Copyrighted 1886, by C. S. Van Slyke Proprietor, Galesville, Wis.

All rights reserved.

[Preparer's Note: Typographical errors from the original have been retained, as well as quirks of punctuation (such as the extensive use of asterisks)]

PREFACE.

On the principle of “first know you are right, then go ahead,” I have been very slow in making public the results of my discovery. But having become thoroughly satisfied that I have a reasonable thing of it, have ventured to publish it. It has appeared in brief articles in the Galesville INDEPENDENT, in order to invite general inspection, and criticism.

When God made man to dwell on the face of the earth, He, evidently, must place him somewhere. In giving the antldiluvians a description of the creation, and first location of man, how mankind corrupted themselves, and how God destroyed them with a flood, he simply stated the principal facts, and gave a description of the location—and it not being on that continent, he could not point it out to them—and as the country in which Noah then resided, was all new to him, and his family, no one knew where it was; nor was any one able then, or since, to find it on that continent; thus, the location, though admitted to be somewhere on earth, has been kept a profound mystery to the present time, and consequently the innocent cause of no little speculation. But by degrees it has been opening to the minds of some, that the first habitation of man must have been somewhere on the American Continent; and [pg 4] the finger of time has been plainly pointing to what is known as the “North West,” as the place. But of this last fact I was ignorant when I made the discovery of the garden, and commenced developing the facts about it. The discovery, resulted from my familiarity with, or thorough knowledge of the Bible, and standing on the hanging garden and looking over the plat, and admirirg its most wonderful scenery, and counting the rivers, I became sensibly impressed by a suggestion, This is the garden of Eden: at which suggestion I smiled, as the plat, to me then, was altogether too large. Of course I had never given it thought, nor measured it up in my own mind to what should, or might be its proper dimentions. However so strong were my impressions, that I, as a matter of pleasantry, used, occasionally to say to my friends, This is the garden of Eden.

Since I commenced to publish my views, claiming a possible reality, while some have mocked, others are becoming impressed with the idea of its being not only possible, but highly probable. Where would a scientest place the first pair, to acclimate, and from which to make man, as he now is, an inhabitant of all the earth? Not too far north, not too far south. Our garden is in that place. It should be destitute of money mineral wealth, as these, if easily obtained, are corrupting in their tendencies, and should be sought, and toiled for, to be properly enjoyed; and should be placed at a distance, just where God says he provided it, at the head of the stream. Our garden is still in the right place. From inherited [pg 5] wealth and luxury comes danger to the inheritors. Our garden is again right. But it should be a place susceptible of, and adapted to moral and intellectual growth, and lead to the admiration, adoration, and worship of the great Builder of the universe, the Infinite and Perfect. Is there a better place for that, in all this beautiful earth, than is our garden, and its surroundings? If there is, we would like to see it.

I have related the facts as they have been presented to me, or as I have discovered them, and believe the reader will be pleased and profited with the results, and I hope this will lead to more thorough and satisfactory investigation.

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