Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1913-03-27
plored a part Of our co !,

plored part of our coast.
Inc modern historian will tell you
that the Norsmen reached our shores
close to 500 years before Columbus. 1t
was not Columbus who planted the
banner OF Spain for the first time an
European had done SO on this CONT
nent, but Left the Lucky was the first
white man to set foot in America
Inc Norsmen were hardy race,
and Left was one OF the sturdiest
among these blue eyed giants. He
and his companions travelled without
what served as well, an Unborn yearn-
Ing for the sea. a knowledge Of ships
and the sailing of them, that had
been handed to them from generation
to generation.
The boats Of the Norsrnen were small
upon which were erected clumsy sails
and they used huge oars for motive
power. They were not more than so
feet In length. Left and his mon
had touched upon our continent at
Greenland. and here they started lit
tie settlement. How peculiar must
have been their impression In over
taking mountains Of snow and ice. so
different from Columbus and his sail
ors. who encountered a country OF most
beautiful verdure. land Of trees and
grass and flowers.
The news OF his discovery reached
his home country. and one equally
as venturesomes BJarne Herjulfson.
started across the Atlantic upon q sim
liar mission OF adventure But Bjarne
landed considerably further south and
when he finally sailed northward In
search OF Left his efforts were rewarded
with success, and when he told the dis
coverer OF Greenland of the beautiful
country he had seen to the south, Left
purchased his ships and started in
search OF 1t. All this was about 1000
A. ID.
In hts travels southwark he made
several landings until he reached the
place We now know as Halifax, Nova
Scotia. From there they journeyed
on and after some days reached an
Island. which some historians think 10
the island we now know az Nantucket
They sailed along the coast Of this
Island ana to the westward and are
supposed to have skirted some of the
present New England shore along Long
Island sound.
The beauty of this section pleased
them much, and as winter was APP
preaching they made preparations to
pass 1t In this milder climate. On ac-
found, much Of which they turned into
wine, they called the place Wineland.
When the spring came the spirit OF
the wandering called again to the
Norsmen and they longed to see the
land OF Ice, where they had been
born. So they set sail at last for
Greenland. taking with them much
Wine and many grapes and other
things, their spoil OF the newly dis
covered country.
America may have been visited by
white people previous to the arrival
of the Norsmen, but there is no
record Of 1t. But to return to the dis
covery OF Columbus his right OF hay-
ing been the discoverer of America was
disputed by Amerigo Vespucci. who
laid to having been the first person
to place his foot on the mainland. and
therefore. was the real discoverer. He
reached the mainland, he claimed. In
the spring OF 1897. His story has been
much doubted
There IL yet another to be reckoned
with as the first discoverer of the main
land OF North America, John Cabot
who with his son, Sebastian, sailed un-
der commission from Henry VI. OF
England, in 1497. Owing to the meager
facts which are obtainable. 1t would
be difficult to place properly the credit
as to who was the first person from
Europe to put foot on the American
continent.