Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-10-01

ment is, perhaps, as attractive and
strange as the beautiful filigree work
copied from peasant brooches two or
three centuries old. Mr. Anderson has
in Paris, Brussels and Chicago re-
ceived first gold medals far this re-
markable work.
But it is not only as manufacturers
of jewelry that the Norwegians excel.
In the art Of wood carying-for in
that country it is all art-the Norweg-
ians stand unsurpassed. 1t was
reasonable. therefore, to expect that
this branch Of Norwegian industry
would furnish a handsome exhibit in
the Old Norway BOOTH and so it will.
Handsome miniature Spinning wheels,
boxes and receptacles of all kinds
handsomely carved, key hangers in
the shape of large spoons, handsomely
carved and painted, constitute only
one branch of this department. Per-
maps, most interesting of all is the
beautiful collection Of what may be
called the Norwegian national weapon.
the "Tollekniv,' with its handsomely
carved hilt and sheathe. No Nor
Wegian peasant would consider himself
in full dress without having this knife,
or dagger rather, dangling at his belt.
1t is handsome, practical and easy of
access, always ready for use; in fact
Norwegian history gives too many
evidences of its having been too ready
for use. In times gone by, before the
modern civilization had reached to the
mountain valleys of the interior, there
was hardly a gathering of peasants,
whether for the purpose of celebrating
a wedding or a christening, or for a
funeral, without this knife's disigur-
ing or manning, ard perhaps killing.
some one whose brain, by the strong
beverages provided at the festivities,
had been fired to evil deed. During
the last so years, however, occurrences
of this kind have been rare and the
national weapon is now carried only
for peaceful purposes. It has become
fad in Norway even for young ladies
to wear a miniature knife of this pat
tern at their belt when out on noun
tain excursions or when traversing in
the winter on their rapid snow shoes
the snowy fields. The collection OBJ
tanned by the committee contains also
a number of these miniature knives for
the use of ladies.
Another attractive feature of this
booth will be the collection, running
up into several thousands, of a large
variety of Norwegian Christmas cards,
so called. The Norwegian Christmas
cards differ from ours in being each
one a veritab1e piece yof art. They
generally consist of magnificent color
prints about the size of an ordinary
cabinet photograph of some noted
painting. Thus, some of the cards
which will be for sale at the fair are a
faithful reproduction of the painting
at the worlds fair by Christian
Krohg, representing the discovery of
America by the Norwegian, Left Erick-
son. There will be a display of more
than 200 different kinds of these cards
on sale in Old Norway.
The committee has also secured the
last copies extant of a large lithograph
VI VIC Dull uldu0 LII dGlS III the year
1916. In was by the merest accident
that Mr.. Arctander discovered the ex-
istence of these gems Of antiquity in
an old bookstall in Paris.
Next to the booth OF Old Norway
will be found at the fair the Norwegian
bookstore. The publishers of Norway
have all to a man sent the committee
a copy, and in many inst ances several
copies, of their best publications. Last
Wednesday it received from the Gus
tom house three boxes, weighing nearly
a ton, of this contribution. All sorts
Of books are represented in the col
lection, which numbers over /. 900
volumes, and the ;.er:cal force of the
committee is now busily engaged in
sorting, arranging and marking the
different books, which will be sold at
a considerably lower price than they
could be bought for in Norway.
The contribution of music publishers
of Norway has also been received.
1t contains a collection o. about 500
different compositions, and every Nor
wegian composer of note, from Ole Bull
down to Grieg, is represented by some.
il not all, of their greatest works. In