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Show . The Paper That Dares To Take A Stand I I I M I 4 t W I . . October 11, 1979 The Utah Independent Page 9 Americas 976th Anniversary and seemingly effete, religion which Jones River, says Boland; these are now a discontinue their contact with the New which prompted them to explore the decreed turning the other cheek to an marsh). World for several more centuries; David unknown. Leifs men put up booths, or enemy assault and worshipping a strange in The Vikings and their Certainly this explorer was one of the and-turf chosen people. enclosures which could be Origins, states that In 1347 (less than .great men of history, and is entitled to be Letr returned to Greenland and temporarily roofed with awnings. Then 150 years before the voyage of -- 'honored for the great feat of daring which proclaimed Christianity throughout the they decided to winter there, and built Columbus),- - Icelandic annals record the .he carried out in his voyage to the New land. His mother, Thiodild, took to the some large houses. (Some translators say last remarkable event concerning World. All Americans are interested in new religion with a vengeance, and there was only a solitary house.) . Markland. Thereafter, Scandinavian the history of their land and in paying infuriated Erik by causing a chapel to be A mysterious substructure has been contacts with America are unrecorded. tribute to the hardy men built within yards of Erfks house. found on Rocky Nook Point, at the The celebrated site at LAnse aux and women who braved the terrors of the Eriks displeasure at his son's behavior mouth of the Jones River. Boland thinks Meadows in northern Newfoundland unknown sea and the forbidding shores in doubtless hastened Leifs decision to set this may be the foundation of excavated by the Norwegian author, the quest for adventure and glory, World the New for sul spoken of by Leifs shelters. An old Norse ax was Helge Instad, cannot be identified with The heroism and courage of those Leif see went to found at the site. Bjami Herjulfsson; any known historical character, but was a early explorers was indeed in the Bjarm and bought his ship. He enlisted a HOSPITABLE COUNTRY permanent settlement of a group of American tradition of progress and 35. crew of There was no lack of salmon in the river vikings who probably lived there in the adventure that made our country great. It NEW WORLD BOUND is most appropriate that we, as a nation, and lake bigger salmon than the vikings 1 1th century. Leif was out for four days before land had ever seen. The country seemed so LEIF DAY NEEDED give proper recognition to the efforts and was sighted apparently Labrador, the hospitable that no winter fodder' would Who needs a Leif Eriksson Day? experiences of these great explorers. The which had the from be needed for livestock; there was never asked a scholar of American history. The fact that an historic episode has long Bjarni departed point North American mainland. Leifs crew any frost all winter, and the grass hardly answer is simple and quite obvious it is been neglected is no reason that the sailed up to the land, cast anchor, withered. Gray says this points to the American people. The deeds of Leif neglect should be continued. It is only launched a boat and went ashore. They Martha's Vineyard or No Man's Land. Eriksson and those who followed him right that Leif be recognized so he can found it a grassless tableland of flat rock When they had finished building the (and those who preceded him) constitute emerge from murky mythology and take with great icy mountains in the houses (with a crew of 35, this may not a stirring first chapter in the epic of his place alongside Columbus and the distance a country devoid of good have taken more than a couple of weeks), America, the scholar said. How sorely others who first touched on the shores of V qualities. Leif named this land Helluland, Leif divided the company into two we need todaythat stalwart viking spirit America. Flat-rock Land. or parties, half remaining at the settlement Then they sailed southeast across the while the other half went exploring,-bu- t Stait Belle Isle to the tip of always returned to the settlement by Newfoundland and thence to Nova evening. Leif himself took turns going Scotia, a three-da- y trip. This was a level, out with the exploring party and staying wooded land with broad stretches of behind at the base, white sand, and Leif named it Markland NAMING VINLAND One evening it was discovered that one (Wooded Land). Still not satisfied, Leif and his men of the company was missing Tyrker, the returned to the ship forthwith, and sailed German. (Gray points out that the for two days upon the main with modern Nowegian for German is northeast winds before they sighted lapd Tysker.) Tyrker was a most capable again. Most historians agree this was in handicraftsman, and had lived for a long the Cape Cod area. They sailed toward time with Erik and Leif. In fact, Leif News about Sagebrush Western Lands Distribution and this land and came to an island to the called Tyrker his foster father, Rebellion out here in the West has Regional Equalization Act of 1979, north of the land. Leif severely reprimanded his that will transfer title to millions of finally penetrated past the MississipAccording to Edward F. Gray's book, companions for losing track of Tyrker, acres of our lands now held by pi River and on over to the concrete Leif Eriksson, Discoverer of America, and set off with 12 men to seach for him. Washington to our people via the jungles of the Eastern Seaboard. The the island referred to was the island of They had gone just a short distance from in the state governments. The bill already word is out back East - folks Nauset (now disappeared), on the eastern the settlement. and it was recentWest, and especially in our own has 1 6 shore of Cape Cod. Boland, however, Tyrker was evidently drunk, 'and ly endorsed by The Western CoaliUtah, have had enough and they are believes the northern end or fist of explained that he had found some grapes. tion on Public Lands, which includes doing something dramatic and posiCape Cod was an island in Leifs time, Leif promptly named the settlement tive about transfer of our Western representatives of state and local and that this was the island referred to in Viniand. lands from the bureaucratic clutches governments from throughout the the sagas. The next day, Leif told his men that on of Washington to the people through West with members of 12 state AtThey went ashore on the island and alternate days they would cut timber and their state and local governments. torneys Generals' offices. Represenlooked about, the weather being fine, and gather grapes. He laid in a cargo of wood tatives of the Western Interstate For years, ever since our state observed there was dew on the grass. The and raisins, and sailed the next spring for ' and most of our sister states of the Region of the National Association of dew had a very sweet taste. This honey-de- Greenland. West came into the federal union, we Counties, led by San Juan County's says Gray, is a natural phenomenon They put out to sea and had favorable Cal Black, have also pledged their have been forced to endure an extracaused by aphids. winds all the way until they sighted unanimous support ordinary amount of direct federal mountains. Boland holds that Leif next proceeded Greenland and its control and regulation over our very Benefits For All across Gape Cod Bay and up to the mouth But Leifs sharp eyes spotted something resources. essential and livelihoods 15 of the Jones River (Plymouth Bay); Gray else, which turned out to be people These officials and millions of This is because when we became a He reef. or believes he proceeded south to Marthas shipwrecked on a skerry our. fellow Westerners support transfederal we to had accept state, their and appropriated Vineyard and a small island. No Mans rescued them of vast portions of our fer of these lands from the federal ownership was and six miles his the south was of island, right, Land, salvage larger cargo, as bureaucracy because the action will lands as a condition of statehood. and set up camp there. Arunic inscription thenceforth called Leif the Lucky. g erase the legal ineUnlike states east of the 100th Merihas been found. And there the saga of Leif Eriksson quities that resulted from Washingdian where Unde Sam owns virtually According to the Icelandic version of ends. Leif was never able to return to no land, in our states the people own ton's massive ownership in cur the saga, Leif sent out two Gaels to run America, but his brother Thorvald, states. virtuaRy none of the very lands which along the coast and scout the country. spurred by sibling rivalry, complained Transfer will also remove the make up their states. . However, this is probably an that Leif's explorations had not been most irritating aspects of the extreme interpolation front an account of the later thorough enough, and launched an Kept For Others bureaucratic regulations, especially in AD 1007.. He voyage of Xarlsefni, and does not appear expedition of In our own state of Utah, for exthose of the BLM, which make earnin the Greenland version, which is seems to have reached the mouth of the ing a living such a frustrating task for ample, the federal bureaucrats have probably more accurate, according to Connecticut River and made his camp direct control over almost 70 of our many of our ranchers, sheepmen and ' Gray. there, saying, Itisa fair region here, and land because Washington retains the energy producers. In addition, with Whether in the Jones River estuary or here I should like to make my home. . Utahns heed to develop Utah retitle. In Alaska, the figure is dose to Mencmsha Bight near the west end of And indeed he lived there for two years. In Nevada, it is over We sponsibly, the entire nation will Martha's Vineyard, Leif's ship ran But Thorvald was not so lucky as benefit from the new resources have been little more than an ecowaters. Leif he encountered the natives, or aground in the shallow, ebb-tid- e which will result, especially those in nomic fiefdom kept for the benefit of a means skraeling waded carrying (a ashore, Shraclings They eagerly die energy field. Millions of new jobs everybody else in America but us. I their hammocks with them, without wretch) and died of an arrow wound. end opportunities for Utahns and believe we can and should change Viniand home in a waiting for the tide to come in. Where Thus Americans C3n only help us all. ti vs situation. they reached the shore, a river flowed out different sense from what he had I have introduced a bid, the from a lake (there were, at that time, a intended. The vikings, however, did not string of lakes near the mouth of the stone-Wilso- n, well-deserv- ed of-on- e co-sponso- rs w, ice-capp- ed long-standin- his-ow- 90. 87. -- he-mad- e |