The evening world., 1911-02-27
GnT0U That CHI
ti II i 8 t Q r y
n. Al--A n...>- r--a.--
By Albert Payson Terhune

No. so-A Lie That Led TO a Great Discovery.
F some inspired liar had not started a story that Florida contained
mountains of pure gold and caverns full Of Jewels. the discovery
Of this vast Mississippi country might have been indefinitely d
- layed.
Many a time in history there has arisen a a who has nad
but one idea-and that a wrong IN But by hammering away at that same
mistaken notion he has CHANGED to hit upon something Of real value. For
instance, Hudson IA looking for a strait connecting the Atlantic with the
Pacific And he Numbered upon the Hudson River. Columbus. seeking to
reach India by sailing westward. happened upon America-and died without
even guessing what he had discovered. Ponce de Leon, hunting for .
fountain of youth that never existed. opened Florida to exploration. Such
another ma was the spaniard. Fernando de Soto.
De Soto had served a s a lieutenant in the murderous gang Of fortune
hunters whom the exswineherd, Pizarro. led to the footing of Peru. He
had also explored the wilderness Of Panama, looking Tor a strah-or natural
- lana, ana ", ,m n n n0os yh,n must sureS run run n r".- ss
On Fools Of Cuba. To the north o this island la Florida: and
Errand." behind Florida al immense continent. most of which 70
- Around all unknown things there hangs a mystery.
wnd tales and umOrs are evolved about then. Among the thousands Of won
treasure lam somewhere in the interior. The whole southern section OF tn.
continent vas vaguey known in those daysa $ "rrorida," AND in Florida this
marvellous treasure was said to be hidden. Indians confirmed the lie.
pizarrO. imed by Just such stories had CONQUERED Peru and had won IN.
credible wealth. Cortez hd heard those same treasure talesa about Mexico. an
had mastered the Ahecsi winning a tremendous fortune. De Soto planned
From the King of Spain he received permission to conquer Florida ,"s hs
and the men he initiated as that their quests we're founded on true .tors.
He landed near the p@ent city of Tampa, with 600 men. N May q. 1853. and
pushed northward through the wilderness. Indians were captured and cues
Others, under torture or else frightened almost into docy. said hi treasure
country lay to the northwest beyond their 4" land
% 'I hnsn UPON wu traTss Of We Tsa t, h m.0 IA mSrm me S1nf ,hrs,,sD nOrAi msb ". bleak ne :,
god-crazed. he drove them onward
Of s'r tT srt snsT , rHv vha n . or mi m nsnn nae a,s syeF fssp Soto It's ,prsSd , ysn'S a ,sa,,,.
Indian that the stream "a known as the iesasee-be. And tn spaniard'
The explorers did not peem to have realized how ereat a discovery they had
just made. Their eyes were treasure blinded n they pressed N. Through
The End OF s ns.. the ,,. no's asss. ;,, S; ,se's ,n oss:s DE, DE- Soto 70 could sas NJ. A..
~~~~~~S ut to find bound1ess wealth. All he had discovered a
trackess forest and ne huge river The disappointment
broke his heart He could rot ounive Failure.
o the return trip when d Soto died. Ignorant of he value of the fatt that
any of the paitry yellow metal he had sought, he considered his life wasted.
pe so,os sa S%y n ,,o a@ M ns a yS rrer s nae had "S als as easa n Tss aTa' NV anm noSs,sa
unmarbed grave he sleeps: the grand stream abnye his head his ony rnonu.