St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-22

-<F1hUY " enlce OF lue
11lU1f North with its
H'i' 100000 inhabi-
tants. its hills and many watercourseS,
its picturesque scenerieS, description
of which | hesitate to give here even a
passing comment. occupies in the pres
ent daT a considerable surface, and lies
at the influx of Lake MRlar into an
arm of the Baltic. This fact is worth
special mention, because in earlier
times, Stockholm was chiefly confined
10 what is now more strictly called the
city.
HISTORIC STOCKHOLM.
For ages the spot where Stockholm
now stands has been famed in legend
and song, especially as the scene
of the great .'Svia''-King Agnes tragic
end, who having in war with the rims
killed the king of that country and car
ried away his beautiful daughter Sklalt
resolved To marry the latter, and par
TALLY celebrated his wedding lmmedl-
ately on the return of his fleet to the
entrance of the M9lar. The king, who
wore around his neck heavy gold
chain, brought from Finland by one of
his ancestors. and fated to be the death
of the greatest of the ''Ynglingar" dy-
nasty fell asleep. with all his men, after
the reVelrieS, and Skialf and her brother
hung him on tree by that very chain
he carried, and then made their escape
back again to Finland. After that
event the place was called Agneht.
Later on, when fleet of ESthonlan pl-
rates had entered the M9lar, devastat-
ing its shores. the inhabitants OF Sig
tuna hid, it is said, their valuableS in
the hollow trunk of a tree, or ''Stock,"
and sent it afloat. Meanwhile, when
Sigtuna had been destroyed and the pl-
rates returned home, this very stock
was found near Agnefit, which thence
forth was called StOck-sound.
STOCKHOLM'S BATTLES.
Be this as il may, certain it is, never
theleSS, that Stockholm was founded
and strongly fortified by Earl Burger
about the year 1850, since which time 1t
has had to endure many prOtracted
siege and to witness events of the most
stirring character. In October, 1901, for
example. the citadel was held against
the insurgent Swedes, by the heroic
Christian queen of John of Denmark,
who had left her in command OF gar
riSOn of about 1000 men. That force
being at length reduced by famine and
the sword to eighty, she was compelled
TO capitulate. But still more heroic
defense of Stockholm was that con-
Quoted by Christina Gyttenstjerna, the
widow of Stem Sture, angalnst the per
llulOuS duu SdllS NliltctioA -. VI
Denmark and his Swedish allies. After
a fruitleSS Seige of four months IN 1920,
through the intervention of two Swedish
bishops, the place was surrendered to
the king under the most solemn guar
antees on his part to respect the rights
of the people. He repaid the conf
dence Of his revOlted subjects by shortly
afterwards causing all the most distin-
guished SWedeS throughout the country
Io In Stnal-b holm alnnQ
ninety-fOur were executed III one day;
among these was the father of the great
Gustavus Wasa. The heroic Christina
was closely imprisoned, the body of her
husband eXhumed and burnt. Such
were the acts which prepared the way
for the liberation of Sweden by Gus
tavus Wasa, and made the most glOri-
Gus period of her history-alike heroic
and immortal!
HOW SHE Is DIVIDED.
Since those days Stockholm has gradu-
ally extended, and at present consists
of four main divisions: l, the original
city; 2, the Norrmalm; 8, Sodermalm !;
4, 0stermalm. OF course Stockholm as
whole cannot compete in picturesque
effect with the Queen of the Adriatic,
but its situation is geographically per-
feet. Stockholm is also the seat of gov
eminent and of the supreme courts of
law in Sweden. 1t possesses excellent
harborS, both in the Baltic and in Lake
M@lar, which are the scene of busy
traffic, except during the four or five
months in winter, when they are usual
" frozen over. The most striking pecu-
iarity of the city consists in the fact
that it lies in immediate proximity with
the primeval forests and rocky Islands
where to this very day there is hardly a
trace of typographical cultivation. Vari-
Gus modern improvements have
been effected all over Stockholm, but
the bare granite rock is frequently
seen protruding in the midst of the
tended beyond the limits of the three
principal islands. At length, from the
middle of the sixteenth century down
wards, the citizens were enabled to eX-
tend their borders in peace. During the
regency in the reign of Chrlstiana the
precincts of the city were extended SO
as to embrace the north and south sub
urbs. Further on to be remarked is the
fact that the old timber-built houses
have gradually been replaced with sub
stantial stone editiceS, so that Stock.
holm, like ChriStiana in Norway, pre-
SentS most substantial modern appear
ance.
THE ATTRACTIONS.
The great objects of attraction are the
royal palace, the various museums and
the large national library. Stockholm
is remarkable for its many bronze
statues and monuments. So, for exam
pie. is erected OH the quay at the bottom
of the palace hill, or StOttsbacken. q fint
equestrian statue of Gustavus III. 10y
Sergel. (This Is considered his bcst
work. 1t is admirably placed on the
SPOT where Gustavus landed i'll triumph
in 1890 after the hard-fought battle oil
Svensksund, and is great ornament t
the noble quay, OH which it is seen t.
great advantage. The royal palace
itself is built on the highest part o.
the central island, and begun on the
site of an earlier edifice by a Swedish
architect, Nicodemus Tessin, in the
italian Renaissance style. The build
ing contains SIC rooms, besides kitchens
cellars and various gateways. Tht
royal library, or national library. o.
Sweden, occupies a newly built splen
did library house, where the largest col
lection of books and manuscripts il
Scandinavia are gathered together un
der one roof. The founding of the ex
listing library dates from Charlie x. QI
about 1880; large collection made by
Christina, the famous daughter of Gus
tayuS AQOlphuS, was removed by her Il