Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1876-07-12
against Great Britain-Kate Foote, 81
Nicholas for July.
The First Discovery of America.

| 1NNitOtCtS JOf OUGy.
The First Discovery of America.
Biarne was much blamed for his
failure to explore the countries which
he had seen. But he seems to have
taken matters very cody; and as it
was more profitable for him to carry
on his trading voyages with Norway. he
made no use of his observations in the
unknown Western sea. The sons of
Earl Eric, however, burned with desire
to explore the mysterious regions of
which Biarne and his crew had brought
such vague accounts. i
Accordingly, a family council having
settled the details, Left, the eldest son
of Eric the Red, in 1000, bought Barnes
ship, and fitted her for the cruise.
Thirty-fve men, among whom was
Biarne, composed the crew, and Left
entreated his father to take the COM
mand. The old Viking reluctantly
consented; but, on the way to the point
of departure, his horse stumbled and
threw his rider. This was a bad omen
to the superstitious Eric, who declared
that it was ordained that he should dis
cover no more new countries. He
therefore gave up the command to
Left, who sailed prosperously into the
West.
Reversing the order of Barnes voy-
age, Left first found the land which
Biarne had last seen. This region is
now known as Newfoundland. Left
went on shore. From the sea to the
inland mountains was plain of fiat
stones. So he called it Helluland, from
bella, d flat stone. In like manner,
when he came to the next land, which
was a country covered with wood, he
gave the name of MARYLAND, or Wood
land. The name of that region is now
Nova Scotia. The young Viking kept
on with northeast wind, and. in two
days and two nights, made land a third
time. This was undoubtedly on the
coast Of New England; precisely where,
has never been satisfactorily settled.
Left first landed on an island, where he
waited for good weather. Then, coast
ing along the shore-line, he went up a
river that came througha lake, says the
chronicle. Here they cast anchor and
made preparation to winter, for 1t was
now autumn.
1t is generally conceded that this was
the discovery by the Mortimer Of the
coast of what is now Rhode Island, and
that Left built his booths, or houses,
somewhere on the shore of Mount Hope
Bay, or Narragansett Bay.
On his homeward voyage in the
spring. Left picked up a shipwrecked
crew, Which he kindly carried to shore.
This, and his marvellous adventures in
the new world, gave him the title Of
Left the Fortunate. 1t was not long
before the news reached Europe.
! Vineland, as Left called it, was known
as Vineland the Good. By this name
one historian, Adam of Bremen, heard
of the land when he visited Sweden in
1915.
Soon after this Eric died, and Left,
now the head of the family, sailed the
seas no more. His brother, Thorvald,
took up the enterprise, and in 1902 set
sail in Left IS ship for Vineland the
Good. He found the booths built by
his brother and took possession OF
them, and there he spent the winter.
In the following spring he coasted far
to the westward, and we conclude,
from the description Of the country
which he saw, that he passed through
the whole length Of Long Island Sound.
Possibly he went as far as New York
Bay, and there found another lake
| through which river flowed to the
sea-" of which he spoke. The party
Landed on many islands, and were en-
chanted with the groves Of great trees,
green grass, and the abundance of veg
etable growths which were SO new and
strange to them.-St. Nicholas.
A Grocer's Trick.
The other day q Grand River avenue
grocer purchased thirty pound crock
of butter of farmer whom he had
never dealt with before, and while
down cellar emptying the crock he
thought of a trick to surprise the agri-
culturist. Finding a stone weighing
about eight pounds, the grocer. creased
it, carried it up stairs with the crock,
and pointing to it quietly remarked:
"This, of course, is to be taken from
the gross weight, as well as the jar"
The farmer looked at the stone for
several long seconds, and then with a
voice SO low that no one else could
hear, replied: re n
''Please kiver a piece of paper over
the jar, for there's man out by the
door who knows me!''
The grocer finally explained his fend-
ish plot, but the butter-seller's face I'M
derwent a sudden change. Reaching
over the sugar-barrels to shake hands,
he said l.t ~ 80
"I didn't hardly believe it, though
my wife came from a tricky family,
and [ should have gone home and or
ganized mourning and lamentations in
that farmhouse Detroit Free Press.
Give Me Fiddle or Give Me Death.
The Denver News relates this incident
Of criminal court life in Colorado: