The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-15
THE NEW FIRST READER.
Something Like an Encyclopedia. But
Not Profound.

For years and years Christopher Co
lumbus had entertained the idea that
beyond the western seas there were 9TH
er lands, and at last his perseverance
was rewarded. King Ferdinand and
Queen Isabella. came to think that 1t
might be so, and. they furnished him
with three small ships to go forth and
gobble up anything he could md one
day he sailed away amidst the cheers
of the popuIace, and before night he
was out of sight of land and half his
men weeping with homesickaess.
Many days passed. Even Columbus
himself was astonished at sight OF SO
much water When no land was sight
ed his men grew afraid. Some fell on
their knees in prayer, and others went
about whispering that if the old man
did not bout ship pretty soon he would
find that he had picked up a RED nor
horseshoe Columbus saw and heard
these things, but he was calm He was
a man who wouldn't have got exclted
had he been on the front seat in a cir
Gus when the elephant broke loose.
AT length. as the weeks passed away
and the ships continued TO SAT- INTO ciie
unknown the crews were on the polie
Of unl1tiry They had appointed one o.
their number to stab Columbus between
the fourth and fifth ribs and boss the
expedition, when sailor VINO nau
climbed to the masthead to be by ms
lonesome suddenly cried out that he saw
land on the Iarboard bow. Even in those
faraway days you couldn't mistake
North America when you came 10 IL
and soon all was commotion ana en-
thusiasm aboard the ships.
In the course of two hours they were
,1p with the land. The men saw verdant
pastures, green trees, vines loaded Win
cranes and hives oYerhowing with hon
ev While they cheered and cheereu
and slapped each other on the
back only a faint smile crossed
49, of
come out as he predicted, but ne
was not the man to say tol1 1
YOU So" and make others feel
mean and small. He simply observed
mai the country would do for him and
ordered his men to row him ashore that
he might take possession in the name OF
Spain AS the boat grated on the -peacn
the bus drove up, he was invited 70 ger
in. and ten minutes later he was at
summer hotel and reading such signs
as: Turn Down the Gas When Not in
T1se,' ANY, Inattention of Walters
Should Be Reported at the ONCE ana
"AIl washing Done by Guests in Ihelr
Rooms Win Be Charged For at Laun-
dry Rates."
After loafng around Florida for
wear or so Mr.. De Soto began to think
there ought to be something doing
He discovered that there was
right smart heap of land in Florida,
saving nothing of the mosquitoes and
alifgat tors. but he had come to believe
that by heading to the northwest ne
might find q few farms worth taxing
up He therefore gathered together
his men and drove OF nosS LOT poAA
pie and set out.
The expedition had a good deal of
sameness about it. That IS. was
laundering through swamps anu
marching through. the woods most OF
the time. It halted here and there to
dig for gold, but never tound any.
metimes the innocent Indians vel
coined it and showed the men how 10
dig roots for food, and sometimes they
ran away and prevented Mr.. De SOTO
Deople from having lots of fun. The
Standards were not out for their health
altogether When they could lay
hands on an Indian chief and dozen
of his best men they insisted on being
led straight to a large and liberal
minded gold mine. When the captives
couldn't or wouldn't toe the mark they
were stood up and shot down, roasted
at -bonfires or slashed with knives
Getting up Into Georgia, the expedl-
ton turned to the west. It expected TO
fnd the jumping off place any day, but
the further 1t went the more land 1t
found Columbus had reported that
quantity of land in America, but II was
left for Mr. De Soto to find that there
was room for thousand farmers
without any crowding.
A great many men sickened and
died. and in due time the hogs were
devoured and the people would have
been glad TO send TO Packingtown in
its halcyonist days, but forward" was
the word De Soto didn't know where
he was going, or what he would bring
up against when he got there, but he
was playing his two pairs for all they
were worth. He made up his mind
that he would keep going as long as
the land lasted, and he finally got out