The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1890-12-04
FITTEL. HALVORSEN.

and the Alliance candidate was found to
have plurality over his two opponents OF
some two or three thousand there were but
few who stood in position to calculate II
told you so" and those few made the re-
mark in Norwegian, so that the general
English-speaking public were spared the in
fiction of hearing it understandingly.
When it was learned beyond the shadow
of a doubt that the Alliance Prohibition
candidate was elected, people begen to ask
"Who is this Kutel Halvorsen?" The gen
eral impression seemed to be that Kittel
Halvorsen was an old Norwegian farmer, of
limited education and means, whom an un-
kind ate had thrown into a position for
which he was untitled both by experience,
education, or inclination. The harsh
sounding name lead people to picture
man of typical Scandinavian appearance,
full bearded, blue-eyed, lymphatic. may be
ignorant and unkempt, and the possessor of
a strong Norwegian accent. He w%s practi=
cally unknown to the people OF the state
Notwithstanding the fact that he was a
member Of the local house iii 1887. and but
few people could recall anything OF
the personal appearance or characteristics
of the man who was elected to
represent the Fifth district i'm congress,
With the object of furnishing the readers
of the PIONEER PRESS with some idea OF the
kind OF man this Kittel Hayor<cn is, and
the views and sentiments he holds, re-
porter visited him at his home at North
Fork, near the little village Of Belgrade in
Stearns county.
Belgrade is a Norwegian settlement on
the line of the 800" railway, and is a lit
tie over 100 miles northwest OF st. Paul. 1t
lies in the southwest corner of Stearns
county, and it is about as uninteresting
locality as exists in Minnesota. There are
not more than half dozen English-speak-
ing farmers or residents in the township
if indeed there are that many, exclusive Of
the children, who all speak good English.
Six miles northwest OF Belgrade is the
township of North Fork. wherein is the
home of Kittel Ii Halvorsen. The settlers of
North Fork are almost without exception
Norwegian or of Norwegian descent and
are rough and sturdy community. The
first settler in the town was the congress
man-e1ect himself. and in the twenty five
wears Of his residence he has seen the land
all taken up and brought into cultivation.
The Halvorsen~ homestead is situated on
the south bank of little creek lined with
poplar and willow. The house is little
one.story and a-half frame structure, with
single-story kitchen in the rear. Along
the eastern side of the kitchen is a shaded
verandah, and in the vicinity of the house
is the usual pump, milk house, etc A hun
dred feet south are range of stables and
sheds, rough but comfortable enough, and
a dozen or more calves and colts run loose
IF Tho
homestead presents Just such q pictu ure as
do a thousand other settlers homes in
the state and is neither more nor less CONF
Portable or pretcntious than the average.
Rising above the tree tops little west of
the houseis the whitewashed spire of a
little Norwegian Lutheran church, where
Mr.. Halvorson and his family attend wor-
ship every Sunday, and beyond the church
is school house. Farm houses dot the
prairie all around, and here tits that Kittel
Halvorsen has dwelt for the past quarter of
century.
So much for the home ofthe congress-
man-elect. Now. as to Kittel Halvorsen
himself. Mr.. Halvorsen, taken as the Pro-
EEER PREss representative found him, at
home amid his home Surroundings
stands out strongly and distinct from
the rough background. Among those
Norwegian farmers he is Saul,
and towers above them mentally, as did the
first king of Israel in stature above his ell
lows. At first glance Mr.. Halvorson might
pass for retiring but we'll to do farmer of
an ordinary type, but a closer scrutiny of
his features creates a different and more
favorable impression. His features are
regular and he has not the florid Scandi-
navian complexion. A firm, square chin
is covered BY dark brown beard, the
cheeks are full, but not too tleshy, and his
nose is straight end rather large. His eye
is what is commonly called gray, but is
really slaty azure in color. 1t is stead
fast in its gaze, and conveys the impression
that the man is kindly, yet firm. Above all
rises broad and high forehead, unmarked
by wrinkles. In height Mr.. Halyorsen is
about five leet seven or eight inches, and is
sturdily built, weighing perhaps 165 to ITO
pounds. A close inspection OF the man
gives one the idea that he is self-contained,
self-reliant determined and uprght--on
the whole, a satisfactory figure. His his
tory bears out his appearance.
II came withmy parents from Norway to this
country" said he TO the feporter in ls4s,
years a yed SeSs ws as e@ an II
about the middle of S62 Joined the First Wis
consn regim mt OF volunteers, and served dur
war wa ' came @ to ton Minnesota and settled light here
IN stearns county, beng the first settler in the
township of North Fork"
some men would have made three vol
umes ofsuch life story. They would have
told how the youth scarcely old enough to
serve enlisted and fought manfully in many
of the bloodiest battles of the Rebellion, and
when peace once more reigned, followed
the star of empire Westward, and with a
rifle strapped across his back guided the
plow which broke the virgin prairie sod, un-
til then trod but by the Indian and buffalo,
and overcoming all difficulties, established
home in the great lone land. But in d
simple, unvarnished way, without any OF
the graces or exaggerations the average
Oolitician in his modestv usually imparts