Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-05-09
sWEDEN,S BRANDY KING.
The Most Remarkable scandinavian OF
the Day.

Lars Olsen Smith, the brandy king OF
Sweden, who is at present in London is
one oIt,.e most remarkable men OF his age
perhaps the most remarkable Scandinavian
If his time. Although his eidest daughter is
about to he married to the son Of the pest
dent of the Swedish House of Lords, there
Dy allyine him with one of the first families
in Sweden, few m9n carry out the extreme
democratic principle with ouch unsparing
thoroughness as Lars Olsen Smith. 70 hear
him talk, either in explaining his plans for
the future or in describing what he has al
ready accomplished, recalls "reminiscences of
the her, IS of Disraeli's novels.
Mr.. Smith is man who has been the
largest manufacturer of spirits in Sweden.
and is now the most energetic apostle OF
temperance in northern Europe an idealist
capable of dreaming of the regeneration OF
{ crety, and yet hard headed man OF
business a prosaic-looking, sturdy, plebcian.
too independent to allow any one
to assist bin on with his overcoa', Mr..
Smith, is, nevertheless, at this moment.
practically debating to the parliament OF his
native country an entire reversal OF It's legls-
|aion as to the sale of strong drink, and Is
e1gaged in a gigantic experiment Whch II
successful, will render Sweden the paradise
Of the social reformer. This man, who once
was the terror OF the brandy makers OF
Sweden who rugged the market, controlled
prices and conducted his financial operations
9th the nerve Of a Vanderbilt and the dar-
ing of Gould is now carrying on cam
pa'Gn against the social evils OF his time
with the same energy, directness of purpose
and keen practical sagacity that Is
,ingmshed him in the days when he WAS
building up the gigantic fortune
which he is now dcdicating to the ame'lora-
ton of the condition Of his Countrvmcn. A
vede of the Swedes, typical Norlhman,
he is Cosmopolitan of the latest modern
type. He speaks seven languages. and is at
| home in almost every country IN Europe.
| His daughters are at present in PARIS one
son has Just taken his degree al the Poly-
tpchnicum at Zurich and is now studying
the social question in the United States; the
other. who is with Mr.. Smith in England at
present. is a student of "Sraa'swisstn hafI,
at the University of Tuhgen. At this mo
ment Mr.. Smith has agents scattered over
the continent, studying in every land the
latest experIments for amelinralng the con-
dirion of the people aid gathering mp, whore
ever they can be found, hints and SUGGESTIONS
| for the solution Of the great social prob
lem. Mr.. Smith himself is indrfat E able.
To day he will have an interview with
Mr.. Chamberlain tomorrow he Will pro-
coed to Manchester to investigate IN thh
city, in Liverpool and in Rochdale what has
been done ir Lancashire 10 improve the con
dition Of the working population. Nor has
Mr. Smith, with oil his researches, accum
mated so many f. cts IA he hrwild' red il
the midst of his stores of knowledge. He ha
not put SO many books On the top of his hFa'
rs to crush OUT his brains. On the contrary
we have never met any Utorist VIII
entertained clearer idea as 10 how IN
world might I've regeuerated or how sociri'
mieht he rcvolutiOnzed, than this har'
headed millionaire philanthropist, who ha
worked out his theories in practice, and
able 10 sns,antiate all bis widest assertion
by An array of facts and figures such a
are usually confnrd to the pages OF Blu
p ok He is 40 longer "BrandN King.
He has abdcttrd, and is now waging wa
to the death against the consumption e
alcohol.