Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-12-03

4 me- be-
49, possible both humans and animate
- .ne awful wiiier niads: bng-
/ nv. l,pse as hg as a Village ,hurlh
I fa 'gsia,ph use; and q curious Old mill
Z ~, 7t.laihS grain, where the stream
III ..tl llin the chasm In which we
i ,al passed. the night The Larger farm.
ho99se ot sort OF patriarch TO them M.
w., ,,.,I Nlle outer, enclosed hall. In this
NN4e uestoWed on shelves hung ffol,
pegs or stood in corners a sfrnn,,s NJ
iisvIph OF oars fishing gear. rude farm
i'll.ements, game traps. tremendous fnr
tpats and rawhide boots. STAGE bee5s
Snd anuers, tusks Of Mid hoirs nsv-,
eer-norns and shot pouches and 6r,-
inns anu Of strange aud antique nal.
, VII; nc living rooms were four In
n ,e.ii y nuge ana square, leading from
and IN corner Of each wns m or',
nIileplace az large Ms ! have evef soon
EFery article Of furniture-long low AZ.
ulesj uhcouth but comfortable chairs
cull Oeruus chests, hunk-beds bnilf infc
and against the walls. heavy sbaires
upon great pegs driven into The honse
, uinnerS, and even the gaily painted bu.
r, win the housewives names
names and dates Of their marriage npor
them--was Of home manuf1ctnre
with al these evidences OF nmnla
yoEHtignt u within primitive environment.
le!t abAshed at my own constantly re'
CURING precpnceiyed tendencies 10 can.
sWuet social aud material pictures az
meagerness and desoiation where no s,ch
ssYuultlons e.iFted. Al mdlagsmad. or
ulnl,tr Wmch consisted Of sort Of
Legeta6le soup seasoned with hts of
dried hsh the universal 1albrol. some.
thing Ike the Scottish hammock, blacl,
DFead. inordiuato quantities of cheese
nutler; cream and milk, great basins of
my, nut wOndrouS,y sweet inrihaerot
or strawberries, those things were frank
y sp9Aeh or causing the greatest NOR
HHHiteht among the family Of my host.
Nl9t lacked therf Here were COM
loflOble bones, and their land which Ind
remained unquestionod IN the one fam.
w since Norway WAS Norway. The wo-
men spun tho yarn, wovn the cloth.
ma9e the clothing they all wore. and
besides attended 90 the cattle. and work.
go much In the fclls The men follel
timber. in the winter, hunted reindeer.
trapped and shot gamc, sometimes went
Oh ,ong fishing md whaling enterprises:
aud the land produced enough grain Tor
food and grass for fodder hcsiles far.
nishinE grazing for animals Of less for.
tunntc peasants who often brought their
cows mere for The summer months, and
which explained the presence NJ tho three
waiiinr 10 tho gorge Inside the ford
Nh luNSt lnlk could fouu, thOugn none
had ever attended school Elementary
education seems almost hereditary here.
and books from the musty sares 10
the prose poems Of Anderson were piled
unon the rude shelves above tho fire
places. Two or three times year thcy
went to church at Bakke. These were
great occasions. and all went IN boats
together. In The lone winter months
the. fires Of thc graat chimncys roared
as loud rs the mountain tcmpcsts; with
snow shoes they visited other eagle
nest homes, and enjoyed much simu'e
mcrry-makin~; and from year in until
year out. indeed. from one generation
TO another they know no incxtricahle
oyigoncy and experienced no need or
longing beyond their own mdtunl provis-
ion aud Requirement.
More surprising tliau an, after We hal
departed-the entire "eaglc-nest" cOmmu-
W. accompanying ms TO the edge Of
The chosm aud sending mnuy q hearty
"Favcl!' after us even when the CliT
had hidden them from sieht-and while
descending 10 the ford with tho head
former and his son. we learned that these
folk had mover seen or known any nH-
Ger Of the law; and that there was not
even tradition In the numerous family
above our heads Of title 10 their lands
hcinE essential, or Of any attempt aver
having been made for the collection Of
taxes upon any OF these Norwegian engle-
nest farms.
EDGAR L. WA[ENfAN.