The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-11-17
sANTANGEL AND COLUMBUS.
The Man Who Loaned the Money to Fit
Out the Discoverer.

The Man Who Loaned the Money to Fit
Out the Discoverer.
In recent issue of the Boersen Cour-
Ter, of Berlin, an attempt was made to
do justice to man who played con-
siderable part in the critical period of
Columb life. The great discoverer
himself was ever mindful of his friends
services, and at the end of his eventful
voyage FASTENED tochronicle for him its
chief events
THE Columbus celebration of Amer
lea" says the journal, has renewed in
terest in number of questions regard
ing the great discoverer. Among these
really indebted for the means to prose-
cute his great undertaking. The state
ment that Queen Isabella pawned her
jewels to help the mariner has long
since been relegated to the realm of IA
BILE, although it was hard blow to Cas-
lillian pride The jewels of her majesty
were already in pawn. True and COM
mensurate interest in Columbus project
was manifested alone by the Aragonian
countrymen of King Ferdinand H., the
bravest and most daring seaman of the
time. One of the most famous
of these men was that Maestro
Jarome, of Mallorca, baptized
Hebrew whom the infant Henry
Portugal had intrusted with the
direction of the marine school which he
had established at Sagras. Jarome was
In h.Nt. Is
maps, the perfecter of the compass. He
also taught the use of the astrolabe to
the mariners. In the circle of Aragoni-
ans at the royal court of Spain a certain
Luis Santangel was especially promi-
nent. Las Casas declares that he was
clever and popular man, and a great
favorite with the king and queen. This
man, according to the declarations of
Don Fernando Columbus in the biog-
raphy of his father, proved to be the
discoverer's best friend. In the Madrid
journal, Ell Centenaric, Miguel Mir re-
Gently gave particulars regarding his
personality.
Like so many influential personages
of those days Santangers family was
also of Jewish origin. Members of the
family were to be found among the
judges, attorneys and privy councillors
of Zaragoza. They also played import
ant parts at court An ambassador, a
bishop, two priors, among others, be-
longed to the Santangel race. As to
Luis Santangel, the local chronicles of
Catalayad relate that King Ferdinand,
who was often embarrassed for lack of
money, once arrived in the city with
small following and proceeded at once
to SantangePs house, where he received
the necessary loan.
1T was this Luis Santangel who, to
use modern expression, financiered
the discovery of America. Leaving
aside the rather melodramatic account
of Las Casas, it is fact that Luis San
tangel, the trusted servant of King
Ferdinand and empowered by his
majesty, again spoke in favor of Column
bus to the queen that eventful January
day. BY promising to lend the money
to prepare the vessels for the voyage he
induced the queen to recall Columbus.
Moreover, he did this with no other
surety than the kings word In tbt'
archives of Simancas are still to be seen
the papers signed by Santangel, setting
forth that he had received back /, lac, 900
maravedis, which he had lent to pay
for the feet which their highness
allowed to go to India, and to pay
Christol Columbus, who accompanied
the fleet Columbus was grateful to
the man who had given him the means
to undertake the journey. While re-
turning from his first voyage to Amer
lea, and when near the Azores, he felt
it his duty to send the first news of his
great discovery to Luis Santangcl This
letter will always remain one Of the
most remarkable documents relating to
the discovery of the new world King
Ferdinand also showed his gratitude to
Luis Santangel so long as he lived. He
presented large dowries to the bankers
daughters Santangel was married to a
Senorita de los Caballeria, a family of
Jewish origin-and made one of his
sons-in-law viceroy of Sardinia. After
Ferdinand's death, however, the staff
halter, during Emperor Charles abb
sence, deprived Santangel of all his
offices. He seems to have appealed in
vain against this injustice Chicago
Inter Ocean