Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1893-09-23
Worlds Fair Notes.
Special WORLD Correspondence.
MONASTERY OF LA RABIDA.


and not one word about the First Great
Admiral in whose honor so much has
been written, and whose achievements
in navigation this fair commentaries.
But the omission is not from neglect,
nor from want of honor to Christopher
Columbus, but simply for the reason that
the Monastery of La Rabida was situate
on the Lake shore and had left it for a
warm day, or more correctly speaking a
hot day, and when it came tool the In
tramural for the South Loop, the near
est stop to the Monastery, and here we
are.
This Monastery which contains the
Columbus relics is as nearly as possible
an exact reproduction of the old Mon
astery of La Rabida situated on head
land between the Odiel and Unto rivers
near Palos, Spain, and three miles from
the Atlantic ocean. Here Columbus was
entertained On four different visits
marking four distinct epochs in the life
of the great navigator. And these four
epochs have been again and again the
subject of artist and historian, and truly
could one think of better subjects, so
wonderful for their truth yet tinged with
90 much that is romantic that one al
most feels as if these visits were from in
SEPARATION. The first visit we see Column
bus and his little son Diego at the Mon
astery door begging for bread. Think of
it! A mind capable of imagining and
realizing the discovery of continent in
such object poverty that he must beg
his food. Then turn to the fourth pict-
ure when TIE Deum is sung in honor of
this erstwhile beggar who comes back
to report to his benefactors that he has
given to their common sovereigns New
World.
The grounds around the Monastery
are terraced and are planted with cen
fury plants and species of cacti giving it
q strangely unique appearance that in
spires one with feeling akin to venera-
ton as one approaches the structure
which resembles at once Monastery,
and an ancient fortress.
The history of this building aside from
its connection with the discoverer of
America is replete with interest, being,
according to history originally built in
the second century during the reign of
the Roman Emperor Trajan. then there
are authentic records to show that it was
reconstructed in the eleventh century
and was used as a fortress by the
Knights Templar.
If the outside is study what shall we
say of the inside with it's wonderful
pictures, paintings and mosaics, its rel
les of every conceivable kind from the
autograph of Columbus to the chain
that bound him in captivity. To the
untiring energies of many people, among
whom William E. Curtis is chief, is due
this exhibit.
Fearing that might miss something
of rare importance purchased souve-
mir guide book and sat down to study it
before ''doing" the exhibit. Not quite
content with the book l then interview
ed a guard and was fortunate in find
ing one who knew all about the most in
teresting things, the most precious relics
and most famous pictures.
The two pictures, in the room you en-
ter, which seemed to me most wonder
full were two mosaics-one "St Peter
Weeping" is called the finest mosaic in
the world and is the result of six years
of labor. The other is "The Prophet
Elijah" several times larger than the
first and required sixteen years to COM
plete it. The oil paintings here are
numerous, many of them priceless in
value from their antiquity, others are
new and grandly large and beautiful,
but the relics that will perhaps be of
most interest to us are the things that
have the nearest connection to Column
bus himself. Going through these
rooms which might be called Columbus
Art galleries, we enter room in which
we find the front door of the house oc-
cupied by Columbus on the Madeira Is
lands, and door from the original Mon
astery, a key to the door of his house,
some stones from the first town in the
New World, the first church bell that
rung in the first church at Ancient Isa-
bella, tiles from this old church, rem
nants from the horse shoes used by the
caballeras, and some ancient "Hawk
bells" brought to Santo Domingo by the
conquestadores and afterwards used by
them as capital in trade with the In
dams.
Here are some curious old idols, one
cannot tell what they are made to rep
resent. The head with it's queer long
ears, fat nose, odd shaped mouth is like
unto nothing and this head is fitted onto
q body which might have been pattern
ed after your grand mothers and irons
or vice versa. These figures were found
in cave and are almost 500 years old.
But one could not name all or even a re-
spectable part of these relics without