The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1893-08-16


EDWARD LARSEN,
Deputy State Lecturer for the Alliance
President of the Citizens Alliance of
Benson. etc.
EDWARD LARSEN.
The Story of an Active Life Spent
in Trying to Serve the
People.
We usually devote not more than
half column to the biographies of
leading peoples party men; but a
friend of Mr.. LARSEN has prepared
biography of him which, while it
passes the prescribed bounds, yet is
so full of interesting matter and
"reminiscences of past struggles of
the people against the thieves in Min
nesota that we give it nearly in full.
There are many now active in our
movement who never heard of the
"Brass-Kettle Campaign" fifteen
years ago, fought under the leader
ship of Mr.. Donnelly, when the ques-
tions at issue were very much what
they are to day: when Minneapolis
miller sat in the governors chair and
vetoed bill after bill passed for the
protection of the producing classes.
Mr.. Larssen's biography brings all
this up wildly, and we feel sure it
will prove interesting reading to the
new generation.
One of the aims of the REPRE-
SENTATIVE is to lift up those few
faithful men who have been stamped
into the mud by plutocracy.-ED.]
The subject of this sketch is an
old Reform champion; for several
years member of Nationalist
Club No. l, of Boston. Mass; depu
ty state lecturer of Minnesota F. A.;
Lecturer and purchasing agent of
the Swift County alliance; president
of the Benson Citizens alliance, etc.
He was born in the city of Standn-
ger in Norway, Feb. IA, 1910.
When only eight years old he wrote
an "Ode to Freedom" At twelve
he had the pleasure of seeing his
first contribution to the public press
published and commended. His con-
tributions to the public press have
since been numerous andvaried, both
to the American and the Norwegian
press.
His parents being poor his burning
wish for higher education could
not be realized. However, his liter
airy productions attracted the atten-
tion Of Henrik Ibsen, B. Bjornson
and others, and at their instance he
went to Christiania in the spring Of
of 1860, where several prominent
men generously opened their purses,
hearts and homes to him. The king,
Charles the 18th, became interested
in the young outodidact and his pro
auctions, and in very pleasant per-
sonal audience rendered him his
friendly protection and a stipend to
enable him to finish his studies.
In 1862 he had volume of his po-
ems published, which brought him
some f1attering comments from Nor
wegian, Danish, and Swedish jour-
nals-but no money.
After having founded and for some
time had editorial charge of an indie
pendent Liberal daily, the "Bergens
Tidende," his cup of disappointment
and despair overf1owed at the loss of
all his financial interest in the pa
per, and with it the editorship, occa-
stoned by the intrigues of a dishon-
est partner.
Since his 18th year he had looked to
the United States as his ideal of a
free, progressive, and prosperous ma
tion, and against the persuasions of
parents and friends, ignoring the Of
fer of government appointment,
he turned his face "toward the set
ting sun" and landed in New York
in the spring of 1868.
He soon discovered, alas, that his
ideal land Of the free and home of
the brave" was in immanent danger
of becoming the land of the billion
aire and the home of the slave.
After working as a laborer in
wooden mill at North Chelmsford,
Mass, some months, and nearly year
as an assistant editor of the Chicago
"Skandinaven," the leading Norwe-
gian newspaper in this country, he
embarked in several newspaper en-
terprises of his own, and the names
Of Norsk Aftenblad," the first Scan
dinavian daily newspaper in this
country, "Den Norske Immigrant"
!" Nordiske Folkeblad," and "West-
ern Minnesota Press" have still IA
miliar and pleasant sound to thous-
ands of old and true Scandinavian
reform friends, east and west.
All these, Newspapers were
doomed to die young, the causa NOR
oas'of all being too much political in
independence.
hooo n 80