The Portland daily press., 1891-01-15
LAND OF the MIDNIGHT SUN.
mr.. John L. Stoddard's Second Lee
tuVe.

Another very large and brilliant audience
gathered at City Hall last evening to listen
to the second lecture in the Stoddard course,
given under the Stockbridge auspices.
1t is struggle to repress the exuberance
felt by the traveller in Norway. Its magnih-
cent valleys, and its beautiful fjords, bord-
cred by towering mountains, scanned with
thousands of cascades, the ocean coast
fringed with picturesque and lovely islands,
the strange presence Of eternal daylight,
the wonderful spectacle of the sun brilliant
at midnight. its villages and cities with the
simple folk who inhabit them, all combine to
give the visitor sensations such as he has
never before experienced.
After a description of ChTistiania, the
capital and the House of Parliament, the
spectators were given glimpses of the far
North. The miles of boulders. the myriad
waterfalls, surprising in their beauty and
grandeur even the lannon's Swiss waterfalls;
the indescribable scenery of the hereford.
which impresses deeply the Deholder by its
overpowering grandeur were all graphically
described.
The personal characteristics and peculiari.
ties of the Norwegians were touched upon.
They are all anxious to get to America, and
as soon as they can secure even the amount
necessary for transportation they embark
for this country. Chicago in particular is
their Eldorado. Everywhere the tourists
were bessiged with inquiries relative to Chi
cago. New York is known as landing
place; Boston and other cities are unknown.
but their invariable destination is Chicago.
A description Of a somewhat perilous
drive down the side of a mountain, due to
the mischievous nature of Norwegian 10
year old gave much amusement. A short his
tory of the old Vikings, their funeral rites
and warlike ways was introduced together
with view of old Viking ship which was
recently found in remarkable state Of pres.
ervation.
Bergen, the former home of Ole Bull and
remarkable as the rainiest city in the world,
was next visited. A unique and very effec-
tive liquor law here enforced was unfoded.
By this law the liquor interests are vested in
corporation who are allowed only per
cent on the capital invested, the remaining
profits being turned to the maintenance of
public highways. Resultant from this is the
finest system of roads In Europe and a
marked diminution In drunkenness.
The trip along the coast was pictured as
delightful, as the scenic effects of a smooth
and placid sea, from which arose snow
capped mountains of unending number, with
nesting villages at great intervals. and the
weird grandeur of land and sea possible only
in Norway united comfort and pleasure.
The city of Molde, remarkable for its rich
vegetation despite its extreme latitude; an
amusing experience with deceiving native
who spoke English-to the extent of "oh,
yes" the Romsdalhorn and its fantastic
Witches Peaks, which awe the Norweglans
and impress the traveller, and the journey to
the head Of the Romsdal were graphically
and most interestingly described. The &C.
count OF Norwegian railroad, particularly
OF their sleeping cars, was very amusing.
The latter is a. very primitive affair, the
berths (or deaths as the lecturer designated
them are DIVIDED az ours into upper and
lower, the lower consisting of bench and a
blanket and the upper of a hammock swung
five feet from the floor, to climb into which
required the skill of a man on the flying ira
peZe. -
built in the 18th century, and which has
been sacked and pillaged, restored and re-
built and experienced vicariOus fortune,
which Justly makes it the most interesting
cathedral in Norway, was shown with sew
eral beautiful effects.
A perforated mountain, through which
runs q tunnel, which seems to be OF human
agency, SO complete and smonth is it; Fom-
40. the home OF the Laps, and glimpse into
the habits and homes of these dwarfed chill
dren of the North; Hammerfest, the most
Northern city of the world. and yet thirty,
ing bustling town, warmed by the gulf
stream and with an always open harbor,
were interestingly dealt with and illustrat-
ed. after which the lecturer detailed his strip
to the Moth Cape, the most northerly point
of Europe. anu told OF that grand ana I'm
pressing prOmontory. rising abruptly from
Toe sea. standing like a sentinel to the un-
known world, and from whose summit, after
a laborious climb, the lecturer had viewed
with awe and wonder the setting of the sun
which would leave all In darkness for pc
riod Of six months, ana which gave him his