The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1930-09-26

came across the manuscript of about
50 pages in characters which APP
peared to be those of Columbus time.
In 1923, the CodeX at Geneva was pub
lished and Everett discovered that the
manuscript in his possession conceded
precisely with those in the Genoese
volume.
After Everett made this statement
in 1924 the manuscript again dropped
from public notice and apparently was
forgotten by all concerned. About
1890, Justin Winsor, engaged in his
monumental Life of Columbus
wrote to DR.. William Everett, whose
father, Edward Everett, had died, ask
ing whether he might inspect the relic.
Doctor Everett was unable to locate it
at that time, but in 1897 it came to
light in the. locked lower part Of a
bookcase which had remained undis-
turbed after his fathers death.
Still it's adventures before reaching
the safe custody of the American gov
eminent were not at an end. Once
after being sent to London for the III
spection Of experts it lay in its wrap
pings on table in the Everett home
when the room in which it was was
swept by flames from which, however,
the precious document was seemingly
miraculously spared. 1t was finally sold
to the Library of Congress by Doctor
Everett for a sum which was nominal
-Io% = nj
commanded in the open market.
But the Codex is not the only treas
ure of Columbiana owned by the
American people and preserved in
their great library in Washington.
Ancient books of only a few crudely
printed pages which first told of his
great achievement are also included
in the collection. Columbus landed at
Lisbon upon his return from the first
voyage on March 4, 1893, and under
date of March ii he dispatched to
Gabriel, sometimes called Raphael,
Sanchez, or SanXis, treasurer to Fer
dinand and Isabella, his famous letter,
written aboard his caravel, reporting
his discovery of the New world. The
Spanish ambassador to Rome at that
time was Cardinal Bernadin Carvaja!,
and on July 10 his eminence deliv-
cred before Pope Alexander VI an ora
ton concerning this event which was
printed in Rome, presumably by Plan
nok, in that same year. This was the
first wide heralding of the mOmentous
of thic hook
is among the treasures of the Library
of Congress. Carvajal's announcement
to the Pope was couched in this wise:
"And Christ placed under their Ger
dinand and Isabella) rule the Fortu-
nate Canarie islands, the fertility of
which mas been ascertained to be won
derful. And he has lately disclosed
some other unknown ones towards the
Indies, which may be considered
among the most precious things on
earth and it is believed that they will
be gained over to Christianity by the
emissaries Of the King"
In tie famous Peter Force collection
which is deposited in the library is the
rare Verardi volume which includes
the text of the Columbus letter to San
chez and which was printed in Bar
celona in 1893, illustrated ny six wood
cuts which depict Columbus exploits.
The text of the letter is preceded by
drama which begins:
ITO the praise of the most illustri-
GUS Ferdinand, King of the SPANS,
Bethica and Granada, the siege, vic
tory and triumph. And the islands
newly discovered in the Indian sea-"
A very fine copy of the Nuremberg
Chronicle, published in 1893, also is
among the treasures of the library
1t is of particular interest in connec
ton with Columbus day because IL
shows that no time was lost in the eff
fort to rob Columbus of the glory of his
achievement A brief reference init
mates that one Martin Behaim. Ger
man sailing in the service of the king
of Portugal, visited the New world
prior to the Genoese. Investigation
has shown, however, that this passage
does not occur in the original manu-
script of the book for the copy re-
veals it to be In a hand entirely diff
ferent from that of Hartman Schedel,
the compiler of the work.
The library also owns tile first print
ed biography of Columbus. This is
found in it's copy Of the first polyglot
edition Of the Scriptures. printed at
Genoa in 1916. The story of the life
Of the discoverer appears in it as ~
marginal note to the 10Th psalm
60 by Western Newspaper Union.)