Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-07-10

when the dread terryman shall call and
take ms across the mysterious river, we can
look back from the other shore with feel
ings of honest pride and behold world
the better that we have lived: land fairer
from the touch oi our hands ia nation wiser
from our precept and example; people
happier. healthier. wiser and hoiier And
as centuries roll away, they will convene
on this ever denrcr anniversary, and pro-
claim the greatness and pefmanence OF
nation which rests for it's sure foundation
on millions Of beautiful, prosperous and
happy homes.
WHO FIRST DISCOVERED AMERICA.
hns-He wtt Have u Monument at
Madison. Wis.
From the Madison, Wis, journal.
Ole Bull, Professor r. b. Anderson,
of the Wisconsin University, j. A.
johnson, and other prominent Nor
wegians. are raising money TO build a
monument to Left Erikson. The first
named gentleman has already given
some concerts, and will give a few
more before leaving for Norway, the
entire proceeds to be devoted to the
monument fund. Professor Anderson,
linguist, thoroughly versed in Scam
dinavian literature. is to lecture for
the benefit OF the fund.
The total amount to be raised Ia SlO,-
O00 The monument is to be built in
Madison, and.dedicated with'great cer-
emony on the hundrcdth anniversary
of American independence. Ole Bull,
Bjornson, the famous Norwegian au-
thor and poet, and other celebrities,
will be present on the occasion, togeth-
er with such a host of enthusiastic
Norwegians, from this and adjoining
States, as were never before seen to-
gether outside the borders of Nor
way.
Left Erikson, whose name is to be
inscribed on the monument, was a
bold navigator who discovered Amer-
lea in the year 1000. That is what the
Sagas say, and circumstantiai evidence
tends to corroborate the Icelandic re-
cords. In Washington Irving's valu-
able 'Life of Columbus published
In 1927, he says: "If the legend Of
the Scandinavian yoyagers be correct,
and their mysterious Vine!and was
the coast Of Labrador. or the shore of
New Fonndland. they had but tran-
sient glimpses of the New World,
leading to no certain knowledge, and
in little time lost again to man
kind.
But at that time there were in Cop
enhagen untranslatcd Icelandic manu-
scripts (Sagas) giving an account of
the early discovery Of America.
These were translated by the celebrat-
ed Professor Charles Rain, (the best
authority on northern antiquity that
ever liyed,l and published in 1887.
But he derived his knowledge from
Forester's works, and says he had not
the means Of tracing the story TO its
original source. He adds, however,
"there is no great improbability that
such enterprising and rowing voyagers
as the Scandinavians may have wan
dered to the northern shores Of Amer
icu, and if fceiandic manuscripts can
be relied upon as genuine, free from
modern interpretations, and correctly
quoted, they would appear to prove
the fact"
We have seen these Sagas. printed
In Icelandic, now in the possession of
Professor Anderson. and examined
FAC siHiiies from the original Icelandic
manuscripts, and can discover no ey-
idence of Interpolation. In fact the
high character of Professor Rain pre-
ciudes the idea that there is any at
tempt at imposition. We think the
Sagas clearly entitled to be shown in
evidence rs historical records. and it
appears from them that Barn Her.
jnlfson, a Norwegian, owner and cap
tain of a vessel, was on his way to
Greenland to see his father in 9S6. The
was not then invented, and q
violent wind drifted him southwark
through the fog. When ID cleared he
was in sight Of Vineland. but finding
too far south. he proceeded
northward to Greenland. He subse-
quently returned to Norway. and was
greatly blamed because he did net go
ashore at Vineland.
The Norwegians who discovered Ice-
land in 86l, were still anxiously look
ing forward for more land in the
west. Lief Erikson. son of Erik the
Red, who had discovered Greenland
in 9S4. bought BARNS ship, and n
listed thirty-five men. and, guided by
from Barn. and with the
stars for his compass, sailed for Amer
ica. I'm tho year 1000 he landed at
Vinelxnd, and spent the winter at or
near Fall River, Mass, where, seven
years afterward, Thoryin Karlsevne
and his party left the famous aDigh-
ton Writing Rock" inscription. In
lOO2 there was an expedition to yine-
land, by Thorwsld Erikson. who was
pierced by az siYnw and died there,
aud according to the description Of
Saga, it seems that he was Suricd at
Garnet Point. About forty years ago
a skeleton in armOr was dug up In that
vicinity. Longfellow has written a
poem about this, and the Archaeological
Society in Boston sent part of the ar
NOR TO the celebrated chemist. Berze.
lius, who analyzed it, finding it to be
OF the precise composition of Norwe-
gian armor during the tenth century,
and II was the same style Of manufac-
ture.
The next expedition was under
Thorfln, mentioned above, who lett
the writing on the rock which corres-
ponds with the account in the Sagas.
He had his wife and l5l men, and
stayed three years, and Snorre, his
son, was born there in I00S.-(Thor-
waldson. the famous sculptor. was a
direct descendent Of Snorre).
There were various expeditions af-
ter this until ll2l, when Bishop Erik
Upsi was sent to Vineland. The last
expedition known was in l347, when
the Black Plague broke out and re.
duced the population of Norway from
100000 to 100000. This stopped
further expeditions.
In addition to the Sagas, "The Digh-
ton Writing Rock" the new
tower which Indians say was built by
giants, and the skeleton in armor, we
have In support of the early discovery
by.Leif Erikson, the writings of Adam
Of Bremen, an old historian of high
authority. who visited the Danish
King, Svcnd- Esthidson, and afterward
wrote in Latin an account OF the north
ern nations. He says:
There is land discovered by many
in this ocean (Atlantic) which Is called
Wineland, because vines which pro.
duce very good wine grow there spon-
taneOnsly; and there grows grain in
abundance without haipvH Sn,v, ~,