By ELMO SCOTT WATSON
E WAS born nearly 600 years ago. He
was not a native of this country and
never once did he see or set foot on
the soil of the continental United
States. Yet, every year, 81 of the 48
states In the Union celebrate a holiday
that is named for him and that also
commemorates the event in his career
which has made him immortal,
His name was Christopher Columbus
and October 12 is the date which we
annually celebrate as Columbus day or Discove
ery day.
The 31 states which honor him on that day
are: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massa-
chusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn.
sylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and
Washington.
One of our territories honors him on a differ-
ent day from October 12. In Puerto Rico Novem.
ber 10 is Discovery day, for it was on Novem
ber 10, 1493, that the Italian navigator sailing
under the flag of Spain was the first white man
to look upon that island.
. * - ® %® ® *
Universally hailed as the “discoverer of the
New world,” yet Fate ruled that the name of
another man should be given to the two conti
nents made known to the Old world by the voy-
ages of Columbus. In 1499 a Florentine named
Amerige Vespuccl accompanied Ojeda, a Span-
lard, to Espanola (Haiti) and the mainland in a
search for pearls. He wrote a letter in which
he called the country he had seen “Mundus
Novus” New Land). Eight years later at St.
Die In the Vosges mountains Mathias Ringman,
a Latinist, and Martin Waldseemuller, a geog-
rapher, two members of the faculty of a little
collegiate Institute which was the center of the
geographical learning of the time, were prepar-
ing a new edition of Ptolemy's “Geographia”
However, before its publication they printed on
the new printing press which the institute owned
a little essay called “Cosmographiae Introducto”
to which they added the letter that Amerigo
Vespucel had written. In this essay Waldsee-
muller offered the suggestion that since Amerigo
Vespucel had seen and described this “Mundas
Novus,” it might properly bear his name and be
called America.
Later map-makers followed Waldseemuller's
suggestion. And that is why we have North
and South America Instead of “North and South
Columbia.”
ad » * * ® * .
Although a German scholar's suggestion cheat.
ed Columbus out of having two continents named
for him, on both there are innumerable land.
marks which bear his name or a derivation of
it. In South America there is a republic of
Colombia and the chief Caribbean port of the
republic of Panama is Colon, which preserves
the Spanish spelling of Columbus’ name
tobal Colon. In far-off Ceylon, an Island off the
coast of India, which he sought but was des-
tined never to reach, there Is a city of Colombo
which honors his name.
The map of North America Is dotted with
reminders of him. Canada has a province of
British Columbia and In it rises one of the
mightiest rivers on this continent—the Columbia.
The little tract of land which contains the na-
tional seat of government of the United States
is called the District of Columbia, and one of
the poetical names for this nation is Columbia.
So when we sing two of our favorite patriotic
songs—"Hail, Columbia, happy land . . * and
“0, Columbia, the gem of the ocean . . ."—we
are pronouncing two syllables of the name of
the Italian sea captain.
Two state capitals—Columbus, Ohle, and Co-
lumbia, 8. C.—also honor him. Eleven states
Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Mississippl, Montana,
Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio,
Texas and Wisconsin—have cities named Colum.
bus and one state, North Carolina, has a Colum-
bus county. Iowa has a Columbus Junction and
Ohio has a Columbus Grove.
Eight states—Illinols, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Mississippl, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Caro.
lina and Tennessce—have cities named Columbia
and eight states—Arkansas, Florida, Georgia,
New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington
and Wisconsin—have Columbia counties. Ohio
has a Columbiana county, also a city by that
name, as has Alabama. Indiana has a Columbia
City, Montana has a Columbia Falls and Minne.
sota has a Columbia Heights,
The largest university in the United States is
Columbia university in New York City with 3.004
faculty members and 30,588 students. There is
also a Columbia college in Towa and innumerable
grade schools throughout the country bear the
name of Columbus or Columbia. One of the most
Important fraternal organizations in the United
States Is the Knights of Columbus and the first
world's fair—in many respects, the greatest
ever held which honored the achievements of a
man bearing his name was the World's Colum
bian exposition in Chicago In 1803,
' * * » * % » .
Memorials to Columbus in the form of statues
and monuments are legion. One of the latest, if
not the latest, is the magnificent statue which
was unveiled on August 3 of last year (the annl-
versary of Columbus’ sailing from Palos, Spain,
on his first voyage of discovery) on Chicago's
lake front. (It stands overlooking Columbus
drive, one of the main thoroughfares in Chicago's
boulevard system.)
This statue, which was designed by Charles
Brioshl of St. Paul and east in Milan, Italy, 1s
11 feet 7 Inches high and stands on a 22-foot
pedestal of Baveno granite from Milan. It was
presented to the ¢ity of Chicago by Itallan-Amer-
fcans of that city and August 8, 1033, the date
it was unveiled, was Italian day at the 1043
Century of Progress exposition when thousands
of people of that nationality gathered to honor
not only the great navigator of 400 years ago but
also a modern navigator who had led his “cara.
vels of the alr” across tia Atlantic—-Admiral
Balbo of the Italian navy.
» . * - . . »
Besides the new statue which thousands of
World's fair visitors passed on their way to the
exposition, there was another reminder of Co-
lumbus at last year's exposition, That was the
model of the Columbus Memorial lighthouse,
which formed the exhibit of the republle of
Santo Domingo. This lighthouse, which Is to cost
approximately $1,500,000, is being erected on a
point of land facing the harbor of the city of
Santo Domingo, not far from the ruing of what
7
The New Statue of Columbus
in Chicago
[T
tatue in
alos, Spain
was once the palace of Columbus’ brother, Bar.
tholomew,
It 1s just such a memodal as Columbus him-
self would have most desired—a beacon of light
shining through the darkness to guide the sailors
of both the sea and the air, and since the project
Is in charge of a committee of the Pan-American
Union, which 1s composed of representatives of
all the 21 states of North, South and Central
America, it will be an enduring symbol of friend.
ship among the nations whose existence Colum-
bus’ voyages made possible,
» - - . * * »
He has been dead 428 years but his name still
frequently makes the headlines in our newspa-
pers. Recent years have seen many “discoveries”
about the discoverer, which adds to our knowl
edge of him. It was only a few years ago that
Dr. A. 8. W. Rosenbach, the noted collector, ace
quired abroad and brought to this country a
manuscript volume some 400 years old and writ.
ten by one Andres Bernaldez, which revealed
Christopher Columbus In the hitherto-unknown
role of a bookseller, The reference In the volume
was only a casual one but interesting neverthe-
less. It sald: “There was a man in the land of
Milan who was a merchant in books and who
traveled In Andalusia who was ealled Christo
pher Columbus, a min of high genius, who was
not a man of letters, but was very shrewd in
the art of the cosmography of the world, who
followed what he had read from Ptolemy and
other works regarding the world in which we
navigate and walk." And this man, who “had
read from Ptolemy,” was to see, In the declining
years of his life, a revised edition of Ptolemy's
“Geographia”—that of Ringman and Waldsee.
muller—with another man's name given to the
two continents which he had discovered!
» * * # - * -
Indicative of the fact that this man, dead and
buried these four centuries, can still provide “live
copy” for our newspapers is the following news
story which appeared In the New York Times
last May:
“A life-size white marble statue of Christopher
Columbus, carved In Rome In 1867, for many
years unnoticed In the storage yard in Central
park, will be placed shortly in Columbus park,
at Baxter, Mulberry, Bayard and Park streets.
This announcement was made yesterday by Park
Commissioner Robert Moses, who sald the statue
was ag exceptionally fine plece of work. It was
carved 67 years ago by Miss Emma Stebbins,
then in Italy,
“Existence of the statue was disclosed to the
park department officials through receipt of a
letter two months ago from John Barnell of Syra.
cuse, in which the writer sald a beautiful statue
of Columbus was stored In one of the park de
partment bulldings, Mr. Barnell wrote that, as
a collector of Columbus monuments, he would
like to have a photograph of the statue carved
by Miss Stebbins,
“A research worker of the park department
was Immediately instructed to locate the statue,
Search brought to light In the files of the dee
partment correspondence in 1860 from the donor
of the state to the board of commissioners of
Central park and the reply. The donor was Mar.
shall O. Roberts, whose letter follows:
*
The “Lost” Statue
New York, February 20, 1800,
Fifth Avenue, Corner Eighteenth St.
Hon. Andrew H. Green,
Comptroller of the Central Park.
My dear sir:
I have the pleasure through you to present
to the Central park commissioners the eolos-
ral statue of “Columbus,” the work of our
gifted countrywoman, Emma Stebbins, Co-
lumbus is represented as standing upon the
deck of a ship alone and at midnight, Just
before the land of the Western continent
burst upon his view. His mutinous crew have
all deserted him and are feasting below,
while he-—the intrepid discoverer, with a
firm grasp upon the rudder post, looks eager.
iy. anxiously forward, piercing the darkness
with his eye of faith, and with earnest
prayers to heaven for success, walis for the
dawning of day—that day which, coming at
last, brings with it victory and repose,
This statue Is truly grand in ita conception
and beautiful in its execytion—worthy, in.
deed, to occupy a prominent place In our
Central park. It will add one more attrac.
tion to that charming spot, which the com-
missioners and yourself! have done so much
to adorn for the pleasure and delight of the
people, »
The statue and pedestal are both at the
Academy of Design, subject to your order
as soon as a suitable glass house has been
provided to protect the marble from the
weather, With the hope that the commission.
ers will be able to provide this during the
Present season and receive the proffered gift,
1 remain,
Ara tele: sunt
HUMAN NATURE
The rector had Invited the village
boys to the rectory for a strawberry
tea. After they had finished he, seek.
ing to point the moral, sald: “Now,
boys, wasn't that nicer than breaking
into my garden and helping your-
selves?”
“O yes,” chorused the boys,
“And why was It nicer?’ he asked
a chubby-faced boy,
“Because, sir,” was the reply, “we
shouldn't have had any sugar and
cream with them."—london Huy
morist,
Somnolence
The stranger was met by a crowd
as he stepped off the train.
“Who are you?” asked Cactus Joe.
“I'm Professor Doperino, the fa-
mous hypnotist.”
“The man who
sleep 7
“Yes”
“Well, stay right here and eateh
the next train that comes, What Crim-
son Gulch needs is somebody to
wake it up”
puts folks to
Modern Farm Knowledge
Stranger—Farm
than they
did a while back.
kill the
all this
ler Mags
£11 19%
will bugs
I've won ses
and Jig-sav
ture
competition lately.
Employer—Yes, but 1 want some.
hours.
Applicant
hours. -
This was during
Chelsea Record,
EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT
Timid Husband—We'd better not
Bo out in a canoe, I hear that the
bay is full of man-eating sharks.
Wife—What of 11? I'm not a2 man
and your life is insured,
srss—
Corners
“Is prosperity just around the cor
ner?”
“Of course it is.” answered Sens.
tor Sorghum. “But in looking for it
you've got to take care about select-
ing a lucky corner”
Dad Had a Supply
Mother—Johnny, will you go down
to the cellar and split some kindling?
Johnny--Wait till Dad comes. 1
heard him tell Mr. Smith that be
bought twenty-five dollars’ worth of
chips last night,
Circus © Manager — Well, what's
wrong now?
India Rubber Man—Every time the
strong man writes a letter he uses
me to rub out his mistakes Boston
Transcript.
The Idea
Father—Jane, that young idiot
Simpson's affairs couldn't be In
worse shape than they are,
Daughter (indignantly)—Yon for.
get that I am to marry him, Papa.
Necessity
sreen—You must be keen on the
talkies, old boy, to go twice a week.
Howarth—It's not that exactly.
You see, if I don't go regularly, I
can't understand what my kids are
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EVEN
“What's a Joint account, pop?”
“It's an account where one person
does the depositing and the other the
withdrawing.”
Frank Little Tommy
Caller—Won't you walk with
as far as the car, Tommy?
Tommy-—I can’t,
Caller—Why not?
Tommy—'"Cause we're going to
have dinner as soon as you go.
His Place on the Team
Uncle George—I suppose you are
on the football team?
Tommy—Well, yes, 1 do the aerial
work,
Uncle George—What's that?
Tommy--1 blow up the footballs,
THEY'LL DO THAT
“You are getting stout,
you
“Yes. I ate some green peaches
yesterday, and they doubled me and
increased my sighs” :
A ——————————
Tough Break
Editor—Well, how's that thrilling
article getting on?
Author (looking up from blank pa.
aren't
saying.
per)~Too thrilling for words,