The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-10-12

He Strummed a Mean Guitar
Meath the Moonlit Window
Of His Beauteous Lady
Love in Old Seville

New Orleans, Oct. 12.--Christoph<
or Columbus. who sailed beyond the
Dlue rim OF the world to discover the
golden Americas, was something more
than a great advcnturer. He also was
considerable of sheik.
The grizzlcd Old navigator, painted
Ter centuries as a dour man of gloom
and shadows, in reality was roman
tic stroller who twanged guitar
under the sleepy moon of old CASTLE
as ardently as any youthful hero out
OF an old-fashioned novel.
This new light on the old explorer
is given by Professor Rudolph Schulz
Ter, European linguist and eshnologi-
cal savant, who came to this coun-
try to examine early American data
in the library Of Tulane University.
The romance Of Columbus, hither-
to known only to delivers in musty
old libraries, is made public by Prof.
Schiller.
In Old Seville
Columbus, burning with the idea
Of new route to the famed spice
islands Of Asia, was cooling his heels
impatiently in old Seville. living on
the bounty Of King Ferdinand and
waiting for Queen Isabella to make
that famous call on the pawnbroker
that would launch Columbus, on his
voyage Of discovery.
IT was Easter week, and Seville
was city of pageantry, with street
professions and flower-bedeckcd
floats brilliant with all the, color of
the church's brightest : festival.
Columbus mingled nightly in the gay
throngs on the streets.
One night he was strolling aim
lessly down a side street, dreaming
Of the strange, perilous journey that
lay before him. Suddenly he jumped
back. What had been thrown at
him? A dagger? No. There had
been no clash of steel on the pave
ment. He stopped. 1t was a rose
Columbus looked up. A lace man.
tilla floated in the dusk on the iron
balcony Of a house beside him. Al
woman, hidden in the shadows
laughed softly. She held fan be-
fore her face. Columbus fell in love
without even seeing her face.
Serenades by Moonlight
More nights came-nights when
Columbus. in true Spanish style,
took guitar and strummed Groom
ing love songs beneath the balcony
fan was removed from before the
face Of the woman above him, and he
saw the beautiful Dona Beatriz En-
rique OF Cordcva, smiling down at
him. And then there came a
night when the barred door below
the balcony swung open. -.
A son was born to Dona Beatriz
Enrique. proud lady of CASTLE, and
Christopher Columbus, Italian ad-
venturer seeking his fortune in a.
strange land. And then Columbus
went to palos ard sailed beyond the
sunset to everlasting fame.
Sometimes great mems sons are
lost in the obscurity of history. But
not so in this case. The boy, named
Fernando, can be traced to posi-
ti"n If note. AS youngster he ac-
comp MED Columbus on one of his
later voyages to the New World-the
strange New World that Columbus,
u the day Of his DEATH thought was
only an outlying part Of Asia.
Then Fernando entered the priest
hood. And finally we find him estab-
fishing the world famous library at
Seville. for centuries one of the ccr-
tcrs of European learning.
Made Other Discoveries
That is the story that Professor
Schiller reveals about Columbus.
The professor has made other dis
coveries about the famous old ex-
plorer, too. He has shown, for in
stance, that the school histories are
mistaken when they say that Column
:..s' ..ews were recruited from jails
and almshouses--the offscourings of
the water front. On the contrary,
he says, they were the pick Of
SPANS seamcn, chosen as carefully
rs were the crews CT Amundsen and
Peary.
In the library of Tulane Univcr-
sity, Prof. SCHUYLER has discovered
facsimile illustration, Of the sigma
ture and handwriting Of Columbus.
He has shown that the cost of the
first voyage Of discovery was $4,000.
But nothing that he has learned
sbout Columbus is of more interest
than the sotry Of the great dis,
coverer's secret romance.