The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-04-05
The naming
OF AMERICA
Celebration to be Held In Little
French Town Next June With
Many Delegates From
America.
; .BLET ON BUILDING
Western Hemisphere is Named for
Amerc vespuce, Although
Columbus Was First to
Land.

fAieIO, April o.--DeieSaIeS from
twenty-one American republics will as
semhle at Saint-Die, little town In
France, on June 3, and 5, to cele-
brate the naming of the western
world, America A commemorative
tablet, bearing the dates, will be
placed on the. house in which the
name was given, and many high
French officials will be present
The American Ambassador Robert
Bacon and the American Consul Gen
eral at Paris, Capt. Mason, have been
specially invited and both have ac-
cepted invitations. Capt. Mason has
been for some years an honorary
member of the Saint-Die Society.
A canonical assembly at Saint-Die,
in the fifteenth century. formed an
association which they named the
Vosges Gymnasium, the object of
which was general research work
Some years after the death OF Guten-
burg, the father of printing, they de-
cided that print-shop would be a big
addition, and print shop they in
stalled. That is to say the church
men financed the scheme and two
professors, Martin Wardseemuller, of
Friburgen -Brisge.u, and Matthias Ring
mann, of Strasburg, agreed to see that
the money was properly spent. OF the
two, Waldseemuller was geographi-
cal expert
Rene II, Duke of Lorraine just about
! this time was presented with a story
entitled Los Quartres Navigations
d'Americ Vesquco," the volume com
ing to him from Italy. Vautrin Lud,
the head man of the Vesges Gymna-
SUM, was a personal friend of Rene
lis and in consequence of this friend
ship the chronicle from Italy was
handed over to him. IIud induced his
brother canon, Jean Basin de Sand
aucourt, to translate the book into
Latin.
In the meantime WaIdsemuller and
Ringmann We're busy on a reproduc-
tion of Ptolemy's geographical WORK,
and in conjunction with this trea-
tise on cosmography, called "Cosmo-
graphiae Introductio, which was in
tended as a sort of introduction to the
larger work OF Ptolemy's. Wishing
the books to be as complete as pos
sible it was not hard for Lud to per
suade them that the chronicles of
Americ Vespuce should be included.
And. by way of preface, these words
appeared
THERE'S fourth part of the world
| discovered by Americ Nespuce, and
for that reason it might be named
America, that is the land of Americ
Were not Europe and Asia named af-
ter women?''
The year 1901 just after Christie
pher Columbus discovered America,
according to our school books, saw
this official naming of the great west
ern continent It is this event which
the republics of the American family
will celebrate by the sending of spec
ial ENJOYS in June.
The French government will take
part in the fete which is primarily
under the auspices of Saint-Die
committee. Foreign Minister Cruppi,
ex-Foreign Minister Pichon, and many
of the other state officials viii be
present, turning the occasion into a
sort of further cementing of friend
SIP between the Americas and
France.
The little city of saint-Die is near
the German frontier but has the get
up-and-get of a western American
place 1t will put on its Sunday
clothes, decorate from the pavement
to roof-top and reception committees
galore will see that everybody remem-
hers the event.