Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-08-18
4 COOL FOURTH.
Independence Day IN the arctic Cir
cle-Sunshine at Midnight-
In the Land Of the Laps.

In the Land Of the Laps.
We find the following letter of our
former townsman, Rev. Robert A. Ed
wards, in the Philadelphia Inquirer,
of the 5th inst 1t will be read with
great interest not only by his many
friends here, but also for the informa-
ton which it gives of life and nature in
Norway.-ED.
TRoMsoE, Norway, July u, 1880.
Here | am in the Arctic Circle, and
addressing you from latitude of 69a.
This may be called the metropolis OF
the Arctic region, numbering, as it
does, six thousand people. 1t is beau
tifully situated on an island some dis
tance north of the Loffoden Islands,
and is known as the Paris of the north
While many of the houses have roofs
covered with sod and earth, from which
grass and wild flowers are springing
and waving to the breeze, yet on the
outlying heights are handsomer villas
and velvet lawns, and from fagstaffs
here and there flags are gayly floating.
1t is summer here, but the snow lying
on all the surrounding hills and the
wood cracking in the five story stove
in my room, as / write, would seem to
tell a different story. In December
they have but one hour of daylight,
though jr~t now the sun never sets,
and perpetual day reigns absolute.
We left Christiania on last Monday
morning, where we spent Sunday, and
celebrated the Fourth as best we could
with four Americans at dinner. We
attended services of the English
Church held in a wing of the universi-
ty, and heard two good sermons. The
congregations were small, there being
but eight communicates at the morn
ing service, the reason being that so
many of the English-speaking residents
had removed for the summer to their
country seats.
We came to Droutheim, or "Trou-
yeur," as it is called here, by steamer
over Lake Mjosen, the. largest lake in
Norway, and by rail. The journey oc-
cupied two whole days. The scenery
on the lake was beautiful and grand,
on one side well cultivated farms slop-
ing down to the water's edge, while on
the other massive hills stood oul bold
ly against the sky. The last days rail
roading from place called Koppang,
carried US through scenery wild and
impressive. Now we wound by the
side of mountains, covered with rein
deer moss to the their SUBMITS, which
made them white as snow. Then we
swept down into valley of Tyrolian
beauty by piece of railroad engineer
ing that, by its vast sweeps and grace
full curves, recalled, while it excels,
that on the Pennsylvania railroad, near
Altoona.
We reached Droutheim at nine o.
clock, with the sun an hour high before
setting. We sailed at midnight for this
place $500 miles), and arrived here
Saturday noon. The time seems long
for the distance, but we were constant
ly stopping at little stations and put
ting off everything conceivable from
stovepipes up to hogsheads of flour.
The steamer was very much crowded
with passengers. Thanks to the cour-
tesy of Consul Gade, of Christiania,
who called on US there, and who tele-
graphed for us to Trouyeur, we were
able to secure little stateroom to our
selves The main cabin at night was
q sight Itwas only six feet high, and
after supper, was fitted up for sleep
ing room, two berths deep. Men slowed
themselves about in every conceivable
way, and the snoring was enough to
frighten old Neptune himself. How
ever, everyone came expecting to rough
it more or less, and, for once in life,
he was not disappointed. The table
were pretty good, ex-
cept that for two days we saw nothing
but black bread, made of rye and bar
ley. The captain spoke English, and
was exceedingly kind and obliging.
The scenery through which we were
carried was among the finest in Europe.
We were constantly witnessing views
of ford, lake and snow covered or gla-
cier-risen mountain, which the tourist
in Switzerland can only obtain after
great deal of hard climbing and weary
toll. Thursday afternoon we crossed
the Arctic Circle, and later witnessed
that most wonderful of natural phe-
the midnight SUM- The day
had been sparklingly clear, and the
west was free from speck of cloud. AT
half-past eleven we were all on deck,
and stood there like so many sun wor-
shippers, until the king of day had driv
en- the powers of darkness before him
and beyond the western horizon, and,
having hung for a moment on the bor-
ders of the sea, swept upward again in
glowing beauty and increasing splen-
dor, the monarch of day As his full
orb rested on the horizon ship with
sails set passed across his disc, and for
a moment intercepted our view, while
she became radiant in his softened, sill
very light.
A few minutes afterward we reached
Bodo, ana party OF us went ashore
to find one part of the inhabitants
in slumber, while the other
was up and active One Industrious
was bending over her wash
tub as we passed her dwelling.
AS soon as the Finmarken was
on Saturday, ten of us started
on an expedition-I can't call it an ex-
cursion-to the encampment of Lap
landers, about two hours from here.
Twas only to be done by walking and
such tramp l never did take, the only
to it being one 1 took once
from Bedes to the Ausable lakes, in the
1t had rained the pre-
vious day and night, and after the first
half mile every step was mud and wa
ter. But, what of that? Wer'nt we
out for good time =? There was but
one lady with us, the wife of an Eng