The Newtown bee., 1892-10-28
Four Hundred Years Ago Columbus
Landed on the Shores of the
New World.

HISTORY GIVES but meager details OF the
Ill landing; therefore we have taken pains to
gather a few traditionary notes, thinking they
Inay be OF interest just at this time, when the
whole world is echoing salyos to his memory
Tradition is the oral handing down, without
record from father to son, from generation to
generation. All traditions must, after u lapse
OF several hundred years, contain inaccura-
cies Theretore in a perusaI OF the following
due allowance should be made when the ira
ditional account differs from the historical.
When Columbus landed he found long cians
Indians, and other large game in abundance.
Having foreign rugs and an immense amount
of homesickness and sea sickness on board,
he was unable to present to the aboriginal
medicine men who boarded him q clean bill
of health. He was therefore ordered to lie 20
days in quarantine outside the bar else
come ashore and be fumigated after the Gus
IONS OF the country. He chose the latter, and
firmly laShed to a stake driven i'll the
grOund Seven dollars worth of dry hickory
wood was piled about him. but before the
fumigator's torch was applied Columbus re-
considered and decided to go to Quarantine.
The chief Immediately sent four oarsmen and
yawl to take him to his ship and at O'Clock
that afternoon they went to quarantine three
miles off the harbor. Columbus passed IL rest
less night and at day break the next morning
he Invested himself OF all his injected cloth
ing and swan ashore, where he was met
(seenlingly according TO appoIntmenD by the
chiefs daughter. a great powWOW was raised
when his presence became known in the viii
lage and but tor the earnest pleading OF his
tar escort the fumigating process would have
gone promptly forward. In the absence OF
carbolic acid and other chemical disintect-
and IL stalwart young bucks each dragged
pOle-cat to death ut the end OF long poles
Through the principal avenues OF the village
The WAS fairly blue, no mlcrobe could live
i'll it 10 minutes within 10 feet OF the earth's
surface, butColumbus feared it meant death
to human beings AS well and he com promised
by drinking quart OF jet black herb tea of
special bacteria destroying qualities prepar-
ed by the head chiefs head wife and two 9th
er old hags. Columbus gasped frantically tor
breath, and seeing tall pole standing i'll the
center of the plaza he made Tor it, and amid
10 as1
ly to the top and planted himself on the board
seat fastened there, his sole idea being to get
it he had unconsclously performed great
feat; he climbed with the strength otedespair
and not with the hope OF reward, but as it hap
pened, this was creased pole that no young
buck OF the tribe had been able to climb during
games OF the previous days. This gave him
prestige over them at once. He was then Civ
en- the freedom of the town and d halt yard of
red flannel and asked to sit down and make
himself at home. He was very weary from
his long swim and from the deafth of fresh
air about the village. But when he attempt
ed to sit down he had to stand up, tor the
ground at that early morning hour was damp
and cold to man dressed as he was Not
single chair could be found between san Sal
vador and the backbone OF the Rocky Noun
tains. (Baker was not running the furniture
business at Hawleyville them. Columbus
stood around in the hot burning sun all the
forenoon and brushed flies, to the great
amusement of the tougher skinned natives.
he proposed sending Off to the ship for IL full
dress suit and one or his servants. But one
Fire Island and they swore that II rag OF
clothing any of his men were landed they
would mob them and cast them into the sea,
have an injunction served on the whole crew,
and turn loose another dose OF disinfectants.
The black herb tea was permeating Colu1n-
Ous's whole internal system with It's nauseat-
ing bacteria destroying qurities. The heat of
the sun was intense; he was swollen and dis
figured with fly and insect bites and was one
solid blister from head to foot. When he
came down from the creased pole he OF course
took all the loose sliyers with him. These
f1S4I fast flt. in no itfCr
he bore all without mulnler, in fact he had
become so Injured to pain that when he mad
rolled from the camp fire tor cooking purpos-
es he did not know that anything Was wrong
until old hag rushed in from an adjoining
she had been awakened by the
smell of burning meat-and pulled him off.
Columbus was compelled to fast and give the
herb tea tull sway in his system until the third
day at the eleventh hour when he was served
with bountiful repast, the very best the
camp afforded. He was ofcourse very hungry
and he managed to get away With TWO young
nluskrats and a leg of opposan besides num-
erous smaller dishes, after which he utterly
collapsed and lay down to the first
refreshing sleep he had had in weeks. Amer
ic;l then discovered and the victory won.
He could well drop care and anxiety and give
up to the demands of overtaxed nature His
tory tells us how his men had mutined and
threatened time after time to cast him into
the sea. Every hour for weeks had been
fraught with anxiety and peril. This had
been indeed an eventful voyage, full of hard
ships and long hope deferred. All honor to
the name OF Columbus. Let the bands play,
the professions form and the eagle SCI cam !,
the name is well worthy the salvoS and the
being paid in this and foreign lands
We had INTENDED 20 foil W the stirring events
of his career tor 10 days longer, ana also to
make IL few remarks concerning the furniture
business at HawleyviIle, but space will not
admit, and even the furniture business must
be dwarfed into insignificahce and not men,
toned in the same column nor the same
week that we ponder upon the ilustrious
deeds of that great man, who blistered his
back and slivered his limbs while discover
ing this great and glorious country. For fur
ther particulars see Ancient History and No
vember issues OF THE NEwTowN BEE, A. d.
T. ,