Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-02-11

principal squares Is ranked among the
finest In the world, and is Intended to
express the pride of the citizens in
the fame of their fellow townsman, for
while II is not absolutely known, 1t is
reasonably certain that the man who
discovered America was born at ~
Via Dritto del Ponticelio one Of the
narrow and picturesque streets in the
older part of GENOA. While, as | say.
il Is not Ger ain that Columbus was
born tn this house, there is positive
evidence tha. mis- father and mother
owned it. and lived there while he was
an infant. Iii 1851 through the eff
forts of Cayaliere Baldi of this city,
the property was purchased and
Latin inscription was placed over the
door, which, being translated. reads:
No house better deserves an iuscrip-
ton. This is the paternal home Of
Christopher Columbus. wherein he
passed his infancy and youth
Columbus IN his Will says: Il was
born in Genoa" and again. Il came
from there and there was | born"
which ought to settle the question.
His grandfather lived at the village
of Terrarossa, about twenty miles
northeast and there Domineco, his
father, was born, and in l436 married
Susanna Fontanarossa, with whom he
moved into Genoa, and in that year
qualified as a citizen. as appears up
on the municipal records. The moth
er Of Columbus died in 14Tl. The
home in which It is claimed that Co
lumbus was born, or spent his child
hood was mortgaged in 1472, and
when Columbus left Genoa in 1i73
he signed deed relinqushing all his
claims upon the property in favor of
his brothers. This is matter of rec
ord. having been discovered in the
archives of the city by Henry Harisse.
the american historian. 1t is nat
ural Inference that when Columbus
started out upon his career he obtain
ed from his father his share of the
estate and signed the necessary pa
pors
Before starting upon his last voy-
age. in the spring of 1902, infirm in
health and with impaired confidence
in the honesty of his soverelgns and
the council of the indies, who had
treated him so shamefully. Columbus
intrusted all his contracts with Ferdi-
nand and Isabella. his privileges, his
commissions and other important pa
pers, 10 Nicolo de Oderigo, the am
bassador 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, under his contracts with
Ferdinand and Isabella, he was en-
titled to one-fifth of all the lands he
should discover, and one-fiith of all
the revenues they should produce for
ever. BY his will he intrnsted one
| tenth of his income perpetually to the
| bank for the purpose of paying the
| taxes upon corn wine and other food
| for the poor people of his native city.
If that tenth amounts to something
| collect it," he said in letter TO the
directors 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, VINO had been his
loyal friend, had recently died
| The letters and documents sent by
| Columbus were duly delivered TO the
| bank by Nocolo Oderigo Dec. 81, 1904
md on that date were entered in the
books on pages $50 and 257, but Co
from the bank and no report from
| Oderigo TO whom he wrote a very in
| lignant letter, saying: THE failure
| Of the st. George gentleman to ans
wer my letters is an act of discour
| tesy, for which the treasury is by nc
| means better off This is the reason
why it is generally said that to serve
| the public is to serve no one"
When the Bank of st. George was
closed in the eighteenth century these
| priceless manuscripts were transferred
10 the city government. and were plac'
| ed upon exhibition in the city hall
where Napoleon found them and stole
| them. as he did many other precious
| hings in Italy. They were taken to
| Paris and remained in fhe 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 sur
| mounted by bust of Columbus. They
| are shown one day in the week to Wis
| iting strangers, together with Pagan
mrs violin. The Columbus manu-
yer covers, and are called the ''co-
dice diplomatlco.'