden is in that place. It should be destitute of money mineral wealth,\nas these, if easily obtained, are corrupting in their tendencies, and\nshould be sought, and toiled for, to be properly enjoyed; and should be\nplaced at a distance, just where God says he provided it, at the head of\nthe stream. Our garden is still in the right place. From inherited wealth\nand luxury comes danger to the inheritors. Our garden is again right. But\nit should be a place susceptible of, and adapted to moral and intellectual\ngrowth, and lead to the admiration, adoration, and worship of the great\nBuilder of the universe, the Infinite and Perfect. Is there a better place\nfor that, in all this beautiful earth, than is our garden, and its\nsurroundings? If there is, we would like to see it.\n\nI have related the facts as they have been presented to me, or as I have\ndiscovered them, and believe the reader will be pleased and profited with\nthe results, and I hope this will lead to more thorough and satisfactory\ninvestigation.\n\n                                                               THE AUTHOR.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nGARDEN OF EDEN.\n\n\n                           See Genesis 2, 8-14.\n\n\u201cAnd the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden. * * And a river went\nout of Eden to water the garden,\u2014[or, the river that ran through the land\nof Eden watered the garden.]\u2014And from thence,\u2014[in, the garden]\u2014it was\nparted and became into four heads. * * And the fourth river is Euphrates;\u201d\nwhich means long river, symbol of greatness and importance, and which,\nanswers to our \u201cFather of Waters.\u201d  It is plain that Eden is a certain\ncountry; that the Euphrates river crosses that country, that \u201ceastward\u201d,\nor on the eastward, bank of, or at a certain point on that river, is\nlocated the garden of Eden; and that three lesser rivers run through and\nwater this garden, flowing into the great river; thus four rivers run into\nand water it, but only one, the fourth, runs out. As to how it was\nwatered, we have a clue; \u201cAnd Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the\nplain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere * * even as the\ngarden of the Lord;\u201d by streams crossing the plain, and running into the\nriver of Jordon, just as our three rivers cross our garden plain, into our\nEuphrates. The names given to these rivers were, doubtless, explanations\nof facts well known to the antideluvians.\n\nWe need not now undertake to prove, or show what must readily be admitted,\nthat, there is no such spot, or coming together of rivers in the region\nwhere it was first supposed to be, and which has caused explorers and\nresearchers to turn to Africa, and other countries, in search of the\nplace; and Dr. Warren, with all his learning and ingenuity, to the North\nPole. But _we_ have found it where he and others, can come and see for\nthemselves.\n\nIt is located on the \u201ceastward bank\u201d of the Mississippi River, between the\nbeautiful cities of La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Winona Minnesota. Please\nnotice the beauty and euphony of those names. The Mississippi\u2014the bible\nEuphrates\u2014river, being one of the longest and most picturesque rivers _in\nthe world._ Its valley, proper\u2014with its tributaries, some of which reach\nfar out into \u201cHavilah\u201d the \u201cLand of good gold\u201d\u2014extends from the Alleghany\nmountains on the eastern border, 2,000 miles westward to the Rocky\nmountains on the western border, and from the Gulf of Mexico, on the\nsouth, extending 2,000 miles north, across the United States into the\nBridtish possessions. This vast area, Eden,\u2014containing the most fertile\nand habitable region of earth, and is being settled and inhabited by the\nmost industrious, enlightened, christianized and well to-do people in the\nworld; the asylum or _universal home_ of the oppressed and needy of all\nlands,\u2014contains \u201cThe heart of the New World,\u201d the \u201cLand of Promise,\u201d in\nthis Christian United States of America. Central in this domain, Eden, is\nour _Garden_ of Eden. The soil is not a deep, rich paste, like the\nAmerican bottoms opposite St. Louis, on the same river, which is known to\nbe the _richest_ land in the world, but higher, drier, and more habitable,\neasily cultivated, and adapted to _gardening._\n\nThe river here, as in most places, has three banks; the first a little\nabove high water mark,\u2014densely covered with forest trees, which consitutes\nthe islands and \u201criver bottoms\u201d\u2014cut up by water courses and sloughs. The\nriver and bottoms are about two miles wide, over and through which the\n\u201cLaughing\u201d and \u201cFather of waters,\u201d courses, run, and play their dances.\nThe second bank is high and dry above the hightest water mark,\u2014and\ngenerally smooth prairie, and ready in the state of nature for the garden\nplow\u2014extending back on one or both sides of the river for miles, making a\nvalley at this place, of about ten miles in the widest, when we reach the\nbank, bluff, or rocky wall, which rises\u2014on each side of our garden\u2014to the\naltitude of 600 feet above the river, being the point of the highest\nbluffs on the Mississippi.\n\nNineteen miles above La Crosse, and twelve miles below Winona, on the\n\u201ceastward bank,\u201d nestles, and spreads out that most beautiful town site,\nTrempealeau, on which ought now to be a large city, and which doubtless\nwould have been but for the greed and ignorance of a part of its original\nproprietors, who being told, and thinking they had the \u201cnicest,\u201d \u201cmost\nbeautiful,\u201d \u201csplendid,\u201d town site on the Mississippi river, they were\nbound to get rich at once, \u201cbut not knowing their day,\u201d and how to build\nup a town like, the fabled dog, \u201cthey grabbed for the shadow and lost the\nreality;\u201d \u201cTheir language was confounded and their work delayed.\u201d Here on\nthe second bank, is raised, our \u201cHanging Garden,\u201d a crescent bluff, high\nas the outside wall, extending three miles up the river, terminating at\neach end in a point, and one mile through the center, being in the form of\na new moon, and unlike anything of the kind, so far as known, in the\nentire world, and must be seen to be appreciated.\n\nThis is not one solid smooth topped hill, but possesses all the variety of\nbluff formation, containing groves of forest trees, ravines, slopes,\nscattered rocks, and perpendicular ledges facing the river, like the \u201cFace\nof a King,\u201d some of these ledges are 200 ft. high, commencing more than\nhalf way up the mound, then rising perpendicular to near the very top. The\ntop of this hanging garden has its slopes, mounds, pyramids, domes, and\npinnacles, in most beautiful variety; and at the present time, it is\ndotted with fields of grain, and specked with stone quarries and lime\nkilns. Now, please, place yourself with me on the \u201cCentral Outer Dome\u201d\n\u201cHeald\u2019s quarry,\u201d facing toward the eastward, and you have, before, below,\nand around you the veritable Garden of Eden; a valley scene, in extent and\nimportance unequalled in America, and I think, in the world. Not like the\nYosemite, small, romantic _grand_ but _uninhabitable_ or unfit for a\n_garden,_ but the very beau ideal of a garden.\n\nNow that we are up where we can see, let us look across and around this\ngarden. Turn, now and face the south-west. There, before and below you\nflows the Mississippi, whose name is as euphonious as the Euphrates, or\nits own flowing waters. See its \u201cBroad channels,\u201d queer and picturesque\nislands, its trees and vine-clad bottoms, lovely beyond description; its\ngeneral course, not meandering, but evenly hugging the base of the\nMinnesota bluffs, or western wall of the garden, which it does for some\ntwenty-five miles, or from just below Winona, to just above La Crosse,\nrunning in a southeasterly and southern direction, making a beautiful\ncurve, leaving the main garden valley on the \u201cEastward\u201d bank, in the form\nof a section of an ampitheater, 35 miles long, 5 miles wide at each end,\nand 10 miles through the center. _This vast valley plain is our Garden of\nEden._ Now, Look! as thousands before you have done in wonder and\nsurprise! Look immediately around you, over the hanging garden on which\nyou stand, and, _look out for snakes,_ for how could you have such a\ngarden without a \u201cSerpent.\u201d, And this hanging garden has been notable and\nnotorious for rattlesnakes, from time immemorial, handed down in their\nIndian name \u201crattlesnake hills,\u201d and including Mount Trempealeau, (a\nseparate and distinct pyramid) was formerly \u201cLiterally alive with\nrattlesnakes.\u201d Mr. Dovile, one of the first white settlers at Trempealeau,\nwho built his shanty on the bank, a few rods from the river, killed, and\nkept count of ninety great rattlesnakes the first season, in, and crossing\nhis foot-path from his house to the river, saying nothing of how many he\nkilled elsewhere.\n\nBut as Christians have taken possession of the hanging garden, the\nserpents have been destroyed, or are disappearing.\n\nThe scenery now around us surpasses my power of adequate description, as\ndo the great lakes. Superior, Michigan, Huron,\u2014and so on down the line,\u2014in\ntheir magnitude and importance, those little lakes in the garden,\nsoutheast of us, containing a few acres each, mirroring their shining\nbeauties into our faces. But O, how beautifully, and magnificently fenced,\nor walled in, is our garden! While there is a general level, bounding the\ntop, yet what an indescribable variety of topping out. Cones, oblongs,\nsmooth ridges, trees, huge rocks, rough, ragged and jageed, in almost\nendless variety.  Perpendicular ledges boldly facing us: or single rocks\nof varied sizes; smooth bald heads, and ridges; deep, and dark chasms;\nwide openings of river\u2019s mouths; all making one of the grandest panoramas\nconceivable.  At present this \u201cwild scenery\u201d is being effaced by the\nprofuse growth of timber.  Near the southern extremity, lies the beautiful\nflourishing city of La Crosse, with its tall church spires and electric\ntowers, fringed with smoke from its numerous lumber mills; most\nappropriately and providentially named. La Crosse\u2014saying nothing of its\nbeing the name of an ancient game modernized\u2014as here _crosses_ the\n_garden_ one of the four notable rivers, whose opening and bluff outline,\nmay be seen coming in from the \u201cfar east,\u201d making and containing the\nnotable and once far-famed, \u201cLa Crosse valley\u201d; on which is located the\nbeautiful city of Sparta.\n\nJust beyond La Crosse city, and to the left we see the outline entrance of\nMormon Cooley valley, which creek bounds the lower end of our garden. Now\nas we trace the wall to the left,\u2014past the La Crosse valley, and first\neastern gate\u2014we discover another small line of opening through which runs\nHalf-way creek, notable as the home (Holman) of Norwegians. The next bold\nheavy prominence is \u201cKing bluff.\u201d Still tracing on, we notice some queer\nlooking rocks, lying on top of a ridge; then, the Twin points, the outer\none the \u201cSugar Loaf,\u201d a most beatiful _cone mound_ pointed with rock, and\nbeckon to Black river valley, this side of which, is \u201cCastle rock;\u201d and to\nthe left, a wide opening and a beautiful valley,\u2014the central and main\neastern gate\u2014with branching valleys, extending east and northeast, all in\nfront of you, down which flows the notable \u201cBlack river,\u201d appropriately\nnamed, from the natural blackness of its waters, and because it cuts and\n_divides_ our _garden_ through its center, and making a beautiful belt of\ntimbered bottoms. As it nears the Mississippi, it forms a delta, one part\nturning to the left, and running parallel to the Mississippi, forming that\ngrand booming pond, and depot of lumbering at Onalaska; and then empties\nitself into the Mississippi at LaCrosse; thus inclosing, and forming\nFrench island, once the resort of counterfeiters.\n\nAs you glance up Black River valley, coming in from the right, is\n\u201cFlemming\u2019s creek,\u201d or Lewis\u2019 valley, a fertile valley, in which is\nlocated the euphonious Mendora; those blue highlands, apparently at the\nhead of the main valley is \u201cRobinson\u2019s,\u201d or \u201cPine Hill,\u201d between Black\nRiver Falls and Sparta. This way to the left, that beautiful notch in the\nbluff is \u201cPeacock Pass,\u201d and is just this side of North Bend, and though\napparently so near, is some \u201ctwenty miles away.\u201d  This heavy point, at the\nleft of Black river, is \u201cHeuston\u2019s Bluff,\u201d the next best point from which\nto view this valley garden.  To the left and farther away, _look_ at that\n_great rock,_ big as a barn, topping out another cone. That is the\nveritable \u201cDecora\u2019s Peak,\u201d named after that wonderful one-eyed chieftain,\nwho, with a few  of his brave and loyal band, lodged, occasionally in a\ncave in that rock; and from its hight were enable to discover any game, or\neven an enemy within a large range. Once on a time, it is said, he\ndiscovered the prowling \u201cBlack Hawk,\u201d with his band of warriors, and ran\nto Prairie du Chien, ninety miles in one day, to inform the U. S.\nGovernment; and, then, helped to capture their enemy.  A little farther to\nthe left, and just across the garden from us wedged in a narrow opening,\nlies the village of Galesville, on Beaver creek,\u2014a branch of Black\nriver,\u2014with its exquisitely beautiful lake, and bounding fish, its fine\nwater power, health giving mineral springs, Galesville University and\nchoice people.  \u201cBeautiful for situation\u201d is Galesville, the joy of all\nits inhabitants, if not of all the earth.  And \u201cas the hills are round\nabout Jerusalem,\u201d so are the hills, and vastly more magnificent ones,\nround about Galesville, and the scenery simply GRAND. Looking up Beaver\ncreek valley, to the left, is Maughmer\u2019s bluff which affords a grand view;\nand still to the left, that dim mountain peak, pointed with rock and\nshrubs (in the direction of Blair, in Trempealeau valley,) is \u201cChapel\nPeak.\u201d  In the early settlement, by whites, of this region of country, two\nMethodist itinerants, A. B. Smith and Isaac Springer were  following a dim\nwagon track, on their way to Galesville, which track passed along at the\nbase of that peak; and they clambered to its top, and found there \u201cThe\nrock-formed pulpit\u201d or altar, which had stood there for ages, into which\nthey entered, and as they were both good singers, they sang,\u2014to make the\nwelkins ring, as there was nothing else thereto hear:\u2014\n\nOn the mountain-top appearing,\nLo! The sacred Herald stands,\nWelcome news in Zion bearing\nZion _long_ in _hostile_ lands.\n\nStill tracing the garden wall as we turn to the left, we face the \u201cBig\nTamarac\u201d through an opening in the wall, a swamp of dense tamarac, one\nmile wide, and six miles long, bordered with belts and groves of oak,\nfurnishing fencing and fuel for the upper end of the garden. Another turn\nand you are looking through \u201cWhistler\u2019s Pass,\u201d another of \u201cNature\u2019s\nhighways\u201d out of the garden; this leading through the Polander settlement\ninto the Trempealeau Valley. Another turn and we mark the bluff outline\nand entrance into the garden\u2014the third and last eastern gate,\u2014of the\nTrempealeau river, crossing it at the upper end; and like Black river, it\nforms a delta, one part running down along side of the Mississippi,\nforming an island, on the lower end of which, is that wonderful \u201cMount\nTrempealeau,\u201d a rocky cone covered with pine trees, where with the outlet\nof Trempealeau lake, it flows through a narrow opening between the\nmountain and crescent hanging garden\u2014of which it forms a part\u2014into the\nMississippi river. Trempealeau Lake, at the head of the hanging garden,\njust back of the mountain, is a body, principally of spring water, and is\none of the most notable fishing ponds known, attracting fishermen from far\nand near. \u201cTrempealeau; surrounded, soaked, fertilized _with water._\u201d So\nexpressive, so important to this region is the word, that the lake, the\nisland, the mountain, the river, the county; the township, and the village\nare all named Trempealeau.\n\nAnother slight turn and we are looking into the closed up valley of the\nMississippi,\u2014on account of a bend in the river\u2014which is the fourth and\nlast river that enters, crosses, and waters this garden is on the west\nbank of which, at the upper end of our garden, right there, plainly before\nyou, lies the charming bustling city of Winona,\u2014associated with a thousand\nlegends of Indian traditions,\u2014with its tall water tower, its numerous\nlumber mills, churches, normal school, and enterprising people, stretching\nitself over a smooth and most lovely prairie. Vandal proprietors are\ndevouring their \u201cSugar Loaf,\u201d standing just back of the city, as well as\nquarrying down their native garden walls.\n\nIn our constant turning to the left, that string of white buildings below\nWinona, on the river\u2019s bank and pressed against the foot of the wall, is\nHomer, a quiet little ville.\n\nIn our western view we shall not see so many objects of interest; as not a\nriver pierces the western wall, only a few little brooks, or trout\nharboring runs,\u2014where they used to catch the speckled trout by the bushel,\nprominent among which is Cedar run, just, a little above us and Trout run\ndirectly opposite of us, on which is located the celebrated \u201cPick Wick\u201d\nflouring mills\u2014are all that indent or mar its smooth and even face. Then,\neverything appears to be so near by. The forms, and farm houses, in such\nmultiplied variety, so plain in sight, just \u201cOver there,\u201d _outside_ of the\ngarden, rough and rugged, to where \u201cFallen Humanity\u201d was driven. And we\nare getting tired of looking, so we make a rapid turn, glancing along the\nwall down over New Amsterdam and Holland settlement, to the point of\ncommencement, and are looking into the closed-up valley, on account of\nanother bend, in this mighty, mighty, Mississippi river, in its exit out\nof this _Garden of Eden._\n\nAs we look down once more on this valley garden land, with its little\nsilver lakes, and shining streams, beautiful groves and undulating\nprairies, and try to peer into its future, we are completely overwhelmed\nwith emotion, as we notice it is just _beginning_ to be checkered up, by\nmarks of intelligent human occupancy, as well as by the Indian tepee and\nwigwam. But the time of gardening is not yet. And here is room for\nhundreds of thousands of the fallen sons of God, to come and regain a home\nin this \u201cParadise on earth\u201d to all such as have a Paradise within them.\n\nNow, will any one believe us? \u201cCome and see!\u201d Dr. Warner and all. Take\nthis description in your hand, read, and look, and like the \u201cQueen of\nSheba,\u201d you will lose your \u201cspirit of doubting,\u201d and say: \u201cIt was a true\nreport, though I believed it not, but now that mine eyes have seen it, the\none half of its greatness was not told.\u201d\n\nThe scenery just outlined, is amazingly grand,\nThe work of the Deity, worthy his hand.\n\nFrom our past observation, it is not so very strange to us, that\nindividuals often pass along over important sections of earth with out\nnoticing its beauty and its glory. Not that its flowers and its fruits are\naltogether hidden, but that they have become common place, or for lack of\nattention, on account of preoccupancy of the mind, are not noticed. Nor is\nit much wonder that individuals should reside right in the midst of the\ngarden of Eden and not be aware of it; see many of its peculiar\ncharacteristics, and yet not recognize them; simply because they seem\nnatural; were indeed natural; just as God made it; or, the results of\nnatural growth and changes. It is perfectly plain from the Bible account,\nand _that_ is our guide in this matter, that Eden was a country, and that\na very important river crossed or ran through and watered that country,\nand because of its importance was named Euphrates.\u2014the great river, a very\ncommon ancient method of naming things.\u2014And that, \u201cEastward,\u201d or on the\neastward bank of that river, central in this Eden, at a certain\npoint,\u2014where three rivers joined the great river, the four entering, and\ncrossing the garden, and only the great river running out of it,\u2014was\nlocated the garden of Eden; _One_ of the most desirable places for a human\nbeing to dwell. Conducive of human happiness: First, where there was a\nplenty of _good water,_ for human uses, and to fertilize the land, also\nfor fishes and fowls, and yet exempt from malarial diseases. And we ask,\nwhere can there be found another plat of earth, of the same size and\nsurroundings, so abundantly watered, and with all the requisites for a\ngarden, and yet so free from malaria, as is our garden of Eden.  Second,\nfar enough north to catch the dry, balmy, health inspiring atmosphere, and\nthe pure water, the native home of the speckled trout, and yet the summer\ntemperature of the mild temperate zone, a medium from which to send its\ninhabitants north and south. Third, exemption from the great terrors of\nmankind, earthquake and cyclone. While the mountains are far away \u201cround\nabout\u201d our Eden, and the minerals in great abundance and variety are\nwithin and about it, yet so far removed are they from the garden, as\nentirely to exempt it from earthquakes; as these are confined to sea\ncoasts, and gas producing regions.  And as cyclones are supposed to be\nproduced by the sun\u2019s rays,\u2014as they never occur in the night,\u2014and peculiar\nelectric concentration, which requires uniformity of land, or region, and\nheat, and as our garden is sunk down into the earth to the depth of 500\nfeet, and in a line or direction, requiring a cyclone to cross it at right\nangles,\u2014as their course is from the south of west, toward the north of\neast\u2014and thus would have to leap the chasm, or loose its force in tumbling\ninto it,\u2014and such is the uneveness of the country around it as to lessen\nliability\u2014for a cyclone is simply an electric wind storm, and not a\nthunder storm, and moves in a single cloud, and not spread abroad, and\nwould be broken by an uneven country; find also on account of the\nevaporation arising from the \u201cmuch water\u201d of our garden, such an electric\nheated current could not well be formed across it; so we are naturally\nexempt from cyclone, as well as earthquakes, which must be a great relief\nof mind, and source of enjoyment to our residents. Yet from its size, and\nshallowness, we must still be subject to high and purifying winds, and\nrain storms. And as evaporation and consequently the conducting of\nelectricity from the earth to the cloud regions, must go on more rapidly\nin our garden, on a hot day, because of its \u201cmuch water,\u201d so, doubtless,\nwe shall always have our full quota of thunder storms. The rains, however,\nbeing generally, of the more steady and general character.\n\nTo the language of Bishop Foss in his article on Minnesota, just published\nin the _Christian Advocate:_\u201cFrom my vantage ground of observation, near\nthe center of the continent, I greet you and many of your readers on its\ndistant rim;\u201d we just wish to add, that our garden of Eden is bounded on\nthe west by southern Minnesota, therefore central. Again, \u201cMy point of\nobservation is lofty as well as central. Minnesota occupies the most\nelevated plateau between the Gulf of Mexico and Hudson Bay, and forms the\nwatershed of three great river systems of the central part of North\nAmerica\u2014the Mississippi, the St. Lawrence, and the Red River of the\nNorth\u2014its average elevation being just about 1,000 feet, the highest point\n1,600 feet.\u201d Again, \u201cConcerning the climate, I condense the statement of\nthe _Encylopedia Britanica:_ Its elevation above sea-level gives an\nagreeable rarefaction to the atmosphere, and makes the prevalence of fogs\nand damp weather unknown. The comparative dryness of the atmosphere\nneutralizes the severest effect of excessive cold. The Smithsonian Chart\nassigns to Minnesota an average temperature for the hottest week in summer\nof from 85\u00b0 to 90\u00b0 and for the coldest week in winter from 10\u00b0 to 20\u00b0\nbelow zero. The average annual rainfall is about 25\u00bd inches. It is evident\nthat the causes which mitigate the actual severity of the climate as felt,\nand so many clear days * * are those which render a climate healthful in\nthe highest degree.\u201d What is thus true of Minnesota, is pre-eminently so\nof our Garden.\n\nWhile there is in our garden nearly every grade of soil, from the sand\nblow-out, to the richest black muck, yet it is principally sandy loam,\njust the foundation, for a garden. Still it produces fairly all kinds of\ngrain.\n\nIn our early settlement, over thirty years ago, Deacon Gilbert, raised,\nnear Galesville, fifty-two bushels of wheat to the acre; and it was\nreported of some one raising 60. On a farm, located midway between the\nhanging garden and the opposite wall, purchased by D. O. VanSlyke from the\ngovernment\u2014as \u201cHopkins choice,\u201d or the refuse vacant land, and last to be\nentered on the prairie, or entire upper end of the garden,\u2014when, at its\nbest, produced forty bushels of wheat to the acre. And as one forty was\ndevoted to wheat, several crops were taken, averaging over 35 bushels to\nthe acre; then gradually decreasing to the fifteenth crop, one having been\nof corn, and fourteen of wheat, without the application of any fertilizers\nwhatever, when it produced only 18 bushels of No. 1 wheat to the acre.\nThese facts came within my own observation, and are probably, above the\naverage of the entire garden; as the assessors assessed this farm, for a\nnumber of years at nineteen dollars per acre, when it was offered for sale\nat fifteen dollars per acre. But Trempealeau Prairie has been notable for\nmany years as the \u201cEgypt\u201d for corn producing. And we have no way of\nestimating what could be done in the line of gardening, for lack of a\nmarket, or capitalists to successfully enter competition. But as to the\napple-tree, that appears to have been driven out with fallen man; and\nwhether redeemed man can restore it, is a question, as it is not designed\nat present, for man to live on the spontaneous productions of the earth.\n\nOf the scenery we have never tired. It is always fresh and enchanting. And\nsuch an inspiring feeling, of \u201cthis is my home!\u201d \u201cO what a delightful\nhome!\u201d\n\nIf any, who pass along at the base of Chappel Peak, on a clear day will\ntake the foot path and ascend it to its top, its altitude probably not 200\nfeet above them, they will have within easy range of the eye such a\nlandscape scene, as but few upon earth ever have the privilege of looking;\nand one that will greatly enthuse an admirer of nature. And they will be\napt to feel as well as to see the appropriateness of its name. If they can\nsing, or preach, they will want to join with those preachers, and sing, or\npreach to an assembled world, seated within the incircling walls.\n\nIf you are at Galesville, ask some one to point out \u201cHeuston\u2019s Bluff,\u201d you\nneed no guide, only good walking muscles, pick your way, and tug on until\nyou reach the top. Then, after taking a general look all around you, sit\ndown and rest you. Now, take another general sweeping birds-eye view, all\naround, seeing everything in the aggregate; then rest awhile, and\ncontemplate it.\n\nNow you are, or ought to be, prepared to itemize, or to look attentively\nat particular objects; and if you have our description, it will greatly\nassist, as well as interest you. We believe that no grander garden valley\nscene exists on this beautiful earth. Therefore patiently wait, don\u2019t\ncease your viewing, or think of leaving the place in less than two hours;\nor until you fully realize the \u201cinspiration\u201d of this masterly scene; and\nwe have no fears, if you are anything of an admirer of the magnificent in\nnature, but that you will thank us a thousand times for calling your\nattention to it.\n\nThat heavy bold front in the garden wall beyond the mouth of Black River\nis \u201cKing bluff\u201d which is now easily distinguished as the central highest\npoint in the eastern wall, and which is just opposite of \u201cQueen bluff,\u201d\nthe central highest point in the western wall of our garden, and said to\nbe the highest land on the Mississippi river. Here, from Heuston\u2019s bluff,\nwe have a better view of Black river, and its tributaries, than from our\nformer place of observation.  Now we stand as it were right over them, and\ncan see to the \u201cNorthward and Eastward.\u201d \u201cAlps on Alps arise;\u201d Decora\u2019s\nPeak and Mound so plainly and beautifully near; then those most beautiful\ncone mountains, and Chapel Peak, up Beaver creek, points for beacon\nlights, and charmingly beautiful scenes looming up most conspicuously.  We\ndo say that you can find many grand valley and landscape scenes on the\nMississippi, and its tributaries, and we do not wonder that good writers\nextol them,\u2014should wonder if they did not,\u2014but we further say that we have\nthe Garden; and everything considered, not only the greatest, and\ngrandest, and best, but the only spot on earth that answers the Bible\ndescription of that notable spot, or Garden of Eden.\n\nMoritz Engel of Dresden-Newstadt, Germany, has written a book, an octavo\nof 207 pages, dated Adam\u2019s and Eve\u2019s day, December 1884, entitled: \u201cThe\nSolution of the Paradise Question.\u201d To a review of this book, President W.\nJ. Warren of the Boston University, has devoted over a column in the\nChristian Advocate of Aug. 20, 1885. Engel claims to demolish, and\ndoubtless does, the preceding \u201ceighty nugatory attempts at a solution.\u201d\nAnd as anyone can see, Dr. Warren demolishes Engel\u2019s attempt to foist his\nriverless \u201cTartarian swale in the heart of the North Syrian desert,\u201d as\nthe veritable Eden; in the lower end of which was his Garden, alternating\nbetween a pool or lake, caused by the rains, and filled by the torrents\nduring the rainy season, and a dried up, parched, barren spot, drying up,\n\u201ctowards the end of May, or first of June; without a green thing,\u201d\u2014utterly\nuninhabitable,\u2014and which Engel admits, \u201chas always been so.\u201d\n\nThe chief value of Engel\u2019s production, as well as Dr. Warren\u2019s North Pole\nGarden, is to show, (in Dr. Warren\u2019s own language.) \u201cThe imperishable\ninterest of the Eden problem;\u201d and to leave the subject entirely clear for\nme, and a calm consideration of the facts of the case as we find them. Dr.\nWarren, naturally, (as anyone who undertakes to do a thing and fails,)\nscouts the idea of anyone else doing it, or of a litteral four rivered;\nGarden of Eden. So have others who have failed to find it.\n\nEngel puts in a claim of Divine inspiration directing him to the spot; and\nhe writes with the positiveness and unreasonableness of a crank. All the\ninspiration we claim, is the beauty and grandeur of the scenery, and the\nadaptation and facsimile, or actual description of the spot, to the\ndescription given in the Bible, a Divinely inspired book, as our guide to\nit.\n\nWe are aware that we are living in an age of scientific speculation, of\ncounterfeits, and humbugs. After misguided explorers have given up the\nsearch, in the Eastern Continent, a scientest, to show his skill, must\nthrow a cloud on the possibility of finding a literal \u201cfour rivered spot,\u201d\non earth, and gives us an ingenious unaproachable North Pole Garden. A\ncrank gives us a volcanic \u201cTartarian,\u201d riverless desert as the _spot,_\nunder a profession of Divine inspiration, A land speculator, must dress up\na Florida malarial swamp as the place, to entice purchasers to his lands.\nNow, providentially, we are clear of all these objections. We do not have\nan unapproachable, frozen sea; or Tartarian volcanic region;  or malarial\nswamp; or government, or company, lands to sell. Our Garden is principally\nowned by actual settlers. All the land I own, is a burial lot in the\nGalesville cemetery, and not for sale; and not many have money enough to\npurchase it.\n\n_But we have an Eden that challenges your attention; and a Garden that\nwill awaken your admiration.  Come and see!_ Please notice the natural\nyouuthfulness of the region immediately around our Garden. Take about a\nhundred miles square,\u2014of which our Garden is the centre,\u2014and you will have\nsome of the most charming mountain and valley scenery in the world, minus\nthe mountains, or all in miniature, just such hills and valleys in which\nthe youth most delight. A more appropriate region to surround the Garden\nwe cannot conceive.  While immediately outside of this region you enter\nupon a broad level country, principally prairie, of rich farming lands,\nindicating the next step in developed humanity, and the very beau ideal of\nan Eden; and as you go outward, the earth abounds in minerals, and in\nunlimited sources of wealth. Take a map of Palestine giving a birds-eye\nview of the hills and valleys, of which Jerusalem is somewhat central, and\nyou will have a fair representation or view of the region around our\nGarden, and see the force of the expression, \u201cas the hills are round about\nJerusalem, so is the Lord round about his people,\u201d and so are the hills\nround about our Garden.\n\nDid you say as you looked down over our Garden valley, that this is too\nlarge a plat of ground for the Garden of Eden? Bless you! have you not\nconsidered that the Garden should be proportionate to the Land of Eden?\nWhy, did you think that the Garden of Eden was only a half-acre garden\npatch, or small orchard? Read again your Bible on that subject. How could\nyou get four rivers into it then, to water it, and one of them a\n\u201cEuphrates\u201d a wonderful great river? And is not the usual idea of a\ngarden, a beautiful rich flat, or valley, like Lot\u2019s plain of Jordan?\nPlease just think again, how God had created the whole earth for the\nhabitation of the human family, and would he stint the allotment of the\nfirst pair? Did you think how long they lived, how many children they\nprobably had, what a numerous family before the first pair died, numbering\ninto the ten thousands? Did you ever give thought to the plan of\nsettlement, of these children? Of the necessity of water thoroughfares,\nand the wisdom of God in locating them in some grand centre, as is this\ngarden, in this central, wonderful water-shed in this Eden as already\nshown, comprising the great centre of this continent; and that when this\ngarden should be well filled with inhabitants, by means of boats, and easy\nwater conveyance, they could easily branch out and make settlements along\nthe rivers? Can you grasp the mightiness of Jehovah\u2019s plan, in locating\nthe first pair at the junction of so many rivers into one so great a\nriver, and central to this Eden; thus naturally and easily to extend the\nsettlements over so vast a region of excellent country, as this Eden\u2014the\ngreatest half of a continent,\u2014and all this before the invention of wagon\nroads and railroads. Please give it wise thought, before deciding it so\nquickly.\n\nDid you pugh! pugh! at the idea of the garden, and antdieluvian\nsettlements, being so far away from Mt. Ararat? An ingenious Yankee, F. H.\nKribs, has figured that out long ago; that the ark would naturally go\neastward, and would just about reach that mountain in the time it was\nfloating; and that the current ran eastward is proven by the eastward\ndirection of submerged antediluvian trees. Then, how natural that God\nshould remove the redeemed ones far away from the scenes and remembrances\nof human corruption and abominations before the flood; and let him develop\n\u201cup anew,\u201d in the midst of new scenes and surroundings, and, as it were,\nin a \u201cnew world,\u201d until the sufficient development of his being, to allow,\nby slow stages, to return him to the place of commencement. Did you ask\nwhat mean these mounds, or earthly representations of such a variety of\nliving objects, so plentiful in and around this garden, and scattered\nthroughout the country of Eden, on one of which we are now standing? There\nwas science and durability in their construction. Did he say they were\nbuilt by the mound-builders? Evidently; but who are the mound-builders?\nThat is not in history or tradition. The first who came here after the\nflood, found the mounds here, and asked the question: who are the\nmound-builders? The mound-builders were silent. And every new comer and\nevery generation have asked that question, but no one could answer.\nNaturally enough, \u201cThere was not one left to tell the tale.\u201d They had\nunwisely, and laboriously used their time, strength, and ingenuity, for\nunworthy objects and purposes, and not for the comfort, education, and\nmoral development of humanity. They had added to their folly wickedness;\n\u201cthey had changed the truth of God into a lie;\u201d had \u201cserved and worshiped\nthe creature, (and dirt images) and not their Creator;\u201d and God had\nblotted them out, while some of their earthworks remain.\n\nDid a lawyer from this place, make a point in his plea before court at\nWhitehall, by declaring that I must be mistaken in my locality of the\nGarden of Eden, for lack of the presence of a personal devil? In retort, I\nam compelled to say, that I was sent a missioniary to this region, over\nthirty years ago, and that I found the devil, or his tools, then\npredominating in the M. E. society here; and when we tried to \u201cturn the\nrascals out,\u201d we found that he, or they, outnumbered us in influence and\nfacilities, and turned the scale against us; and we have abundant facts to\nshow that he has held his grip in that society \u201cunto this day.\u201d\n\nDid that Witty Editor say that we could prove our proposition by Josh\nBillings\u2019 method; _viz.:_ \u201cthat no one could prove that it was not the\nGarden of Eden?\u201d Very good. But we can do better. We _can and have_ proved\nit, on scientific principles. We give a law: \u201cAn hypothesis that explains\nall the phenomena, and contradicts every opposing hypothesis, is\nconsidered proof.\u201d Now, our hypothesis, and exact description of the plat,\nexplains the phenomena, answers perfectly the requirements; and, as it is\nadmitted that no other known plat on earth does so, we claim the proof,\nand shall hold the ground until driven from it by a more successful\ndiscoverer. And we do not fear Dr. Warren as competitor, though he has\nalso written a book; as he must first go, or get some one to go to the\nNorth pole and survey his garden before he can bring in his proof, (and\nthat, doubtless, will let us out during the present generation) and\nwithout which proof we will laugh down his theory, and his book, the\neditor of the Christian Advocate to the contrary notwithstanding.\n\nWe have necessarily, given a very condensed statement, and discription, to\nmeet, developed modern, as well as original modes of thinking, and to give\nthe less developed ones an opportunity to study.\n\nIn giving the description of the Garden of Eden, does the Bible, there, or\nanywhere, say so, or is there any grounds to believe, or suppose that it\nwas written or printed in legible imperishable characters, on the walls\naround, on the sky above, or on conspicuous places within the garden,\n\u201cThis is the Garden of Eden?\u201d If not, what is our guide? Evidently not a\nLo here, or a Lo there, but the plain description, fairly interpreted, and\nthe place that answers that description; and we have it. Now, the public\npress of La Crosse, and Winona, within the borders of our garden and who\nmight be supposed to know the merit, or demerit of my claim, have not\ndeigned to notice my articles on the Garden of Eden; so they cannot be\naccused of conspiring with me to mislead the public, to attract to their\ncities; or of having any faith in my discovery; and yet, I challenge any\nof them to show any material incorrectness of my description and\nstatements.\n\nOnce, when on a steamboat, coming up the Mississippi, through our garden,\nand standing forward, on the upper deck, near a well dressed gentleman,\nwho was intently looking at and admiring scenery which had also attracted\nmy attention, he turned suddenly, and excitedly said, \u201cSee! (pointing) O\nsee, that most enchantingly lovely scene, there!\u201d (as if he had never\nbefore seen its equal.) \u201cThere, if an artist should paint that, they would\nsay, \u2018That is purely imaginary; the result of fancy\u2019; but _there_ is the\nfoundation and excitement to his art; and no known artist can measure up\nto the reality.\u201d Perhaps neither of us will ever again see so enraptureing\na scene of clouds, shades, lights and shadows, of bluff scenery,\u2014and that\nmeans something here\u2014of beautiful islands and forest trees, as was just\nthen around us, and mirrored to us in that grand old looking-glass, on\nwhose placid waters we were then floating. Being of like sympathy, I\nentered into conversation with him, when he kindly informed me, that, to\ngratify his passion for scenery, he had traveled extensively in the old\nworld, or foreign countries, that he was now taking in the Mississippi\nRiver, and that this was the most beautiful and attractive river scenery\nhe had ever seen in his life; and that it far surpassed anything they had\nseen in the old world. I have had several similar statements of noted\ntravelers, enough, with what I have seen myself, to satisfy me of the\ntruthfulness of my claim. I have taken several acknowledged eminent\ntravelers to my first point of observation, (Healds Bluff) who invariably,\nlike myself, evidently, labored, and failed for language adequately to\nexpress the overwhelming beauty and grandeur of this valley scene. Now, if\nours is not the veritable original Garden of Eden, it is certainly easy of\naccess, of increasing reputation and importance as a summer resort, and\nopen to investigation, and we challenge the strictest inspection. Come and\nsee! Come and see!\n\nI am glad to learn from the Editor of the Independent that I am not the\nfirst one who has \u201clocated the old Bible ground in the Northwest;\u201d would\nlike very much to see the volume alluded to, \u201cwritten fifty years ago,\u201d\ntreating that subject.  Perhaps we might gain some information from one\nwho had given it close intelligent thought, as well as some very desirable\ninformation on this somewhat mysterious subject. Mine was an entire new\nthought to me, suggested by the actual sight, viewing the garden from a\npoint on the hanging garden, and studying it over and over during my\nresidence here of over thirty years.  And despite of my natural\nskepticism, I have become so impressed with the striking resemblance or\nexact likeness of this, to the Bible garden, as therein, described, and\nthe immediate surroundings of this, to Palestine, (the type of the\nsurrounding or original habitation of man) as to force me to admit the\npossibility, and to write out my convictions for the benefit of some one\nbetter informed, and to enable such a one to draw better conclusions.\n\nWhen God formed the earth into a globe, and set it rolling to keep it so,\nand started it in its orbit around the sun, and the light of the sun first\nflashed upon it, producing the requisite light and motion, for marking\ntime, then, with half in light and half in shade, as round the sun earth\ntook its flight, time on earth began. The day, the month, the year.\nChronological time commenced on the first day at high 12, and \u201cThe evening\nand the morning [ending on the second day at high 12, one complete diurnal\nrevolution of the earth] was the first day.\u201d And as man was the only\nintelligent being placed on earth, capable of noting time, his residence\nwas, evidently, on that central line. Our \u201clong\u201d river and garden of Eden,\nis exactly there, on the 90th meridian of central time, as laid down on\nour present time table maps for this continent.\n\nAs everything in creation was full and perfect, God wisely placed the\nearth in the summer solstice point of its orbit, and this continent facing\nthe sun, so that when he placed man upon it, as to give him the benefit of\nharvest, and correct time, and all of which is proved by the change, God\nordered, from original reckoning of time, when Israel left Egypt, Ex. 12,\n2, \u201cThis month [Abib, the 7th month] shall be unto you the beginning of\nmonths, it shall be the first month of the year to you.\u201d Thus changing the\nbeginning of the year from mid-summer to mid-winter. The commencing of the\nreckoning of the day has also been changed from mid-day to midnight. That\nthe original first month, now the 7th month, was harvest time, is proved\nfrom Lev. 23, 9-39; and that the seasons, of summer and winter, were then\nas now, is also proven by Gen. 1, 14, and the history of the clothing of\nthe first pair, first aprons, then skins and furs.\n\nThe names given to the rivers and places, in connection with the original\nhabitation of man, were naturally washed out by the flood, or their\nrecollection continued in names of similar places on the new continent.\nThen, is it not somewhat remarkable that, our garden valley is in the form\nof a beautiful dove, or bird of paradise; and so grandly walled in as to\nappear as a single valley, and have a hanging garden so situated that from\nits height, the whole valley, the rivers, and \u201cmuch water\u201d all in plain\nsight.\n\nIs it not a little strange that the Holy Land should be the counterpart of\nthe regions around our garden, only ours, geologically, a little older,\nand at present, at least, vastly superior in productiveness and\ndesirability as a home; and that so many things, in connection with and in\naddition to, the exact Bible description of the garden of Eden, and of the\nHoly Land, point to this place as the original garden; oldest, and best\nadapted place on earth for the commencement of human existence, and from\nwhich naturally to branch out, filling the Palestine around it; then, over\nthe entire Eden as already described. Let me once more call your attention\nto the region immediately around our garden, of a section of which we have\nsuch a good view from this Heuston\u2019s Muff, of beautiful hills and valleys,\nsimilar in appearance and extent, to the land of Palestine; which was\nselected by the Creator as a representation of the habitation of man on\nearth, in its pristine glory; a beau ideal of a country, a paradise; a\nregion of supreme felicity and delight; \u201cA land flowing with milk and\nhoney;\u201d which means susceptibility of the highest earthly enjoyments, and\nfigure of the world to come. Such a rough, youthful country, is not\nnaturally subject to cyclones, and disastrous storms, \u201cbut of rains,\u201d and\n\u201cgreen pastures;\u201d not a land of malaria, but a land of health and\nhappiness. Palestine was central to the habitable part of the eastern\ncontinent, and was thus, in connection wilh its other good qualities,\nselected for the residence of God\u2019s chosen people, and contained many of\nthe mountains on which God appeared to man, a very interesting chapter in\nthe history of that country. Then, the central location of Jerusalem, \u201cthe\ncity of the great King;\u201d \u201cBeautiful for situation, the joy of the whole\nearth, is Mount Zion;\u201d in which was built the Holy Temple\u2014of which God\nhimself was architect\u2014with its Holy of Holies, where God met the High\npriest, and kept up, though somewhat broken, yet, for long periods,\nspecial communication with man, thus making it a holy and God honored\nspot. There the Jews used to point to a stone, set as they claimed, by\nsome miraculous power, in the precise centre of the world. But whether\nthis was so or not, the city was for a long time the centre of attraction\nof the world\u2019s commerce, and of the best form of religion.\n\n\u201cA land flowing with milk and honey.\u201d Yes, and that we have the place we\nhope to make appear by a few extracts from a speech delivered by T. D.\nLewis, before the Wisconsin Dairymen\u2019s Association, at Arcadia,\nTrempealeau County, Wisconsin, February, 1885, published by the Dairymen\u2019s\nAssociation. Mr. Lewis, not knowing of our garden and Palestine, spoke\nonly in reference to what is beginning to be recognized, and well known\nfacts in relation to the dairying interests of this region. Commencing on\npage 76: \u201cAs good, natural grasses and plenty of the right kind of water\nare the material requisites necessary to successful dairying or\nstock-growing generally, I propose to discuss in a brief manner, and for\nthe first time, call the attention of the public to the peculiar quality\nof the soil in this section, and its adaptability for successful grass\ngrowing, especially clover, and of its action, through the grasses and\nwater, in producing a superior quality of butter. * * * * It is now, I\nbelieve, generally conceded by all stock growers that there is no known\nplant grown that requires so small an outlay of labor and expense\ngenerally, and furnishes so great an amount of plant food of just the\nright kind for producing the best butter, cheese, and good, quickly\nfattened beef, as clover, where it can be grown with anything near\nsuccess. * * * * * * My attention was first attracted to this subject some\neight or ten years ago, by noticing spots along the roads where clover had\nsprung up in small patches, in soil either wild, or but, at the most,\npartially subdued. I observed that it grew in the most luxuriant manner,\nand spread rapidly, did not winter kill; in fact, looked just as if it had\ncome to stay. I then began a thorough examination of the soil that I have\nnot yet entirely completed, but have ascertained enough to warrant me in\nsaying, that through the agency of the decomposition of an ancient stratum\nof rock, of which the most of our argillaceous clays are composed in this\nvicinity, I find we have a soil peculiarly adapted to the growth of\nclover. * * * * * * What were the reasons, do you suppose, why the Arcadia\ncreamery butter took the first, and the Alma creamery the second premium\nat the fair held at St. Louis last fall?  This was from butter made in\nArcadia the second, and in Alma the first season of their opperation. You\ncould not believe, for a moment, that the butter makers employed in these\ntwo creameries were so much better than all the others that exhibited\nbutter at that time, that this was the cause of obtaining the premiums? I\nfind, also, that the Arcadia butter, when placed upon the Elgin market of\nIllinois, is considered superior to the other butter, in all the qualities\nthat go to make up a first-class article, and that is the largest butter\nmarket, outside of Chicago, in the state. You would most certainly assign\nthis cause to other and more correct reasons, and, by an investigation\ninto the facts, would find it was produced through the effects of this\npeculiar chemical material, in its action through the grasses and water of\nthis region. * * * *Any one looking on Prof. Owens\u2019 geological chart of\nhis government survey of this state and Minnesota, will see a small area,\ncolored and marked metamorphic shades. It is no great extent of territory,\nincludes this and Buffalo county, and a portion of Jackson, and about us\nmuch in Minnesota. It has been badly cut up through the agencies of\nerosion, corrosion, and denudation, and probably one-fourth of this area\nis now composed of arenaceious valleys, practically inexhaustible.\u201d Clover\nfields, \u201cflowing with milk and honey,\u201d how appropriate. A Wisconsin\nDairyman took the first premium on butter at the Worlds fair, at\nPhiledelphia, in 1876; at the World\u2019s Exposition at New Orleans, in 1880,\nin dairy products, Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota stands at the head; and\nthe head centre of which, when once developed, is our palestine. In cheese\nproducts, at New Orleans, out of 84 premiums, Wisconsin took 71, amounting\nto $2,838. On butter, out of 69 premiums, Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin\ntook 54, amounting to $3,364, thus leading the world.\n\nThus who can predict the future greatness of our garden, and the region\naround it; naturally exempt from cyclone\u2014which is beginning to be one of\nthe great terrors of man-kind\u2014as it would require a miracle to leap a\ncyclone from the top of our southwestern wall, down 600 feet, on to the\nbroad Mississippi river\u2014and into a decidedly different atmosphere, the\nreason already given\u2014and keep a whirling. Thirty years of observation has\ntaught me, that small, single storms pass around us, and larger ones,\noften, divide, and, no matter how portentous they look, as  did the one\nthe other day\u2014since the St Cloud cyclone\u2014which, at first sight,\napproaching from the southwest, at the right time of day, and frightful\nblue black color, made the timid ones tremble: but on approaching the\ngarden, it naturally divided, and passed around us, as usual; thus\nconfirming our statement.\n\nNot being a believer in the speculative vague theories of modern\ngeologists, I shall leave the discussion of the geological age of our\ngarden to those wiseacres. But simply notice, that according to standard\nauthorities, our hanging garden contains the veritable Potsdam sand stone\nof the primordial age. And my stone door step, taken from another strata,\nis a mass of Molusk shells of the tribe of Brachiopods\u2014specimens of the\nearliest life on earth\u2014the shells \u201cless in size than a finger nail;\u201d (see\nDana\u2019s geology page 81) related to the modern Lingula; thus composing a\nLingula flag, or Lingula sandstone, of which mine is a slab over 5 feet\nlong, 2 feet wide and six inches thick, the finest specimen I have ever\nseen, and lies at my front door, free for inspection.\n\nThus, on the oldest continent, with an overwhelmingly rich, great, grand\nEden; watered by the \u201cUphrates,\u201d (long river) which, in itself, is\nsuperlative; and which, with its tributaries, waters a superlatively grand\nportion of the earth; and with its central garden, and surpassingly grand\nhanging gardens, which overtop, and as immeasurably transcend the hanging\ngardens of Babylon\u2014which tourists travel thousands of miles to see\u2014as does\nthe Niagra Falls, a common creek mill pond, or as the works of nature\ntranscend the works of art.  And did not God know which was the longest\nriver on earth, and which, with its tributaries, watered the grandest\nregion of country on earth, Eden, when he said the garden was on it?\n\nWhen all these things shall be properly understood by the public, who will\nnot wish to come and see? Yes come and see!! \u201cBe not faithless, but\nbelieving,\u201d come and see!! And now may the King Eternal, banish the evil\none from this place forever, and build his promised \u201cNew Jerusalem\u201d here,\nor to have an extensive one within our Palestine.\n\n\n\n\n\n\nERRATA.\n\n\nIn preface, line 11, for antediluvians read postdiluvians.\n\nOn page 11, line 16, for 35 miles long etc., read 27 miles long and 9\nmiles through the centre; and the hanging garden in a similar form and\ngeometrical proportions, 3 miles long and 1 mile through the centre.\n\nOn page 16, line 20, for is read and.\n\nThere are few minor mistakes which the reader can readily correct.","title":"Found at Last: the Veritable Garden of Eden: Or a place that answers the Bible description of the notable spot better than anything yet discovered","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":9874}