The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-14

- Opalii % 4
1897. Spain. j understand, disputes
the contention.
Mr.. William r. Curtis, the first Di-
rector OF the Pan-American Union
and a vel known newspaper writer.
investigated the facts. which were
used by him in a syndicated press let
ter in the first part of 1910 and ap-
peared in The Chicago Record-Herald.
He indicated satisfaction with the
claims of Santo Domingo. Mr.. Fred
erlck A. ODER. the writer and
ty on the West Indies, also has OK
pressed himself to the same effect.
and presents the facts in one of his
volumes.
About twenty years ago. or at the
time of the four hundredth anniver--
sary OF the discovery Of America. and
the Columbian Exposition at Chicago,
the Dominican Government caused to
be set aside and vested in a Junta
a tract Of land in the heart
or the city, abHtting the Caribbean
Sea, for the purpose Of erecting there
on a mauSOleum in which would be
placed the remains Of Columbus.
THE location is ideal and peculiar
ly appropriate. 1t overlooks the open
roadstead of the sea SO often travelled
! by Columbus On his of dis
Covery, and from the site one may look
out upon the anchorage where the
Inundated and degraded Admiral. di-
'NotSO Va AAo ~
embarked for Spain in October, 1900.
in irons. The unausoieum plan failed
of cOmpietiOn: in TACT, nothing was
accomplished, but as a substitute q
monument was erected i'll the cathe-
dral. and in a crypt provided there
for the remains are now preserved.
At that time it was understood hat
arrangement was temporary, and
at a later date the original scheme of
building an imposing tomb would be
carried out. While the monument in
the cathedral is ornate, it is not com
mensurate with the greatness of Col
umbns. nor does it constitute a fit
ting or sufficient mark OF respect fol-
such a world character.
Furthermore, the remains contain
ed in the leaden casket in which they
were discovered by accident in the "a
he'd in the year 1917, were no.
Theoretically sealed and placed AVA
for all time. Upon occasions. and no
in~freQuently, the caSket is withdraw
from its resting place, the top remov
ed, and the precious dust and frag
ments Of bones exposed to the air ant
the gaze and actual handling of tn
curious. This, it would seem. shoult
not be.
Every school child is taught that i
l was the dying wish Of Columbus tina
l his mortal remains be carried to an
laid away in the country he discover
GU, Lin ~ id INCH
$ tial Intervention his wish has been re
. spected through the centuries tina
have passed, Notwithstanding the de
liberate plan Of the Spanish authori
ties in 1875 to remove the remains t
e wan at the time SantO DOming
: was coded to France.
81 have often thought. and I as
sumo there will be no difference G
opinion on that point. that a mausO
I leum worthy of holding the remain
r of Columbus should be erected CORE
spending in a way to the mausoleuT
t of Napoleon in Les Inyalides and tn
$ the Grant Tomb at Riverside. TIL
construction OF such a monumeI
n should be the concern Of each c
n the tWenty-One republics now occupy
e ing the territory in North and Sout
q America, and likewise Canada. for tn
o fact mHSt be appreciated hat man.
if not almost all the other. countrie
have received far greater ultimat
benefit from the ~stupendous work {
Columbus than Santo Domingo. Henc
it would be in every way fitting fC
all America to join with Santo Dc
IS mingo in paying this belated hemae
a in the place SO beautifully called /
Il Cuna de America to the origin;
blazer Oh the trail.
q The movement to construct such
IS ~mausofeum doubtless would me,
p with prompt and hearty approval ar
ID general support, not only from the r,
rs respective governments but the inc
l. vidual nations Of America North ar
'e South. My idea is that a fund of n
ly less than $500. 900 easily could I
n. raised by popular subscription n d
s. voted to the object. Besides the n:
~ tons many societies doubtless read
is ly would respond, among the numb
S. the Pan-American Union. the Pal
I'd American Society OF New York. &c
tain Italian societies, and the Spans
le stori Society.
L. A a further tentative SusgeStio
r. if the plan We're gotten under way.
massive tomb could be erected. al
on the same a lighthouse superir
NJ posed and a powerful light INSTALL
er to guide by night the path of ID
I'd nrasant-aav narn,exed mariner. Ea.
OF country assisting might supply
:" marble slab or bronze tablet. suHab
IN inscribed. to be placed in the Interl
around the sacrophasus.