Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-19
THE FIRST MAP OF AMERICA.
The Name Said to Have Appeared on
It for the First Time.
From the Providence Journal.

FROM the Irovldence Journal
The Brown University committee in
charge of the John Carter Brown Library
of Americana has recently had under Com
sideration a proposition that the library
should make an offer of $40, 900 for the first
map containing the name America" The
offer has not been made nor is it likely to
be made in the near future by the library
authorities, so it is extremely improbable
that this priceless relic of the early history
of this country will ever find a home In
Providence.
The map to which this extraordinary
value is attached is the property of Prince
Woldenburg of Wolfegg Castle, in Wur-
temberg, Germany. A short time ago an
agent of the prince approa ched the London
agent of the Brown library with the prop
osition that the Providence institution
should offer 10000 for the map, implying
that the price named would secure this
great geogra phical relic. The agent COM
municated with his superiors, and the COM
mittee took the matter under consideration.
After due thought and consultation the
committee decided not to make the offer.
1t was thought that the proposition of the
German agent was nothing more than an
attempt to secure definite offer on which
to base negotiations, by which much
higher price could be secured elsewhere. 1t
was also thought doubtful if the German
government would allow so valuable an ar
ticle of historical and geographical inter-
est to leave the country. With apparent
negotiations pending for the sale of the
map and its removal to the United States,
the German government would probably
step in and make the purchase on its own
account, placing the map in the Berlin
library. The proposition appeared like an
effort to the American offer as a cats
paw for the purpose above mentioned, and
the Brown library committee declined to
be made of in that manner
The map is of undoubted authenticity
and is considered by experts to be worth
much more than the price mentioned.
In 1907 there was published at the town
of st. Die, in the Vosges mountains, a
small geographical treatise entitled Cos
mographiae Introductio," in which 1t was
suggested that the then lately discovered
fourth part of the world should be called
america, because Americas (Vespucius)
discovered IT. A copy of this book is in
the John Carter Brown Library. One OF
those associated in the preparation Of the
volume was Martin Waldseemuller.
prominent geographer and photographer.
The book purports to contain some princi-
pies of geometry and astronomy necessary
to understanding of the subject: also
an account Of the four voyages of Ameri-
Gus Vespucius. In the book Is mention Of
map and globe on which were repre-
sensations of the newly discovered coun-
try. 1t has long been commended that If this
map and globe ever came to light the new
ly discovered western lands represented
thereon would be found to bear the name
America suggested in the book This
seemed certainty when two manuscript
maps by Glareanus were discovered at
Munich and Bonn. both bearing the name
America" the Bonn map being dated
1910.
For the past century there has been a
diligent search for the maps Of Waldsee-
muller but no specimens were seen or
heard of. and some historians and geog-
raphers in recent years have even gone
SO far as to state definitely that the globe
and the map were never issued at all. and
that the book was published alone. About
two years ago the geographical world was
startled by the announcement that Wald-
seemnller.s long-lost map. Of 1907. together
with another of his Of 1516. had been dis
covered by Prof. p. Joseph Fischer In the
library OF Prince Woldenburg. In Wur-
temberg. The map Is wood engraving
and is bound In folio volume, with seyeral
other maps of value, and is In an excellent
state of preservation.