Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1892-05-28
FAMOUS Sill
u nepupnc Which Has Tourished
Under Assembly Rule.
For Centuries . Scat Of Learning and .
Homo for FREQ InStItutlons-An In
terestinE Chapter on It's Set-
tlomont and Progress. .

quit their native land, their estates and
homes, and settled in Iceland. Here, on
an isolated island in the broad Atlantic,
they founded . republic which for
centuries hourished, free from the tyran-
Ey of kings or an alien government. It
vas a model, republic, The Legislative
power was vested in the althing, On as
scmbly where the more influential men
met once q year to discuss national
questions. In this modest legislature
SINE specimens of oratory and states
1aanship were displayed that have
never been excelled. The althing vies
with the immortal Roman senate for
the glory of ancient legislation.
The only religion of the Ice1anders
was the same as that of other Scandi-
nayian nations, their principal gods
being Thor and Odin. Christianity was
established in the year 1000, and the
manner in which it was finally accom-
Plished was remarkable. All the mobiles
and leaders Of the island had hocked
with their retinues to the althing.
Some of these had already adopted
Christianity; the others were radically
opposed to it. A discussion now arose
as to which religion should be taken as
the state religion. Both parties con-
tended desperately for their PRINCIPLES
and both prepared for battle, hat the
sword might decide, but at the last
our n compromise was effected by Sc.
Letting one man, a man admitted to be
the wisest of the land, who should de-
cid the question. This person was
Thorgicr. He betook himself to his
Owl 'booth," where he stayed for three
days, not taking any food nor permit
ting anyone to ~ lei him. Having
reached n conclusion, Thorgier arose
and went to the althing to
his decision. 1t was that Christianity
should be the religion of the land. Both
factions, true to their promise, submit
ted to the decision.
During this medieval period liter
allure and learning hourished on the
island and Iceland came to be known
as the Land Of the Skald (poet) and
Saga (history)." Hither resorted the
historian, and even today all the Scan
dinavian nations draw their historical
knowledge from facts preserved in the
Icclandic language.
1t was in h tenth century that an
1cclander by the name of Eric and
called the Red, discovered Greenland.
+ 1901 his more famous son., Leifur
Hrppni (Len the Fortunately, discovered
al unknown land on the west side of
the Atlantic, which he called, from the.
abundance of vines growing there, Vim
land. The point at which Left landed
is now known to- have been with
IN thcp present confines of the; United
States, probably i'm Massachusetts or
Rhode, Island. Here the F~celanders
fOrmn1 n liffln nO1nru 1,IsoL .k-.--1.1
along for q few years md then vanished;.
but the fact remains that the voyagcrsi
from Iceland were the earliest Euro
pean settlers of our, country.
A period of decay in the ~Icelandfc
history begins when it was brought
under the Norwegian scepter. Later on
the island became a Danish province,
nd remains SO yet. With the loss of
Independence begins a condition of op-.
preston from foreign government. A
constitution given to the country in
1874, however, has greatly improved the
regent political status of the country,
and the island Us at present making
r.pid progress both in commercial and
Industrial matters,
.; Twenty years ago the Icelanders be-
'EGn to immigrate to America, and those
l. the United States and Canada now
runbor ten thousand. Minnesota and
Forth Dakota are favorite locations in
the United States and Manitoba in
N;A%da' In the city of Winnipeg; Man,
there are no less than three thousand Of
t"GLn. scelanders prove themselves tc
- desirable citizens and are everywhere
{ ltnowlSdGed as an honest and indus
t'ious people.
In the interest OF these people there
src now published in America three
newspapers, one monthly periodical de-
r)tcd to ecclesiastical matters, and IN
annual pamphlet of the same nature.
. hey have y synod Of their belong
NJ - tho. EutheHan church, To which
S;U'rch toe larger number of, the scat
tcrd congregations >beloncS Prcpara-
yoi ar" now heinP mode for establish.
"a = higher institution of learning