Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-01-31

TEE sosLEaAs AT SyE's House.
Reading carefully the biography Of
Columbus We dad that 40 one In his ago
or generation could have been better
fitted for the mighty JOB Of opening up
and booming western world than
christopher Columbus. for he is said TO
have bssn ons Of the brightest young
liars Of his tins. Columbus took pre-
variation in its infancy. it is said. and
put II on its feet and raads an industry
GIFT He had taleat Of deceit says
ms oiograpAsr. land sometimes boosted
OF II. or az least counted il a merit"
And this II the gentleman whose name
We give 70 the worlds great exposition
400 years after he found rs while look
ing for sone one elsel hate to seem
peseimistic or SPEAK lightly Of great
man bol:eve that | should speak of
Columbus with respect. as would have
wished him to refer to me If our places
had been reversed; but oh, how sad it is
To know that the land of Washington
George w Washington. the man who would
not he even about bis circuiation-that
such land. I say. should have been dis
covered by a liar who represented the
pauper labor of Europe! This. say.
pains and grieves me.
The bioxrapher of Columbus also pro-
duces good evidence to show that Chris
was not by long. long distance the
pioneer in the theory Of the earth's
Sphericity- IL was an idea taught by
the Pythsgorcans IN the Sixth century
before Christ. which was. as the ready
znethemasicisn VIII see at once, about
1900 years before Christopher Columbus
got hss lunch put up for his great jour
ney west Two hundred years before
Christ. Crates n said to have constructed
. globe map over ten feet In diameter
and offered il - a premium with his pa
per. 30 that even IN the time of our
Saviour tho spher:city Of the earth was
,st q new thing Religious matters of
sourse sngrpssed the attention at that
,sme 50 mach that geography was yet IN
is infancy. bat II was common talk in
Jerusalem, especially On the west side.
that the earth WAS round like ball and
ocrnpcssa Of land and water.
Toscznclls bad much to do with firing
up Columbus 70 MAKE the voyage Of dis
rovsry. We hear very little OF Tosca-
aciIi, and veshs Taught Columbus that
che earth was round like q ball and fiat
tened ut the poles. Toscanelli had fig
ured ont By means of logarithms and a
piece OF chalk that the circumference OF
the ea<fh was SEQ miles. This slight
error Of 1000 miles. considering what
disadvantages he had 90 deal with and
also that one sstrorensr rs late ~ the
sslxfesnfh century made an error of
800. $50 miles in figuring out the dis
sance Of the earth from the sun. not
even discovering tao mistake till years
aftsrwari, when 10 accidentally paced
of the distance Oh. Of curiosity--i say
an error Of 1000 niles. at time when
shers wsrs SO few barns upon which 70
make gsaxetrical calculations. Is not
Surprising.
Let - new pass on rapidly to speak Of
King Ferdinand ard Queen Isabella.
viewed in the hght OF more careful re-
search BY the biogrzphsr Of Columbus.
A. n net 80 bad TO learn. after years Of
faith and sssst in Isabella. that she was
really ons ~ our coarsess and jayest Of
unesne
ca. what can be saddsr than to catch
: crowasd head IN a mean act2 What
en- D. more depressing than 70 know
mat yonr fassrise monarch is chunp
ox a iay7 Oh. it Is tsrrihEsi never had
nus ouo such experience myself.
Our house used 10 be quite r~nde=-
suus for people Of title when was
cksld. wealsbv NEEDLES used TO come TO
sur house and bring their dinners with
then We were very popular with that
- when they came | slept with my
unr~ntz. 50 did the ether boys. held
sh~~s sifIed peopls m great esteem. and
e~~s them ny pc. Bas one day duke
40 wae ~ cur place shooting grouse.
vrusr,e chsohens and cows. sat at table
srA c~nbea hrs rri. red vhiskers with
h,n tork. That ssstlsd IL with him. |
suyula pse respect hia after that. He
-, vus M tseth On the table while
s,>.>k1u~ of has ancestars | hate that.
a s.sn whe r>onst speak freely Of his
e.-,~rsrxs ~sthsut rcwevisx his teeth At
n>b.e . 10 s<5~ad sf SINE.
tnbes,A. n sas been ard. psvned her
tswes. that Cnlumsus msehs 20 20 the
w>ef and fsss q nsw wuxid The his-
sx>on sevs sh> ais net 10 that. SO N
En-. wcnan departments Of the great Ell
r-~~s<iso 1~r&~sia shss;a net ~ per
r,;tsrd 3, hsss ne piacs which By rights
c->~. vS<twis shsula hcld Victoria
= xsrv asff>r-nt fr>m Isabella Sic =
urv<<hs - . nsnarch, and hae never
ee..~ $4,000 ><sde frvn s;A- path ~
1.r<x n s~&er - CRAFTY her ewn selsish
~rs&Ss--. she has ps< N iz-r lssie ell ei9es
a.,r~ - asv r<sx=sie< ~ the s&sne a.