The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-27
RACE FOR A WIFE.
Two Young scandinavians Chase
Half Way Round the World.
Minneapolis Journa


Dr uieImar Sangstrund and Captain
Olaf DahIin raced all the way from
Scandinavia to marry the same girl.
Both lost. 14,,..
Sangstrund is the son of a wealthy
nhvsician. in the old country; DAMN OF
a landowner of the same town. Inc
two were rivals for the hand OF Geroa
Thorngren, the daughter OF a tenant oI
DahIin's father.@Three years ago hef
family resolved to seek a new home In
America.
Sangstrund was then pursuing ms
studies at the University of Stockholm
His father promised him a competency
and permission to we'd rWhomSoeVer ne
would after he had taken his degree,
but threatened to cut him off with
shilling if he married sooner. Damn
was d lieutenant in the army, and rear
ed that his chances of promotion might
be injured, should he take a peasant
girl to wife at the time.
So the young men agreed that neither
should press his suit for three years,
when Sangstrund'S course at the uni
versity would be finished. and Dahlln
better able to defy public opinion With
out injuring his future prospects. Inc
situation was explained to Gerda. VINO
apparently acquiesced in the arrange
ment. But Gerda had mind of her
own, and was not too well pleased at
the coolly calculating spirit manifested
by both her lovers. So she left them
with nothing more than an lmplled
promise to await their convenience.
Sangstrund and Dahlin supposed it was
an ironclad contract, but she d1dn I'M
derstand it so.
The Thorngrens settled on farm
near Emery. Three years passed. and
true to his agreement, Sangstrund notl-
fed Dahlin that he should leave Ham
burg on a certain day for America.
Dahlin was there, too, and the rivals
took passage on the steamer together
From New York to Emery again they
travelled on the same trains. But at
Emery they separated, with the under
standing that whoever reached Gerda
first should have her.
Their train pulled into town about 6
p. ~, in the midst of a bowling biz
| zard and inquiry revealed the fact that
the Thorngren farm was twelve miles
north of the village. Dahlin hired
| team and started to drive out alone.
Sangstrund was more fortunate. The
man to whom he applied for horses
told him that Christian Nelson, a
copntryman of his own, was just start
ing to drive to the Thorngren's. where
some kind of festivities were to be held
that night and that he could probably
| be induced to take a passenger. He
knew the. road, and Sangstrund would
run less risk Of losing himself in the
| storm. II
The arrangement was easily made.
and the two started to learn the nature
of the entertainment. Nelson was 60
ing to attend, but the latter was I'M
| communicative, and the subject was
dropped
Five or six miles out Of town they
passed Dahlin, struggling through the
snUWdrifts alone. Sangstrund fairly
hueged himself with joy. He was less
pleased when he. reached the Thorn
! green's to find a Norwegian minister
waiting to marry Nelson and Gerda.
The latter was delighted to have him
| present as q guest. but evidently had
no idea of throwing her new lover over
for the old one Dahlin did not arrive
until after the ceremony had been per-
formed. He was SO angry that he re-
turned the same night to Emery. and
! thence to New York. Sangstrund took
his defeat philosophically. and stayed
to dance at the wedding and wish the
newly-married couple good luck. He is
still If Emery, and will, it is said. soon
take his former sweetheart's sister
| Iel::2a, home as his wife