The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-12-02
The Columbus canard.

The widespread interest which has crop
ped out recently relative to the late Christie
pher Columbus deserves more than passing
notice.
There is a prevailing opinion among we'll
informed people that this noted navigator
discovered North America in 1892 and some
even think it was he who landed on Ply
mouth Rock. All these people claim him as
the discOverer of this glorious country. They
have recently been celebrating the four
hundredth centennial of that event, and of
late some excellent people want to claim
first mortgage on him on account of his
religion. 1t does not transpire, however,
that the immortal Christopher had any more
religion of any kind than he needed for his
own use, AID that he was not character
worthy of special imitation save as a navi-
gator. MisinfOrmed school children, when
asked who discovered America, will repeat
the rhyme, "ln fourteen hundred and
nlnety-twO, Columbus sailed the ocean
blue" Now the fact is, that there is no
proof that Columbus ever set foot on North
American soil. In the year 1892 he dis
covered the island of San Salvador and by
so doing discovered a small portion of the
western he nisphere. He landed on this
island Oct. 2lst, 1892. after which he sailed
around and discovered some of the other
West lndia Islands, including Cuba. On
March 18th, 1893, he returned to SPAN and
in September Of the same year he sailed
again and this time he discovered the Carb-
bee Islands and Jamaca, but there was
trouble at home and so he returned i'm 1896
where he had deal of trouble in proving
to old King Ferdinand that he had done
good thing. In 149S he made another eX-
pedition, sailing farther south and landed
of fNrin HaH xuh ha
Orinoco river and South America. He was
compelled to return however by jealouses
at home and was rewarded by being loaded
with chains and cast into prison. He how
ever cleared himself up with the old mutton
head of monarch, and finally sailed again
on May 9th, 1902, but the voyage was dis
astrous and he returned in 1904, only TO die
of heart failure in Valladolid and in poverty
May 20lh 1906.
This disposes of the Columbus canard for
he neUer set foot upon North American
soil, and neither did his illustrious country
man Americus Vespucius. He voyaged i'm
1499 and after stopping at Trinidad, he
sailed along the coast of South America and
discovered some small islands in the Gulf
of Mexico. He succeeded however i'm get
ting his name attached to both continents,
whereas i'm fact he never saw but one of
them.
The Cabots discovered Newfoundland i'm
1897 on England's account and after them
came other discoverers, but 500 years before
Columbus was born, North America was
discovered by NOrsemen, and peOpled by
those sturdy ocean bandits all along down
the New England coast as far south as
Martha's Vineyard. There is standing to-
day an old stone tower at Newport Rhode
Island, supposed to have been built by them,
but that is all or nearly all that they left to
posterity and the natives. Everything else
has been swept away and forgotten in the |
centuries which elapsed before the puritans |
landed at Plymouth Rock in 1920. Previous
to this, however, an English colony had
been established in Virginia i'm 1907.
Now this sums up the whole history of |
the discovery of America according to best |
and will be a surprise | know to |
a great many people but have been worry
ing about this matter long enough and pro-
pose to set the rising generation right about |
the facts i'm the case and get 1t off from my
mind.
OF course everybody can obtain this in
formation for themselves, but everybody
don't try to. They take Tom, Dick o.
Harrys statement that on October 21st, 1892 !
Columbus discovered North America-when
III ldcl lie ulu HOlilluB VI Jllt kliu OH Iildt
date or any other-and then they proceed to
the anniversary OF an occurrence
that never transpired.
Now hope that school children will cut
this out and paste it in their Biographies for
constant reference, and further, that grown
people who have had Christopher Columbus
standing on Plymouth Rock, in their minds,
will take him down, dust him off and throw
him away, for he never was there.
WARD.
Laingsburg, Nov. %, 1892.