The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-10-12
How Nelson Won His Way by
His Own Personal
Efforts.
Mary Dillon Was the Woman
Who Directed His
Life. A. ..5I
Senator Nelson Tells Some Inter
esting Things Of His
Early Life.

Ihe career OF hnuLe NelSOH, IWuO Ie-
signed his office as governor Of Mime
sofa to accept that of United States SELL
ator, to which he was elected last jan
uary, is of much more than ordinary
interest, and in several respects unique.
AS told by himself in modest, straight
forward fashion, the story of his life has
many of the salient features Of a ro-
nance, including the picturesque and un-
usual.
His father was farmer and owned
small holding in the parish of Voss, near
the city of Bergen, in the southwestern
part Of Norway, and it was here that he
was born When he was 3 yearsiold his
father decided to try to better his for
tune in America. AS he could not COM
mand sufficient means to take his family
with him he left them in the old home un-
til he could earn enough to send for
them. A few months after he arrived
in this country he died. The mother OF
Senator Nelson seems to. have been
woman of courage and resource, for she
did not give UP coming to America, and
when her son was little more than 6
years old she borrowed $40 and sailed
for New York, arriving there July 4, l849.
She set out at once for Chicago, where
she had a brother who owned little
home on what was then known as "Tha
Point which is the locality bounded on
the north by Kinzie street, on the south
by the river, and on the east by Clark
street. and is now occupied by the North
western railway depot and tracks. She
left her son with this brothers. wife while
she sought and obtained a position as
ho,1sekeeper. He was sent to school
with his cousins and in a few months
had mastered the first reader. About
this time cholera prevailed in, Chicago
and he, together with his uncle's entire
family, was prostrated with the disease.
He alone survived and when he recover
ed he went to live with a Norwegian
family in the northwestern part Of the
city, doing all sorts of odds and ends OF
household work, including dishwashing,
for his board While living with this
family, one of the soEs, who carried
newspapers, fell ill and he took his
route and it was in this way he earned
his first money. -,. 49, ...
In 1850 he went with his mother to
Walworth county, Wis, and located on
an llnprodllctive little sand farm between
PALMYRA and Coldwater. Crude, poor,
and unpromising as was everything con-
nected with his surroundings at this
time. it was here that he received the In
spiration of his life.
During three months of each year Miss
Mary 3. Dillon, a cultivated, refined and
highly educated Irish woman, taught the
district school. 1t was an eccentric tate
that brought the little, poor, Ignorant
Norwegian boy and this woman, who
had ali her life had access to the best
the world affords in the way Of educa-
tional advantages, together. She was
the daughter of wealthy Irish queens
ware manufactures, who failed in the
financial crash of lsA7. The family
came 10 America and went out into the
wilds Of Wisconsin to make their living
on a farm. They would have failed ut
terly. but for the efforts of Miss Dillon,
who, witha], had great force ofNcharac-
ter and executive ability. AS all her
pupils were little Norwegian boys and
girls, many of whom could not speak
English, it was necessary for her TO learn
Norwegian, but not one word OF any
other language than English would she
permit spoken in the. school room. In
speaking of her Senator Nelson said
she was the most remarkable woman
I ever knew. Fitted as she was to fill
any position, however exalted or exact
ing, she yet devoted herself with the ut
most singleness of purpose to the poor
little, ignorant, Norwegian children, that
gathered in that old log school house.
She made OUR ink and quill pens, and ant
taught us the amenities of life and a
thousand other things which were not
in the books. is3 8 i
# stOutside of the schoolruom i was any
thing but a model. was born a turbu:
lent fellow and was always ready to fight
at the drop Of the hat. Mary d. lion was
often Obliged to whip me three times a
day, but that did not alter my liking for
her. for she was always just and gener
Gus. I was, outstanding the acerb bity
iof my temper, her. favorite pupil, for l
was orderly and Industrious IN the school
room and never failed TO, have my lessons.
So it transpired that when the short
school term closed i was arranged that /
should go every Saturda ay to Miss Dillon's
home and recite certain lessons. These
were among the happiest days Of my life.
She was a woman Of taste and an admir-
able cook and there were flowers and such
a dinner as never dreamed of until
went there. Then, when the lessons We're
oyer she used to tel me stories N alle up