The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-09-28

E States Yet every year, 81 of the 4S
49, IN states in the Union celebrate holiday
a. | that is named for him and that also
VI commentaries the event in his career
a which has made him immortal.
His name was Christopher Columbus
and October II is the date which we
annually celebrate as Columbus day or Discov-
cry day.
The 81 states which honor him that day
are: Alabama Arizona, Arkansas, California,
Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massa-
chusetts Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska,
Nevada, New Hampshire New Jersey, New York,
North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn
sylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont and
Washington.
One of our territories honors him on differ
ent day from October II. In Puerto Rico Novem-
Der 10 is Discovery day, for it was on Noyem-
Der 10, 1893, that the italian navigator sailing
under the flag of Spain the first white man
to look upon that island
Universally hailed as the "discoverer of the
New world" yet Fate ruled that the name Of
another man should be given to the two conti-
nents made known to the Old world by the voy-
ages Of Columbus. In 1899 Florentine named
Amerigo Vespucci accompanied Ojeda, a Span
lard to Espanola (Haiti) and the mainland in a
search for pearls. He wrote letter in which
he called the country he had seen "Mundus
Novus" New Land). Eight years later at st.
Die in the Vosges mountains Matthias Ringmap,
a Latnst, and Martin Waldseemuller, geog-
rapher, two members of the faculty of little
collegiate institute which the center of the
geographical learning of the time, were prepar-
ing a edition of Ptoemys Geographic"
However, before it's publication they printed on
the new printing press which the institute owned
little essay called "Cosmographiae introduced
to which they added the letter that Amerigo
Vespucci had written. In this essay Waldsee-
muller offered the suggestion that since Amerigo
\ Vespucci had seen and described this "Mundus
y Noyus," it might properly bear his name and be
: called America.
Later map-makers followed Waldseemuller's
suggestion. And that is why we have North
and South America instead of North and South
Columbia"
Although German scholars suggestion cheat
ed Columbus out of having two continents named
for him, on both there are innumerable land
marks which bear his name a derivation of
it. In South America there is a republic of
Colombia and the chief Caribbean port of the
republic of Panama is Colon, which preserves
the Spanish spelling of Columbus name-Cris-
tobal Colon. In far-off Ceylon, an island off the
coast of India, which he sought but des-
tined never to reach, there is city of Colombo
which honors his name.
The map of North America is dotted with
reminders of him. Canada has province Of
British Columbia and in it rises one of the
mightiest rivers on this contnent-the Columbia.
The little tract of land which contains the ma
tional seat of government of the United States
is called the District of Columbia, and one Of
the poetical names for this nation is Columbia.
SO when sing two of our favorite patriotic
songs-"Hail, Columbia, happy land :" and
thn pnn 0f
are pronouncing two syllables of the name of
the Italian sea captain.
Two state capitals-Columbus, Ohio. and Co
lumbia S. C.-also honor him. Eleven states
Georgia, Indiana, Kansas Mississippi, Montana
Nebraska New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio
Texas and Wisconsin-have cities named Column
bus and one state, North Carolina, has Column
bus county. Iowa has a Columbus Junction and
Ohio has Columbus Grove.
Eight states-Illnois Kentucky, Louisiana
Mississippi, Missouri, Pennsylvania, South Caro-
lima and Tennessee-have cities named Columbia
and eight states-Arkansas, Florida, Georgia.
New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Washington
and Wsconsin-have Columbia counties Ohio
has a Columbiana county, also city by that
name, as has Alabama. Indiana has Columbia
City, Montana has a Columbia Falls and Mime
sofa has Columbia Heights
The largest university in the United States is
Columbia university in New York City with 1904
faculty members and 30,588 students. There is
also a Columbia college in Iowa and innumerable
grade schools throughout the country bear the
name of Columbus or Columbia. One of the most
important fraternal organizations in the United
States is the Knights of Columbus and the first
worlds fair-in many respects, the greatest
ever held which honored the achievements of
man bearing his name was the Worlds Column
bian exposition in Chicago in 1898.
Memorials to Columbus in the form Of statues
and monuments are legion. One Of the latest, If
not the latest, is the magnificent statue which
was unveiled on August 8 Of last year (the ami
-versary of Columbus sailing from Palos, Spain,
on his first voyage of discovery on Chicago's
lake 'front.' ut stands overlooking Columbus
drive, one of the main thoroughfares in Chicago's
boulevard system)
This statue which was designed by Charles
Brioshi of st. Paul and cast In Milan, Italy, is
IL feet inches high and stands on 22foot
pedestal of Baveno granite from Milan. 1t was
presented to the city of Chicago by 1talian-Amer-
leans of that city and August 8, 1888, the date
it was unveiled was Italian day at the 1888
Century of Progress exposition when thousands
49, Lck. afxy fhorod To hNun