Coulee City dispatch. [volume] (Coulee City, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1929-12-27

s-.----@ l. In the latter half
Of the Fifteenth century 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 Espanola (Hayt), 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, 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 a center of geo.
graphical learning. Two Of its faculty
members, Matthias Ringman, a Latin
list, and Martin Waldseemuller, a geo.
grapher, were preparing new edition
Of Ptolemy's Geographic" Before 1t
was published, however. they printed
little essay under the title of Cos
mographiae Introducto," 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 1t may be called :.
the land of Americas or America"
The suggestion met with favor, and
although at first the name was con-
fined to South America, It 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
Gay 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) son
who was named after his father.
Young Paul followed his fathers trade
and became an expert in 1t and in
many other things.
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 I"
For it was his famous midnight ride"
in April of 1775. which warned the
patriots OF the approach of the Brit
lSll anu IuiiiCu tuCiH " illdhe luOlT
stand at Lexington and at Concord,
where "the shot heard round the
world" was fired.
On the day that Paul Revere cele-
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 he became as well
known as surveyor in PENNSYLVANIA
as Washington was in Virginia. He
attracted the attention of Benjamin
Franklin who had him appointed to
look after the interests Of a number
of Philade phia business men who
owned lanls in Nova Scotia. Upon
his return from this work in 1867 he
married Polly Penrose, the daughter
of a prominent Philadelphia merchant,
and they settled In Chester county
where young Wayne made good liv
Ing as q farmer and surveyor.