Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
as a patriot. although he may have meant
only mischief.
Birthplace Of Columbus.


Genoa has many fine monuments in its
| streets and parks, as we'll as in the cems-
| terry. The monument erected In honor Of
| Columbus in one Of the principal squares is
ranked among the finest In the world, and
| Is intended to express the bride OF the citi-
zens in the fame of their fellow townsman,
| for while IT Is not absolutely known, 1t Is
| reasonably certain that tfie man who dis
covered America was born at oi Via Dritto
| del Ponticello, one of the narrow and pic
turesque streets in the old part of Genoa.
While, as say, 1t is not Certain that CO.
| lumbus was born in this house. there is
positive evidence that his father and mother
infant. In 1887 through the efforts Of
Cavaliers Bald of this: city the property
was purchased and Latin inscription was
placed over the door, which. being trans
an inscription. This is the paternal home
of Christopher Columbus, wherein he passed
his infancy and youth,
The little town of Cogoleto, on the Gulf
of Genoa, about fifteen miles from this city,
also claims to be the birthplace of the great
discoverer, and an ancient tenement bears
the following pretentious inscription
Travellers stop at this plscei - a>
1t was here that Christopher Columbus
The greatest man In the world,
First saw the, light 80
Here in this humble house,
There was only world;
This man spoke and there two.
Columbus. in his will, says; II was born
IN Genoa and again. II came from there
tie the question. His grandfather lived at
the village of Terrarossa, about twenty
miles northeast, and there Domineco, his
father, Was born, and in 1436 married Su-
sauna Fontanarossa, with whom he moved
into Genoa, and in that year qualified as a
citizen, as appears upon the munic pal rec
ords. The mother of Columbus died in 1471
The home in which 1t is claimed that Co.
" nrr or rio hill
was mortgaged in 1472, and when Columbus
left Genoa in 1473 he signed deed rein-
gushing all his claims upon the property
in favor of his brothers.
This is matter of record, having been
discovered in the archives of the city by
Henry Harisse the American historian. 1t
is natural inference that when Columbus
started out upon his career he obtained
nom his father his share of the estate and
signed the necessary papers.
Priceless Manuscripts of Columbus.
Before starting upon his last voyage, In
the spring of 1902, infirm in health and with
impaired confidence in the honesty of his
sovereigns and the council of the Indies
who had treated him so shamefully, Co.
lumbus intrusted all his contracts with Fer
dinand and Isabella his privileges his COM
missions and other important papers, to
Nicolo de Oderigo, the ambassador from
Genoa to the Spanish court, to be deposited
in trust with the Bank Of st. George, which
was to the commercial world in those days
what the Bank of England is today. He
appointed that bank trustee of his wealth,
which he believed to be very large, for, I'M
der his contracts with Ferdinand and Isa-
bella, he was entitled to one-ffth of all the
lands he should discover, and one-ffth of
all the revenues they should produce for
ever. By his will he intrusted one tenth of
his income perpetually to the bank for the
purpose of paying the taxes upon corn, wine
ana other food for the Daonla 10
ma tive city. '.s'-.' y.
IF that tenth amounts to something,
collect it, he said in d letter to the d.
rectCrs of the bank; "if not, at least take
the will for the deed" which shows that
he had already lost faith in the justice of
King Ferdinand, for Queen Isabella who
had been his loyal frifada had recently
The letters and documents sent by CO.
lumbus were duly delivered to the bank by
Nicoio Oderigo DecembeE 2U 1904. and on
tEat date We're entered in the books on
pages 256 and 257 butT0fUmbus received
no acknowledgment from the bank and no
report from Oderigo, to-whem he wrote a
very indignant letter. saying: 1.-The failure
OF the st. George gentlsmaM to answer my
letters Is an act of discourtesy for which
the treasury is by nesankans better off.
iris is the reason why 1t is generally said
that to serve the publfes1s tb1serve no one"
when the Bank of St-Geerge was closed
IN the eighteenth century these priceless
manuscripts were transsf drred5fto the city
government and were placed upon sexhib-
ton N the ely hall EheFs Napoleon found
precious things In ITALY VI ley We're taken
to Paris. and remained in the archives of
the foreign office until 1921, when they
were restored to Genoa and have since
been kept in what is called the .'Custodia,"
| hollow marble shaft, surmounted by a
bust of Columbus. They are shown one
day In the week to visiting strangers, to-
gether with Paganint's violin. The Column
bus manuscripts are handsomely bound in
silver covers. and are called ''the codice
diplomatico. "i-s. ~. 4.lE :. -. eSo1-HO