Discovery Five Hundred Newsletter of the International Columbian Quincentenary Alliance Volume III, Number 3, October 1988 CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS FAMILY CHAPEL A National Historic Site in Pennsylvania by Joseph M. Laufer Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands are obvious U.S. links with Christopher Columbus--in fact, the only legitimate U.S. geographical links to the Admiral of the Ocean Sea. They are natural sites for U.S. quincentenary celebrations. There are numerous indirect links, however, such as the many towns and cities named for Columbus. Likewise, there are the hundreds of monuments to Christopher Columbus in just about every major city in the United States. The ethnic links, both Hispanic and Italian, round out the many possibilities for Quincentenary activities. There is, however, a little-known, but very impor- tant, link to the Columbus family nestled in the quiet village of Boalsburg in Central Pennsylvania just outside the campus of the Pennsylvania State University in State College/University Park, PA. Here one finds preserved the Christopher Columbus Family Chapel. The Chapel belonged to the Columbus family in Spain and was brought to Pennsylvania in 1909 by their American relatives of the Boal family. It is an authentic sixteenth century Spanish chapel full of masterpiece original oil paintings, fine religious articles, and belongings of Christopher Columbus himself. The chapel is located on the Boal estate, which includes the Boal Mansion and three exhibit buildings. The Boal Mansion has been in the Boal family for nine generations, from the frontier beginnings to the present, and contains the original furnishings. It is a striking, intact reflection of our nation's development from frontier days, through farming, to the splendor of the days before World War I. It was the home of Colonel Theodore Davis Boal, who outfitted his own troop for World War I. What exactly was the Boal-Columbus connection? Colonel Theodore Davis Boal was married to Mathilde de Lagarde, a French and Spanish woman, and a niece of the family of Christopher Columbus. One of Mathilde's ancestors had participated in the conquest of Peru and Ecuador after Pizarro's expedition in the 16th century. His descendants settled in Cuba, and Mathilde's mother, also named Mathilde, was born in Cienfuegos, near which the family had extensive sugar plantations. The elder Mathilde and her sister Victoria went to stay with their relatives in Madrid, where she married Count Ludovic Denis de Lagarde and Victoria married Don Diego Columbus, direct descendant of Chris- topher, Discoverer of America and possessor of the family chapel, its relics and heirlooms. When the younger Mathilde married the young American architect, Theodore Davis Boal, she brought into the family many family heirlooms. Her aunt, Dona Victoria Columbus, died widowed and childless and left part of her estate to her niece Mathilde, notably Don Diego Columbus' Chapel. Colonel Boal decided to bring the inheritance to the United States. He constructed a stone chapel building on his estate, and brought from Spain to Boalsburg the entrance door and the interior of the Columbus Chapel with everything it contained-- fine paneling and woodwork, the choir loft (with a great escutcheon of the Columbus family on the railing, its colored panels showing the castle of Castile, the lion of Leon, the Admiral's anchors, the islands of the Indies, and the colors of Spain with an eagle), reredos, the altar draped with fine Spanish linen and lace, the massive silver crucifix, silk and brocade vestments (one maniple is over five hundred years old), sacred church vessels, including large candlesticks, a tabernacle, chalices and a monstrance, paintings attributed to Ribera and Ambrosius Benson among others, handcarved Saints, and family swords. Of all these heirlooms, the greatest treasure of the Chapel is contained in a silver reliquary: it consists of two pieces of the True Cross which was presented to the Columbus family by the Bishop of Leon, as certified by his signed and sealed document dated 1817, which is on display in the Columbus Family Chapel at the Boal Estate. For Christopher Columbus buffs, the history of the original Chapel within the family is of interest. Christopher Columbus's son and heir Diego, Admiral and Viceroy of the Indies, was better situated at court than his father, enjoyed more continuously the royal protection of Ferdinand and Isabella, and married a grand- daughter of the Duke of Alba. To the Discoverer's son fell the wealth his father had earned. Some of the gold that began to flow from the Indies was transmuted into estates and castles--the trappings of nobility for the Columbus family. One of the castles was in northern Spain, in the bleak mountains of Asturias, high tide of the Moorish invasion. Amid these mountains the Moors had built a fortified round tower, which went by the name of "Llamas del Moro" (Flames of the Moor). When the Moors had been driven out, the Spaniards added to thus rugged structure a large stone castle, two stories high, with higher square towers at each corner. In the castle was set aside a place of devotion. There family relics and heirlooms were kept--furnishings and family swords among religious paintings and statuary--dedicated to the glory of God and to the patron saints who had protected the Columbuses from the perils of the sea and of the New World. Fine wood was carved and gilded, silver was wrought, and each genera- tion added something to what might already have been preserved there from the days and voyages of Christopher and his son Diego: the little painted statues of saints, carved of wood and embel- lished with glass eyes, suitable to the narrow chapel-places of the ships of discovery; the small painted wooden crosses which could be used for processions or slipped onto pikestaffs to be planted on the beaches of islands taken in the name of the Sovereigns; the admiral's desk studded with gilt cockleshells, emblematic of St. James of Compostella--a saint particularly revered by Christopher Columbus. Such a desk could be securely locked with its great key to protect the logs of the voyages; carried ashore or from ship to ship by its strong gilded handles; or open, would provide a surface on which to write those letters the explorers and administrators sent to encourage and reassure their royal patrons. All of these items, including the desk purported to belong to Christopher Columbus, are now located in the Columbus Family Chapel in Boalsburg. The Chapel also contains 165,000 pages of Columbus and related family archives dating from 1451 to 1902 which have been catalogued by faculty of the Pennsylvania State University. At the foot of the stairs to the choir loft is an intricate family tree of the descendants of Christopher Columbus. There are also some Columbus-period memorabilia in the Boal Mansion, including a painting of Columbus' grandson, Luis Columbus, and a painting of Queen Isabella. This valuable Columbus resource in the United States should become more prominent as 1992 approaches. Mr. Christopher G. Lee, a descendant of the Boal family and current resident of the Boal Mansion, is in charge of the Columbus Family Chapel and Boal Mansion. He has begun plans to establish this historic site as a centerpiece of Columbus celebrations for the Quincentenary. Arrangements have already been made with the Pennsylvania Histor- ical and Museum Commission. According to John L. Kraft, Consult- ing Administrator of the Commission, the State of Pennsylvania plans to focus on this unique resource for the 500th anniversary celebration of the Columbus voyages to the New World. The initiative being taken calls for the cataloging of all historic artifacts in the Boal collection, the documentation of historic objects traditionally related to the Columbus family, the conser- vation and security of the collections and their housing, and the production and promotion of an exhibit featuring the Columbus related objects which will travel to statewide historic sites and museums in 1991, returning to Boalsburg in 1992 where it will be housed as a permanent exhibit. This national historic site is open to the general public from May 1 to October 31, six days a week (closed Tuesdays), and on Saturdays and Sundays in December before Christmas. Tours by groups are available at other times by advance arrangement. The site is located on Route 322 four miles east of State College, home of the main campus of Penn State University. Nominal fees are charged for tours ($3.50 for adults, $2.50 for students and $1.50 for children under twelve years of age or over six). Visitors are taken on a tour by carefully trained guides. The tour takes about one hour and includes the Boal Mansion, the Columbus Chapel, and three exhibit buildings. For more information, contact the Director, Mr. Christopher Lee, Boal Mansion, Boalsburg, PA 16827, or telephone (814) 466-6210. Note: Mr. Joseph Laufer, President of the ICQA visited the Columbus Family Chapel on August 8, 1988. This article was based on this personal visit and an interview with the Director, Mr. Christopher Lee. Much of the descriptive material was digested from two resources available at the site, namely, a promotional tour leaflet and a booklet entitled "The Story of an American Heritage." COLUMBUS U.S.A.--PART II In our last issue we began a series on U.S. cities named after Christopher Columbus. Our initial feature was about Columbus, Ohio, largest American city named after the explorer. Columbus, Wisconsin is featured in this issue. In order to plan future features, we had to undertake some research on the cities and towns named after Columbus. Fortunately, some of the work has already been done. For instance, Joseph A. Zagame of Brooklyn, New York, a philatelist, has compiled a list of post offices named after Columbus. He recently had his research printed in an Italian magazine. There are some limitations to his work, because all geographic areas named after Columbus don't necessarily have a post office. Also, there are some post offices named after Columbus which don't rank as a geographic area. Dan Amato, our correspondent in Columbus, Wisconsin suggests using the "bible" of the trucking industry, "Household Goods Couriers Bureau" as a resource for the nation's "Columbuses". The process is complex, because there are many townships named after Columbus--and townships don't always show up on maps nor in zip code directories. The ICQA has indepen- dently prepared its own list relying primarily on a Zip Code directory, supplementing the research with an Atlas. We have compared our list with that of Joseph A. Zagame and have made some corrections to his published list. Our preliminary results follow. Data gathered by Joseph M. Laufer. CITIES IN THE U.S. NAMED COLUMBUS: COLUMBUS, ARKANSAS 71831 COLUMBUS, GEORGIA 31901 COLUMBUS, ILLINOIS 62328 COLUMBUS, INDIANA 47201 COLUMBUS CITY, IOWA 52737 COLUMBUS JUNCTION, IOWA 52738 COLUMBUS, KANSAS 66725 COLUMBUS, KENTUCKY 42032 COLUMBUS, MISSISSIPPI 39701 COLUMBUS, MONTANA 59019 COLUMBUS, NEBRASKA 68601 COLUMBUS, NEW JERSEY 08022 COLUMBUS, NEW MEXICO 88029 COLUMBUS, NORTH CAROLINA 28722 COLUMBUS, NORTH DAKOTA 58727 COLUMBUS, OHIO 43215 COLUMBUS GROVE, OHIO 45830 COLUMBUS, PENNSYLVANIA 16405 COLUMBUS, TEXAS 78934 COLUMBUS, WISCONSIN 53925 Note: The list above is based on Zip code assignment. There are also "Townships" named after Columbus: Columbus, Michigan; Columbus, Missouri; Columbus, Nevada; Columbus, New York; Columbus, Utah. CITIES IN THE U.S. NAMED COLUMBIA: COLUMBIA, ALABAMA 36319 COLUMBIA, CALIFORNIA 95310 COLUMBIA, CONNECTICUT 06237 COLUMBIA, ILLINOIS 62236 COLUMBIA CITY, INDIANA 46725 COLUMBIA, IOWA 50057 COLUMBIA, LOUISIANA 71418 COLUMBIA FALLS, MAINE 04623 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, MINNESOTA 55421 COLUMBIA, MISSISSIPPI 39429 COLUMBIA, MISSOURI 65201 COLUMBIA FALLS, MONTANA 59912 COLUMBIA, NEW JERSEY 07832 COLUMBIA, NORTH CAROLINA 27925 COLUMBIA STATION, OHIO 44028 COLUMBIA CITY, OREGON 97018 COLUMBIA, PENNSYLVANIA 17512 COLUMBIA CROSSROADS, PENNSYLVANIA 16914 COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29217 WEST COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA 29169 COLUMBIA, SOUTH DAKOTA 57433 COLUMBIA, TENNESSEE 38401 WEST COLUMBIA, TEXAS 77486 COLUMBIA, VIRGINIA 23038 COLUMBIA HEIGHTS, WASHINGTON 98118 WEST COLUMBIA, WEST VIRGINIA 25287 STATES WITH A COUNTY NAMED EITHER COLUMBUS OR COLUMBIA COLUMBIA COUNTY, ARKANSAS COLUMBIA COUNTY, FLORIDA COLUMBIA COUNTY, GEORGIA COLUMBIA COUNTY, NEW YORK COLUMBUS COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON COLUMBIA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA COLUMBIA COUNTY, WASHINGTON COLUMBIA COUNTY, WISCONSIN VARIATIONS ON THE COLUMBUS NAME: COLUMBIANA, ALABAMA 35051 COLUMBIAVILLE, MICHIGAN 48421 COLUMBIAVILLE, NEW YORK 12050 COLUMBIANA, OHIO 44408 SPECIAL CATEGORY COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, MISSISSIPPI 39701 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK 100.. COLUMBUS CIRCLE STATION, NEW YORK 100.. SUMMARY: COLUMBUS IN U.S. GEOGRAPHY 23 STATES WITH A COLUMBUS 25 STATES WITH A COLUMBIA 25 "PLACES" NAMED COLUMBUS (by Zip code or as "Township") 27 MUNICIPALITIES NAMED COLUMBIA 4 MUNICIPALITIES WITH A COLUMBUS VARIATION 8 COUNTIES NAMED COLUMBIA 1 COUNTY NAMED COLUMBUS 37 STATES WITH A COLUMBUS OR A COLUMBIA + DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 13 STATES WITHOUT A COLUMBUS OR A COLUMBIA 3 MAJOR POSTAL STATIONS NAMED AFTER COLUMBUS TOTAL: 69 PLACES NAMED FOR COLUMBUS COLUMBUS, WISCONSIN This is the second in a series of articles on the activities of towns in the U.S.A. named after Christopher Columbus. A recent article in a Columbus, Ohio business newspaper criticized the town fathers of the largest city named after Christopher Columbus for letting a little town in Wisconsin beat it in the race for media recognition for preparations for the Quincentenary in 1992. Columbus, Wisconsin, a town of 3,789 people in south-central Wisconsin, near Madison, boasts of the very first formal activity in conjunction with the Quincentenary. It already has a new statue of the Discoverer, a Columbus museum, and a very active Quincentenary Commission. Credit should go to a very enterprising couple, Dan and Rose Amato, for making Columbus, Wisconsin one of the most "Columbus" conscious loca- tions in the country. Dan Amato candidly admits that back in 1981 he knew "only what the average person knows of Christopher Columbus' life". He was determined at first to learn all he could about the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition which celebrated the 400th anniver- sary of Columbus' Discovery. But Dan got in deeper than he had planned after attending the first Christopher Columbus Convoca- tion conducted by the Phileas Society in Florida in 1985. "I was hooked from the first moment on listening to those Columbus experts," admits Dan. A series of annual Columbus Convocations in Santo Domingo and in Spain helped Dan expand his knowledge of Columbus and his dedication to promoting his values. Dan is altruistic about his hero, "for in Christopher Columbus, we can truly approach 1992--the joining of the world in Peace, Friend- ship, and Justice in this present day 'Age of Discovery'." Dan's first involvement with "Columbiana" appears to have been his flair for collectibles, particularly from the 1893 Chicago Exposition. As a part of their Columbus Antiques Mall, which recently celebrated its 5th Anniversary, Dan and his wife Rose operate the Columbus Museum. It contains their Christopher Columbus and 1893 World's Columbian Exposition--Chicago World's Fair collection, commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. Presently, the exhibit includes a compre- hensive display of souvenir types from the 1893 World's Fair, stereopticon 3-D view cards, silks, glassware, metal, and a vast array of souvenirs in display cases. There is a library area for research and pleasure on the 1893 World's Fair, current Christo- pher Columbus publications, and information about 1992 Quincen- tennial organizations and activities on Christopher Columbus. There are videos of Christopher Columbus and related subjects and even an audio tour of the museum. In August 1987, the museum acquired a 15 inch high statue done in cast molded ceramic entitled, "Watch on the Santa Maria", a John Rogers 1892 creation and one of less than ten in exis- tence. Represented in this statue are Christopher Columbus, Martin Pinzon and Vincente Pinzon looking for the first landfall from the deck of the Santa Maria. Among other new acquisitions at the museum are an 1892 Currier and Ives copy of the "First Landing of Columbus on the Shores of the New World", a litho- graph; and English Copeland rare white/gold trim pitcher with a "Landing of Columbus" scene; and a 29 inch high painted statue of Columbus pointing to the New World globe. There are a number of area displays depicting scenes from Angel Falls, Venezuela; Cape Haitian, Haiti (site of La Navidad, the former site of the fort built by Columbus from the ship- wrecked Santa Maria on his first voyage); Dominican Republic sites of La Isabella (the first European city in the new world, established on Columbus' second voyage); Fort Santo Tomas (the first of five forts built while the Spaniards were looking for gold); and Santo Domingo (with views of the first cathedral and first capitol in the New World and the location of Columbus' remains). Other displays recount some of Amato's travels to Spain and his contact with sailors Doug Peck and Luigi Cappellini, recreators of Columbus' voyage from Spain to the New World. Perhaps the most aggressive of Amato's projects has been the commissioning and dedication of a statue to Columbus in the Wisconsin town named after the discoverer. Planned on Columbus Day 1981, commissioned on Columbus Day 1986, unveiled on Columbus Day 1987, and to be dedicated on Columbus Day 1988, this project of the 1992 Columbus (WI) Quincentennial Celebration, Inc. is the first such Quincentenary project in the United States. The project has the endorsement of the U.S. Quincentenary Jubilee Commission in Washington, DC. Entitled "Christopher Columbus Taking Possession", this is a one-and-a-half life size (sometimes referred to as "heroic" size) replica of the 1893 World's Colum- bian Exposition statue which was located at the entrance to the Fair Administration Building. Sculptured from a foam base, fiberglass finished, with head, chest and other details cast molded, supported by a steel struc- ture throughout, and done in acrylic colors, that statue repre- sents over 280 man-hours of work by David W. Oswald, DWO Company, Sparta, Wisconsin. Oswald and seven of his employees contributed to the completion of the statue. The statue was commissioned by the Daniel and Rose Amato Family and will be dedicated to "all former employees of Stokely Canning plant in Columbus, Wisconsin dating from 1900 to 1977". This "heroic sized" Columbus stands 9 feet tall, with the overall height of the structure being 15 feet to the top of the cross which caps the banner standard. The statue should last over 100 years and require repainting about every 15 years. It weighs about 400 pounds. The internal steel supports will permit the statue to withstand winds of 80 miles per hour. The sculptor, David W. Oswald, is well known for his work. He has created over 150 representations for museums, attractions, Hollywood studios, promotions, European locations and Las Vegas. His personages include Washington, Lincoln, Ben Franklin, Babe Ruth, and John Wayne. The statue is a replica of one which attracted much atten- tion in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition. Here is one description of the original: "Facing the Court of Honor is a fine plaster statue of Columbus, the work of Louis St. Gaudens, brother of August St. Gaudens, assisted and completed by Miss Mary T. Lawrence, his student. Heroic size, representing Colum- bus just setting foot on the new-found shores, with standard of Castile and Leon in his left hand, while with his right hand he points his sword heavenward, as if invoking a heavenly benedic- tion. The head is thrown back, the face is deeply lined, and looks careworn. Over a suit of armor is a martial cloak; the arms are enclosed in gauntlets and the skirt of sliding splints of steel." Another author describes the marble statue at the east entrance of the Administration building where there "were always throngs of people assembled whether attendance was heavy or light. It merited the position given to it. The face was beardless, deep-lined and earnest." The statue stands on an "unbuildable triangle" which forms a part of a three-acre commercial plot at the west entrance to the city of Columbus, Wisconsin at the intersection of Highway 16 (E-W) Milwaukee-LaCrosse, and Highway 151 By-Pass (N-W) Platteville to Manitowoc. The plot is elevated and clearly visible from all directions and roads in the area. This quote from Seneca's Medea appears on the base of the statue: "An age will come after many years when the ocean will loose the chains of things, and a huge land lie revealed: when Tiphys will dis- close new worlds and Thule no more be the ultimate" (Tiphys was the helmsman of Jason's Argos; Thule refers to the ancient habitable world north of Britain.) Museum, statue, Quincentennial Committee, Quincentennial logo! Columbus, Wisconsin may not be the largest city in the U.S. named after Columbus, but it is certainly number one in its tribute to its namesake, thanks to the efforts of Rose and Dan Amato. For them, Columbus is not just another historical person- age, but the embodiment of an ideal; 1992 will not be just another anniversary, but the reliving of an historic moment which transformed society. Dan and Rose see the Quincentenary in the context of world peace, friendship and justice--may their efforts be rewarded! BOOK REVIEW "Columbus", by Peter Sammartino. Published by Italy Italy Maga- zine, Rome, 1988. 121 pages, illus. This is a delightful book on Columbus written by Peter Sammartino, Chancellor of Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. The book is written for young people, as clearly stated in the Author's Preface. However, from a pictorial perspective, the book is a valuable addition to anyone's Columbus library. The author says "I wrote this book for young people so that they would know how their land evolved. I wanted them to know a little bit of anthropology along the way. And I also wanted them to know something about how people in power treat people who don't have power . . . . I wanted the young people to know something about Europe at the time Columbus began dreaming about a westward voyage. I insisted on maps and pictures because they are as important as the words that accompany them." There are 78 pictures and illustrations in the book, most of them in beautiful color and many of them seldom included in Columbus books. Dr. Sammartino provides us with the Italian version of Columbus, and the uniqueness of the illustrations is that well over half of them represent works of art preserved in Genoa. There are 15 color reproductions of sections of the Columbus story frescoes by Lazzaro Tavarone, done in the 1620s in the Belimbau Palace, Genoa. The author remains true to his objective--the book is simply written and for the most part very readable. There are 17 chapters, with the final chapter dealing with "The importance of Columbus". The style is that of a storyteller. One can almost picture Dr. Sammartino reading the story to a group of young people gathered around him. He has, however, sacrificed some clarity in his attempt at brevity. For instance, in his descrip- tion of the wreck of the Santa Maria, no connection is made between the time and date of the event and the name of the first colony. The details of the fourth voyage are abbreviated to the point that the reader can't appreciate the impact of what really took place. There are also a number of technical flaws in the book. There are references to maps and illustrations which are not located where they are supposed to be. These minor imperfec- tions do not, however, detract from the overall impact of the book. In fact, the author goes beyond the relaying of factual information to provide some moral insights for his young readers. As he states in his preface, "The displacement of one mass of people by another is the bulk of history and, after all, that's what Columbus started in the new world. This process takes place all the time, sometimes in quiet, peaceful appropriation, some- times in bloody massacres and sometimes in almost imperceptible sliding in over long periods. Who owns land anyway? Has anyone the right to own land forever and forever? This is the problem that young people should be given an opportunity to study. And that's why I wrote 'Columbus'." The book is a worthy addition to the Columbus literature, and even older people can profit from it. Inquiries on the purchase of this book can be directed to the Publications Department of the I.C.Q.A. COLUMBUS' EGG In the "History of ... Christopher Columbus", Washington Irving related the classic tale of the perfect "squelch" suppos- edly made by Columbus at a banquet given by Cardinal Mendoza shortly after the explorer returned to Spain from his first voyage. Some historians question whether there is any historical foundation for the story and it has even been attributed to an earlier historical figure, an Italian architect named Filippo Brunelleschi. An ICQA correspondent from California, who calls himself "Eric of Encino", sent us his own version of "Columbus and the Egg". In the interest of history, we first reproduce Washington Irving's version and then that of Eric of Encino Washington Irving: A shallow courtier present, impatient of the honors paid to Columbus, abruptly asked him whether he thought that in case he had not discovered the Indies, there were not other men in Spain who would have been capable of the enterprise. To this Columbus made no immediate reply, but taking an egg, invited the company to make it stand on end. Every one attempted it, but in vain. Whereupon he struck it upon the table so as to break the end and left it standing on the broken part; illustrating in his simple manner that when he had once shown the way to the New World nothing was easier than to follow it. Eric of Encino: When Columbus landed at that island and set foot on shore with some of his men (even before he could plant the flag there) the Indian Chief came from under the palm trees, stepped up to Columbus, hand stretched out, palm forward, (the sign of peace) and in a strong voice asked: "Are you Columbus?" "Yes," said Columbus. "Ahh ... then we are discovered," said the chief. The chief led them all into the big council chamber. Columbus was seated next to the chief and the medicine man. The chief clapped his hands. An indian princess appeared like one of the three graces and handed the chief a beautifully carved peacepipe. Out of a pouch the chief filled the pipe with finest mixture of Kinnikinic. The princess held a glowing ember; the chief huffed and puffed until the pipehead showed red, then sent out formidable clouds to east, south, west and north; then handed it to Columbus to do the same. A powerful peace pipe it was. Columbus felt as if his ship was listing 45 degrees and the stern coming up. There was silence, no word spoken, as it should be at such history making ceremony. The silence was broken by the chief's young son, who wore the eagle's feathers in his hair and a chain around his neck made of carved molars of the alligator, saying: "Hey, dad, now that Columbus is here, make him tell us about the egg". The Chief's face darkened in anger. "Egghead son," he said, "we all know that you are the bravest of the braves; your enemies never saw your back in battle--but here in the council of elders--you keep silent". "Oh, Chief," Columbus said, "please let him speak; what is it he wants to know?" The chief then said: "Columbus, please tell us how did you make that egg stand up for your Queen and the Senators?" The princess came running with a good sized Bantam egg and handed it to Columbus. He set that egg upright with just a little force into a flat metate--and there it stood. The medicine man shot out of his seat, enraged, his seed gourds going staccato, the snake around his neck hissing and blowing a bubble, screaming: "I can do that too". "Yea," said Columbus, "now that I showed you". The chief stared at his son, the medicine man and Columbus. END SHORT TAKES PHILADELPHIA INITIATIVE Visitors to Philadelphia who travel south on Broad Street into the Italian area of the city notice that in the middle of every block there is a sign which reads "Via Christopher Colum- bus". This, of course, is an "unofficial" designation. Near the end of Broad Street is one of the oldest statues of Christopher Columbus in the United States, located in Marconi Park near Veteran's Stadium. The statue was dedicated in 1876 at the time of the centennial of the Declaration of Independence. However, last August, U.S. Representative Thomas M. Foglietta, a Philadel- phia Democrat, proposed changing the name of Delaware Avenue to Christopher Columbus Boulevard in time for 1992. He said it would require legislation by City Council to change the name of the road, which runs along the Delaware River. Foglietta was accompanied at his news conference by representatives of Italian- American organizations which had approached him about changing the road's name. PHILATELIST ALERT A Pictorial Columbus commemorative cancellation postmarked "Columbus, New Jersey" on October 12, 1988 will be available from the ICQA in October. The envelope will picture the International Columbian Quincentenary Alliance logo and the statement "Q minus 4", indicating that we are four years from the quincentenary. Anyone wishing to have this collector's item should send $2.00 to the ICQA, Box 1492, Columbus, NJ 08022. SMITHSONIAN-OHIO STATE EXHIBITION Barbara Broseclose and Ann Abrams would like to hear from collectors and institutions who own or know the location of any visual art related to Columbus for an exhibition on Christopher Columbus planned for 1992 by the Smithsonian Institute and Ohio State University. Write to them at 100 Hayes Hall, 108 North Oval Mall, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1318. MILLERSVILLE UNIVERSITY NAMED ICQA AFFILIATE Dr. Tom Tirado of the History Department of Millersville University in Pennsylvania has developed a dial-in computing system at the University dedicated to Columbus and the Age of Discovery. Dr. Tirado plans to have the system ready for opera- tion by Fall 1989. With this system, local school districts will be able to access text, bibliographic, and cartographic informa- tion; check on the latest quincentennial calendar events; and join an electronic mail service. With the endorsement of Joseph A. Caputo, President of the University, Millersville has been designated an "Affiliate Institution" of the International Columbian Quincentenary Alliance. For further information, contact Dr. Tom Tirado, Millersville University of Pennsylvania, Millersville, PA 17551-0302. FOURTH COLUMBUS CONVOCATION OF PHILEAS SOCIETY The Phileas Society is conducting its Fourth Annual Columbus Convocation in Genoa, Italy from October 1 through 7. Partici- pants will visit Columbus-related sites, including the Sala Colombiana, the Archives of the State of Genoa, the Maconesi area (ancestral home of Columbus), Savona, where the Columbus family lived, and Noli, from where he sailed. The group will also visit Milan. NORTH AMERICAN HISTORY CONFERENCE IN GENOA The annual conference on North American history will take place in Genoa from April 12 to 16, 1989, as part of the city's quincentennial celebrations. The theme will be "From the Melting Pot to Multiculturalism - The Evolution of Ethnic Relations in the United States and Canada." The program will consist of four days of seminars, workshops and lectures. Distinguished scholars from Canada, the United States and Italy will moderate panel discussions and present commissioned papers. Professor Valeria Lerda, Secretary General of CISNA is the Conference Director. For further information, contact Professor Lerda at the Instituto di Storia Moderna e Contemporanea, Universita' di Genova, Via Balbi 6, 16126 Genova, Italy. (Home address: Corso Sebastopoli 310, 10316 Torino, tel. (011) 35-96-72). SECOND ROUTE OF DISCOVERY RACE The second Route of Discovery Race, a trans-Atlantic compe- tition for monohulls and multihulls, is scheduled to start December 4, 1988 from Spain. The 30 to 40 expected entries will retrace the passage of Christopher Columbus in 1492--sailing 4,500 miles from Puerto Sherry in southern Spain's Bay of Cadiz to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in the Caribbean. The race is the first Spanish-organized trans-Atlantic race. Race spon- sors are posting $183,000 in prize money. (As reported in Soundings, June, 1988.) QUINCENTENNIAL CONFERENCE AT JOHN CARTER BROWN LIBRARY In September, 1991, the John Carter Brown Library intends to hold a four-day, international conference on the general theme of "America in European Consciousness: The Impact of the New World on the Old, 1492-1750." The conference theme emphasizes the intellectual responses of Europeans to the encounter with the Americas over a period of 250 years and the ways in which these responses influenced the course of developments within Europe itself. In calling for papers, the JCB Quincentennial Conference organizers are looking for contributions that will be provocative and that will also point the way to new directions for research on the great theme of the meaning of the Discovery to European thought and sensibility. The John Carter Brown Library is an institution for advanced research at Brown University. Inquiries should be sent to: Quincentennial Conference, John Carter Brown Library, P.O. Box 1894, Providence, RI 02912. COLUMBUS AND THE WORLD MAP The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee has received a $38,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to plan an extensive Exhibition on "Columbus and the World Map" to coincide with the Quincentenary of Columbus' first voyage in 1992. The project will be directed by Dr. Brian Harley of the UW-M Geogra- phy Department, together with representatives from four other institutions who will pool their expertise and resources in producing a major exhibition and a published catalogue. The emphasis will be on maps of the period, using their images and the historical, scientific, and cultural events they portray as a means of reinterpreting the Columbian encounter. The planned exhibition will contain many of the rare original maps and artifacts which recorded the discovery and exploration of the New World. The Exhibition will be available from the end of 1989 to 1992. Inquiries are welcome at the project office, in care of Mark Warhus, Coordinator, The Center for Map History, American Geographical Society Collection, UW-Milwaukee, P.O. Box 399, Milwaukee, WI 53201. (414) 229-4101. CRUISE SHIP STOPS AT SAN SALVADOR The first regular call by a cruise ship in connection with the Quincentennial has taken place at San Salvador--a milestone in history of the island. The Royal Viking Sea visited San Salvador on May 16 as part of the cruise line's promotion of the approaching Quincentennial. "Retrace Columbus's journeys, stopping in San Salvador, his first New World landfall", touts the Royal Viking Line's Christopher Columbus brochure. During the visit, 290 passengers disembarked and visited the landing site of Columbus at Long Bay, one of the largest contingents ever to visit the site in one day. The Royal Viking Sky, a second ship of the line, is also scheduled to stop in San Salvador, arriving October 30. The Royal Caribbean and Holland America Lines are also considering including the island in their cruises. (Reported in Encounter '92, Newsletter of the Quincentennial of Columbus's Landfall in the Bahamas, June 1988.) COUNTDOWN '92 AWARDS DINNER The Fourth Annual Awards-Dinner of Columbus: Countdown 1992 was held on Friday, September 30, 1988 at Club 200 in New York City. Dr. Fredi Chiappelli, Special Advisor to the Chancellor of the University of California for the 1992 Quincentenary Programs and Director Emeritus of the Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, UCLA was honored at the event. John Goudie, Chairman of the National Christopher Columbus Quincentenary Jubilee Commis- sion was presentor and Keynote Speaker.