The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-12-27

/. In the latter half
Of the Fifteenth century a Florentine
named Americas Vespucci drifted to
Spain and, hearing of the discoveries
Of Christopher Columbus, resolved TO
seek his fortunes In the New world.
So he visited EspanoIa (Hayti). went
on pearl hunting expedition with
the Spaniard, Ojeda. in 1899. and on
January 1, 1902, he discovered the
Bay of Rio Janeiro in South America.
Sometime during his voyage he
wrote letter In which he called the
western lands "Mundus Novus," in
stead Of Asia, and some historians as
sert that Vespucci, before Columbus,
discovered the mainland, that he was
the first to realize that ''Mundus No
vus" was wholly distinct from Asia
and was, In fact, a new world, and
that therefore he has some claim to
the title Of "discoverer of America"
But whether he deserved that honor
or not, the fact remains that the new
continent was to be known as
America" rather than columbus"
And this is how it came about:
At St Die in the Vosges mountains
there was at the time Vespucci was
making his voyage a little collegiate
institute which was center of geo
graphical learning. Two Of its faculty
members, Matthias Ringman. a Latin
list, and Martin WaldseemuIler, a geo.
grapher, were preparing new edition
Of Ptolemy's Geographic" Before it
was published, however, they printed
a little essay under the title of Cos
mographiae INTRODUCED" to which they
added the letter Of Vespucci. 1t was
in this essay that Waldseemuller, aft
er describing the three continents Of
Europe, Asia and Africa, then gave
an account Of the voyages of Vespucci
and closed by saying The fourth part
of the world having been discovered
by Americas it may be called 4.
the land Of Americas or America"
The suggestion met with favor, and
although at first the name was con-
fined to South America, IL was later
applied to both western continents.
And thus, whether rightly or not, was
the fame Of Americas Vespucci per-
petuated on the maps Of the world.
The next great epoch in American
history in which several important
events were linked with New Years
day was the American Revolution.
On January 1, 1875, there was born
in Boston to French goldsmith
named Apollos Rivors (who, however,
changed that to Paul Revere soon aft
er his arrival in America and his mar
rage to Deborah Hichborn) a son
who was named after his father.
Young Paul not only followed his IA
theirs trade and became an expert In
it, but he showed his versatility by
trying his hand at many other things.
He became the foremost engraver In
America, he was a cartoonist and
poet. he practiced dentistry. he was
a publisher and seller of song books.
he was an inventor and a merchant:
he built successful powder mill. and
he was the first man in this country
to smelt copper ore and TO refine and
roll copper into bolts and sheets.
But, although few Americans may
know Of Paul Revere in any Of these
roles, few indeed are they who do not
know Of him as courier bearing "a
word that shall echo forever more 2"
Tor it was his famous midnight ride"
60 Apr;l ~ 7--S ~rhfoh x-,-,oa 49,,
patriots of the approach of the Brit
ish and rallied them to make their
stand at Lexington and at Concord,
where "the shot heard round the
world" was fired.
On the day that Paul Revere ceIe-
brated his tenth birthday, there was
born on farm In Chester county, Pa,
another boy who was destined to
achieve even greater fame in the great
struggle for liberty. Anthony Wayne
was his name. and when he grew to
young manhood be became as wen
known as a surveyor in Pennsylvania
as Washington was In Virginia. He
attracted the attention Of BENJAMIN
Franklin who had him appointed to
look after rhe interests Of a number
nf Philadelphia business men who
owned lands in Nova Scotia. Upon
his return from this work in 1867 he
married Polly Penrose. the daughter
Of prominent Philadelphia merchant.
and they SETTLED in Chester county
where youna Wayne made a good liy-
ing rs a farmer and surveyor.
In l7s4 he was made one or the
provincial deputies and he was also
member IF the Pennsylvania conven-
ton held - Philadelphia TO discuss
he irrY --ouble between the