Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1889-12-04
THE GUnLELESS NORWEGIAN.
A Worry Unsatisfactory Interview With .
Son u Scandinavia.

Son u Scandinavia.
The Norwegian is a better man in
| diligently han he looks. says the st.
| Louis Globe Democrat. An American,
who travelled in North Dakota collect
| ing for a thrasher manufacturing com
| pany. tells OF an experience of his own,
which opened his eyes to the depth Of
Norwegian intelligence. He was
| travelling across the prairie in search of
q man named Ole Peterson, who lived
with a man named Lambert, and whose
note to the company was due. The
mercury was ut Il stage which North
Dakotans never permit to interrupt the
! usual vocations of life, but which calls
for two or three extra coats and care
| full watching Of the nose and ears. 1t
was rs degrees below zero. The col
lector came face to face with the Nor
wegian driving o yoke of oxen, not
| with the yoke and gadd. but harnessed
like horses, with collars and traces and
| guided with lines, according to the
| North Dakota custom.
Hello said the collector.
"Ya.who-upl" replied the Norwegian,
answering the salutation and address
ing the oxen at the same time.
Il want to 60 to Lambert's. Can
you tell me where he l~ives?' asked the
| collector.
"You want to go to Lamber % drawled
the Norwegian in his high key, as if
struggling with the grasp of M idea in
an unfamiliar language.
"Yes," replied the collector. do
you know where he lives?"
$50! You van to go to Lamber?
Vat is your name?"
~ 1t was impossible to resent the in
Equisitiveness Of such u simple-looking
fellow and the collector replied that
his name was Smith.
The Norwegian reflected a moment,
and then said:
$50! Your name is Smith, and YOU
want to go to LANDER. Vat is your
business, Mr.. Smith,
Smith said that he was u collector.
$50! You a collector. Your name
is Smith. Yon want to go to Lamber.
Vat you collect, Mr.. Smith"
II collect for the Northwestern Man
ufacturing company said the collec-
tor, with a little show of Impotence,
which wholly escaped the the notice of
the Norwegian, who, with serenity I'M
disturbed, said, slowly and distinctly,
as ii he was trying to get his mental
grasp upon the information:
$50 your name is Smith? You are
a collector. Collect for Northwest
Manufacturing company. You want
to go to LANDER. Vat manufacture.
Mr.. Smith,
Having gone thus far and believing
he was neal the end the collector re-
piled that his company made the Min
nesota Chief thresher.
"Ah. so,' resumed the Norwegian in
his dull, sing-song and almost painful
anxiety to comprehend. Your name
is Smith. You collect for Northwest
Manufacture company, manufacture
Minnesota Chief. You want to go by
Lamher; vat your business with Lam
| ber?"
Thinking that he had certainly
reached the end at last, the collector
said his business was to see one Ole
Peterson about a note that was due,
and he expected to find him at Lam
| bert's.
"Ah, So" said the Norwegian, with
out a change of c~ountenance, and with
the same earnest air of seeking infor-
nation and grasping at ideas new
clothing. you are II collector. Your
name is Smith. You collect for North
west Manufacture company, manufac-
ture Minnesota Chief. You want to go
by Lamber, see about Ole Peterson's
note. Veil, 1 don't know where Lam
Der live. Ya-who-up.'
With the air of a man who had done
his whole duty and with perfect UNI
studied composure the Norwegian
moved on, and the collector rubbed his
nose as he looked after the slowly re-
treating form. Some hours later in
the day, after miles Of driving over the
prairie, the collector learned that the
Norwegian OF slow comprehension
whom he had encountered in the road
was Ole Peterson, the maker of the
note.