The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-10-17
Hughes. Of all Leavenng Power-Latest u. Govt Report
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ABSOLUTELY PURE

COOK,
clothesmender. Nelson had worked the
farm of forty acres with the assistance OF
the boys When asked about teachers ne
said they had bad teachers now ald esdAil,
and mentioned F. W. Rynning, VINO had
had experience IN parochial scnoo4s' anu
Brekhus. who taught the children r.
Ngiou. The children had attended the
district sehoo! and Iatterlv the Tollefson
high school. Mr.. Brekhus, ne sal1 nad
been paid no salary, but had lis living
at the home.
BrekhuS. the Religious Teacher.
The Brekhus referred TO is the notorious
fraud who afterward claimed 10 he pos
sessed OF the Holy Ghost" lie nfSt
worked on the orphanage farm, out one
day had a trance in which he claimed 10
have been 10 heaven and there 10 nave
been shown the book OF life, wherein
God showed him the name Of nelson as
one Of his favorite sons After tAls ne
was not asked by Nelson 10 work any
more on the farm, but was at once pro-
NOTED TO be professor OF religion OF the
Institution. HIS eccentric and hlasphem-
Gus sermons are stll laughed over at
Pouisbo. and his revelations" there and
in Tacoma viii be readily recalled IL is
a curious coincidence, too, that on me very
day after the news reached Poulsbo from
Tacoma of the sufferTngs of Constantla
Johnson Prof" Brekhus left the or
phanage.
AS TO Mr.. and Mrs. Nelson. Mr.. Toilet
son admitted that neither had much edu-
cation, but said that Mrs. Nelson was an
excellent housekeeper, which Is general
~ admitted
Origin of the Orphanage-
There seems TO be some desire on the
part of the citizens of Poulsbo 70 have
an investigation made of the orphanage
generally, and as il is an incorporated IN
- A9NYl
obtain. The Rev l. Tollefson was led to
start the institution by a legacy left TOR
the purpose by a Tacoma lady, so his
brother, the Seattle pastor, says. but ne
does not know the amount nor the name
of the lady. The other brother a. Fouls
DO thought the amount was $40. In 1879
the Rev. I. Tollefson began collecting
subscriptions for the purpose. and lands
were donated, says Trustee Hans Void,
by Messrs. Moe. Eliason and Jensen. or
Poulsbo. The site of the home WIS pur-
chased. Lumber and nails were donated
for the present buildings and the work
of erection was given by the citizens of
Poulsbo. The orphanage was opened
May 50. 1890.
The Institution Incorporated.
Later on Mr.. Tollefson projected a high
school a college. a home for the aged,
sanitarium, manufactures in which 10 en-
pIoy the orphans, and so on, and some of
the people continually called upon for sub
scriptions began to object that NJ one had
any part in the title to these lands and
building, bought and erected by public sub
scriptiou. except Mr.. Tollefson. The sub
scriptions fell off. On January II. 1898.
in response TO representations directly
made TO him. Mr. Tollefson incorporated
the undertaking under the title Of The
West Coast Lutheran School and Charity
Association" One of the articles of in
corporation says that all applicants for lfe
membership shall pay 70 the treasurer the
sum of so within thirty days after their
election and all applicants TO become an
nual contributing members shall pay to thu
treasurer Of tho corporation 81. and when
ever member fails in this annual contri-
button he shall be declared suspended
from membership. But in none of the ar
ticles is any consideration given for such
payments The iucorporators are I. Toilet
son, T. ]. Moen. s. r. Tollefson. Z. Tang
Iero T. 3. Moe. F. O. RindaL Julius
Tveber 2 p Loney and Hans Void, and
these are the trustees. The orpheGage
property was transferred To them TO he
held in trust for the United Norwegian
Lutheran church of America. But the
deeds showing this transfer have never
been recorded and this has led many peo-
ple to believe that Mr. Touefson was stan
the owner Of the property and that the
CORPORATION was only one in name. Trls
tee Hans Void explains that the reason
why the transfer has not been recorded is
a lawsuit as to the ownership Of the or
phanage land brought against the man
from whom they purchased. Mr.. Void has
not attended any of the meetings OF the
trustees this. year, and therefore was una
ble 10 tell any more about its affairs than
were the secretary and TO surer