The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-10-12
CRAZY FOOL,
 COLUMBUS

This is the day when the New World celebrates the anniversary of its discovery by that crazy fool, Co., | lumbus.
 Of course, nobody now considers Christopher a madman or a fool, but that was the general opinion held of him by his contemporaries-be he made good.
 Even "the ragged urchins of the pavement tapped their foreheads and smiled'', when Columbus passed through the streets of Seville in the spring of 1491, according to the his torian F'iske.
 Probably they cried out, Nobody home," Hook out or the squirrels will getcha," and similar phrases. Very likely Columbus was advised by these ragged urchins" to hang crepe on his ear because his brain was dead.
 The historians have neglected to tell us whether Columbus was pee wish under those taunts, or whether he accepted them good naturedly. It is pretty safe to assume, however, that Columbus didn't miud. He doubtless realized that the youngsters but echoed the opinions of their elders, and he felt confident that he was go- ing to give the surprise of their lives to those complacent folks who smiled sneeringly whenever he preached his favorite theme.
 Columbus was one of those cranks with one idea who accomplish so many great things. One can we'll inn agine that he was an awful bore to his associates. All he thought about, and all he talked about, was that short route to the "spice Indies."
 You see, it's like this,'' Columbus would say, withdrawing a bundle of maps and diagrams from his hip pock- ct; and then his unfortunate victim would have to sit and listen for hours while Christophe- discoursed about the spherical nature of the earth, the width of the ocean lying between Flu rope and Asia, and thel wonderful things to be discovered by the navi- gator brave enough to undertake this transatlantic voyage. He was probab- ly worse than a life insurance agent.
 But when Columbus returned to- Spain-what difference. Those whoN had lodged down side. streets to avoid him and his interminable chatter rushed with glad hands to greet him. And all over Spain was heard this chorus: ts
 '1 told you so.''
 T always knew that fellow Colum- bus had the goods"
 "I knew his scheme, was sound the minute he told me of it..''
 Say, that Columbus is mighty in- teresting talker. He usta spiel with me by the hour, and never tired of listening to him."
 Columbus was a college chum of mine and we roomed together at Pa via always knew he had the stuff in him. He's one bright guy, tell ya."
 "He never would a gotithere except for me-. Yep, gave him all the dope. and all he had to do was to follow the route laid out for him-and there. he was!s s.H And so forth, and so on. Columbus wasn't the>first European to surmise that Asia could be reached by sailing westward.
 Aristotle and other ancient geogra- phers conjectured that Asia might be reached by passing the pillars of Her. cules. \
 Edrisi, an Arabian scholar of the twelfth century, guessed that the Att lantic Communicated with the sea of Sin, which bathes the shores of Cog and Magog (China).
 But these and others contented themselves with conjecturing. Columbus went and did it. Which is why the world, which loves doer, honors his memory to-day.