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


and the Alliance candidate was found to
have plurality over l. ; two opponents OF
some two or three thousand there We're Lut
few who stood in position to calculate Il
told YOU So, =" and those few made the re-
mark in Norwegian, 50 that the general
English-speakng public were spared the i'll
fiction of hearing it Understandings
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 Halvorscn?' The gen
eral impression seemed to be that kittcl
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 a
man of typical Scandinavian appearance,
full bearded, blue-eEcd, Iymphatlc. may he
ignorant and unkCmpt, and the poSsesSOr OF
a strong Norwegian accent. lie WIS p7acu-
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 O!
the personal appearance or characteristics
represent the 18th district in congress
With the object of furnishing the readers
Ofthe PIONEER PRESS with some idea OF the
Kind o: man this Kite! liavor>cn is, and
the views and sentiments he holds, a re-
porter visited him at his home at North
Fork, near the little village OF Belgrade in
Stcarns county.
Belgrade is a Norwegian settlement on
the line of the $500 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 unintcresting q
locality as exists in Minnesota. There are
not more than half a dozen English speak
ing farmers or residents in the township,
ifindeed 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 alvOrsCn. The settlers O!
North Fork are almost without exception
Norwegian or of Norwegian descent, and
are a rough and sturdy community. The
first settler in the town was the congress
man-clect himself and in the twenty-five
years of his residence he has seen the land
all taken up and brought into cultivation.
he NAV ui SCH lOllLCStCdd - EilNatSN VII
the south bank Of little creek lined with
poplar and willow. The house is q little
onc-story -and-a-half frame structure, with
a singlc-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 hum
dred feet south arc 4 range Of stables and
sheds, rough but com Portable enough, and
a dozen or more calves and colts run loose
in an acre or two of enclosed land. The
homestead presents Just such q picture as
do a thousand other settlers homes in
the state, and is neither more nor less COM
Portable or pretcntiOus than the average.
Rising above the tree tops little west OF
the house is the whitewaShed spire of a
little Norwegian Lutheran church, where
Mr. HalvorsOn and hls family attend Wor-
ship every Sunday and beyond the church
is a school house Farm houses dot the
prairie all around, and here tits that kittel
HalvOrsen has dwelt for The past quarter oil
a century.
So much for the home of the congress.
man-eIect. Now as to Kittel HalvOrSen
himself Mr.. HalvOrsen, taken as the Pro-
NEER Press representative 'ound 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, rs did the
first king of Israel in stature above his ell
lows. At first glance Mr.. Halvors"n 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 arc
regular, and he has not the tiorid Scandi-
navian complexion. A firm, square chin
is covered by dark brown beard, the
nhnpkC flll bI1t NOT fnn HnShv oDH his
nose is straight and 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.. HalvorSen is
about five ieet seven or eight inches, and is
sturdily built, weighing perhaps 165 to 10
pounds. A close inspection of the man
gives one the idea that he is selEcontained,
self-reliant determined and upr1ght--on
the whole, a satisfactory figure. His his
torv bears out his appearance.
81 came with my parents from Norway to this
country" said he to the reporter lin 1S4S,
when was tw9 years old. lived with them IN
about the middle of S62 Joined the First Wis
consin regm mt Of volunteers, and served dur
ing the war with that corps. At the close of the
war came to Minnesota, and settled right here
in stearns county, beng the first settler in the
township of North Fork"
some men would have made three vol
umes of such a lie 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 q
rifle strapped across his back guided the
pillow which broke the virgin prairie sod, I'M
til then trod but by the Indian and buffalo,
and overcoming all difficulties, established
home in the great lone land But in Q
simple unvarnished way, without any oi
the graces or exaggerations the average
politician in his modestv usually imparts