Fruit of the Vining

Dizzyhead Hua and I are obsessed with An Inglorious Columbus, a strange, fascinating book from 1885 by Edward Payson Vining. (It is to Chinese-discovery-of-America theories what Donnelly's book was to Atlantis myths, at least in heft.) I've never been able to buy it—a phantom posting on abebooks many years ago—at the height of my Vining studies—listed it at $125 or so. (A $32.99 print-on-command edition that Hua tried to purchase never came through.)

The point is, Hua just discovered an auction that closed a couple weeks ago—a copy of the Vining went for $12—chump change! That's what we tip squeegeemen! Part of me is screaming.

We want to know: Who is this third Vining scholar? Do drop a comment if you see this, sir or madame!